8. The Present Continuous Tense I

If the verb stem ends with the letter e, the Present Continuous Tense is made like this:

Stem                       Present Continuous Tense
come                       I am coming, etc.  No e
drive                       I am driving, etc.
give                        I am giving, etc.
live                         I am living, etc.
make                      I am making, etc.
ride                        I am riding, etc.
write                      I am writing, etc.

1. The boy is riding a bicycle.
2. The soldiers are living in tents.
3. I am writing a letter.
4. The doctor is driving a car.
5. The children are coming home from school.
6. The teacher is giving an English lesson.
7. The carpenter is making a table.

If a short verb stem ends with the letter g, in, n, or t (with a short vowel sound before it), the Present Continuous Tense is made like this:

Stem                     Present Continuous Tense
dig                        I am digging,etc.
swim                    I am swimming. etc.
run                       I am running, etc.
cut                        I am cutting, etc.
get                        I am getting, etc.
put                        I am putting, etc.
shut                      I am shutting, etc.
sit                         I am sitting, etc.

We are sitting in the classroom.

1. I am putting the books into the cupboard.
2. The woman is cutting the bread with a knife.
3. The boys are swimming in the driver.
4. The old man is getting out of the bus.
5. The little girl is running to school.
6. The servants are shutting the windows.