El Present Continuous describe acciones que están ocurriendo en este momento o situaciones temporales. Se forma con el verbo BE + verbo-ING.
Para el COMIPEMS: Este tema puede aparecer en preguntas de comprensión de lectura y en preguntas gramaticales de opción múltiple. Asegúrate de entender los conceptos principales y de poder aplicarlos sin pensar demasiado. ¿Cuándo se usa el Present Continuous?
| Tipo | Estructura | Ejemplo | Traducción |
|---|---|---|---|
| ✅ Afirmativa | Sujeto + am/is/are + verbo-ING | She is eating. | Ella está comiendo. |
| ❌ Negativa | Sujeto + am/is/are + NOT + verbo-ING | She is not eating. | Ella no está comiendo. |
| ❓ Pregunta | Am/Is/Are + sujeto + verbo-ING? | Is she eating? | ¿Está comiendo? |
| ↩️ Respuesta | Yes/No + sujeto + am/is/are | Yes, she is. / No, she isn't. | Sí/No. |
| Regla | Ejemplo base | Con -ING | Nota |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbo normal + ING | play | playing | La regla básica |
| Termina en E → quita la E + ING | write | writing | Nunca doble E |
| Termina en IE → quita IE + YING | lie | lying | IE → Y |
| Consonante+vocal+consonante → doble consonante + ING | run | running | Sílaba tónica final |
| Termina en W,X,Y → solo + ING | snow | snowing | No se duplican |
| Present Continuous | Present Simple |
|---|---|
| Ahora mismo: "She is reading NOW." | Siempre/hábito: "She reads every day." |
| Palabras clave: now, right now, at the moment | Palabras clave: always, usually, never, every day |
| Temporal: "I am living here this week." | Permanente: "I live in Mexico City." |
| Plan futuro confirmado: "I am meeting her tomorrow." | Horario/programa: "The train leaves at 8am." |
El Present Continuous describe lo que está pasando en este momento. Es como tomar una foto del instante — captura lo que está en progreso ahora mismo.
Cuando alguien te llama y te pregunta "¿Qué estás haciendo?", contestas con Present Continuous: "I'm studying." (Estoy estudiando.) | "She's watching TV." (Está viendo la tele.) | "It's raining!" (¡Está lloviendo!)
Dos partes: el verbo TO BE + el verbo principal con -ING al final.
• I am studying. | He/She is working. | We/They are playing.
Contracciones: I'm studying | He's working | They're playing | We're eating
Negativo: I'm not studying | She isn't working | They aren't playing
Preguntas: Am I? / Is he/she? / Are you/we/they? + verbo-ING
1. Ahora mismo: "Shhh! The baby is sleeping!" | "Look! It is snowing!"
2. Situación temporal: "She is staying at a hotel this week." (normalmente vive en su casa)
3. Plan futuro confirmado: "I am meeting my friend tomorrow at 3pm." | "They are flying to Paris on Friday." (boletos comprados)
4. Tendencia en progreso: "Prices are rising." | "The world is changing."
❌ "I am knowing the answer." → ✅ "I know the answer."
❌ "She is wanting coffee." → ✅ "She wants coffee."
❌ "He is loving that movie." → ✅ "He loves that movie."
Lista: know, believe, understand, want, need, love, hate, like, prefer, see (percibir), hear, have (poseer)
Simple = siempre/hábito: "I drink coffee every day."
Continuous = ahora/temporal: "I am drinking coffee right now."
1. Shhh! The dog ___ (sleep). → is sleeping
2. What ___ you ___ (do) right now? → are you doing?
3. Look! It ___ (rain)! → is raining
4. She ___ (not/work) today. → isn't working
5. I ___ (meet) Maria tomorrow. → am meeting
6. He ___ (run) in the park. → is running (doble n!)
7. ❌ "She is knowing" → ✅ She knows
8. They ___ (fly) to Cancún this Friday. → are flying
9. The economy ___ (get) better slowly. → is getting
10. ___ you ___ (study)? — Yes, I am. → Are you studying?
Para dominar este tema en inglés, es importante practicar el vocabulario en contexto real. Lee artículos, ve videos y escucha podcasts sobre este tema en inglés. Cada nuevo término que aprendas en contexto es más fácil de recordar que memorizarlo de una lista.
El Present Continuous (o Present Progressive) describe acciones que están ocurriendo en este momento o en un período de tiempo alrededor del presente. También se usa para planes futuros.
AM/IS/ARE + verbo-ING
• I am studying right now. | She is working. | They are playing football.
1. Acción que ocurre AHORA MISMO:
• Be quiet! The baby is sleeping. | What are you doing? I am watching TV.
2. Acción temporal (no permanente):
• She is staying at a hotel this week. (normalmente vive en su casa)
• I am working from home these days.
3. Planes futuros confirmados:
• I am meeting Maria tomorrow at 3. (está planeado y confirmado)
• They are flying to Paris next week.
Regla general: verbo + ING → work → working | play → playing
Verbo en -E: quita la E → make → making | write → writing
Verbo CVC de una sílaba: dobla la última consonante → run → running | swim → swimming | sit → sitting
Estos verbos expresan estados, no acciones — no se pueden usar con -ING:
Sentidos/percepción: see, hear, smell, taste, feel
Emociones: love, hate, like, want, prefer, need
Pensamiento: think (opinar), know, believe, understand, remember, forget
Posesión: have (poseer), own, belong
❌ "I am loving this movie" → ✅ "I love this movie"
❌ "She is knowing the answer" → ✅ "She knows the answer"
Simple (hábito/rutina): I play tennis every Saturday. (siempre)
Continuous (ahora/temporalmente): I am playing tennis right now. (este momento)
1. Shhh! The baby ___ (sleep). → is sleeping
2. What ___ you ___ (do) right now? → are you doing?
3. They ___ (watch) TV at the moment. → are watching
4. I ___ (meet) John tomorrow. → am meeting (plan futuro)
5. She ___ (not/work) today — it's her day off. → isn't working
6. Look! It ___ (snow)! → is snowing
7. He ___ (run) in the park. → is running (doble N)
8. They ___ (fly) to London next Monday. → are flying
9. I ___ (write) an email. → am writing
10. ❌ "She is knowing the answer" → ✅ "She knows the answer"
El inglés tiene tres tiempos presentes principales: el Present Simple (hábitos y verdades), el Present Continuous (acciones en progreso) y el Present Perfect (experiencias y acciones recientes). Cada uno tiene usos específicos que es importante no confundir.
Los verbos "stative" (de estado) no se usan en forma continua, aunque en español a veces sí los usamos con estar: know (saber), believe (creer), understand (entender), love/hate/like (amar/odiar/gustar), want/need (querer/necesitar), have cuando significa poseer (have a car, have a house), see/hear cuando son percepciones involuntarias.
❌ "I am knowing the answer" → ✅ "I know the answer"
❌ "She is wanting a coffee" → ✅ "She wants a coffee"
❌ "We are having a car" → ✅ "We have a car" (posesión)
✅ "We are having dinner" (sí funciona — having dinner es actividad, no posesión)
1. Accion ahora mismo
"Shhh! The baby is sleeping." | "Look! It is raining!" | "What are you doing right now?" | "I am texting my friend." -- Todo lo que ocurre EN ESTE INSTANTE.
2. Situacion temporal (no permanente)
"She is staying at a hotel this week." (normalmente vive en su casa) | "I am working from home these days." | "He is studying French this semester." -- Verdad ahora pero no para siempre.
3. Plan futuro ya confirmado
"I am meeting the doctor at 3pm tomorrow." (cita ya agendada) | "They are flying to Paris on Friday." (boletos comprados) | "We are having dinner with Grandma on Sunday." -- Evento ya organizado con detalles concretos.
4. Tendencia o cambio en progreso
"Prices are rising rapidly." | "The world is changing fast." | "More people are working from home." -- Proceso gradual que esta ocurriendo en este periodo de la historia.
Verbos de estado que NUNCA se usan en Continuous
Sentidos: see, hear, smell, taste -- "I see you" (NO "I am seeing you")
Emociones: love, hate, like, prefer, want, need, wish -- "She loves music" (NO "is loving")
Pensamiento: know, think (opinar), believe, understand, remember -- "I know the answer" (NO "am knowing")
Posesion: have (poseer), own, belong -- "I have a car" (NO "am having a car")
Excepcion: "think" (estoy pensando activamente) y "have" (estar comiendo) SI van en Continuous cuando cambian de significado.
Cual oracion usa Present Continuous INCORRECTAMENTE?
"know" es stative verb -- expresa estado de conocimiento, no accion en progreso. Nunca va en Continuous. Correcto: "She knows the answer."
"Look at those clouds! It ___ soon."
Prediccion con evidencia visible (las nubes) --> going to. "Look!" es la senal de que algo esta a punto de pasar basado en lo que ves ahora mismo.