Tenses · CEFR A2 · Everyday
Present Continuous for plans — English tenses
When a plan is fixed with another person, English uses the present continuous with a future time. This is what people actually say about appointments.
The shape
am / is / are + verb-ing + a future time
Talk about a fixed appointment the natural way.
In Hindi
जब कोई बात किसी और के साथ पक्की हो चुकी हो, तो अंग्रेज़ी present continuous के साथ आगे का समय लगाती है।
CoCap explains every structure in both languages, because a rule you understand in Hindi is a rule you can use in English.
The mistake to fix first
The sentence Indian-English speakers actually produce, and the reason it is wrong.
| Commonly said | Correct English |
|---|---|
I will meet the doctor at five tomorrow. | I am meeting the doctor at five tomorrow. The appointment is already fixed, so "will" sounds like you decided just now. |
Present Continuous for plans examples
Easiest first. Every sentence is authored, with the Hindi it comes from.
The meeting is at ten.
बैठक दस बजे है।
I am meeting him this evening.
मैं शाम को उससे मिल {रहा|रही} हूँ।
We are going to the market tomorrow.
हम कल बाजार जा रहे हैं।
My train is at seven in the morning.
मेरी ट्रेन सुबह सात बजे है।
I am leaving tomorrow morning.
मैं कल सुबह चला जा{ऊँगा|ऊँगी}।
We are meeting next week.
हम अगले सप्ताह मिल रहे हैं।
Learn these first
These come first. The rest of this makes more sense once they are automatic.
Easy to confuse with
Close enough to be mixed up with this one. Knowing the difference is most of knowing either.
- Future: going toA2Talk about plans you have already made
- Present Simple for timetablesA2Talk about trains, flights and start times
Questions people ask
- What is the present continuous for plans used for?
- When a plan is fixed with another person, English uses the present continuous with a future time. This is what people actually say about appointments. In practice: talk about a fixed appointment the natural way.
- How do you form the present continuous for plans?
- am / is / are + verb-ing + a future time.
- What is the most common mistake with the present continuous for plans?
- Saying “I will meet the doctor at five tomorrow.” instead of “I am meeting the doctor at five tomorrow.”. The appointment is already fixed, so "will" sounds like you decided just now.
Where present continuous for plans fits
Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.
Present Continuous for plans is a CEFR A2 structure — the everyday band — and it belongs to tenses. CoCap’s syllabus files every structure this way so you can learn in order instead of jumping between whatever a search happened to return.
Reading it is not the same as saying it.
CoCap turns this page into practice: Hindi sentence in, English sentence out, corrected one thing at a time. Free, no card.
Practise the present continuous for plans →