Grade 4 Present Continuous Tense Exercises: A Complete Guide

The present continuous tense is an important grammar topic for Grade 4 English learners. Understanding this tense helps children describe actions happening now, ask questions about what other people are doing, and communicate more naturally in everyday situations.

However, memorizing grammar rules is not enough to use the present continuous tense correctly. Students also need to practice choosing am, is, and are, changing verbs into the -ing form, writing negative sentences, and asking questions. They should also learn to distinguish the present continuous tense from the present simple tense.

This collection of Grade 4 Present Continuous Tense Exercises includes a variety of activities, from verb conjugation and multiple-choice questions to sentence rewriting and error correction. Each exercise comes with an answer key and explanations to help students review their work and improve their English grammar skills.

Review the Rules Before Grade 4 Present Continuous Tense Exercises

Before starting the exercises, students should review the basic uses, sentence structures, and common signal words of the present continuous tense.

What Is the Present Continuous Tense?

The present continuous tense, also called the present progressive tense, is mainly used to describe actions happening at the moment of speaking or activities taking place around the present time.

Examples:

• She is reading a book.
• They are playing football.
• I am doing my homework.
• My mother is cooking dinner.

In these examples, the actions are happening now. Therefore, the present continuous tense is used to describe what the people are doing.

Present Continuous Tense Formulas for Grade 4

Students should remember the three basic sentence structures below.

In these formulas:

• S (Subject): The person, animal, or thing performing the action.
• V-ing: The main verb with the -ing ending.
• Am/is/are: Forms of the verb to be used according to the subject.

Students can choose the correct form of to be by following these rules:

• I + am: I am reading.
• He/She/It + is: She is singing.
• You/We/They + are: They are playing.

For negative sentences, add not after am, is, or are. For yes/no questions, move am, is, or are before the subject.

Common Signal Words of the Present Continuous Tense

Certain words and phrases often appear in sentences using the present continuous tense.

When students see these expressions, they should check whether the sentence describes an action happening now before choosing the tense.

Spelling Rules for Adding -ing to Verbs

When completing verb-form exercises, students need to know how to change base verbs into their -ing forms.

1. Add -ing to most verbs

• read → reading
• play → playing
• watch → watching
• cook → cooking

2. Remove the final -e and add -ing

• make → making
• write → writing
• dance → dancing
• ride → riding

3. Double the final consonant in some short verbs

• run → running
• swim → swimming
• sit → sitting
• stop → stopping

4. Change -ie to -y and add -ing

• lie → lying
• tie → tying

Remembering these spelling rules helps students avoid common mistakes when completing Grade 4 grammar exercises.

Grade 4 Present Continuous Tense Exercises with Answers

The following activities cover six different exercise types. Students should try to complete each exercise before checking the answer key.

Exercise 1: Complete the Sentences with the Correct Verb Forms

Write the present continuous form of each verb in brackets.

1. She __________ a story now. (read)
2. They __________ badminton at the moment. (play)
3. My father __________ dinner. (cook)
4. The dog __________ in the garden. (run)
5. Nam __________ a letter. (write)
6. I __________ my English homework now. (do)
7. The children __________ in the swimming pool. (swim)
8. My sister __________ a picture. (draw)
9. We __________ to music at the moment. (listen)
10. The baby __________ in the bedroom. (sleep)

Answer Key:

1. is reading
2. are playing
3. is cooking
4. is running
5. is writing
6. am doing
7. are swimming
8. is drawing
9. are listening
10. is sleeping

Explanation: Identify the subject first, then choose am, is, or are. Finally, change the main verb into its -ing form. For example, the dog takes is, while the children takes are.

Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Answer

Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.

1. We __________ football at the moment.
   A. play
   B. are playing
   C. played
2. My mother __________ dinner now.
   A. cooks
   B. is cooking
   C. cooking
3. I __________ my teeth now.
   A. brush
   B. am brushing
   C. brushed
4. The birds __________ in the sky.
   A. are flying
   B. fly
   C. flying
5. The children __________ happily.
   A. are laughing
   B. laugh
   C. laughed
6. Look! The boy __________ across the playground.
   A. runs
   B. is running
   C. run
7. Listen! Someone __________ a song.
   A. is singing
   B. sing
   C. sings
8. My friends __________ a game right now.
   A. plays
   B. are playing
   C. is playing

Answer Key:

1. B
2. B
3. B
4. A
5. A
6. B
7. A
8. B

Explanation: Words and expressions such as now, at the moment, Look! and Listen! can indicate that an action is happening now. Students should also check the subject to choose the correct form of to be.

Exercise 3: Change the Sentences into Negative Forms

Rewrite each sentence in the negative form of the present continuous tense.

1. She is reading a book.
2. They are playing football.
3. I am eating breakfast.
4. He is swimming in the pool.
5. We are singing a song.
6. The cat is sleeping on the sofa.
7. You are doing your homework.
8. My parents are watching TV.

Answer Key:

1. She is not reading a book.
2. They are not playing football.
3. I am not eating breakfast.
4. He is not swimming in the pool.
5. We are not singing a song.
6. The cat is not sleeping on the sofa.
7. You are not doing your homework.
8. My parents are not watching TV.

Explanation: Add not immediately after am, is, or are. Do not remove the verb to be, and keep the main verb in the -ing form.

For example:

• Incorrect: She not reading a book.
• Correct: She is not reading a book.

Exercise 4: Change the Sentences into Questions

Rewrite each sentence as a yes/no question.

1. She is cooking dinner.
2. They are running in the park.
3. He is drawing a picture.
4. You are studying English.
5. The baby is sleeping.
6. The students are reading books.
7. Your father is driving a car.
8. We are learning English.

Answer Key:

1. Is she cooking dinner?
2. Are they running in the park?
3. Is he drawing a picture?
4. Are you studying English?
5. Is the baby sleeping?
6. Are the students reading books?
7. Is your father driving a car?
8. Are we learning English?

Explanation: Move am, is, or are to the beginning of the sentence. Put the subject after the verb to be and add a question mark.

Remember this structure:

Am/Is/Are + subject + V-ing?

Exercise 5: Rearrange the Words to Make Complete Sentences

Put the words in the correct order to make grammatically correct sentences.

1. now / is / reading / she / a book
2. football / are / they / playing
3. dinner / my mother / cooking / is
4. homework / am / doing / I / my
5. the baby / sleeping / is
6. in the garden / running / the dog / is
7. English / are / we / learning
8. a picture / drawing / is / the girl

Answer Key:

1. She is reading a book now.
2. They are playing football.
3. My mother is cooking dinner.
4. I am doing my homework.
5. The baby is sleeping.
6. The dog is running in the garden.
7. We are learning English.
8. The girl is drawing a picture.

Explanation: The basic word order for an affirmative sentence is subject + am/is/are + V-ing + the rest of the sentence. Time expressions such as now can often be placed at the end.

Exercise 6: Find and Correct the Mistakes

Each sentence contains one mistake related to the present continuous tense. Find the mistake and rewrite the sentence correctly.

1. She are reading a book.
2. They is playing football.
3. I am write a letter.
4. He are eating lunch.
5. We is watching TV.
6. The dog running in the garden.
7. My sister am drawing a picture.
8. You is listening to music.

Answer Key:

1. She is reading a book.
2. They are playing football.
3. I am writing a letter.
4. He is eating lunch.
5. We are watching TV.
6. The dog is running in the garden.
7. My sister is drawing a picture.
8. You are listening to music.

Explanation: The mistakes mainly involve choosing the wrong form of am/is/are or forgetting to include the verb to be. When correcting a sentence, check both the subject and the -ing form.

Tips for Getting Better at Grade 4 Present Continuous Tense Exercises

Students can improve their accuracy by following a few simple study strategies.

Understand the Meaning Before Choosing a Tense

Do not focus on one word alone. Read the whole sentence and decide whether it describes a habit or an action happening now.

For example:

• She reads books every day.
• She is reading a book now.

The first sentence describes a habit, so it uses the present simple tense. The second describes an action happening now, so it uses the present continuous tense.

Check the Subject Before Using Am, Is, or Are

Remember the subject groups:

• I → am
• He/She/It or a singular noun → is
• You/We/They or a plural noun → are

This simple check helps students avoid mistakes such as They is playing or She are reading.

Review the -ing Form Carefully

After completing each sentence, check the spelling of the main verb. Pay special attention to forms such as make → making, write → writing, and run → running.

Practice with Familiar Daily Activities

Students can describe their own activities or what other people are doing using short sentences.

• I am brushing my teeth.
• My mother is cooking.
• My brother is playing a game.
• The teacher is writing on the board.

Practicing with familiar situations helps children connect grammar rules with real-life communication and remember the structures more easily.

Build Strong Grammar Skills Through Daily Practice

To use the present continuous tense correctly, Grade 4 students should combine learning grammar rules with regular practice. Working through different exercise types helps them recognize mistakes, conjugate verbs accurately, and write grammatically correct sentences.

These Grade 4 Present Continuous Tense Exercises cover verb conjugation, multiple-choice questions, negative sentences, question formation, word ordering, and error correction. Students should attempt the exercises before checking the answers, then review any mistakes to strengthen their understanding.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should Grade 4 students use the present continuous tense?

The present continuous tense is mainly used to describe actions happening at the moment of speaking or activities taking place around the present time.

What are the common signal words of the present continuous tense?

Common signal words and expressions include now, right now, at the moment, at present, Look! and Listen! However, students should also consider the meaning of the sentence before choosing the tense.

How can students distinguish the present simple from the present continuous tense?

The present simple tense is commonly used for habits and repeated actions, while the present continuous tense is mainly used for actions happening now.

For example:

• She reads books every day.
• She is reading a book now.

How should students practice Grade 4 Present Continuous Tense Exercises?

Students should review the formulas, start with easier exercises, check their answers, and record recurring mistakes. They can also write sentences about daily activities to become more familiar with the tense.

Related Keywords:

• Grade 4 Present Continuous Tense Exercises PDF
• Grade 4 Present Simple Tense Exercises
• Grade 4 Present Simple and Present Continuous Exercises
• Grade 4 Present Continuous Tense Rules
• Grade 5 Present Continuous Tense Exercises