A2 Grammar

Present continuous for future

Present continuous for future

Present Continuous for Future

Use:

The present continuous tense has two uses:

1) Use it to describe what is happening at the moment.

‘Where’s dad?’

‘He’s watching TV in the living room’.

2) Use it to describe plans and arrangements in the future.

‘Tom is arriving on the three o’clock train tomorrow’.

Form:

Make the present continuous in this way.

Positive

I

you / they / we

he / she / it

am / ‘m

are / ‘re

is / ‘s

verb-ing

Examples: I’m going / He’s going / We’re going to Spain next week.

Negative

I ‘m not verb-ing

you / they / we aren’t / ‘re not verb-ing

he / she / it isn’t / ‘s not verb-ing

Examples: I’m not going / You’re not going / She isn’t going to the meeting.

Questions

Are you / they / we verb-ing?

Is he / she / it verb-ing?

Examples: Are you coming / Is James coming to the party?

Common Mistakes:

1) Some students use will to talk about future plans. However, present continuous is the correct tense to use.

I’ll visit my cousin in Paris this weekend. => I’m visiting my cousin in Paris this weekend.