The verb to stop · Conjugation
Present Continuous of stop
The answer: am / is / are stopping
A1
An action happening now, at the moment of speaking.
Quick answer
The Present Continuous of the verb to stop is am / is / are stopping.
Example: I am stopping the music right now.
Full conjugation in the Present Continuous
| Pronoun | Form | Contraction |
|---|---|---|
| I | am stopping | I'm stopping |
| You | are stopping | You're stopping |
| He / She / It | is stopping | He's / She's / It's stopping |
| We | are stopping | We're stopping |
| You (pl.) | are stopping | You're stopping |
| They | are stopping | They're stopping |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. She stopping ❌
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 stopping, I am stopping. Without -ing, it is wrong too: she is stop ❌.
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 stop: I stop for a habit, I am stopping for right now.
Practice quiz
Going further
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Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate stop in the Present Continuous?+
Use am, is or are (the present of be) + the -ing form stopping. Use am with I, is with he, she and it, and are with you, we and they. For example: I am stopping, she is stopping, they are stopping. In speech, you usually say I'm, she's, they're.
When do you use the Present Continuous of stop?+
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 stop and I am stopping?+
I stop is the Present Simple: a habit or a fact. I am stopping 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 stop in the Present Continuous?+
Negative: add not after am, is or are: I'm not stopping, she isn't stopping, they aren't stopping. Question: put am, is or are before the subject: Are you stopping…?, Is she stopping…? Do not add do: Do you are stopping? is wrong.
What is the -ing form of stop?+
The -ing form of stop is stopping. The last consonant is doubled: stop → stopping. This often happens when a verb ends in one vowel + one consonant (like swim → swimming). You also use it in the Past Continuous (I was stopping) and after a preposition (before stopping).
Related pages: stop 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/stop/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.
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More forms of the verb to stop are coming soon.