Describing your family in English goes beyond listing names and ages. When someone asks "What is your family like?", you need tools to express both what they enjoy doing and what they are doing right now. The present continuous is exactly the structure that makes this possible, and understanding its two uses will transform the way you talk about the people closest to you.
How do you use the present continuous to talk about preferences?
The present continuous is formed by adding -ing to a verb. One of its uses is to describe activities that a person enjoys doing regularly. This does not mean the action is happening right now — it refers to general preferences or hobbies [00:47].
Here are some examples from the lesson:
- "My siblings like playing together." — This tells us what the brothers and sisters enjoy doing.
- "My mother likes playing basketball and swimming." — Two activities she regularly enjoys.
- "My brother likes reading and spending time at home." — His preferred way to relax.
Notice the pattern: subject + likes + verb-ing. The word likes signals a preference, and the -ing form of the verb describes the activity. This structure is essential when answering questions like "What is your brother like?" or "What is your mother like?" [01:30]
How do you describe actions happening at the moment?
The second use of the present continuous is to talk about actions in progress right now [01:06]. The structure changes slightly: subject + is/are + verb-ing.
- "My siblings are posing for the picture." — Something happening at that exact moment.
- "She is training for a swimming competition." — An action in progress right now.
- "My brother is reading a mystery novel." — What he is doing at the present moment.
The key difference between the two uses is context. When you say someone likes playing tennis, you describe a hobby. When you say someone is playing tennis, you describe what is happening now. Recognizing this distinction helps you communicate with precision [01:50].
What does the role play teach about describing family members?
In the conversation, Aldo describes his sister to Olivia so she can choose a birthday present [02:20]. He combines both uses of the present continuous naturally:
- Preferences: "She likes photography and learning new languages." / "She likes playing different sports, but her favorite one is tennis."
- Current action: "Right now she's studying English at Platzi."
Aaldo also mentions that his sister knows Spanish and Portuguese, using the simple present for facts rather than ongoing actions. This contrast reinforces when to choose each tense [02:45].
How can you practice this structure with your own family?
Pick one family member and answer two questions:
- What do they like doing? Use the pattern: They like + verb-ing.
- What are they doing right now? Use: They are + verb-ing.
For example: "My dad likes cooking Italian food. Right now, he is preparing dinner." This simple exercise helps you internalize both uses of the present continuous in a meaningful, personal context.
The word siblings [00:40] means brothers and sisters. Using this term makes your English sound more natural and avoids repeating "brothers and sisters" multiple times. Similarly, describing someone as athletic [03:00] is a useful adjective when talking about a family member who enjoys sports.
Try describing one of your family members in the comments — what are they like, and what are they doing right now?
