Grammar Basics: Unit 4 – Present Continuous Questions

To form questions in the present continuous, switch the order of the subject and the verb:

I am ~ing ==> Am I ~ing?
You are ~ing ==> Are you ~ing?
He / she / it is ~ing ==> Is he / she / it ~ing?
We are ~ing ==> Are we ~ing?
You are ~ing ==> Are you ~ing?
They are ~ing ==> Are they ~ing?

Examples:

Am I kidding?
– Yes (. I’m just pulling your leg [= teasing you]).

Are you sleeping, Brother John?
– No (, I’m not).
– No (, I’m lying awake, thinking).

Is it still snowing?
– No (, it isn’t // it’s not).
– No (, it’s raining).

Are we leaving yet?
– Yes (. Please get your coat on).

Are they eating dinner?
– No (, they aren’t // they’re not).
– No (, they’ve finished eating).

Wh-questions can also use ~ing form: Wh- + (be) + S + ~ing?

Who is having a party? (“Who” is the subject for who-questions, and so don’t need another subject.)
What is he doing?
Where is she going?
When is Sally coming to pick up the book?
Why are you yelling at me?
How are they going to move that piano?

Exercises. Put together the following words in the proper order to form a present continuous question. Don’t forget to use the correct form of the verb “be.”

1. be fight have a snowball they ?

2. any be buy for magazines ride she the train ?

3. bake be cookies today we ?

4. be feel sick you ?

5. be dream I ?

6. be do teacher the tomorrow what ?

7. be cold get it out ?

8. be do how you ?

9. and be down jump they up why ?

10. ball be game Mike next play in week’s ?

11. be my phone ring ?

12. be choir concert in school sing Steve the when ?

13. be lie who ?

14. be tell the truth who ?

15. be boil soup the yet ?

16. be go on vacation where you ?

17. be crazy go I ?

18. baby be sleep still the ?

19. be loudly snore so who ?

20. be still TV watch you ?