In this ESL grammar lesson, students learn that the present continuous tense is also sometimes used to express the future tense. Students then practice rewriting future tense sentences with the present continuous construction.
ESL Grammar: Forming the Present Continuous Tense
The present continuous tense is formed using the verb “to be” (am/is/are) + the -ing form of the main verb. Here are some examples:
- I am meeting my friends tomorrow.
- She is starting a new job next week.
- They are traveling to Japan next month.
ESL Grammar: Using the Present Continuous Tense for Future Events
The present continuous tense is often used to express planned future events or arrangements that are scheduled to happen soon. Here are some situations where the present continuous tense is appropriate:
- Scheduled meetings and appointments: I am seeing the doctor at 5 PM.
- Future travel plans: We are flying to New York next Friday.
- Social arrangements: They are having a party this weekend.
The English grammar lesson below introduces the use of the present continuous tense to express the future tense, in a clear and simple manner that is easy for beginner English learners to understand. Our series of ESL grammar lessons on subjects and verbs introduce these concepts and reinforce them through helpful and instructive exercises.
This lesson is available for free download, and you can download many more English grammar lessons focusing on basic English tenses (present tense, present continuous tense, past tense, future tense) in our comprehensive, beginner-level ESL grammar textbook Great, Great Grammar! (Book 2: Tenses).
