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The present continuous, part 2 of 3

Present Continuous: Negatives and Questions (I'm Not, Am I...?)

To make it negative, put not after am, is, or are: She isn't working. To ask, put am, is, or are first: Are you working?

A1 · 13 minBefore:Present continuous affirmative

The idea

How to make negatives and questions

Am, is, or are does everything: not goes after it, and in questions it moves to the front. No do or does.

  1. Not after be. I am not working. She isn't working.
  2. Be first to ask. Are you working? Is she working?
  3. Short answers with be. Yes, I am. No, she isn't.

When to use it

To say what is not happening and to ask what someone is doing right now. These expressions go with it:

Everyday questions

  • What are you doing?
  • Where are you going?
  • Are you kidding?
  • Is it still raining?

To answer

  • Not right now.
  • I'm just looking.
  • I'm not doing anything.

On the phone

  • Who is calling?
  • Are you coming?
  • We're not home.

Examples

  • What you are not doing today

    I 'm not working today.

  • Someone else

    Luis isn't eating his soup.

  • Asking what someone is doing

    What are you cooking?

  • A yes or no question

    Are you listening to me?

  • The weather

    Is it snowing in Chicago?

  • Correcting

    They aren't sleeping; they're reading.

How to build it

4 steps

  1. Negative: not after am, is, areThe verb keeps its -ing:She is not working.
  2. Question: am, is, are firstBefore the subject:Is she working?
  3. With what or where, firstThe question word goes before am, is, or are:Where is she going?
  4. Short answer: just beWithout the -ing verb:Yes, she is.

Negative

  1. SubjectWe
  2. am / is / areare
  3. notnot
  4. verb + -ingleaving.

Question

  1. Am / Is / AreAre
  2. subjectthey
  3. verb + -ingsleeping
  4. ??

Short answer

  1. Yes / NoNo,
  2. subjecthe
  3. am / is / are (not)isn't.

The rule

Short negative forms

SubjectShort formExample
II'm notI'm not cooking.
you, we, theyaren't / 're notThey aren't cooking.
he, she, itisn't / 's notHe isn't cooking.

How to pronounce it

  • isn't

    /ˈɪzənt/

    Two syllables; the t is very light.

  • aren't

    /ɑrnt/

    One syllable.

  • i'm not

    /aɪm nɑt/

    Not has the open /ɑ/ sound.

Check

(blank) your brother working today? Which word goes in the blank?

Don't confuse it with do and does

Do you work on Saturdays?

A habit

Are you working today?

Today

Do and does make present simple questions, about what always happens. In the continuous, am, is, or are makes the question.

Questions with do and does

In real life

In speech you often hear 's not and 're not: She's not coming. They're not home. They mean the same as isn't and aren't.

Frequently asked questions

Is amn't used in the present continuous?

Not in American English: amn't is only heard in Scotland and Ireland. Say I'm not: I'm not sleeping.

How do you ask what someone is doing?

What are you doing?: what first, then are, the subject, and the -ing verb. The same with where: Where are you going?

Can you answer "Yes, I'm"?

No: a short answer with yes is never contracted. Yes, I am. Yes, she is. With no, it is: No, I'm not. No, she isn't.

In short

  • Negative: not after am, is, are: She isn't working.
  • Question: am, is, are first: Are you working?
  • Short answer: Yes, I am. No, he isn't.
  • With I: I'm not; amn't is not used in American English.
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By Bryan López ·
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