Micro-listening
Present Continuous Questions: Ask and Negate
How do you form present continuous questions and negatives?
Form present continuous questions by putting am, is, or are before the subject; form negatives by placing not after the helping verb. Keep the main verb ending in -ing. For example: “Is Maya checking the timetable?” Use this form for actions happening now or temporary situations, not regular habits.
Key points
- Put am, is, or are before the subject in direct questions.
- Place not directly after the helping verb in negative statements.
- Keep the main verb in its -ing form.
- Use the simple present for routines and habits.
This lesson has 5 stages. You can stop at any time and continue later.
At a glance
| Form | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present continuous question | Ask about an action happening now or a temporary situation. | Are the children playing outside? |
| Present continuous negative | Say that an action is not happening now or temporarily. | He is not using the printer. |
| Simple present question | Ask about a routine or habit. | Do they walk to school every day? |
Stage 1 of 5
Understand
What it means, when to use it, and mistakes to avoid.
The full explanation
The present continuous communicates that an activity is underway at the moment of speaking or temporary during the current period. Questions seek confirmation or details about these ongoing events, while negative forms clarify what is not taking place.
Are you waiting for the project manager outside room four?
Why it works: The helping verb are moves before the subject you to create a direct question about an action happening now.
3 more examples
-
Marcus is not reviewing the financial spreadsheet today.
Not sits directly after the singular helping verb is to form a clear negative statement.
-
Why are our colleagues packing those sample boxes?
The question word why appears first, followed by are and the plural subject colleagues.
-
I am not taking on new consulting clients this month.
Am matches the subject pronoun I, and not follows immediately to describe a temporary negative condition.
Read the full guide
Move the Helping Verb Before the Subject
To ask a question about an ongoing event, do not begin with the person or thing doing the action. Instead, move am, is, or are to the start of the clause. Many learners use statement order with rising intonation, but standard English switches the positions to signal a question clearly from the first syllable.
-
Are you waiting for the train to arrive?
Why it works: Are begins the question before the subject you.
-
Is David fixing the copy machine now?
Why it works: Is comes before David to ask about an action happening this minute.
Your turn
Which sentence correctly forms a yes-no question about someone reading a report right now?
Answer: Is Lisa reading the inspection report?
Show the answer
Answer: Is Lisa reading the inspection report?
Moving the helping verb is in front of the subject Lisa creates an accurate present continuous question.
Match Am, Is, or Are to the Subject
Before asking a question or building a negative, confirm who performs the activity. Use am only with I. Select is for one person or singular object like the manager or the computer. Use are for plural groups as well as the pronouns you, we, and they. Choosing the wrong helping verb disrupts your sentence before the main verb appears.
-
Is your team working on the quarterly budget?
Why it works: Your team is a singular unit, so it pairs with is.
-
Are the engineers testing the new software updates?
Why it works: The plural subject engineers requires are.
You can practise this again in Present Continuous: Describe Actions in Progress and Present Continuous: Form and Everyday Use.
Your turn
Which helping verb correctly completes the question: '... your managers attending the regional conference?'
Answer: Are
Show the answer
Answer: Are
Because your managers is a plural subject, it requires the plural helping verb are.
Place Not Directly After the Helping Verb
When you want to state that an action is not happening right now, keep the normal statement order. Start with the subject, supply the correct form of be, and place not immediately after it. Do not place not before the helping verb or attach it directly to the -ing verb, because that changes standard word order.
-
I am not taking calls while the client visits.
Why it works: Not sits between am and the active verb taking.
-
The building supervisor is not unlocking the back doors.
Why it works: Is not clearly negates the supervisor's present action.
Your turn
Which sentence places the negative word in the correct position for an ongoing action?
Answer: The technician is not testing the network router.
Show the answer
Answer: The technician is not testing the network router.
Standard English places not directly after the helping verb is and before the active verb testing.
Choose Spoken Contractions for Everyday Negatives
In daily conversation and informal email updates, English speakers rarely say is not or are not in full. Instead, they combine the helping verb with not to produce isn't or aren't. With I, combine the subject and verb instead to say I'm not, because am not does not contract into amn't in standard American speech.
-
They aren't preparing lunch in the kitchen right now.
Why it works: Aren't replaces are not for natural conversational pace.
-
I'm not driving to the office during morning traffic.
Why it works: I'm not joins I and am rather than contracting am and not.
Your turn
Which contraction represents standard American usage when speaking about yourself?
Answer: I'm not submitting the proposal today.
Show the answer
Answer: I'm not submitting the proposal today.
American English contracts I and am into I'm, leaving not as an independent word.
Put Question Words Before the Inverted Verb
When you need specific information instead of a simple yes or no answer, begin with what, where, when, why, who, or how. Keep the inverted question order right after the question word. The helping verb am, is, or are must still come before the subject, never after it in an open question.
-
Where is Clara printing the conference agendas?
Why it works: Where comes first, followed immediately by is before Clara.
-
Why are the technicians inspecting the server room?
Why it works: Why opens the sentence, and are precedes the plural subject technicians.
Your turn
Which sentence correctly structures an information question with why?
Answer: Why are those visitors waiting in the lobby?
Show the answer
Answer: Why are those visitors waiting in the lobby?
The helping verb are must precede the subject those visitors immediately following the question word why.
Keep the -ing Ending on the Main Verb
Changing word order or adding not can distract you from the main verb, but its form must remain consistent. Always keep the -ing suffix attached to the main action verb in both questions and negative statements. If you drop the ending, the sentence loses its continuous progressive meaning and becomes ungrammatical.
-
Is Samuel presenting the sales summary right now?
Why it works: Presenting retains its -ing suffix after Samuel.
-
We are not revising the project schedule today.
Why it works: Revising keeps the -ing ending following are not.
Your turn
Which question preserves the necessary verb ending for an action in progress?
Answer: Are you preparing the budget presentation?
Show the answer
Answer: Are you preparing the budget presentation?
The present continuous requires the -ing ending on the main verb preparing to signal ongoing action.
Separate Routine Habits from Ongoing Activities
Decide whether an event is happening at this moment or repeats as a standard habit. Use the simple present with do or does for routines like daily commutes. Reserve present continuous questions and negatives for temporary projects or actions occurring around the present moment. Choosing the continuous for a fixed habit creates confusion for listeners.
-
Do you drive to work every morning?
Why it works: Simple present with do asks about a regular daily routine.
-
Are you taking the subway this week while your car is in the shop?
Why it works: Present continuous with are asks about a temporary activity this week.
Your turn
Which question correctly asks about a temporary activity taking place this week?
Answer: Are you training the new receptionist this week?
Show the answer
Answer: Are you training the new receptionist this week?
A temporary task scheduled for this week takes the present continuous question form with are.
Catch Weak Auxiliary Forms in Spoken English
In fast speech, native speakers frequently reduce am, is, and are into quick unstressed sounds. Are you often sounds like a single smooth blend, and is he can drop the initial h sound. Listen for the strong stress on the main -ing verb rather than expecting loud, clear vowels in the auxiliary verbs.
-
Are you eating lunch outside today?
Why it works: Are you connects quickly while eating receives the primary sentence stress.
-
Is he packing his laptop for the flight?
Why it works: Is he often links seamlessly so packing stands out as the focus.
Your turn
Where does natural conversational rhythm place the strongest stress in a continuous question?
Answer: On the main verb carrying the -ing suffix.
Show the answer
Answer: On the main verb carrying the -ing suffix.
Helping verbs and pronouns are usually unstressed in rapid speech, leaving the main content verb as the primary focus.
Common mistakes
What learners often say, what to say instead, and why.
-
Not this:
She not is waiting outside.Say: She is not waiting outside.
Put not directly after the helping verb.
-
Not this:
Where the guests are sitting?Say: Where are the guests sitting?
In a direct information question, put the helping verb before the subject.
-
Not this:
Are you cook dinner now?Say: Are you cooking dinner now?
The main verb needs the -ing ending in the present continuous.
Questions about "Present Continuous Questions: Ask and Negate"
Why can I not say 'Do you coming to the meeting?'
Do and does only pair with base verbs for habits or general facts. When an action has an -ing ending to express an activity in progress, English requires a form of be such as are or is as the helping verb.
Are you coming to the meeting right now?
Do you come to this meeting every Monday?
Can I say 'amn't' when I make a negative statement about myself?
Standard American English does not use 'amn't'. To form a spoken contraction with I and not in the present continuous, contract the subject pronoun and the verb into 'I'm' and keep 'not' as a separate word.
I'm not presenting the proposal today.
I'm not waiting in the lobby anymore.
Where does the helping verb go when I start a question with 'why' or 'where'?
The helping verb must stay directly in front of the subject. Placing the subject before the helping verb after a question word creates an indirect clause rather than a direct spoken question.
Why is the printer flashing red?
Where are our colleagues eating lunch?
Can I use present continuous negatives with verbs like 'know' or 'like'?
Verbs that describe states, mental processes, or feelings rather than physical actions do not normally take the continuous form. Use the simple present with do not or does not instead.
I do not understand this schedule.
She does not know the room number.
Before you go
Remember this
To ask a yes-no question, place am, is, or are before the subject. For information questions, put the question word first, followed by the helping verb and the subject. For negatives, place not directly after the helping verb. In every case, maintain the -ing form on the main action verb.
Stage 2 of 5
Listen
Hear it in real sentences, from short to long, and write what you hear.
0 of 4 done
Listening 1 of 4
Listening 2 of 4
Try a longer clip. Listen once, then replay the part you missed.
Listening 3 of 4
This clip is longer. Follow the instruction above the answer field.
Listening 4 of 4
Listen, then type the missing words. The rest of the text is already there.
0:00
Practice complete
You listened closely.
Your result is saved in this browser.
Keep your progress. Your practice is saved on this device only. Create a free account to keep it everywhere.
Create a free accountThat was today's free lesson. Tomorrow you get another one. Want more today? See membership.
Create a free SubLearn account to keep this progress across devices.
Save my progressStage 3 of 5
Speak
Say it with the speaker, then use it in your own answer.
Shadow
Say it along with the speaker
Play the line slowly, then speak at the same time as the speaker. Copy the rhythm, not just the words.
Your turn
Say it your way
Explain what tasks your team is currently handling and what tasks you are not starting until next week.
Use: present Continuous Questions: Ask and Negate
You could start with “Right now, our team is working on…”
Take ten seconds to think, then answer out loud without looking at the lesson. Speak for the time shown in the task above. Nothing is sent unless you ask for feedback.
0:00
Stage 4 of 5
Write
Use what you've learned to write about your day or week, then write a message.
Write
Put it in your own words
- I used “present Continuous Questions: Ask and Negate”.
- It is about my life, not the lesson’s example.
- I read it once aloud to check it sounds right.
Write your own response
Choose a situation and write 30–50 words of your own. In this activity, you decide what to say rather than copy the words in a recording.
Check your own writing
Read one possible response
Use these checks to revise your message. Grammar and meaning are not automatically graded. Each task keeps its own draft in this browser tab.
You finished the free part of this lesson
- Understand
- Listen
- Speak
- Write
- CheckPart of membership
Worth another look
With a free account, the lessons you finish come back for review to help you remember them.Create a free account
Stage 5 of 5 · Part of membership
Check
New clips without hints.
Listening tests are included with membership. Try the free dictation first, then decide whether to continue.
Listening 1 of 2 Part of membership
Listening 2 of 2 Part of membership
Follow MicroEnglish
New lessons, short videos and quick quizzes every day. Pick the app you already use.
Questions & comments
Ask about this lesson, share an example, or help another learner.
Example
Memory tip
Goes with
Related forms
Not to be confused with
In this lesson
This word isn't in our dictionary. Check the spelling, or try another form of the word.
We couldn't load this word. Try again.
