¿Qué es?
El Present Continuous se usa para hablar de acciones que están ocurriendo ahora o alrededor del momento presente.
Se forma con la forma presente de to be y un verbo terminado en -ing.
Ejemplos:
- I am working.
- She is reading.
- They are playing outside.
Las formas cortas son comunes en el inglés cotidiano.
- I am → I’m
- he is → he’s
- she is → she’s
- it is → it’s
- we are → we’re
- you are → you’re
- they are → they’re
Cuándo usarlo
Usa el Present Continuous para:
- acciones que ocurren ahora: She is talking on the phone.
- acciones que ocurren alrededor del momento presente: I am reading a new book this week.
- situaciones temporales: He is staying with friends.
- situaciones que cambian: The weather is getting colder.
- arreglos futuros planificados: We are meeting them tomorrow.
- acciones repetidas que resultan molestas, a menudo con always: He is always losing his keys.
Estructura
Oraciones afirmativas
Usa:
sujeto + am/is/are + verbo-ing
| Sujeto | Forma de to be | Verbo | Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | am | working | I am working. |
| He / She / It | is | working | She is working. |
| You / We / They | are | working | They are working. |
Oraciones negativas
Usa:
sujeto + am/is/are + not + verbo-ing
| Sujeto | Forma completa | Forma corta |
|---|---|---|
| I | am not working | I’m not working |
| He / She / It | is not working | isn’t working |
| You / We / They | are not working | aren’t working |
Ejemplos:
- I’m not sleeping.
- He isn’t listening.
- We aren’t waiting.
Preguntas
Usa:
Am/Is/Are + sujeto + verbo-ing?
- Am I speaking too quickly?
- Is she working today?
- Are they coming with us?
Respuestas cortas
- Are you studying? — Yes, I am.
- Is he sleeping? — No, he isn’t.
- Are they waiting? — Yes, they are.
Ortografía de las formas -ing
| Regla | Verbo base | Forma -ing |
|---|---|---|
| La mayoría de los verbos: añade -ing | work | working |
| Verbos que terminan en -e muda: elimina la -e | make | making |
| Vocal corta + consonante: dobla la consonante final | run | running |
| Verbos que terminan en -ie: cambia -ie a -y | lie | lying |
Ejemplos
- I am writing an email.
- She is cooking dinner.
- They are playing in the garden.
- We aren’t watching television.
- He isn’t working today.
- Are you waiting for the bus?
- Is your brother sleeping?
- The weather is getting warmer.
- I am staying with my parents this week.
- We are meeting Sarah tomorrow evening.
Excepciones
Algunos verbos no se usan normalmente en formas continuas porque describen estados, pensamientos, sentimientos, posesión o sentidos.
Ejemplos comunes incluyen:
- know
- believe
- understand
- want
- need
- like
- love
- hate
- own
- belong
Usa el Present Simple con estos significados.
- Correcto: I know the answer.
- Incorrecto: I am knowing the answer.
- Correcto: She wants some water.
- Incorrecto: She is wanting some water.
Algunos verbos se pueden usar en ambas formas cuando su significado cambia.
- I think he is right. — Esta es mi opinión.
- I am thinking about the problem. — Esta es una actividad mental que ocurre ahora.
Errores comunes
-
Incorrecto: She working now. Correcto: She is working now. Explicación: Usa am, is o are antes del verbo -ing.
-
Incorrecto: I am work today. Correcto: I am working today. Explicación: Usa la forma -ing después de am.
-
Incorrecto: They is playing outside. Correcto: They are playing outside. Explicación: Usa are con they.
-
Incorrecto: He is play football. Correcto: He is playing football. Explicación: Añade -ing al verbo principal.
-
Incorrecto: Are she studying? Correcto: Is she studying? Explicación: Usa is con she.
-
Incorrecto: I don’t working now. Correcto: I’m not working now. Explicación: Usa am not, no don’t, en negativas del Present Continuous.
-
Incorrecto: Does he sleeping? Correcto: Is he sleeping? Explicación: No uses does en preguntas del Present Continuous.
-
Incorrecto: She is makeing dinner. Correcto: She is making dinner. Explicación: Elimina la -e muda antes de añadir -ing.