Tenses · CEFR A1 · Starting
Present Continuous — English tenses
For what is happening right now, or around now.
The shape
am / is / are + verb-ing
Say what is happening right now.
In Hindi
जो अभी हो रहा है, या इन दिनों चल रहा है, उसके लिए।
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 am knowing the answer. | I know the answer. Verbs about states — know, like, want — do not take -ing. |
Present Continuous examples
Easiest first. Every sentence is authored, with the Hindi it comes from.
I am eating.
मैं खाना खा {रहा|रही} हूँ।
also correct: I'm having food.
I am drinking water.
मैं पानी पी {रहा|रही} हूँ।
I am watching TV.
मैं टीवी देख {रहा|रही} हूँ।
I am going home.
मैं घर जा {रहा|रही} हूँ।
I am working.
मैं काम कर {रहा|रही} हूँ।
I am studying English.
मैं अंग्रेज़ी पढ़ {रहा|रही} हूँ।
I am waiting for you.
मैं तुम्हारा इंतज़ार कर {रहा|रही} हूँ।
I am waiting for the bus.
मैं बस का इंतज़ार कर {रहा|रही} हूँ।
I am listening to music.
मैं संगीत सुन {रहा|रही} हूँ।
I am talking to my friend.
मैं अपने दोस्त से बात कर {रहा|रही} हूँ।
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.
- Present SimpleA1Talk about what you do every day
- Verbs that never take -ingB1Stop saying "I am knowing"
- Present Continuous for plansA2Talk about a fixed appointment the natural way
Questions people ask
- What is the present continuous used for?
- For what is happening right now, or around now. In practice: say what is happening right now.
- How do you form the present continuous?
- am / is / are + verb-ing.
- What is the most common mistake with the present continuous?
- Saying “I am knowing the answer.” instead of “I know the answer.”. Verbs about states — know, like, want — do not take -ing.
Where present continuous fits
Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.
Present Continuous is a CEFR A1 structure — the starting 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.
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