Home / English Quiz / Present Continuous Tense

Basic

Present Continuous Tense with Answers

Test the present continuous for actions happening now and around now, plus its common spelling changes.

When to Use the Present Continuous

The present continuous puts an action in motion right now. You build it with am, is, or are plus the -ing form of the verb: “I am writing”, “She is cooking”, “They are waiting outside”. That helping verb is not optional, and this is where a lot of the trouble starts.

Use it for something in progress at the moment of speaking: “Be quiet, the baby is sleeping”. It also covers temporary situations that are not literally happening this second but are true around now, such as “I am reading a great book at the moment”, even if the book is shut on your table. And it can point to arranged plans in the near future, like “We are meeting the client on Friday”.

The two habits worth fixing

The most common error is leaving out be. “I working today” is missing its engine; it has to be “I am working today”. The second big one is using the continuous with stative verbs, the ones that describe states rather than actions. Verbs like know, want, believe, need, and belong usually stay simple. “I am knowing the answer” sounds wrong to a native ear; “I know the answer” is what you want.

A short note on that stative rule, since it trips people up. A handful of verbs switch meaning depending on the tense. “I am having lunch” is fine because have there means eat, an action. But “I am having a car” does not work, because there have means possess, a state. When you feel unsure, ask yourself whether the verb describes a doing or a state of being.

The quiz ahead mixes actions in progress with a few sneaky stative verbs, so watch for the ones that should stay simple even when everything around them is moving.

Choose an answer for each question. You get the correct answer and a short reason straight away, then your total score at the end.

Your score: 0 / 15Click an option to check your answer

1. Fill in the blank: Diya ____ studying for her exam right now.

“Is” is correct because the Present Continuous uses “am, is, are” plus the -ing verb, and “is” goes with the singular subject “Diya”.

2. Choose the correct form: The children ____ playing cricket in the park.

“Are” is correct because “the children” is plural, and plural subjects take “are” in the Present Continuous.

3. Fill in the blank: I ____ waiting for the local train at the platform.

“Am” is correct because the pronoun “I” always takes “am” in the Present Continuous.

4. Complete the verb: Look, it ____ (rain) heavily outside.

“Is raining” is correct because the action is happening now, which needs “is” plus the -ing form. The word “look” signals something happening at this moment.

5. Which sentence is correct?

“She is cooking dinner now” is correct because the Present Continuous needs the helping verb “is” plus the -ing form “cooking”.

6. Spell the -ing form correctly: Rohan is ____ (sit) near the window.

“Sitting” is correct because short verbs ending in one vowel and one consonant double the last consonant before -ing. So “sit” becomes “sitting”.

7. Fill in the blank: Aarav and I ____ preparing tiffin for the trip.

“Are” is correct because “Aarav and I” makes a plural subject (we), which takes “are” in the Present Continuous.

8. Identify the error: “They is watching the cricket match.”

“Is” is the error because “they” is plural and needs “are”. The sentence should read “They are watching the cricket match”.

9. Spell the -ing form: Priya is ____ (write) a letter to her cousin.

“Writing” is correct because verbs ending in a silent -e drop the -e before adding -ing. So “write” becomes “writing”.

10. Choose the correct negative: The shop ____ selling sweets this week.

“Isn’t” is correct because the negative of the Present Continuous is formed with “is not” or “isn’t” for a singular subject. “Shop” is singular.

11. Which verb does NOT normally take the Present Continuous?

“Know” is correct because it is a state verb, and state verbs like know, want, and like are usually not used in the continuous form. We say “I know”, not “I am knowing”.

12. Choose the sentence describing a temporary situation:

The second sentence is correct because the Present Continuous shows a temporary situation happening around now. The phrase “this month while her colleague is away” signals it is not permanent.

13. Form the question: ____ you coming to the Diwali party tonight?

“Are” is correct because Present Continuous questions with “you” begin with “are”. The full question is “Are you coming?”

14. Identify the error: “Why you are standing in the queue so long?”

“You are” is the error because in a question the helping verb comes before the subject, so it should be “are you”. The correct order is “Why are you standing?”

15. Choose the correct sentence about a changing trend:

The second sentence is correct because the Present Continuous can show a trend that is changing around now, and “people” here is plural, so it takes “are”.

Your Result

0 / 15

Book a ₹299 Demo

Book a Demo

Learning Is More Fun 1-on-1

Your child gets a patient, dedicated tutor and all the speaking time, something a big class cannot give. Book a ₹299 demo, a friendly level check for your child.

Book a ₹299 Demo Class

Practise freeFun quizzes for kids.

See the scoreInstant, friendly feedback.

Learn 1-on-1A patient kids tutor.

More Kids Quizzes

Keep Practising