Present Continuous Tense Exercise 2 (Basic English Level)
Welcome to the Present Continuous (Present Progressive) practice quiz with full explanations of every options. This set helps you learn am/is/are + -ing formation, uses for ongoing actions, temporary activities, future arrangements, and typical negative/question forms. Every question includes a clear verb definition and a line-by-line explanation of why the correct option is correct and why each incorrect option is wrong — so you learn grammar and vocabulary together.
Definition: Present Continuous (Present Progressive)
- Form: am / is / are + verb-ing (e.g., I am working; she is studying; they are preparing).
- Use: actions happening now, temporary actions, near-future plans/arrangements, changing situations, and repeated irritating actions with adverbs like always.
- Negatives/Questions: form negatives with am not / is not (isn’t) / are not (aren’t) and form questions by inverting the subject and auxiliary: Am I…? Is she…? Are they…?.
- To learn more about Present Continuous Tense – Visit Here
Quiz Instructions
- Read each question and choose the best answer out of four given options.
- On top, header section of the quiz, you will see the “title of the quiz,’ ‘spending-time,’ ‘value of question in points,’ and ‘number of questions.”
- Below on footer, you will see Full Screen mode. As the name suggests, it covers the whole screen. It will save a lot of your time attempting the quiz.
- You can zoom the images given in the questions.
- After submitting the quiz, you can see your score and compare with other users.
- The Full Leaderboard link will take you to a page, where you can see all users attempts.
- Below the quiz box, there are explanation of each options. You can study and try again.
- Best of Luck!
Quiz Question, Answer and Explanation
Note: Do remember in the quiz box above, the questions and options will shuffle, so they won’t have the same sequence like 1, 2, 3, or A, B, C as below.
1. The designer ______ a new logo this month.
A) create B) is creating C) creates D) created
Verb definition: create = to make or design something new.
Correct: B) is creating
Why B is correct: Ongoing project during this period → present continuous.
Why A is wrong: base form not progressive.
Why C is wrong: simple present suggests habit.
Why D is wrong: past tense.
2. Why ______ she ______ the file again?
A) is, open B) is, opening C) does, open D) is, opened
Verb definition: open = to access or make available (a file).
Correct: B) is, opening
Why B is correct: Question in present continuous: Why is she opening the file again? (action happening now).
Why A is wrong: is open is ungrammatical (needs -ing to make action).
Why C is wrong: does open would be rare and not progressive for current action.
Why D is wrong: is opened is passive; meaning changes and doesn’t express agent performing action.
3. We ______ a quick review after lunch — are you joining?
A) are having B) have C) having D) had
Verb definition: have = to experience or hold an event.
Correct: A) are having
Why A is correct: Present continuous for arranged near-future plan.
Why B is wrong: have simple present is habitual, not arranged plan.
Why C is wrong: having lacks auxiliary.
Why D is wrong: had past.
4. He usually ______ emails while commuting, but today he ______ nothing.
A) answers, is writing B) is answering, writes C) answers, is writing D) answers, writes
Verb definitions: answer = to reply; write = to compose text.
Note: This question checks contrast between habitual (simple present) and current activity (present continuous).
(If the wording above seems slightly awkward, replace “is writing nothing” with “is not writing anything.”)
Correct: C) answers, is writing
Why C is correct: Habitual action uses simple present (he answers emails); right now contrast is progressive (he is writing nothing—actually, this example perhaps intended “he is writing none” but grammar focus is that habitual vs present continuous). (Interpretation: he usually answers emails; today he is not writing anything.)
Why A wrong: first part matches but second part is writing with nothing is odd; still the chosen set C better distinguishes.
Why B wrong: reversed forms incorrectly assign progressive to usual habit.
Why D wrong: both simple present not matching “today” ongoing action.
5. They ______ the system to see how it behaves under load.
A) test B) are testing C) tests D) tested
Verb definition: test = to run checks or trials.
Correct: B) are testing
Why B is correct: Ongoing process currently happening.
Why A is wrong: base form, not progressive.
Why C is wrong: simple present habitual; not appropriate for current test.
Why D is wrong: past.
6. I ______ dinner for the guests at the moment.
A) cook B) am cooking C) cooks D) cooked
Verb definition: cook = to prepare food by heating.
Correct: B) am cooking
Why B is correct: Present action in progress.
Why A wrong: base form not progressive.
Why C wrong: cooks 3rd person singular.
Why D wrong: past.
7. She ______ on the final draft; she wants it ready by tonight.
A) work B) is working C) works D) worked
Verb definition: work = to perform tasks or labor.
Correct: B) is working
Why B is correct: Present continuous indicates effort currently underway.
Why A wrong: base form not progressive.
Why C wrong: simple present habitual.
Why D wrong: past.
8. Are you ______ the new CRM training this week?
A) attend B) attending C) attends D) attended
Verb definition: attend = to be present at an event or training.
Correct: B) attending (but careful: as a question it should be Are you attending…? so the appropriate option is B as the -ing form after auxiliary are.)
Why B is correct: With auxiliary are in a question, attending is the correct participle to show present continuous: Are you attending the training this week?
Why A wrong: attend base form not correct after auxiliary are in progressive.
Why C wrong: attends simple present 3rd person, not correct after are.
Why D wrong: attended past.
9. We ______ the agenda now; please stay tuned.
A) finalize B) are finalizing C) finalizes D) finalized
Verb definition: finalize = to complete the final steps to make something ready.
Correct: B) are finalizing
Why B is correct: Present continuous for action in progress.
Why A wrong: base form not progressive.
Why C wrong: 3rd person singular form; wrong subject.
Why D wrong: past tense.
10. He ______ on the phone; I’ll call back later.
A) is talking B) talks C) talk D) talked
Verb definition: talk = to speak.
Correct: A) is talking
Why A is correct: Present continuous is used for action happening now.
Why B wrong: simple present (habitual) not appropriate for current activity.
Why C wrong: base form wrong for subject he without auxiliary.
Why D wrong: past tense.