Present Continuous Tense – English Grammar Exercises for A1
Choose the best option (A, B, or C) to complete each sentence. Read carefully, as the speakers are describing what is happening right now on their video calls!
1 Hi, Mom! I can’t talk for long because I ______ dinner right now.
(a) cook
(b) is cooking
(c) am cooking
2 It is so good to see your face! What ______ you doing?
(a) do
(b) are
(c) is
3 Oh no, wait a second. Listen! The baby ______ in the bedroom.
(a) cries
(b) is crying
(c) are crying
4 We ______ a movie on the sofa. Do you want to say hi to everyone?
(a) are watching
(b) watch
(c) watching
5 Look at your brother in the background! He ______ his homework.
(a) is doing
(b) doing
(c) does
6 Are you listening to me, Sarah? – Yes, I ______!
(a) do
(b) am listening
(c) am
7 Why ______ wearing a winter coat inside the house? It looks warm there!
(a) are you
(b) you are
(c) do you
8 Look at the dog on the camera! It ______ on your bed again!
(a) is sleping
(b) sleep
(c) is sleeping
9 No, I ______ a book right now. I am just resting.
(a) not reading
(b) am not reading
(c) don’t read
10 Where is Dad? – He is outside in the driveway. He ______ the car.
(a) is washing
(b) washing
(c) washes
11 We ______ coffee right now. We are drinking hot tea.
(a) isn’t drinking
(b) don’t drink
(c) aren’t drinking
12 ______ Anna playing with the kids in the living room? – Yes, she is.
(a) Does
(b) Are
(c) Is
13 Please speak softly on the phone. Grandpa ______ on the sofa.
(a) is rest
(b) is resting
(c) rests
14 It’s very noisy at your house. ______ a party?
(a) You are having
(b) Are you having
(c) Do you have
15 Hey! Why ______? Is something wrong?
(a) do you cry
(b) you are crying
(c) are you crying
16 I can see the beach behind you! The boys ______ in the sea!
(a) are swimming
(b) swim
(c) are swiming
17 Let me turn the camera around. The sun ______ and the birds ______!
(a) is shining / are singing
(b) shines / sing
(c) shining / singing
18 What ______? It smells delicious even from here!
(a) Mom is cooking
(b) is Mom cooking
(c) does Mom cook
19 Wait a moment, I ______ my jacket because it is really cold in this room.
(a) am puting on
(b) put on
(c) am putting on
20 Look at the camera, kids! We ______ and waving at Grandma!
(a) smile
(b) are smiling
(c) are smilling
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (c) am cooking
Explanation: For the pronoun “I”, the correct “to be” verb is “am”. Option (b) uses “is” which is for he/she/it. Option (a) is Present Simple, which is a common mistake when talking about actions happening right now.
2 (b) are
Explanation: The subject is “you”, which requires the auxiliary verb “are”. Option (a) “do” is a common mistake (Present Simple). Option (c) is the wrong “to be” form for “you”.
3 (b) is crying
Explanation: “The baby” is a singular subject (he/she), so we use “is” + V-ing. Option (a) is Present Simple. Option (c) uses “are”, which is for plural subjects.
4 (a) are watching
Explanation: “We” requires “are” + V-ing. Option (b) is Present Simple. Option (c) is missing the auxiliary verb “are” (a basic structural error).
5 (a) is doing
Explanation: “John” (he) takes “is” + V-ing. Option (b) misses the verb “to be”. Option (c) is Present Simple.
6 (c) am
Explanation: Short answers for Present Continuous use only the subject and the “to be” verb (“Yes, I am”). Option (a) is for Present Simple questions. Option (b) repeats the main verb, which sounds unnatural in a short answer.
7 (a) are you
Explanation: In a question, the “to be” verb must come before the subject (Wh- word + to be + subject + V-ing). Option (b) has incorrect word order. Option (c) is the wrong tense.
8 (c) is sleeping
Explanation: Correct spelling and structure for “It” (is + sleeping). Option (a) is misspelled (missing an ‘e’). Option (b) is Present Simple.
9 (b) am not reading
Explanation: To form the negative, we put “not” after the “to be” verb (I am not + V-ing). Option (a) is missing “am”. Option (c) is Present Simple negative.
10 (a) is washing
Explanation: Action happening right now (“He is outside”). Option (b) misses the “to be” verb. Option (c) is Present Simple.
11 (c) aren’t drinking
Explanation: “We” requires “are not” (aren’t). Option (a) uses “isn’t” (singular). Option (b) uses Present Simple.
12 (c) Is
Explanation: “Anna” is a singular subject (she), so the question starts with “Is”. Option (a) is Present Simple. Option (b) is for plural subjects.
13 (b) is resting
Explanation: Standard affirmative structure (subject + is + V-ing). Option (a) forgets to add “-ing” to the main verb. Option (c) is Present Simple.
14 (b) Are you having
Explanation: Correct question format (Are + you + V-ing). Option (a) is statement order, not question order. Option (c) is Present Simple, which asks about general habits, not right now.
15 (c) are you crying
Explanation: Correct question order (Wh- word + are + you + V-ing). Option (b) has the wrong word order. Option (a) is a common mistake (Present Simple).
16 (a) are swimming
Explanation: When a short verb ends in Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (swim), we must double the final consonant before adding “-ing” (swimming). Option (b) is Present Simple. Option (c) has incorrect spelling.
17 (a) is shining / are singing
Explanation: Both actions are happening right now. “The sun” is singular (is shining), and “the birds” is plural (are singing). Option (b) is Present Simple. Option (c) is missing the “to be” verbs.
18 (b) is Mom cooking
Explanation: Correct question order. Option (a) has the subject before the verb (statement order). Option (c) is Present Simple.
19 (c) am putting on
Explanation: “Put” is a C-V-C verb, so we double the ‘t’ (putting). Option (a) is spelled incorrectly. Option (b) is Present Simple.
20 (b) are smiling
Explanation: For verbs ending in ‘e’ (smile), we drop the ‘e’ and add “-ing” (smiling). Option (a) is Present Simple. Option (c) incorrectly doubles the ‘l’.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Usage: Use the Present Continuous to talk about actions happening right now (e.g., during a live video call).
- Structure: Subject + am/is/are + V-ing. Never forget the “to be” verb! (e.g., I am talking, NOT I talking).
- Questions: Swap the subject and the “to be” verb: Am/Is/Are + Subject + V-ing? (e.g., Are you listening?)
- Spelling Rules: * Drop the -e before adding -ing (smile → smiling).
- Double the last consonant for short, stressed C-V-C verbs (swim → swimming, put → putting).