Present continuous for describing family preferences

Learning how to describe your family in English becomes easier once you master the present continuous, the verb form that ends in -ing. This lesson shows English learners two powerful uses of this tense: talking about what your family members enjoy and describing what they are doing right now. If you want to answer questions like What is your family like? with confidence, this is where it clicks.

What are the two main uses of the present continuous?

The present continuous is the verb plus -ing, and you can use it for two clear purposes when talking about people.

First, you use it to describe preferences, the things your family enjoys doing. For example: My siblings like playing together [00:45]. Here, playing shows an activity your brothers and sisters enjoy.

Second, you use it to describe an action happening at the moment. For example: My siblings are posing for the picture [01:07]. That is something they are doing right now, in the present.

What is the present continuous? It is the verb with an -ing ending. You use it to talk about what someone enjoys doing (She likes swimming) or what someone is doing right now (She is training).

How do you talk about family preferences and actions?

The trick is knowing when you are describing a habit or preference versus a real time action. Both use -ing, but the meaning changes.

Take this example from the lesson about a mother [01:27]:

• Preference: My mother likes playing basketball and swimming. These are activities she enjoys.
• Action at the moment: She is training for a swimming competition. This is happening now.

And here is another example with a brother [01:53]:

• Preference: My brother likes reading and spending time at home.
• Action at the moment: My brother is reading a mystery novel.

Notice the difference? Likes reading tells you what he enjoys in general. Is reading tells you what he is doing at this exact moment. That contrast is the heart of the lesson.

What is the difference between "likes reading" and "is reading"? Likes reading describes a general preference or hobby. Is reading describes an action happening right now. Both use -ing, but the context tells you which one you mean.

How can you answer "What is she like?" in a real conversation?

The role play between Olivia and Aldo shows exactly how these structures work in everyday English [02:20]. Aldo is planning a birthday party for his sister and describes her so Olivia can pick a gift.

When Olivia asks What is she like?, Aldo answers with preferences and a present action:

• She likes photography and learning new languages. She knows Spanish and Portuguese.
• Right now she's studying English at Platzi. This is her action at the moment.
• She likes playing different sports, but her favorite one is tennis.

That combination is what makes a natural description. You mix what someone enjoys with what they are doing right now, and suddenly you have a full picture of a person.

How do I answer "What is she like?" Describe her preferences with likes plus -ing (She likes photography) and add what she is doing now with is plus -ing (She is studying English). That gives a complete answer.

Why does the true or false check matter for practice?

At the end, there is a quick comprehension check [04:19]. The statement says: Aldo's sister likes playing tennis and photography, and at the moment she is studying English at Platzi.

The answer is true. She likes photography, she likes playing tennis, and at the present moment she is studying English. This little test confirms you can separate preferences from current actions, which is the whole point of the class.

Here are the key skills and vocabulary worth remembering:

• Present continuous (verb plus -ing): the core structure for both uses [00:20].
• Siblings: your brothers and sisters together [00:37].
• Preferences with like plus -ing: She likes swimming [01:31].
• Actions at the moment: She is training [01:36].
• Question form What is she like?: used to ask about someone's personality and interests [02:54].

Now it is your turn. Choose one family member and tell us in the comments: what are they like? Describe what they enjoy and what they are doing right now using the present continuous.