UNIT 7 – Present Continuous

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 Unit 7A - Listen
Present Continuous
The Present Continuous is often used to describe an action that is happening at the moment a person speaks. It can
also be used to describe future plans that include other people. The Present Continuous of any verb is formed by the
verb to be + the ING form of the verb.

What are you doing?

1. Listen to the audio and read the following dialogue:

A: What are you doing?
B: I’m washing the dishes in the bathtub.
A: That’s strange. Do you usually wash the dishes in the bathtub?
B: No! I never wash the dishes in the bathtub! But I’m washing the dishes
in the bathtub today.
A: Why are you doing that?!
B: Because my sink is broken.

2. Listen to the short songs and fill in the gaps.

A: What’s Fran ____________?

B: She’s _____________ late.

A: ______________ late? Why is she ____________ that?

B: It’s Monday! She always works late on Monday.

A: What’s Bob ____________?

B: He’s _____________ spaghetti.

A: ______________ spaghetti? Why is he ____________ that?

B: It’s Wednesday! He always cooks spaghetti on Wednesday.

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 3. What is happening in this picture?

• Use the Present Continuous of the verbs in brackets.

In the picture, a young girl is at the park. She (stand)_____________ on a skateboard and she
(smile)_______________ and (look)_______________ at a picnic basket full of food. Next to
the basket there is a cat. It (sleep)______________ on a bench, and behind the bench there
is a bird. It (walk)______________ on the ground. There is another bird, as well, but it
(fly)______________. There is also a butterfly, and it (fly)_______________, too. In the
background there is a man. He (walk)______________ his dog. He should be careful because
there is another man (drive)______________ a car very fast on the road behind him.

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Forming the Present Continuous

The Present Continuous is formed by the verb to be and the -ING form of a verb:

Affirmative

Subject + to be + verb-ing + complement

She is standing on a skateboard.

Negative

Subject + to be + not + verb-ing + complement

You are not (aren’t) listening to me!

Interrogative

to be + subject + verb-ing + complement

Are they looking at us?

Spelling
To create the -ING form, also known as the present participle, we usually add -ing to the
verb. For example:

▪ Study → studying
▪ Eat → eating
▪ Jump → jumping

For verbs ending in -e, we leave out the -e and add -ing. For example:

▪ Write → writing (not writeing)

▪ Skate → skating (not skateing)

For verbs ending in a vowel and a consonant, we usually double the last consonant and
add -ing. For example:

▪ Run → running (not runing)

▪ Cut → cutting (not cuting)

For verbs ending in -ie we change the -ie to -y and add -ing. For example:

▪ Lie → lying (not lieing)

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4. Write the Present Continuous of the verbs in brackets in the blank.
a. Kate is ______________ dinner (prepare).
b. They are _________ for Easter eggs (hunt).
c. We are ______________ turkey (eat).
d. The Easter Bunny is ___________ (come).
e. I am ____________ Easter eggs (make).
f. The children are ____________ candy (eat).
g. You are ______________ a nice song (sing).
h. The dog is _____________ the cat (chase).
i. The cat is ________________ (run).
j. He is _______________ coffee (drink).
k. _______ I _____________ dinner? (cook)
l. _______ Jack ______________ pie? (bake)
m. _______ the girls ______________? (eat)
n. ___ it_______________? (rain)
o. ____they___________Easter eggs? (make)
p. ______ you ____________ ? (coming)
q. ____ the dog________________ too loud? (bark)
r. _____ she ________________ to me? (talk)
s. ______he ____________________? (laugh)

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When N0T to use the Present Continuous

State verbs
There is a group of verbs which are called state verbs which we use for states (not
actions) and we don't use these in the continuous form.

STATE VERBS
want need like love hate prefer
believe think know realise understand recognize
suppose be exist appear look seem
have
belong own feel smell taste
(possession)

For example:

VERB CORRECT INCORRECT

agree She doesn’t agree with us. She’s not agreeing with us.
believe I don’t believe the news! I’m not believing the news.
love I love the beach! I’m loving the beach!

5. Listen to the audio and fill in the gaps.

a) The bar ____________ of smoke.
b) This meat ______________ like chicken.
#Notes
c) He’s __________________ the cookies.
d) She’s _________ the soup to see if it needs salt. Some verbs can be both state or
action verbs, depending on the
e) I ______________ that’s a great idea! context. For example:
f) I _________ that this is not the best use of our
e.g. The soup tastes great!
time. (STATE: the quality of tste)
e.g. The chef is tasting the soup.
g) We’re _____________ about moving to another
(ACTION: the action of tasting)
city.

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Making plans

The Present Continuous communicates an idea of future when it describes plans that
involve other people:

For example: “My boyfriend and I are watching a Titanic this weekend!”

6. Listen to the dialogue, fill in the gaps and answer the questions below:

Steve: What are you __________ on Saturday, Rob?

Rob: I’m __________ all day on ____________.

Steve: What are you ___________ on Sunday?

Rob: I’m not ____________ on Sunday. I don’t __________ any plans.

Steve: We’re __________ to the ___________. Do you ___________ to come with us?

Rob: Yes, please!

Is Rob working right now?

( ) YES ( ) NO

When is Rob working?

_______________________

Where are Steve and Rob going?

________________________

When are they going out?

________________________

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Unit 7B – Practice
Present Continuous
1. Complete the sentences. Use the Present Continuous.

a) Susan ……………………… (have lunch) with her husband.

b) They ……………………… (not play) basketball
c) I ……………………………… (study) English.
d) We …………………………… (not listen) to the teacher.

2. Answer the questions below by using the Present Continuous.

a) It’s four o’clock in the morning (now). What are you doing?

________________________________________________________________

b) It’s eight-thirty in the morning (now). What are you doing?

________________________________________________________________

c) It’s noon (now). What are you doing?

________________________________________________________________

d) It’s one-thirty in the afternoon (now). What are you doing?

_______________________________________________________________

e) It’s quarter to four in the afternoon (now). What are you doing?

________________________________________________________________
f) It’s five-thirty in the afternoon (now). What are you doing?

________________________________________________________________

g) It’s eight o’clock in the evening (now). What are you doing?

________________________________________________________________
h) It’s ten-thirty in the evening (now). What are you doing?

________________________________________________________________

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 3. Complete the crosswords.

1 2

3 ACROSS

4 1) I’m ____ TV.

5
4) I’m ____ a ball in the park.

6) I’m ____ my cat a bath.

7) Late again! I’m ____ to my
6 next class.

10) I’m ____ at a bus stop.

11) I’m ____ my breakfast.

13) I’m ____ to the cinema.

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14) I’m ____ at a golf course.
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15) I’m ____ English at the
library.
9

10

DOWN
1) I’m ____ to school.
11 12
2) I’m ____ dinner at home.
13
3) I’m ____ my teeth.

5) I’m ____ at the party.

14 7) I’m ____ a good book.

8) I’m ____ a tree today.

9) I’m ____ my homework.

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10) I’m ____ the floor with a
broom.

12) I’m ____ ‘Happy birthday’

to my friend.

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 4. Circle the correct option to complete the sentences.
I. I am watching TV and my brother IX. It’s very noisy upstairs!
… a book. What …?
a) reading a) are they doing
b) is reading b) they doing
c) reads c) do they do

II. Thomas and Patrick … outside X. (A) Are they working now?
in the yard now. (B) No, they ….
a) are playing a) aren’t
b) is playing b) don’t
c) plays c) isn’t

II. (A) … doing? XI. I … dinner tonight.

(B) I am washing dishes. We got pizza!
a) What are you a) am not making
b) What you b) don’t make
c) What do you c) not make

IV. They … eating their dinner right now XII. (A) … right now?
because their food is too hot. (B) Yes, he is.
a) not a) He sleeps
b) don’t b) Is he sleeping
c) aren’t c) He sleeping

V. (A) Are you studying English now? XIII. What … the dog doing?
(B) Yes, I ….
a) do a) is
b) am b) are
c) are c) does

VI. (A) … are you doing? XIV. Why are we waiting?

(B) I’m taking a test. Who … for?
a) What a) we are waiting
b) Where b) are we waiting
c) When c) we wait

VII. I can’t talk to you right now XV. (A) … is driving the car?
because I …. (B) David is driving the car.
a) am study a) Where
b) are studying b) What
c) am studying c) Who

VIII. He usually goes for a walk at this XVI. (A) Is John sitting down?
time, but he … for a walk now. (B) No, ….
a) doesn’t go a) not
b) not go b) he doesn’t
c) isn’t going c) he isn’t

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 5. Imagine that friends from another country are coming to visit your city.
What are you planning to show them? What are you doing together?
_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

6. Match the pictures with the actions.

A) B) C) D)

Have lunch ( ) Buy clothes ( ) Watch a film ( ) Buy a cd ( )

Look at the pictures and answer the question.

1) Is she sending messages with her cellphone? ________________________________
2) Is he listening to music? ________________________________
3) Are they watching a film? _________________________________________

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Notes
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