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