ESL Grammar: PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE (8) – Negative Sentences

This ESL grammar lesson teaches students to write negative sentences in the present continuous tense, using the pattern “be verb + not + verb-ing.”

ESL Grammar: Forming Negative Sentences in the Present Continuous Tense

To form a negative sentence in the present continuous tense, you need to include “not” after the verb “to be.”

Structure:

• Negative: Subject + am/is/are + not + verb + “-ing”
  • I am not eating lunch.
  • She is not (isn’t) studying for exams.
  • They are not (aren’t) playing soccer.

ESL Grammar: Key Points for Forming Negative Sentences

1. Use the Correct Form of “To Be”:
   • Ensure you use “am” for the first person singular (I), “is” for the third person singular (he, she, it), and “are” for the second person singular/plural and first/third person plural (you, we, they).
2. Add “Not”:
   • Insert “not” directly after the verb “to be” to make the sentence negative.
3. Include the Base Verb with “-ing”:
   • Follow “not” with the base verb plus “-ing” to complete the present continuous structure.

Examples

• Affirmative: She is reading a book.
• Negative: She is not (isn’t) reading a book.
• Affirmative: They are watching a movie.
• Negative: They are not (aren’t) watching a movie.
• Affirmative: I am taking a shower.
• Negative: I am not taking a shower.

The English grammar lesson below introduces the negative form of the present continuous 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).