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Present Continuous Games, Activities, Worksheets & Lesson Plans

If you’re looking for some of the best present continuous activities, games, lesson plans, and worksheets, then you’re in the right place. Keep on reading for the top recommendations for teaching this important grammar point.

present continuous games

Present continuous games

Present Continuous Games and Activities

Let’s get into the best ESL activities for the present continuous.

#1: Pictionary

A nice present continuous game is Pictionary. Students have to draw a person/people doing something. For example, “They are playing soccer.” Their teammates have to make the complete sentence in order to get the point.

#2: Vocabulary Auction

This is one of my favourite TEFL games for building sentences. It goes take a bit of preparation but it’s totally worth it! Students love this game. Have a look here for all the details:

#3: What’s your Excuse?

In small groups, students have to brainstorm as many excuses as possible for why someone can’t come to the phone. For example:

  • She’s in a meeting.
  • He’s out walking the dog.
  • She’s taking a nap.
  • He’s in the shower.

#4: Picture Prompt

A nice TEFL warm-up activity for teaching the present continuous is to show a picture with lots of action in it. Then, elicit some answers from the students. For example,

  • What is the man doing? He’s eating ice cream.
  • What are the kids doing? They’re playing with a ball.
  • What is the dog doing? It’s sleeping.

#5: Error Correction Relay Race

I love to to use this activity because it takes something old (error correction) and makes it new again by turning it into a game. It’s ideal for grammar concepts that have some nuance to them, like this one. Have a look:

Error Correction Relay Race.

#6: Running Dictation

This is such a great ESL activity! It covers all 4 skills, can be used for just about any topic or grammar point, and it also gets the students out of their seats and moving around the classroom. Check it out:

#7: Use Some Flashcards

A nice way for beginners to practice the present continuous is to use some flashcards of people doing some action. Then, students have to make a complete sentence. For example:

  • The boy is playing soccer.
  • The woman is eating ice cream.

#8: What am I Doing?

Try out this very simple partner or small group activity. The first student has to mime an action (brushing my hair) and the other student can say what he or she is doing. The students can then switch roles.

#9: Dicto Gloss

Try out this challenging listening activity for slightly higher-level students. Find, or write a passage containing numerous instances of the present continuous. Then, students have to listen and try to recreate what they just heard. Find out more about it here:

Dicto Gloss.

#10: Brainstorm

Have some fun with this one! I ask my students to brainstorm as many things as they can about what can happen in a classroom. For example,

  • sleeping
  • eating snacks
  • chatting with a boyfriend/girlfriend
  • talking to his or her friend
  • listening to the teacher

You get the idea! You can also give some different scenarios, like in a coffee shop, or nightclub.

present continuous activities

Present continuous ESL activities

#11: Charades

One of the games that I like to use for the present continuous is charades. I give students a phrase and they have to act it out. For example:

  • Brushing my teeth.
  • Watching TV.
  • Doing homework.

#12: Magazine Search

Put students in groups, depending on the number of magazines that you have. Then, ask students to find someone doing something. For example:

  • Someone wearing sunglasses.
  • Someone drinking something.

The students have to race to be the first to find that person.

#13: Mixed Up Sentences

The present continuous can get a little bit tricky because the sentences have helping verbs in them. This is particularly true with the negative and questions forms. Try out this simple activity where students have to put the words in the correct order.

ESL Mixed Up Sentences.

#14: Use a Video

I love to include some videos in my lessons. They are ideal for:

  • Teaching a grammar point (My students probably get tired of hearing me talk!)
  • Having students notice instances of grammar or vocabulary use.
  • As a warmer activity.
  • For review.

Here are some more ideas for this: How to Use Videos in the ESL Classroom.

#15: Present Continuous ESL Speaking Lesson

It’s easy to plan your own ESL speaking lesson for just about anything, including this grammar point. Have a look at the simple steps to follow:

#16: Who is Doing What?

This is a fun activity that works well for smaller classes. Everyone can stand up and do something. The students should pay attention to what everyone else is doing. For example:

  • standing on one leg
  • jogging
  • watching TV
  • writing

Then, the teacher asks one student to close his or her eyes. The teacher asks, “Who is standing on one leg?” The student with her or her eyes closed has to guess who.

#17: Present Continuous ESL Reading Lesson

It’s easier than you might think to plan your ESL reading lesson for just about any grammar point, including this one. The main advantage to designing your own is that you can target it exactly to the level of students and what you want to teach. Check out this article for the simple steps to follow:

How to Plan an ESL Reading Lesson.

#18: Proofreading and Editing

A nice way to review the present continuous is to do some proofreading and editing. Write a passage containing numerous instances of the target grammar. Then, make some mistakes, both in form and meaning. Students have to correct them. This makes a nice exam question or homework assignment as well.

#19: Guess the Job

Students have to think of  a certain job, and then give 1-2 hints about what that person might be doing right now. For example:

  • She is teaching students (teacher!).
  • He is either waiting, or riding quickly in a truck (firefighter).

#20: Is it the Same?

Find a video with a lot of action. Write down some sentences on the board that are the same, or similar to what is happening. For example:

  • The man is eating ice cream (no, he’s eating a piece of pizza).
  • The children are playing soccer (yes).
  • Etc.

Students have to watch the video and decide which statements are true, and which ones aren’t.

play present continuous

Play present continuous

Present Continuous ESL Lesson Plans

If you’re a teacher, then you already know how much time it can save to use materials that other teachers have created. That’s where these lesson plans come in. Have a look at some of the top options to teach the present continuous:

ESL Kids Stuff

Off2Class

If you’re looking for some ideas for the past, have a look here: Past Continuous ESL Games and Activities.

Worksheets for the Present Continuous

Here are some of the best worksheets for student practice:

ISL Collective

English Worksheets

Online Practice 

If your students want some extra practice opportunities for learning the present continuous tense, here are the sites that I recommend:

Perfect English Grammar

English Club

More Ideas for Teaching English

The key to better language classes is a variety of interesting, engaging, and interactive games and activities. 101 ESL Activities for Adults will help you get there in style! You’ll find dozens of fun activity options for teenagers and adults.

Pick up a copy of the book today and get ready for better English classes tomorrow.

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FAQs

Here are the answers to some of the most common questions that people have about teaching the present continuous.

How do you teach the present continuous?

To teach the present continuous, first set the context. You could talk about what people are currently doing in the classroom (teaching, listening to the teacher, writing something). Then, introduce the grammar, and have students practice.

How do you explain the present continuous?

To explain the present continuous, explain that it’s used when an action is happening now and that it often continues into the future.

What is the rule of present continuous?

The rule of present continuous is to use the “be” verb in the present tense, plus the participle form of the main verb (ing form). For example, “He is playing soccer.”

Teaching the Present Continuous: Join the Conversation

Do you have any tips, tricks, games or activities that you use when teaching the present continuous? Leave a comment and let us know. We’d love to hear from you.

Last update on 2022-07-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

About Jackie

Jackie Bolen has been teaching English for more than 15 years to students in South Korea and Canada. She's taught all ages, levels and kinds of TEFL classes. She holds an MA degree, along with the Celta and Delta English teaching certifications.

Jackie is the author of more than 60 books for English teachers and English learners, including Business English Vocabulary Builder and 39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities for Teenagers and Adults. She loves to share her ESL games, activities, teaching tips, and more with other teachers throughout the world.

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