Continuous or Progressive Tense

Present Continuous Tense

1. This tense indicates an action that is going on at the present time :

You are cleaning the room.

He is rowing the boat lazily.

2. It can show the changes, trends or developments over a period of time :

Air pollution is causing diseases.

Cholera is spreading these days.

3. It can also show some future action :

They are leaving for school now.

She is meeting us in the evening.

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
Subject + is/are/am + Verb I Form (-ing).	Subject + is/are/am + not + Verb I Form (-ing).	Is/Are/Am + Subject + Verb I Form (-ing)?
I am throwing a ball. We/You/They are throwing a ball. He/She/It is throwing a ball.	I am not throwing a ball. We/You/They are not throwing a ball. He/She/It is not throwing a ball.	Am I not throwing a ball? Are we/you/they throwing a ball? Is he/she/it throwing a ball?

Past Continuous Tense

1. This tense is used to indicate an action that continued over a period of time in the past :

A little child was licking his candy.

Some monkeys were chattering and jumping down.

2. It also refers to an action that was in progress at the time something else also happened :

When I saw him, he was buying a gift for you.

When he was caught, he was trying to run away.

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
Subject + was/were + Verb I Form (-ing).	Subject + was/were + not + Verb I Form (-ing).	Was/Were + Subject + Verb I Form (-ing)?
I/He/She/It was throwing a ball. We/You/They were throwing a ball.	I/He/She/It was not throwing a ball. We/You/They were not throwing a ball.	Was I/he/she/it throwing a ball? Were we/you/they throwing a ball?

Future Continuous Tense

This tense indicates an action that will take place in the future and continue too :

The old man will be chopping firewood.

They will be hearing music now.

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
Subject + will be/shall be + Verb I Form (-ing).	Subject + will not be/shall not be + Verb I Form (-ing).	Will be/Shall be + Subject + Verb I Form (-ing)?
I/We shall be throwing a ball. You/He/She/It/They will be throwing a ball.	I/We shall not be throwing a ball. You/He/She/It/they will not be throwing a ball.	Shall I/we be throwing a ball? Will you/he/she/it/they be throwing a ball?