to be was / were

to buy bought
to break broke
to come came
to do did
to drink drank
to eat ate
to fall fell
to find found
to fly flew
to get got
to give gave
to go went
to have had
to hear heard
to hurt hurt
to know knew
to learn learnt / learned
to leave left
to make made
to meet met
to read read
to ride rode
to run ran
to say said
to see saw
to send sent
to sing sang
to sit sat
to speak spoke
to spend spent
to take took
to teach taught
to think thought
to wake
woke (up)
(up)
to wear wore
to write wrote
Present continuous

To form the present continuous (also called the present progressive) we use the present
conjugated form of “to be” followed by the main verb in its "-ing" form.

Subject to be -ing verb

I am swimming
you / we / they are swimming
he / she / it is swimming

We can use the present continuous to talk about:

• Things that are happening at the moment

Look! It's snowing!

• Temporary situations

I can't talk now. I'm having lunch.

• Temporary habits or new habits

I'm taking yoga classes.

• Annoying habits

The neighbours' dog is always barking.

• future plans

I'm having dinner with my friends tomorrow.

• Slowly-changing situations

The climate is getting warmer.

Affirmative Negative Interrogative Short answer

Yes, I am
I am eating I am not eating am I eating?
No, I'm not
you / we / they are you / we / they are not are you / we / they Yes, you / we / they
eating eating eating? are

No, you / we / they

 aren't
Yes, he / she / it is
he / she / it is eating he / she / it is not eating is he / she / it eating?
No, he / she / it isn't

Present participles - Spelling

For most verbs, we add "-ing" to the infinitive:

to look looking
to go going

For verbs ending in "-e", the "-e" is removed:

to hope hoping
to have having

For verbs ending in consonant + vowel + consonant, we usually double the final
consonant:

to stop stopping
to run running
to swim swimming
to sit sitting
to dig digging
to add adding

There are exceptions, however. For example, in American English, "traveling" is preferred.
In British English, "travelling" is preferred.

For verbs ending in "c", we add "k’":

to panic panicking
to traffic trafficking
 

'-ing' forms

"-ing" forms can be used in various ways:

When they are used as nouns, subjects, or objects, they are referred to as gerunds:

I like swimming.
Smoking is bad for you.

We began working at six o'clock.

When they are used as verbs or adjectives, they are referred to as present participles:

We carried on walking.

It's a developing country.

I am learning to drive.

In both cases, the form is the same. Look at the spelling rules below for "-ing" forms:

For most verbs, we add "-ing" to the infinitive:

to look looking
to go going

For verbs ending in "-e", the "-e" is removed:

to hope hoping
to have having

For verbs ending in consonant + vowel + consonant, we usually double the final
consonant:

to stop stopping
to run running
to swim swimming
to sit sitting
to dig digging
to add adding

There are exceptions, however. For example, in American English, "traveling" is preferred.
In British English, "travelling" is preferred.

For verbs ending in "c", we add "k’":

to panic panicking
to traffic trafficking