Present Continuous Tense Stories with Exercises (PDF)

What is Alex’s family doing before dinner? Why is Sophie’s brother getting everyone wet? These three present continuous tense stories show actions happening right now, with exercises and answers to help you practice.

The present continuous is also called the present progressive. Read each scene, notice the verb forms, and try the activities. You can find the original story PDF at the end of the page.

Present continuous tense stories with exercises and a downloadable PDF — Practice the present continuous with three everyday scenes.

How to Use the Present Continuous

Use the present continuous to describe an action happening now or a temporary activity around the present time.

Form: subject + am / is / are + verb-ing

Subject	Positive	Negative	Question
I	I am studying.	I am not studying.	Am I studying?
He / She / It	She is reading.	She is not reading.	Is she reading?
You / We / They	They are playing.	They are not playing.	Are they playing?

Common contractions: I’m, he’s, she’s, it’s, you’re, we’re, they’re, isn’t, and aren’t.

Spelling reminders: Most verbs take -ing: play → playing. For many verbs ending in a silent e, drop the e: make → making. Some short verbs double the final consonant: sit → sitting and run → running.

Need more examples? Explore these present progressive example sentences.

Present Continuous Tense Stories

Reading tip: Imagine each story as a scene you can see. Ask yourself: “Who is doing what?” The highlighted phrases show examples of the present continuous.

Illustrated present continuous examples showing Alex setting the table, Mom preparing dinner, Sophie wiping a chair, and Ben studying.

Story 1: Alex and His Family

My name is Alex. It is six o’clock, and everyone in our house is busy. I am standing in the kitchen. Mom is preparing dinner, and I am helping her set the table.

Mom is stirring a pot of soup. I am putting spoons beside the bowls. The soup smells delicious, and I feel hungry.

“Are you putting out four bowls?” Mom asks.

“Yes, I am,” I say. “Is dinner almost ready?”

“Almost. What is Mia doing?”

Mia is my sister. Her bedroom door is open, and I can hear music from her video game.

“She is playing video games,” I say. “She isn’t helping with dinner.”

“Please call her and Dad,” Mom says.

I am standing by the kitchen doorway now.

“Mia! Dad! Dinner is almost ready!”

“Just a minute!” Mia calls. “I am finishing this level!”

Dad is watching a soccer game in the living room. He is reaching for the remote control.

“I’m turning off the TV,” he says. “I’m coming!”

Now Mia is walking toward the kitchen, and Dad is carrying a jug of water to the table. Mom is serving the soup.

“What am I doing?” I ask.

“You’re talking,” Mia says with a smile. “And your soup is getting cold!”

Exercise 1: Complete the Verbs

Use am, is, or are and the correct -ing form.

At the beginning of the story, Alex ______ (stand) in the kitchen.
His mother ______ (prepare) dinner.
Alex ______ (put) spoons beside the bowls.
Mia ______ (finish) a level in her video game.
Dad ______ (carry) a jug of water to the table.
At the end, Mom ______ (serve) the soup.

Exercise 2: Check Your Understanding

What is Mom cooking?
How is Alex helping before dinner?
Is Mia helping at the beginning of the story?
What is Dad watching before Alex calls him?

Show the answers to Exercises 1 and 2

Exercise 1

is standing
is preparing
is putting
is finishing
is carrying
is serving

Exercise 2 — Suggested answers

She is cooking soup.
He is helping set the table and putting spoons beside the bowls.
No, she isn’t. She is playing video games.
He is watching a soccer game.

Story 2: Sophie’s Busy Day

It is Saturday morning, and Sophie’s family is at home. Sophie is cleaning her room. She is picking up clothes from the floor and putting them in the laundry basket.

Her phone is ringing on the desk, but she isn’t answering it. Her hands are full of socks.

Outside, Dad is planting flowers beside the garden path. Mom is filling a watering can. Sophie’s younger brother, Noah, has the garden hose.

He is supposed to water the plants, but he is spraying the garden chairs instead.

Sophie looks through her open window.

“Noah! Why are you spraying the chairs?”

“I am making a water park!” he calls.

Dad moves his gardening gloves away from the water.

“The flowers need a drink,” he says. “The chairs don’t!”

Mom is turning off the tap now. Noah is looking at the wet chairs.

“Is the water park closed?” he asks.

“Yes,” Mom says. “And the cleaning team has some work to do.”

A few minutes later, Sophie is outside with her family. She is wiping a chair with a cloth. Noah is drying the small table, and Dad is putting his tools away.

“Are we still having a break?” Noah asks.

Mom is bringing out a tray of lemonade.

“Yes, we are. On dry chairs!”

Now everyone is sitting together. They are drinking lemonade and laughing about Noah’s unusual water park.

Exercise 3: Complete the Verbs

At the beginning, Sophie ______ (clean) her room.
She ______ (not / answer) her phone.
Dad ______ (plant) flowers beside the path.
Noah ______ (spray) the garden chairs.
Later, Sophie ______ (wipe) a chair.
At the end, the family members ______ (drink) lemonade together.

Exercise 4: True or False?

Write true or false. Correct the false sentences.

Sophie is cleaning the kitchen at the beginning.
Dad is planting flowers.
Noah is spraying water on the chairs.
At the end, everyone is drinking hot chocolate.

Show the answers to Exercises 3 and 4

Exercise 3

is cleaning
isn’t answering / is not answering
is planting
is spraying
is wiping
are drinking

Exercise 4

False. She is cleaning her room.
True.
True.
False. Everyone is drinking lemonade.

Story 3: Ben’s Busy Afternoon

Ben is a college student. This week, he is preparing for a math exam. Right now, he is sitting at his desk with his notebook open.

He is working on a difficult question. He is checking each step carefully and writing notes beside his answer.

His phone is vibrating. His friends are sending messages to their group chat, but Ben isn’t reading them. He is trying to concentrate.

Across the room, his roommate, Jake, is looking for a basketball.

“Are you coming to the court?” Jake asks.

“Not yet. I’m working on this last question,” Ben says.

“Is it going well?”

Ben points to his notebook.

“I have three different answers. So, not really.”

Jake smiles. “Maybe you need a short break.”

A few minutes later, Ben is in the kitchen. He is making coffee while Jake is filling his water bottle.

“What are the others doing?” Ben asks.

“They’re warming up at the court,” Jake says. “They aren’t playing a match yet.”

Ben takes his coffee back to his desk. He is looking at the question again. This time, he notices a mistake in the first line.

“That’s the problem!” he says.

Now he is correcting his work. Jake is waiting by the door with the basketball under his arm.

“No rush,” Jake says. “I’m practicing patience.”

Exercise 5: Choose the Correct Form

This week, Ben am / is / are preparing for an exam.
He is sit / sitting / sits at his desk.
His friends is / are / am sending messages.
Ben isn’t / aren’t / don’t reading the messages.
Jake is fill / filling / fills his water bottle.
At the end, Ben is correct / correcting / corrects his work.

Exercise 6: Make Present Continuous Questions

Put the words in order. Begin with is, are, or the question word provided.

Ben / studying / is / for an exam?
his friends / sending / are / messages?
what / Jake / looking for / is?
Ben / making / is / coffee?
where / waiting / Jake / is / at the end?

Show the answers to Exercises 5 and 6

Exercise 5

is
sitting
are
isn’t
filling
correcting

Exercise 6

Is Ben studying for an exam?
Are his friends sending messages?
What is Jake looking for?
Is Ben making coffee?
Where is Jake waiting at the end?

Extra practice — Suggested answers: 1. Yes, he is. 2. Yes, they are. 3. He is looking for a basketball. 4. Yes, he is. 5. He is waiting by the door.

Present continuous worksheet with five am, is, and are exercises, a grammar reminder, and answers.

Useful Vocabulary from the Stories

Word or Phrase	Simple Meaning
Stir	Move a spoon around in food or liquid to mix it.
Serve	Give someone food or a drink.
Laundry basket	A container for clothes that need washing.
Wipe	Clean or dry something with a cloth.
Concentrate	Give your attention to one thing.
Warm up	Prepare your body for exercise with gentle movements.
No rush	You do not need to hurry.

Common Present Continuous Mistakes

Incorrect	Correct	Remember
She cooking dinner.	She is cooking dinner.	Include am, is, or are.
They is playing.	They are playing.	Use are with they.
He is study.	He is studying.	Use the -ing form after be.
Does she cleaning?	Is she cleaning?	Make present continuous questions with am, is, or are.
I am knowing the answer.	I know the answer.	We normally use know in the simple form.

Not every sentence with “is” is present continuous. In Dinner is ready, the word ready is an adjective. Compare it with Mom is preparing dinner, which uses is + verb-ing.

Natural stories also include facts, feelings, and dialogue. That is why you see simple forms such as I feel hungry, The soup smells delicious, and I have three different answers alongside the present continuous examples.

Simple Present or Present Continuous?

Compare a regular habit with an action happening now:

Habit: Mia plays video games after school.
Now: Mia is playing a video game.
Habit: Ben studies in the afternoon.
Now: Ben is studying for his math exam.

In Ben’s story, This week, he is preparing for a math exam describes a temporary activity around the present time. It does not mean he spends every minute of the week studying.

To practice routines and habits, read our simple present tense stories with exercises and printable worksheets.

Write Your Own “Right Now” Story

Imagine a busy kitchen, a classroom, or a park. Write five sentences about what is happening.

Describe three actions with am, is, or are + verb-ing.
Add one negative sentence.
Add one question.

Example: I am sitting in the park. Two children are playing with a ball. A woman is walking her dog. The dog isn’t running. What are the birds doing?

Speaking activity: One person acts out an activity. A partner guesses with a question: Are you brushing your teeth? Answer with Yes, I am or No, I’m not.