Present Continuous for Kids: What Is Happening Now?
Use one park scene to describe actions, ask questions and correct a deliberately wrong guess.
Quick answer: To describe an action happening now, we can use a person or thing followed by am/is/are and an -ing verb. Begin with a visible action, then add a question and a negative. Contrast a regular habit with the current action through one concrete example. This picture game is speaking practice, not a language-level test.
2026-10-27 · Stayeng parent guide
Key points
- Choose familiar action words before adding new grammar.
- Make both am/is/are and the -ing verb audible.
- Use one picture for descriptions, questions and guesses.
- A single correct sentence does not establish mastery.
Put this guide into practice
- We found three different actions in the picture.
- We turned one description into a question.
- We corrected one wrong guess with a negative.
- We tried the same structure with a different picture.
What is happening in the park?
Think about the feature image above: one child is drawing, one is cycling and another is watering flowers.
Which sentence describes the boy on the bicycle?
- He riding a bike.
- He is riding a bike.
- He is ride a bike.
Answer and explanation
He is riding a bike.: Use “is” with “he”, followed by “riding”. The silent final e in ride disappears when -ing is added.
How would you ask about the child with the sketchbook?
- Is she drawing?
- Does she drawing?
- She is draw?
Answer and explanation
Is she drawing?: Move “is” before the person to form this question: “Is she drawing?” A short answer is “Yes, she is.”
Which sentence contrasts a regular habit with an action now?
- I am ride every day, but I draw now.
- I riding every day, but I drawing now.
- I ride every day, but I am drawing now.
Answer and explanation
I ride every day, but I am drawing now.: Here, “every day” introduces the habit and “now” introduces the current action. The first clause uses present simple; the second uses present continuous.
How do you build a present continuous sentence?
Start with something your child can see: “I am drawing a kite”, “She is watering the flowers” or “They are building a tower”. In conversation, the shorter forms “I'm”, “she's” and “they're” are common too. Let your child hear both versions.
The British Council's children's grammar reference distinguishes regular activities from current actions and explains the am/is/are plus -ing pattern. This guide focuses on describing actions happening now; it does not attempt to cover every use of the tense.
- I → am: “I am drawing.”
- He / she / it → is: “She is watering.”
- You / we / they → are: “They are playing.”
1. Look at the picture: point, then describe
Open this article's park illustration. Ask your child to find the person drawing, the person cycling and the person watering flowers. If an action word is unfamiliar, connect it to the picture first. Avoid testing new vocabulary and new sentence construction at the same time.
Model “She is watering the flowers.” Then point to someone else and ask “What is he doing?” If your child answers “Riding”, you can respond “Yes, he is riding a bike.” Offer a useful model without demanding a long answer on the first attempt.
2. Hide the picture: correct a wrong guess
Give your child time to look, then cover the illustration. Say “The boy is swimming.” Your child can correct the deliberately wrong guess: “No, he isn't. He is riding a bike.” Uncover the picture and check together.
This does not have to be a memory competition. Keep the picture visible if remembering the details gets in the way. The language goal is a short response that agrees with or corrects an idea, not remembering every object in the scene.
Question: “Is she drawing?” · Short answer: “Yes, she is.” · Correction: “No, she isn't. She is watering the flowers.”
3. Act it out: let your child ask the question
Silently mime reading, drawing or packing a bag. Your child guesses with a question such as “Are you reading?” Swap roles after a few turns. This adds starting a conversation to the task of answering one.
Choose actions that can be done safely while seated rather than running or climbing in a small space. A more confident speaker could describe two people: “You are drawing, but I am reading.” Make sure the first short idea is clear before adding another.
Make the difference between a habit and now visible
Draw a small calendar on one card and a camera on another. Let the calendar stand for a habit and the camera for the current moment. Point to the calendar for “I ride my bike every day”, and to the camera for “I am drawing now”. Then ask your child to choose the card.
Do not add -ing to every verb automatically. For example, we normally say “I like this picture” to express a preference. Introduce spelling changes in small groups too: draw → drawing, ride → riding, sit → sitting. One short game does not need every spelling rule.
Choose one observable goal for the next lesson
Try a new picture and propose a small goal to the teacher: describe an action, ask one question and correct one wrong guess. Your child may need different amounts of help for each part. Record a concrete example if less prompting becomes necessary.
Stayeng offers live one-to-one English lessons for children aged 4–15, with learning goals that can be adapted to their current needs. Sharing the picture you used or a sentence that was difficult gives the teacher a useful starting point for follow-up practice.
Want to bring this practice into a one-to-one lesson?
Choose an activity from this guide to discuss with your teacher. For regular lessons, compare package lesson counts, lesson lengths and total prices. If you would like to meet a teacher first, choose a free trial.
Frequently asked questions
At what age should children learn present continuous?
There is no single required age. A child who understands familiar actions can start with modelled sentences and games. Adjust explanation, writing and independent questions to the child's existing language knowledge.
Should I correct “He riding” every time?
Acknowledge the meaning, then briefly model “Yes, he is riding.” If the missing word keeps recurring, focus on am/is/are in a separate short round rather than interrupting every exchange.
Is adding -ing enough?
No. This structure also needs the appropriate form of am/is/are. Some spellings change too, including ride → riding and sit → sitting.
Does this activity measure my child's English level?
No. It shows how the child handles particular sentences in this task. Overall proficiency requires observations across different speaking, listening and other language activities.