Continuous Tense Examples: 100+ Sentences, Grammar Rules & Exam Tips

Introduction: Continuous Tense Examples

The continuous tense describes actions that are happening now, were happening in the past, or will happen in the future. Using the right continuous tense makes your English more fluent and natural—especially for writing, speaking, and competitive exams. This article covers the formulas and functions of each type, provides 100+ real-world continuous tense examples with meanings, and shares targeted tips for mastering this important grammar topic.

Continuous Tense Types & Formulas

• Present Continuous:
  Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing
  (I am reading)
• Past Continuous:
  Subject + was/were + verb-ing
  (She was singing)
• Future Continuous:
  Subject + will be + verb-ing
  (They will be playing)

Continuous tense always indicates an ongoing or in-progress action at a specific time.

100+ Continuous Tense Examples with Meanings

Present Continuous (1–40)

1. I am eating lunch. (happening now)
2. She is writing her homework. (now)
3. We are watching TV. (ongoing action)
4. The boys are playing in the park. (currently)
5. The baby is crying loudly. (now)
6. It is raining outside. (ongoing weather)
7. Miss Peters is teaching the class. (present action)
8. Children are going to school. (ongoing event)
9. My dad is cooking dinner. (in progress)
10. I am learning to play the guitar. (developing skill)
11. She is working on a new project. (current activity)
12. They are travelling around the world. (ongoing journey)
13. We are moving to a new house. (action in progress)
14. He is meeting his friends for coffee. (happening soon)
15. I am going to the cinema tonight. (planned present/future)
16. The children are building a sandcastle. (progress now)
17. The dog is barking at the mailman. (ongoing)
18. My phone is ringing. (event happening)
19. The teacher is explaining the lesson. (present activity)
20. I am feeling tired today. (current state)
21. The sun is setting beautifully. (ongoing event)
22. She is joining a club this week. (planned future trending now)
23. They are getting married next month. (current arrangement)
24. We are having a party for my birthday. (ongoing)
25. She is painting a picture. (in progress)
26. The worker is fixing the pipe. (action happening)
27. You are listening to me. (current action)
28. My brother is shopping online. (ongoing)
29. I am waiting for the bus. (activity happening now)
30. The team is discussing strategy. (ongoing group action)
31. Rita is smiling at the joke. (right now)
32. The crowd is cheering for the singer. (live action)
33. She is taking a language course. (in progress)
34. You are using your phone. (present)
35. My friend is visiting me. (meeting now)
36. The dogs are running in the yard. (ongoing)
37. I am watching a documentary. (currently)
38. The staff are preparing dinner. (in progress)
39. The baby is sleeping peacefully. (action happening)
40. He is jogging in the park. (ongoing routine).

Past Continuous (41–70)

41. She was writing her homework when I arrived. (ongoing past)
42. They were playing football when it started to rain. (action in progress past)
43. He was reading a book when the phone rang. (event ongoing)
44. The boys were swimming in the pool. (continuous past event)
45. The team was practicing for the match. (progress previously)
46. My friend was talking on the phone last night. (ongoing event)
47. We were eating dinner when the lights went out. (action in progress)
48. I was learning to play the guitar last year. (ongoing skill learning)
49. She was working on a project when she got sick. (uncompleted action)
50. They were travelling around Europe. (extended past journey)
51. We were moving house last weekend. (ongoing relocation)
52. He was meeting his friends for coffee every Friday. (habit past)
53. I was going to the cinema every week. (repeated action)
54. She was taking a language course last summer. (studying previously)
55. They were getting married last year. (ongoing ceremony)
56. We were having a party for my birthday last year. (past celebration)
57. The cat was sleeping on the sofa. (ongoing restful event)
58. My father was cooking when I came home. (progress during past)
59. The shop was opening earlier last year. (ongoing business event)
60. The birds were chirping in the morning. (nature action past)
61. I was drawing when my brother interrupted. (ongoing, interrupted)
62. The baby was crying at midnight. (action at a specific point)
63. The students were laughing loudly. (continuous past event)
64. He was repairing the car all afternoon. (in-progress fix)
65. We were watching TV when guests arrived. (ongoing before interruption)
66. Rita was walking in the rain. (continuous action past)
67. The chef was preparing dinner. (action in progress)
68. The teachers were explaining answers. (ongoing classroom)
69. You were dreaming when the alarm rang. (event ongoing)
70. Sam was painting the fence all day. (extended past action).

Future Continuous (71–100)

71. She will be cooking dinner at 7pm. (ongoing future)
72. I will be attending class tomorrow. (duration future)
73. They will be travelling this weekend. (ongoing trip)
74. He will be writing his exam at 10am. (in progress)
75. We will be watching the match tonight. (ongoing event)
76. Rohan will be working late. (extended action)
77. You will be waiting for the train. (at a time)
78. The baby will be sleeping when we arrive. (ongoing)
79. The teacher will be teaching at 9am. (scheduled duration)
80. Priya will be reading in the library. (continuous activity)
81. I will be calling my friend this evening. (duration)
82. She will be shopping at the mall. (continuous action)
83. The guests will be arriving soon. (period of arrival)
84. Students will be submitting projects this week. (duration)
85. He will be exercising every morning. (habitual ongoing)
86. The company will be hiring new staff next month. (ongoing process)
87. We will be learning new topics. (timeline)
88. You will be celebrating your birthday tomorrow. (event duration)
89. She will be dancing at the show. (ongoing event)
90. The birds will be chirping in spring. (continuous future)
91. My sister will be driving to college. (scheduled activity)
92. He will be talking with his manager at noon. (duration)
93. The rain will be pouring at night. (ongoing event)
94. I will be hiking in July. (continuous action)
95. The store will be opening early. (future continuous)
96. The chef will be preparing lunch for everyone. (planned)
97. We will be celebrating our anniversary. (future event ongoing)
98. The team will be practicing before the game. (future rehearsing)
99. I will be watching the news tonight. (planned ongoing)
100. You will be waiting for results next week. (future duration).

Mixed & Bonus Sentences (101–120)

101. My friends are always making jokes. (repeated presence)
102. You are always complaining! (annoying ongoing)
103. The world is changing rapidly. (continuous progress)
104. His English is getting better. (development ongoing)
105. The city is being transformed by new buildings. (widespread ongoing event)
106. While I am working, my brother is playing. (parallel actions)
107. The kids were playing while parents were watching. (simultaneous past)
108. At this time tomorrow, she will be travelling. (scheduled future)
109. The company was losing money before it improved. (negative ongoing past)
110. The climate is warming continuously. (long-term ongoing)
111. People were migrating during the war. (ongoing movement)
112. The festival will be starting soon. (event future)
113. The garden is growing quickly. (present continuous change)
114. The lesson is being recorded now. (ongoing passive present)
115. The house was being painted last week. (ongoing passive past)
116. The streets will be getting crowded soon. (prediction future)
117. You are progressing well in studies. (present progress)
118. The ice is melting rapidly. (ongoing change)
119. The students were practicing all morning. (ongoing training past)
120. At 3 p.m., most people are working. (habitual present).

Continuous Tense Examples: Tips for Students & Competitive Exams

• Always use verb-ing after “be” verbs (am/is/are/was/were/will be).
• For questions, invert (“Are you…?” “Were they…?”).
• Add “not” for negatives (“She is not going.” “They were not playing.”).
• Avoid stative verbs like “know, like, love” in continuous tense.
• Watch out for double verbs (“He is knowing” is incorrect).
• Competitive exams test identification, error spotting, and sentence formation of continuous tenses.

Conclusion on Continuous Tense Examples

Mastering continuous tense examples unlocks fluent sentence construction for descriptions, storytelling, and professional writing. With these 100+ examples, formulas, and tips, exam candidates and learners can confidently use the continuous tense in any English context.

Also Read: Auxiliary Verbs List: 100+ Examples & Meanings for English Mastery

Future Tense Formula: 100+ Examples and Exam Tips for English Success.