Present continuos questions

 Asking questions with the present continuous involves using inversion, where we change the order of the verb "to be" and the subject. Let's review how to form positive sentences in the present continuous before moving on to questions.

Positive Affirmative Form:

  • I am going.
  • He/she/it is working.
  • We/you/they are playing.

Now, let's practice forming questions. I'll provide examples and you can try to form the questions yourself before I give you the answer.

Examples:

  1. QUESTION: "___ going?" (Use subject "I.")

    • Answer: "Am I going?"

  2. QUESTION: "___ working?" (Use subject "he," "she," or "it.")

    • Answers: "Is he working?" / "Is she working?" / "Is it working?"

  3. QUESTION: "___ playing?" (Use subject "we," "you," or "they.")

    • Answers: "Are we playing?" / "Are you playing?" / "Are they playing?"

Word Order for Asking Questions: When forming questions with the present continuous, the order is:

  • Question words (e.g., who, what, where, when, why, how)
  • Verb "to be" (conjugated as "am," "is," or "are")
  • Subject
  • Main verb (ending in -ing)

Examples:

  • "Where are you going today?"
  • "Who are they working with?"
  • "When is Ben arriving for lunch?"
  • "Why is Paloma acting so rude?"
  • "Why am I getting yelled at?"

Responding to Questions: When answering questions in the present continuous, you can respond with either a short or long answer.

Long Answer Examples:

  • QUESTION: "Are you eating right now?"
    • Answer: "Yes, I'm eating right now."
  • QUESTION: "Am I doing it correctly?"
    • Answer: "No, you're not doing it correctly."
  • QUESTION: "Is Mark coming to the party?"
    • Answer: "Yes, Mark is coming to the party."

Short Response Examples:

  • QUESTION: "Are you eating right now?"
    • Answer: "Yes, I am."
  • QUESTION: "Am I doing it correctly?"
    • Answer: "No, you're not."
  • QUESTION: "Is Mark going to come to the party?"
    • Answer: "Yes, he is."

Positive vs. Negative Short Answers:

  • Positive responses: "Yes, I am." / "Yes, he is." / "Yes, we are."
  • Negative responses: "No, I'm not." / "No, he isn't." / "No, we're not."

You have the option to contract the subject and the verb "to be" (e.g., "he's," "we're") or contract "to be" and "not" (e.g., "isn't," "aren't"). Both options are correct, so feel free to use whichever you prefer or mix them up to enhance your English skills!

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