What are they doing?
New Word Transcription Vietnamese Meaning
talk /tɔːk/ nói
listen /ˈlɪs.ən/ nghe
walk /wɔːk/ đi bộ
sit /sɪt/ ngồi
stand /stænd/ đứng
help /help/ giúp đỡ
paint /peɪnt/ vẽ tranh
shop /ʃɒp/ mua sắm
fly /flaɪ/ bay
drive /draɪv/ lái xe
jump /dʒʌmp/ nhảy lên
laugh /læf/ cười
cry /kraɪ/ khóc
swim /swɪm/ bơi
play /pleɪ/ chơi
read /riːd/ đọc
write /raɪt/ viết
sing /sɪŋ/ hát
dance /dæns/ nhảy
park /pɑːrk/ công viên
school /skuːl/ trường học
home /hoʊm/ nhà
beach /biːʧ/ bãi biển
street /striːt/ phố
New Word Transcription Vietnamese Meaning
playground /ˈpleɪɡraʊnd/ sân chơi
library /ˈlaɪbrəri/ thư viện
swimming pool /ˈswɪmɪŋ puːl/ hồ bơi
restaurant /ˈrɛstərɒnt/ nhà hàng
supermarket /ˈsuːpərˌmɑːrkɪt/ siêu thị
zoo /zuː/ sở thú
hospital /ˈhɒspɪtl/ bệnh viện
store /stɔːr/ cửa hàng
office /ˈɒfɪs/ văn phòng
gym /dʒɪm/ phòng tập thể dục
mountain /ˈmaʊntən/ núi
river /ˈrɪvər/ sông
city /ˈsɪti/ thành phố
countryside /ˈkʌntrɪˌsaɪd/ nông thôn
airport /ˈɛəpɔːrt/ sân bay
The Present Continuous Tense describes actions happening right now or around the current
time. Here’s a breakdown of its uses, formation, and examples:
1. When to Use the Present Continuous
The Present Continuous is used to:
Describe actions happening right now.
o Example: "She is reading a book."
Describe actions happening around now but not necessarily at this exact moment.
o Example: "They are learning English these days."
Describe temporary situations.
o Example: "I am staying with my grandparents this week."
Talk about future plans (usually when the time is mentioned).
o Example: "We are meeting our friends tomorrow."
1. Positive Form
The positive form of the Present Continuous is structured as:
Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing
Subject am/is/are Verb (-ing) Example
I am playing I am playing basketball.
You are reading You are reading a book.
He/She/It is swimming She is swimming in the pool.
We are studying We are studying English.
They are talking They are talking right now.
2. Negative Form
To make a sentence negative, add not after am/is/are:
Subject + am/is/are + not + verb-ing
Subject am/is/are + not Verb (-ing) Example
I am not playing I am not playing basketball.
You are not reading You are not reading a book.
He/She/It is not swimming He is not swimming.
We are not studying We are not studying English.
They are not talking They are not talking.
Contractions are also common in spoken English:
I am not → I’m not
He/She/It is not → He/She/It isn’t
You/We/They are not → You/We/They aren’t
3. Question Form
For questions, place am/is/are before the subject:
Am/Is/Are + Subject + verb-ing?
Am/Is/Are Subject Verb (-ing) Example
Am I playing Am I playing basketball?
Are you reading Are you reading a book?
Am/Is/Are Subject Verb (-ing) Example
Is he/she/it swimming Is she swimming in the pool?
Are we studying Are we studying English?
Are they talking Are they talking right now?
3. Adding “-ing” to Verbs
For most verbs, add -ing to form the Present Continuous:
play → playing
read → reading
However, watch for spelling rules:
For verbs ending in -e, drop the e and add -ing.
o write → writing
For one-syllable verbs with a consonant + vowel + consonant pattern, double the last
consonant and add -ing.
o run → running
4. Examples of the Present Continuous
I am cooking dinner right now.
He is swimming in the pool.
They are playing soccer at the park.
Common Recognition Signals for Present Continuous
1. Now
o Example: "They are watching TV now."
2. Right now
o Example: "She is talking to her friend right now."
3. At the moment
o Example: "He is studying English at the moment."
4. Currently
o Example: "I am currently working on my project."
5. Today (when referring to ongoing actions throughout the day)
o Example: "We are playing soccer today."
6. This week / This month
o Example: "She is taking a dance class this week."
7. Look! / Listen! (to indicate attention to an action happening right now)
o Example: "Look! They are dancing in the street."
Example: "Listen! Someone is playing the guitar."
o
8. Nowadays (for trends or temporary actions)
o Example: "Nowadays, he is learning to cook."
PRACTICE:
1. Fill in the Blanks
Complete the sentences using the correct form of the verb in the Present Continuous tense.
1. I ______ (read) a great book right now.
2. They ______ (study) for their final exams this week.
3. She ______ (not, like) to eat vegetables.
4. We ______ (have) a meeting at the moment.
5. What ______ you ______ (do) right now?
2. Choose the Correct Answer
Choose the correct form of the verb to complete each sentence.
1. Right now, she ______ (is / are) watching TV.
2. They ______ (is / are) playing soccer at the park.
3. I ______ (am / is) cooking dinner for my family.
4. What ______ he ______ (do / is doing) right now?
5. We ______ (are / is) not working today.
3. Make Sentences
Use the words to create positive or negative sentences in the Present Continuous.
1. she / dance / at the party
2. they / not / work / today
3. I / read / a new book
4. we / play / soccer / right now
5. he / study / for the test
4. Change to Negative
Rewrite the sentences in the negative form.
1. They are talking to their friends.
2. I am going to the supermarket.
3. She is watching a movie.
4. We are playing a game right now.
5. He is working on his project.
5. Correct the Mistakes
Find and correct the mistakes in the following sentences.
1. I is reading a book at the moment.
2. She are playing tennis right now.
3. They am studying for their exams.
4. We is going to the party tonight.
5. He aren’t working today.
6. Question Form Practice
Form questions using the Present Continuous tense.
1. (you / read) a book now?
2. (she / watch) TV at the moment?
3. (they / study) for their test?
4. (he / play) football right now?
5. (we / have) a meeting this afternoon?
1. Collocations with Verbs from the List
Verb Collocation
play play football, play games, play the piano
read read a book, read a newspaper, read aloud
write write a letter, write an email, write a story
draw draw a picture, draw a map, draw a portrait
sing sing a song, sing in the choir, sing loudly
dance dance at a party, dance together, dance gracefully
cook cook dinner, cook lunch, cook a meal
Verb Collocation
swim swim in the pool, swim in the sea, swim laps
run run a race, run fast, run in the park
jump jump over, jump high, jump up and down
clean clean the house, clean the room, clean the kitchen
wash wash the dishes, wash your hands, wash the car
2. Matching Exercise:
Match the verbs to the correct collocation:
1. Play a. a letter
2. read b. dinner
3. write c. a song
4. draw d. the dishes
5. sing e. a picture
6. dance f. in the pool
7. cook g. in the park
8. swim h. the house
9. run i. a race
10. jump j. over
Here are examples in the Present Continuous tense for the collocations provided:
1. play
o She is playing football right now.
o They are playing games in the park.
o He is playing the piano at the moment.
2. read
o I am reading a book before bed.
o She is reading the newspaper at the café.
o We are reading aloud in class.
3. write
o I am writing a letter to my friend.
o They are writing emails at the moment.
o He is writing a story for school.
4. draw
o He is drawing a picture of a dog.
o She is drawing a map for the project.
o They are drawing portraits of each other.
5. sing
o They are singing a song together.
o He is singing in the choir at church.
o I am singing loudly in the shower.
6. dance
o We are dancing at the party tonight.
o They are dancing together at the wedding.
o She is dancing gracefully on stage.
7. cook
o She is cooking dinner right now.
o He is cooking lunch for the family.
o They are cooking a meal for the party.
8. swim
o I am swimming in the pool at the moment.
o They are swimming in the sea during vacation.
o She is swimming laps in the gym.
9. run
o He is running a race tomorrow.
o They are running fast in the marathon.
o I am running in the park every morning.
10. jump
o The children are jumping over the puddles.
o She is jumping high on the trampoline.
o We are jumping up and down with excitement.
11. clean
o She is cleaning the house this morning.
o I am cleaning the room right now.
o They are cleaning the kitchen after dinner.
12. wash
o I am washing the dishes right now.
o She is washing her hands before lunch.
o He is washing the car outside.
