Intermediate · Tenses made easy · topic 21 of 59 · 15 min
Present continuous: what is happening now
Explanation
Hindi uses "रहा है / रही है / रहे हैं" for actions in progress: "मैं खाना बना रहा हूँ". English uses am/is/are + the -ing form of the verb: "I am cooking." The -ing form is called the present participle, but you can just call it the "-ing verb".
| Subject | be | verb-ing | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | am | reading | I'm reading a book. |
| He / She / It | is | raining | It's raining outside. |
| You / We / They | are | waiting | They're waiting for the bus. |
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Right now | Please call later, I'm driving. |
| Around now (these days) | I'm learning English this year. |
| Temporary situation | She's staying with her aunt this month. |
| Fixed future plan | We're meeting the doctor at five. |
| Changing situation | Prices are going up every month. |
I'm on my way. I'm coming.
Say it: aim on my WAY. aim KUM-ing
मैं रास्ते में हूँ। आ रहा हूँ।
She's working from home today.
Say it: sheez WURK-ing from HOME to-DAY
वह आज घर से काम कर रही है।
What are you doing these days?
Say it: wot aar yoo DOO-ing theez DAYZ?
आजकल तुम क्या कर रहे हो?
A common friendly question about someone's life and work now.
I'm preparing for the bank exams.
Say it: aim pri-PAIR-ing for the BANK ig-ZAMZ
मैं बैंक परीक्षाओं की तैयारी कर रहा हूँ।
Sorry, I'm not following you.
Say it: SOR-ee, aim NOT FOL-oh-ing yoo
माफ़ कीजिए, मैं आपकी बात समझ नहीं पा रहा।
Verbs that do not like -ing
Some verbs describe states (स्थिति), not actions: know, understand, like, love, want, need, believe, own, belong, have (for owning). We usually use them in the simple present, even for "now".
| Spelling | Example |
|---|---|
| most verbs + ing | work → working |
| drop silent e | come → coming, write → writing |
| short verb, double last letter | sit → sitting, run → running, stop → stopping |
Watch the lesson
Present continuous: what is happening now · 1/7
Hello! Today we learn the present continuous: the tense for actions happening now.
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In real life: A phone call while travelling
Manoj: Hello, Priya? Where are you? The meeting is starting. Priya: Sorry, Manoj! I'm stuck in traffic. The bus is moving very slowly. Manoj: No problem. Are you coming by the main road? Priya: Yes. We're crossing the flyover now. I'll be there in ten minutes. Manoj: Okay. We're waiting for you in Room 3.
Practice (0/4 done)
Say this as if on the phone.
Sorry, I can't talk now. I'm driving. I'll call you back.
माफ़ कीजिए, मैं अभी बात नहीं कर सकता। मैं गाड़ी चला रहा हूँ। मैं वापस फ़ोन करूँगा।
Listen and type the sentence.
Imagine you are at a railway station or market. Describe what five different people are doing right now. Add one sentence about what you are doing these days.
Which is correct?
Quick quiz
Pass the quiz (60% or more) or mark this topic as done when you are ready.
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