The present continuous tense can be used in two ways:
- to talk about right now (I am writing a grammar lesson.)
- to talk about plans or arrangements in the future (I am meeting Sam tomorrow.)
In this lesson, we will only look at making questions about the future using the present continuous tense.
Use this pattern to make a yes/no question.
Be Verb + subject + present participle…?
- Are you attending the outdoor concert tonight?
- Is your boss going on a business trip next week?
- Are they hosting the event next month?
Use this pattern to make questions with question words.
Question Word + be verb + subject + present participle…?
- What are you doing tonight?
- Where are they going on vacation?
- Why are you quitting your job next week?
- When is the movie starting?
- How are we going to grandma’s house tomorrow?
- Who are you going to call later?
Don’t forget about “what + noun” and “which + noun”.
- What time are you leaving tomorrow?
- Which hotel are you staying at in Hawaii?
And remember that sometimes “who” or “what” can be the subject of the question. When this is the case, then the question has a different pattern. Here are some examples.
- Who is coming to the party tomorrow?
- What is happening later?
This is a very common kind of question in English, so make sure to get a lot of practice.
Example Questions
- Is he coming later?
- Is he studying with you in the library tonight?
- Is the flight leaving at 1?
- Are you going to the party tomorrow?
- Are they planning to talk about the new sales strategy at the meeting tomorrow?
- Are we driving or taking the bus tomorrow?
- What are you doing tonight?
- What are you planning on eating for lunch?
- Where is he going tomorrow?
- Where is the company moving its headquarters?
- When is the train leaving?
- When are the packages arriving?
- How are you going to the show tonight?
- How is he paying for a new car?
- Who is coming tonight?
- Who are you inviting to the wedding?
- Why are you leaving early tomorrow?
- Why are they eating out tonight?
- What time is the movie starting?
- What time is she arriving on Saturday?
- Which movie are you seeing later?
- Which bag are you buying after you save enough money?
English Conversation 1
A) What are you doing tomorrow, Sam?
B) I am visiting my sister in New York.
A) That sounds fun.
B) I think it will be run. We are watching a Broadway show on Friday night.
A) Nice. What else?
B) She is taking me to a museum on Saturday.
A) Cool. Tell me all about it when you get back.
B) I will. See you next week.
English Conversation 2
A) What time are you leaving for the airport tomorrow?
B) I’m leaving at 5 am.
A) Why are you leaving so early? The flight is not until 9.
B) I always worry about being late.
A) I don’t understand you.
B) I know, but I have to leave early. If I don’t, then I will just worry.
Finish these sentences. It is important to practice the grammar that you study to make sure that you remember it for a long time and to make sure you feel comfortable enough to use it when you are speaking English.
Tip: Say the sentence aloud. This will help you practice speaking and improve your pronunciation and fluency.
Are you ________________ later?
Is your family ________________ later?
What time are you ________________ today?
Where is he _______________ next weekend?
__________ are you ________________ tomorrow?
Who is ________________?
What are you doing ________________?
When is he ________________?
