Verbs in Present Continuous Tense (Not indicating the future) – 23 Common Grammar Topics in the Cambridge Starters Exam

The Present Continuous Tense describes actions that are happening at the moment of speaking or around the current time. It shows that the action is in progress right now or is temporary. Verbs in this tense show what someone is doing right now. For example, “She is running” means she is doing this action at the time of speaking. The structure is simple: subject + am/is/are + verb-ing. This tense is perfect for temporary actions or events in progress. For example, “They are eating lunch” or “I am writing a letter.” It is different from talking about future plans because it only focuses on what is happening at the present time.

1. Structure of the Present Continuous Tense:

(+) Affirmative (positive) sentence: S + am/is/are + verb + -ing
Example:
🏃‍♂️ He is running in the park.
📖 She is reading a book.
🎨 They are painting a picture.
🍽️ We are eating dinner right now.
💻 I am typing on my computer.
🐕 The dog is barking at the neighbors.
🚲 You are riding your bike.
🎧 She is listening to music.
🏫 The students are studying for the test.
📱 He is talking on the phone.

(-) Negative sentence: S + am/is/are + not + verb + -ing
Example:
⚽️ I am not playing football right now.
🍳 She is not cooking dinner at the moment.
📺 They are not watching TV.
📖 He is not reading a book now.
🏊‍♂️ We are not swimming in the pool.
🐶 The dog is not sleeping under the table.
📚 You are not studying for the test.
💃 She is not dancing at the party.
🧥 I am not wearing a jacket today.
🏞️ The kids are not playing outside.

(?) Question sentence: Am/Is/Are + S + verb + -ing?
Example:
🤔 Are you studying for your exam?
🐶 Is the dog playing in the yard?
📚 Are they reading a new book?
🎨 Is she painting a picture right now?
🍕 Are we eating pizza for dinner?
🚴‍♂️ Is he riding his bike to school?
🏃‍♀️ Are you running in the park?
👶 Is the baby sleeping in the crib?
🎧 Are they listening to music at the moment?
🖼️ Is she drawing a picture in her notebook?

2. When to use the Present Continuous Tense?

👉 To describe an action happening at the moment:
Example:
💬 She is talking to her friend.
🎂 He is baking a cake in the kitchen.
📝 She is writing a letter to her friend.
🎮 They are playing video games in the living room.
🎸 We are practicing the guitar for the concert.
📞 I am calling my mom right now.
🐈 The cat is chasing a mouse in the garden.
🧹 You are sweeping the floor in the hallway.
🧵 She is sewing a new dress for the party.
🌸 The flowers are blooming in the garden.
🎳 We are bowling at the arcade right now.

👉 To describe a temporary action or situation (even if it’s not happening exactly at the moment of speaking):
Mô tả các hành động tạm thời, có thể xảy ra trong khoảng thời gian hiện tại nhưng không nhất thiết xảy ra ngay lúc nói.
Example:
🏠 I am staying at my friend’s house for a week. (The action of staying is temporary.)
🌧️ He is cleaning the windows because it rained earlier.
🛠️ She is fixing her bike this week.
📦 They are moving to a new house this month.
🎤 We are rehearsing for the school play.
🖍️ I am drawing a picture for my art class.
🎾 You are practicing tennis every afternoon this week.
🚪 The door is creaking, and we are waiting for it to be fixed.
🐱 The cat is staying indoors because it’s raining.
👕 She is wearing a red dress today.
📚 He is borrowing books from the library for his project.

👉 To describe repeated actions that happen around the current time (often with “always” to show annoyance):
Mô tả các hành động lặp lại thường xuyên quanh thời điểm hiện tại (đặc biệt khi có từ “always” để chỉ sự phiền toái):
Example:
🔑 He is always forgetting his keys. (This is a repeated action that might be annoying.)
😡 He is always leaving his dirty dishes on the table.
😤 She is constantly talking loudly during meetings.
😕 The dog keeps barking at strangers.
😤 She is always talking loudly during meetings.
🙄 They keep borrowing my books without asking.
😠 He is regularly arriving late to class.
😠 You are always forgetting to turn off the lights.
😒 He is always arriving late to class.
🤦‍♂️ We are repeatedly cleaning up after their mess.
😫 She is always complaining about the weather.
🤯 You are always interrupting when I’m speaking.
🤔 They are always changing the plans at the last minute.

3. Signal Words for Present Continuous Tense:

These words often indicate that the action is in the present continuous form:
Now, right now, at the moment, at present, currently, constantly, today, this week/month/year, always (when showing annoyance or repeated actions), forever (for repeated actions), continually, repeatedly, look!/listen! (as an imperative, indicating immediate action)
Example:
📖 I am reading a book now.
🛠️ They are working on the project now.
🍳 We are cooking dinner now.
⚽ He is playing soccer right now.
📞 She is talking on the phone right now.
📚 We are studying for the test right now.
🧒 The kids are playing outside at the moment.
🤝 He is not available at the moment; he is meeting a client.
💻 I am writing an email at the moment.
🏢 The company is expanding its services at present.
🎓 She is studying English at present.
💡 At present, we are focusing on improving our skills.
📊 He is currently working on a big project.
🇫🇷 They are currently learning French.
🏙️ I am currently living in New York.
🤔 She is constantly asking questions during class.
🔑 He is constantly losing his keys.
🙄 They are constantly arguing about the same topic.
☕ I am meeting my friend for coffee today.
📊 They are presenting their project today.
👵 We are visiting our grandparents today.
✈️ We are traveling to Japan this week.
🏊‍♂️ He is learning to swim this month.
📈 They are working on a big project this year.
🤦‍♂️ He is always forgetting his phone.
🙋‍♀️ She is always interrupting during meetings.
😤 They are always complaining about the weather.
🔄 He is forever losing his wallet.
🙋‍♀️ She is forever asking for help with homework.
🤷‍♂️ They are forever changing their minds about the plan.
❌ He is continually making the same mistake.
📈 She is continually improving her skills.
💻 They are continually updating their software.
☎️ He is repeatedly calling the same number.
❓ She is repeatedly asking the same question.
🔧 They are repeatedly fixing the same issue.
👀 Look! The cat is climbing the tree!
🎶 Look! They are playing your favorite song!
🥳 Look! He is arriving at the party!
🎧 Listen! They are playing your favorite song.
📢 Listen! The teacher is explaining the rules.
🐦 Listen! The birds are singing outside.

4. Common Mistakes:

👉 Don’t use non-action (stative) verbs in the continuous form. These verbs describe states, not actions.
Không sử dụng các động từ chỉ trạng thái (stative verbs) trong thì tiếp diễn. Các động từ này mô tả trạng thái, cảm xúc, sự sở hữu, mối quan hệ hoặc điều gì đó tĩnh thay vì hành động thực tế.
👉 Common stative verbs include:
✍️ Verbs of Senses (Giác quan): Hear; See; Smell; Taste; Feel (khi không chỉ hành động cảm nhận thực tế, mà chỉ cảm giác)
👂 I hear music coming from the next room.
👂 Do you hear that noise outside?
👂I hear birds singing outside my window.
👀 They see the bird flying in the sky.
👀 He sees the mountains from his window.
👀 She sees her friend across the street.
👃 The soup smells delicious.
👃 I smell fresh bread from the bakery.
👃 Do you smell the flowers in the garden?
👅 This cake tastes amazing.
👅 The soup tastes a bit salty today.
👅 The pasta tastes delicious with the new sauce.
🤔 I feel that something is wrong.
🤔 I feel that we should leave now.
👂 She feels the cold air coming through the window.

✍️ Verbs of Emotion (Cảm xúc): Love; Like; Dislike; Hate; Want; Prefer; Need
❤️ I love chocolate.
❤️ We love spending time at the beach.
❤️ He loves his new job.
👍 He likes playing football.
👍 Do you like the new movie?
👍 I like walking in the park.
👎 She dislikes waking up early.
👎 He dislikes crowded places.
👎 They dislike rainy days.
😡 They hate being late.
😡 They hate cleaning the house every weekend.
😡 I hate waiting in long lines.
🥺 I want a new bike for my birthday.
🥺 I want a cup of coffee.
💡 She wants to learn a new language.
💼 I prefer working in a quiet environment.
☕ She prefers tea over coffee.
🌞 They prefer sunny weather for their vacation.
📚 I need more time to finish this project.
🚗 He needs a ride to the airport.
🏠 We need a bigger house for our growing family.

✍️ Verbs of Thought/Opinion (Tư duy, ý kiến): Believe; Know; Understand; Realize; Remember; Forget; Think (khi chỉ ý kiến, không chỉ hành động suy nghĩ); Mean; Suppose
🙏 I believe in hard work.
🤔 Do you believe this story?
🧐 She believes that honesty is important.
🧠 I know the answer to that question.
🤓 He knows a lot about history.
📚 Do you know where the library is?
💡 I understand the instructions now.
🤷‍♂️ Do you understand what she said?
🔍 He doesn’t understand the reason for the delay.
😲 I just realized I forgot my keys.
💡 She realized that she had made a mistake.
🤔 Do you realize how important this is?
🧠 I remember meeting him last year.
📅 Do you remember her birthday?
🧐 He suddenly remembered where he left his phone.
❌ I always forget my password.
🤔 She forgot to call her friend.
📅 Did you forget about the meeting?
🤔 I think this movie is great.
🧐 Do you think it’s going to rain?
💭 She thinks that exercise is important.
📖 What does this word mean?
🧐 I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.
🤔 What do you mean by that comment?
🤔 I suppose we could try again tomorrow.
💡 Do you suppose she will come to the party?
🤷‍♀️ I suppose it’s time to leave.

✍️ Verbs of Possession (Sở hữu): Have (khi chỉ sự sở hữu); Own; Belong; Possess
🐕 I have a dog.
🚗 She has a new car.
📚 They have a lot of books.
🏠 He owns a house in the city.
🚤 We own a small boat by the lake.
🖼️ She owns an art gallery downtown.
📖 This book belongs to me.
🎸 That guitar belongs to him.
🐱 The cat belongs to the neighbors.
🎓 He possesses great knowledge in history.
💼 She possesses many valuable skills for the job.
🧠 They possess a sharp memory.

✍️ Verbs of Existence/Condition (Sự tồn tại, điều kiện): Be (trừ khi sử dụng trong những tình huống tạm thời hoặc hành vi); Seem; Appear; Look (khi chỉ vẻ bề ngoài); Sound; Cost (khi chỉ giá trị); Owe
👨‍🏫 He is a teacher.
🏡 This house is very old.
🌞 The weather is nice today.
🤔 She seems tired after the long day.
😕 It seems like a difficult problem.
😊 You seem happy with the results.
🕵️‍♂️ He appears to know the answer.
📚 The book appears interesting.
🎭 She appears nervous before the performance.
👀 You look tired today.
👗 That dress looks beautiful on you.
🏠 The house looks great after the renovation.
🎶 The music sounds amazing.
📞 That idea sounds good to me.
😱 The situation sounds serious.
💸 The new phone costs $800.
🛠️ The repair costs more than expected.
👟 These shoes cost less than the others.
💵 I owe you $20.
🤝 He owes his success to his team.
📝 You owe me an explanation.

✍️ Verbs of Measurement (Đo lường): Weigh; Measure; Contain; Consist; Include
⚖️ This bag weighs 5 kilograms.
🐘 An elephant weighs much more than a car.
🍎 The apples weigh around 2 pounds.
📏 The room measures 10 meters in length.
🧵 She measures the fabric before cutting it.
🛏️ This bed measures 2 meters by 1.5 meters.
🥫 This can contains 400 grams of beans.
📦 The box contains all the supplies we need.
💧 This bottle contains 1 liter of water.
📚 The book consists of 20 chapters.
🍕 The pizza consists of cheese, tomato, and pepperoni.
🎓 The course consists of lectures and practical exercises.
📝 The package includes a user manual.
🎁 The gift set includes a watch and a bracelet.
🧳 The tour includes meals and accommodation.