The verb to lie · Conjugation
Present Continuous of lie
The answer: am / is / are lying
A1
An action happening now, at the moment of speaking.
Quick answer
The Present Continuous of the verb to lie is am / is / are lying.
Example: I am lying on the sofa right now.
Full conjugation in the Present Continuous
| Pronoun | Form | Contraction |
|---|---|---|
| I | am lying | I'm lying |
| You | are lying | You're lying |
| He / She / It | is lying | He's / She's / It's lying |
| We | are lying | We're lying |
| You (pl.) | are lying | You're lying |
| They | are lying | They're lying |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. She lying ❌
The Present Continuous always has two parts: am, is or are + the -ing form. Without the helper verb, the sentence is wrong: say she is lying, I am lying. Without -ing, it is wrong too: she is lie ❌.
2. I am knowing ❌
Some verbs describe a state, not an action: know, understand, want, need, like, love, believe, remember. They are not normally used in the continuous, even for right now: I know the answer, I don't understand.
3. I am playing football every Saturday ❌
For habits and routines, use the Present Simple: I play football every Saturday. Use the Present Continuous only for now or for a short time: I am playing football right now. With lie: I lie for a habit, I am lying for right now.
Practice quiz
What's next?
Master the Present Continuous of lie when you speak, not just on paper
The conjugation is clear in your head. On PLAY, you practise it in a game, with instant feedback, until it comes out on its own.
Practise the Present Continuous of lie on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachersYour whole class practises the Present Continuous of lie, and you follow each student
The Academy has self-marking activities on this form, with a dashboard for each student: you see at a glance who is falling behind.
Discover the Academy30-day free trial · No bank card needed
English contestThe English contest tests the Present Continuous of lie in real sentences
Instead of a single school exercise, your students meet this tense in context, in a contest that really motivates them.
Register my students5,000 students every year · Primary and secondary
Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate lie in the Present Continuous?+
Use am, is or are (the present of be) + the -ing form lying. Use am with I, is with he, she and it, and are with you, we and they. For example: I am lying, she is lying, they are lying. In speech, you usually say I'm, she's, they're.
When do you use the Present Continuous of lie?+
Use it for an action happening now, at the moment of speaking. Also use it for a situation that is only temporary (this week, these days). Common signal words are now, right now, at the moment and Look!
What is the difference between I lie and I am lying?+
I lie is the Present Simple: a habit or a fact. I am lying is the Present Continuous: an action happening now, or for a short time. Compare: I play football every Saturday and I am playing football right now.
How do you make the negative and the question of lie in the Present Continuous?+
Negative: add not after am, is or are: I'm not lying, she isn't lying, they aren't lying. Question: put am, is or are before the subject: Are you lying…?, Is she lying…? Do not add do: Do you are lying? is wrong.
What is the -ing form of lie?+
The -ing form of lie is lying. Verbs that end in -ie change -ie to -y before -ing: lie → lying. You also use it in the Past Continuous (I was lying) and after a preposition (before lying).
Related pages: lie Present Continuous
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/lie/present-continuous
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.
Keep learning
More forms of the verb to lie are coming soon.