Niveau A1 · Grammaire
The Present Continuous
Le présent continu : affirmatif, négatif, questions
Partie 1La forme affirmative▾
Le présent continu sert à parler d'une action qui se passe maintenant, en ce moment. En français, on dit souvent « être en train de… ».
sujet+am / is / are+verbe + -ing
I + am + working → I'm working. = Je suis en train de travailler.
| Sujet | be | Contraction | Exemple | En français |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | am | I'm | I'm working. | Je suis en train de travailler. |
| you | are | you're | You're reading. | Tu lis. / Vous lisez. |
| he | is | he's | He's eating. | Il est en train de manger. |
| she | is | she's | She's cooking. | Elle cuisine. |
| it | is | it's | It's raining. | Il pleut. |
| we | are | we're | We're talking. | Nous parlons. |
| they | are | they're | They're playing. | Ils / Elles jouent. |
💡 À l'oral, on utilise presque toujours la forme contractée : I'm, you're, he's, she's, it's, we're, they're.
Les mots qui annoncent le présent continu
now maintenantright now en ce moment mêmeat the moment en ce momenttoday aujourd'huiLook! Regarde !Listen! Écoute !
Vocabulaire : verbes d'action utiles
| Anglais | Français | Exemple |
|---|---|---|
| eat | manger | I'm eating a sandwich. |
| drink | boire | She's drinking tea. |
| read | lire | He's reading a book. |
| write | écrire | I'm writing an email. |
| watch | regarder | We're watching TV. |
| listen to | écouter | They're listening to music. |
| cook | cuisiner | Mum is cooking dinner. |
| work | travailler | Dad is working today. |
| sleep | dormir | The baby is sleeping. |
| play | jouer | The children are playing. |
| wait for | attendre | I'm waiting for the bus. |
| wear | porter (un vêtement) | You're wearing a jumper. |
Partie 2L'orthographe du -ing▾
1
Règle générale : on ajoute -ing
work → working · read → reading · play → playing
work → working · read → reading · play → playing
2
Le verbe finit par un -e muet : on enlève le -e
make → making · write → writing · dance → dancing
make → making · write → writing · dance → dancing
3
Verbe court : consonne + voyelle + consonne → on double la dernière consonne
sit → sitting · run → running · swim → swimming
sit → sitting · run → running · swim → swimming
4
Le verbe finit par -ie : -ie devient -y
lie → lying · die → dying · tie → tying
lie → lying · die → dying · tie → tying
Partie 3La forme négative▾
Pour dire « ne… pas », on ajoute not après am / is / are.
sujet+am / is / are + not+verbe + -ing
| Forme longue | Forme contractée | Exemple |
|---|---|---|
| I am not | I'm not | I'm not working. |
| you are not | you aren't | You aren't listening. |
| he / she / it is not | he / she / it isn't | She isn't sleeping. |
| we are not | we aren't | We aren't watching TV. |
| they are not | they aren't | They aren't playing. |
⚠️ Attention : on ne dit jamais « I amn't ». On dit I'm not.
Partie 4Les questions▾
Pour poser une question, on inverse : am / is / are passe devant le sujet.
Am / Is / Are+sujet+verbe + -ing… ?
You are working. → Are you working?
She is cooking. → Is she cooking?
They are playing. → Are they playing?
Les réponses courtes
| Question | Oui ✓ | Non ✗ |
|---|---|---|
| Are you working? | Yes, I am. | No, I'm not. |
| Is he sleeping? | Yes, he is. | No, he isn't. |
| Is she reading? | Yes, she is. | No, she isn't. |
| Is it raining? | Yes, it is. | No, it isn't. |
| Are they eating? | Yes, they are. | No, they aren't. |
⚠️ Dans la réponse courte affirmative, pas de contraction : Yes, I am. (et pas « Yes, I'm. »)
Les questions avec What, Where, Who, Why
Avec un mot interrogatif, il se place tout au début de la question.
| Mot | Sens | Exemple | En français |
|---|---|---|---|
| What | Que / Quoi | What are you doing? | Qu'est-ce que tu fais ? |
| Where | Où | Where is she going? | Où va-t-elle ? |
| Who | Qui | Who are you talking to? | À qui parles-tu ? |
| Why | Pourquoi | Why is he running? | Pourquoi court-il ? |
Attention !Les erreurs à éviter▾
💡 Certains verbes ne s'utilisent presque jamais au présent continu : like, love, want, know, understand. On dit I like coffee (et pas « I'm liking »).
RécapLe présent continu en un coup d'œil▾
| Exemple | Structure | |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmatif | She is working. | sujet + am/is/are + V-ing |
| Négatif | She isn't working. | sujet + am/is/are + not + V-ing |
| Question | Is she working? | Am/Is/Are + sujet + V-ing ? |
| Réponse courte | Yes, she is. / No, she isn't. | Yes + sujet + am/is/are |
© Love English · The Present Continuous · V1