1. A question does not establish a fact
Present Continuous helps us ask about an action viewed as ongoing. In this lesson, that mostly means an action at the moment of speaking: someone is carrying a bag, cooking, or waiting. A yes/no question checks whether the named action is happening; the question itself does not provide the answer.
A question about an activity can concern a habit or an action happening now. Choose the English form according to the situation. Here we practise questions about current actions, rather than covering every use of Present Continuous.
Are you carrying the blue bag?
Are you carrying the blue bag?
The speaker checks the other person's action. We do not yet know whether the answer is yes or no.
Is the water boiling?
Is the water boiling?
We ask about a process happening now, for example at the stove, not a general property of water.
2. For a neutral question, move be before the subject
The subject names whoever performs the action. In an ordinary yes/no question, am, is, or are precedes it. Preserve the rest of the message: do not change the action, object, location, or quantity.
Use am with I; is with he, she, it, and a single object or named person; and are with you, we, they, and plural subjects. You takes are whether it refers to one person or several.
Am / Is / Are + subject + verb-ing + the rest of the question?
- subject / S —
- The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- V-ing / -ing —
- The verb form ending in -ing: working, going. Its role depends on the construction.
The driver is waiting. → Is the driver waiting?
The driver is waiting. → Is the driver waiting?
Is moves before the whole phrase the driver; waiting does not change.
Am I holding this correctly?
Am I holding this correctly?
A person can ask about their own action. The subject I requires am.
Are your friends walking home?
Are your friends walking home?
Your friends is plural, so are comes before the whole phrase.
3. Keep the -ing verb: do not add do/does
This construction already has the auxiliary be. Do not add do or does or use them instead of am/is/are. After the subject, use an -ing form, not a base form or an -s form.
When transforming a complete statement, simply keep its -ing form. When composing your own question, remember familiar spelling changes: make → making, sit → sitting. Spelling -ing forms is a supporting skill; the main focus here is question formation.
Is Sara making tea?
Is Sara making tea?
Is already functions as the auxiliary, and making names the current action.
Are they sitting near the door?
Are they sitting near the door?
Sitting remains in the question: moving are does not remove -ing.
4. Ask for the particular detail that is missing
What asks about an action or object, where about location or direction, and why about a reason. When the subject is already known, put the question word before am/is/are and the subject after it. Such a question needs a detail, not just yes or no.
Do not choose a question word at random. Where and Why can form correct questions with the same remaining words, but they ask different things. When asking about the person someone is speaking to or the object of an action, retain the necessary preposition: talk to, wait for. A why-question asks for a reason; it does not establish one.
Question word + am / is / are + known subject + verb-ing?
- subject / S —
- The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- V-ing / -ing —
- The verb form ending in -ing: working, going. Its role depends on the construction.
What is Leo drawing?
What is Leo drawing?
We know that Leo is drawing, but we do not know what the drawing depicts.
Where are the guests sitting?
Where are the guests sitting?
We need a location. The answer At the small table supplies that detail.
Why is the dog barking?
Why is the dog barking?
We ask for the reason without inventing the claim that the dog is hungry or frightened.
Who are you waiting for?
Who are you waiting for?
You names the person waiting. Who replaces the person after for, so for stays at the end.
5. Who can itself be the subject
If we do not know WHO performs the action, who takes that person's place. Do not add an unnecessary he, she, or they after is. In a basic question about an unknown person, use Who is + verb-ing.
Compare the performer of the action with the person receiving it. In Who is helping Rosa?, we are looking for the helper. In Who is Rosa helping?, we already know the helper, Rosa, and ask whom she is helping. The different order changes the meaning.
Who + is + verb-ing + the rest of the question?
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- V-ing / -ing —
- The verb form ending in -ing: working, going. Its role depends on the construction.
Who is opening the gate?
Who is opening the gate?
Who is already the subject. Is is required for Continuous even though there is no additional subject.
Who is Rosa helping?
Who is Rosa helping?
Rosa remains the subject. We ask about another person, so is precedes Rosa.
Which phone is ringing?
Which phone is ringing?
Likewise, the question phrase which phone can be the subject: we identify one phone among several and do not add an unnecessary it.
6. A short answer: fact, pronoun, and be
To avoid repeating the whole action, answer with Yes + pronoun + am/is/are or No + pronoun + am/is/are + not. Choose yes or no according to the known fact, not the appearance of the question. Replace a named person or object with the appropriate pronoun.
In an affirmative short answer, do not contract be at the end: Yes, I am; Yes, she is. A contraction is possible in a longer answer: Yes, I'm washing the cups. Negative answers can use No, she is not; No, she isn't; or No, she's not. With I, use No, I am not or No, I'm not.
Track the participants' roles. When Are you…? addresses only you, answer with I. When it addresses you and someone else and you speak for everyone, use we. This is a change of perspective in a conversation, not a mechanical rule that you always becomes I.
Are you packing? — Yes, I am.
Are you packing? — Yes, I am.
The question addresses one person, who confirms their own action. Am is not contracted at the end.
Is Eva using the phone? — No, she's not.
Is Eva using the phone? — No, she's not.
The negative answer can use she's not; she isn't and she is not express the same meaning.
Are you two eating? — Yes, we are.
Are you two eating? — Yes, we are.
One person answers for both people, so they use we.
7. A neutral question is different from a checking question
In conversation, you may hear questions with statement word order: You're painting the floor? This can express surprise or check what was heard. That does not make such word order universally ungrammatical. In this lesson, when a neutral question is requested, we practise Are you painting the floor?
Present Continuous can also describe temporary activity during the current period, not just movement at this second. We do not practise future arrangements, complex negative questions, or a detailed contrast with states here. Start with a clear action and check: who performs it, whether you need yes/no or a detail, where be goes, and whether -ing remains.
You're painting the floor? — Yes, the floor, not the wall.
You're painting the floor? — Yes, the floor, not the wall.
Statement word order is appropriate for a surprised clarification. This contrasts communicative intentions; it is not an error-and-correction pair.
Are you studying English this month?
Are you studying English this month?
We ask about current activity during this period; the person need not be holding a textbook right now.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:Do the guests carrying bags?
Correct:Are the guests carrying bags?
Continuous requires are with the plural the guests. Do does not form this construction with carrying.
Incorrect:Is you washing the plate?
Correct:Are you washing the plate?
You requires are even when addressing only one person.
Incorrect:Is Maya write a note?
Correct:Is Maya writing a note?
Retain -ing after the subject; moving is does not turn writing into write.
Incorrect:Who is carry the chair?
Correct:Who is carrying the chair?
Who can be the subject, but Continuous still requires is + carrying.
Incorrect:Yes, I'm.
Correct:Yes, I am.
In a standard affirmative short answer, do not contract am at the end. The longer Yes, I'm working is a different, correct construction.