Present Continuous: Question Sentences Practice Tests with A1 Grammar Rules & Examples

Present Continuous: Question Sentences

Do you want to ask what someone is doing right now? We use the present continuous to talk about things that are happening at this moment. In this lesson, you will learn how to make present continuous question sentences.

Look at these simple examples:

• Is she sleeping?
• Are you eating lunch?
• What is he doing?

These are all present continuous question sentences. Let us learn how to make them, step by step.

What Is the Present Continuous?

The present continuous uses two parts:

Part 1: A form of the verb to be → am, is, are
Part 2: A verb with -ing at the end → eating, sleeping, running, playing

In a normal sentence, it looks like this:

• She is eating.
• They are playing.
• I am reading.

But in a question sentence, we change the word order. Let us see how.

A Simple Story to Start

Meet Tom and Lucy. Tom is at home. Lucy phones Tom and asks:

"Are you watching TV?"

Tom says: "No, I am cooking dinner."

Lucy asks: "Is your mum helping you?"

Tom says: "No, she is reading a book."

In this story, Lucy uses present continuous question sentences to ask about right now. Notice: she puts are and is at the beginning of the question. This is the key rule!

Rule Breakdown: How to Make a Present Continuous Question

Step 1: Find the Verb "To Be"

First, you need the correct form of to be. Here is a simple guide:

Subject (Who?)	Form of "To Be"
I	am
You	are
He / She / It	is
We	are
They	are

Note: A subject is the person or thing doing the action. For example, in "She is sleeping," the subject is she.

Step 2: Move "To Be" to the Front

In a normal sentence, the verb to be comes after the subject. In a question, we move it to the beginning.

Normal sentence: She is eating.
Question: Is she eating?

Normal sentence: They are playing football.
Question: Are they playing football?

Step 3: The Question Pattern

Use this simple pattern for yes/no questions (questions with a yes or no answer):

Am / Is / Are + subject + verb + ing + ?

Here are more examples:

• Am I doing this correctly?
• Are you listening?
• Is he working?
• Is she laughing?
• Is it raining?
• Are we sitting here?
• Are they dancing?

Full Table: Present Continuous Yes/No Questions

Subject	To Be	Verb + ing	Full Question
I	Am	talking	Am I talking too much?
You	Are	eating	Are you eating breakfast?
He	Is	sleeping	Is he sleeping?
She	Is	reading	Is she reading a book?
It	Is	raining	Is it raining outside?
We	Are	waiting	Are we waiting here?
They	Are	playing	Are they playing tennis?

Answering Yes/No Questions

When someone asks a present continuous yes/no question, you can give a short answer. Use Yes or No + the subject + the correct form of to be.

Are you eating?
✅ Yes, I am. / No, I am not.

Is she sleeping?
✅ Yes, she is. / No, she is not.

Are they running?
✅ Yes, they are. / No, they are not.

Question	Short Yes Answer	Short No Answer
Am I late?	Yes, you are.	No, you are not.
Are you working?	Yes, I am.	No, I am not.
Is he cooking?	Yes, he is.	No, he is not.
Is she watching TV?	Yes, she is.	No, she is not.
Is it working?	Yes, it is.	No, it is not.
Are we going?	Yes, we are.	No, we are not.
Are they coming?	Yes, they are.	No, they are not.

Wh- Questions in the Present Continuous

Sometimes we want more information, not just yes or no. We use question words (called Wh- words) at the beginning of the question.

Common question words:

• What → to ask about a thing or action
• Where → to ask about a place
• Who → to ask about a person
• Why → to ask for a reason

The pattern for a Wh- question is:

Question word + Am / Is / Are + subject + verb + ing + ?

Examples:

• What are you doing?
• Where is she going?
• What is he eating?
• Why are they laughing?
• Where are we sitting?

Full Table: Present Continuous Wh- Questions

Question Word	To Be	Subject	Verb + ing	Full Question
What	are	you	doing	What are you doing?
Where	is	he	going	Where is he going?
What	is	she	cooking	What is she cooking?
Why	are	they	running	Why are they running?
Where	are	we	waiting	Where are we waiting?
What	is	it	doing	What is it doing?

Contractions in Present Continuous Questions

In spoken English and informal writing, we often use contractions. A contraction is when we make two words shorter and join them together with an apostrophe (').

is not → isn't
are not → aren't
am not → there is no common contraction for this in questions

We use contractions most often in negative short answers:

• Is she sleeping? → No, she isn't.
• Are they working? → No, they aren't.
• Are you listening? → No, I'm not. (We say I'm not, not I amn't.)

Important: In the question itself, we do NOT usually use a contraction with the subject. We say Is she...? not She's...? in a question.

Important Differences: Yes/No Questions vs. Wh- Questions

Yes/No Questions

These questions begin with Am / Is / Are. The answer is yes or no.

• Are you sleeping? → Yes, I am. / No, I am not.
• Is she eating? → Yes, she is. / No, she is not.

Wh- Questions

These questions begin with a question word (What, Where, Why, Who). The answer gives more information.

• What are you doing? → I am reading a book.
• Where is she going? → She is going to the shops.

Adding -ing to Verbs: Quick Reminder

To make the -ing form of a verb, follow these simple rules:

Rule	Base Verb	Verb + ing
Most verbs: just add -ing	eat, read, sleep, play	eating, reading, sleeping, playing
Verb ends in -e: remove e, add -ing	come, write, dance	coming, writing, dancing
Short verb ends in consonant + vowel + consonant: double the last letter, add -ing	run, sit, swim	running, sitting, swimming

Common Mistakes

Here are mistakes that beginners often make with present continuous question sentences. Look carefully at the correct forms.

❌ She is eating?
✅ Is she eating? — Move is to the front to make a question.

❌ Are she eating?
✅ Is she eating? — Use is with he / she / it, not are.

❌ Is they playing?
✅ Are they playing? — Use are with they / we / you.

❌ Are you eat?
✅ Are you eating? — Always add -ing to the verb.

❌ What you are doing?
✅ What are you doing? — The verb to be comes before the subject in a question.

❌ Is he run?
✅ Is he running? — Remember to double the consonant and add -ing for short verbs like run.

❌ Where she is going?
✅ Where is she going? — The verb to be comes before the subject, even after a question word.

Present Continuous Question Sentences: Quick Summary

Here is what you have learned in this lesson:

• We use the present continuous to talk about things happening right now.
• To make a yes/no question, put Am / Is / Are at the beginning: Is she sleeping?
• To make a Wh- question, put the question word first, then Am / Is / Are, then the subject: What are you doing?
• Always use the verb + ing form: eating, sleeping, running.
• Use is with he / she / it and are with you / we / they.
• For short answers: Yes, I am. / No, she isn't.

Question Type	Pattern	Example
Yes/No Question	Am/Is/Are + subject + verb-ing + ?	Are they eating?
Wh- Question	Question word + Am/Is/Are + subject + verb-ing + ?	What is she doing?

Now practise present continuous question sentences in the exercises below.