Ongoing actions: ています

～ています ~te imasu Be doing; ongoing state

Te-form + います (imasu) shows an action in progress, or a state after a change. 食べています is "is eating", but 結婚しています is "is married".

Level: JLPT N5, beginner
Type: The te-form
English links: present continuous, state verbs, present perfect

What it means

Te-form + います has two main jobs. The first is an action happening now: 今、食べています, "I'm eating now." This one matches English "-ing" well.

The second is a state that comes after a change. 結婚する is "to get married", so 結婚しています is "is married". 知る is "to get to know", so 知っています is "know". 住んでいます is "live". The action happened; the result is still true.

It also covers jobs and long habits: 英語を教えています, "I teach English." And the negative ていません often means "not yet": まだ食べていません, "I haven't eaten yet."

In speech, the い often drops: 食べてます, 知ってます. You will hear this every day.

How to build it

Pattern	How it works
Te-form + います (食べる → 食べています) taberu → tabete imasu	An action in progress: "is eating".
Change verb + ています (結婚する → 結婚しています) kekkon suru → kekkon shite imasu	A state after a change: "is married".
Te-form + いません (食べていません) tabete imasen	Not doing now, or not done yet with まだ.
Spoken: ～てます (食べてます) tabete masu	The い drops in casual speech.

Examples

今、昼ごはんを食べています。 ima, hirugohan o tabete imasu. I'm eating lunch now.
生徒たちは教室で待っています。 seitotachi wa kyoushitsu de matte imasu. The students are waiting in the classroom.
私は大阪に住んでいます。 watashi wa oosaka ni sunde imasu. I live in Osaka.
田中先生は結婚しています。 tanaka-sensei wa kekkon shite imasu. Mr Tanaka is married.
佐藤さんの電話番号を知っていますか。 satou-san no denwa bangou o shitte imasu ka. Do you know Ms Sato's phone number?

How English says it

For an action in progress, English uses the present continuous: "I'm eating". That part is easy.

For states, English usually uses the present simple: "I know", "I live in Osaka", "I have a car". Some verbs, like "know" and "like", almost never take "-ing". For the result of a change, English often uses an adjective ("is married") or the present perfect ("has gone").

Why it can make English hard

Textbooks often teach ています as "-ing". Students then use "-ing" for every ています, including states: "I am knowing".
Result verbs are a trap. 結婚しています is "is married", not "is marrying". 行っています is "has gone", not "is going".
English has state verbs that do not take "-ing". Japanese has no such group, so the idea is new.

Mistakes you will hear

I am knowing his name. I know his name. From 知っています. "Know" is a state verb and does not take "-ing".
My sister is marrying. My sister is married. 結婚しています describes a state after the wedding, not the wedding itself.
My father is going to Tokyo. My father has gone to Tokyo. (or: My father is in Tokyo.) 東京に行っています means he went and is there now.
I am living in Osaka. I live in Osaka. Not wrong for a short stay. For your home, English uses the present simple.

In the classroom

Make two columns on the board: "happening now" and "a state". Read ています sentences aloud. Students put each one in a column, then translate it.
Teach a short list of English state verbs early: know, like, want, have, live, believe. Tell students these rarely take "-ing".
Use photos. "What is she doing?" gets "-ing". "Is she married?" gets an adjective. The picture helps students feel the difference.

Practice

Try each one, then open it to check.

1. Fill the gap: 今、本を読ん＿います。 (I'm reading a book now.)

Answer: で

読む ends in む, so its te-form is 読んで.
2. Make the progressive form: 待つ

Answer: 待っています

待つ ends in つ, so its te-form is 待って.
3. Translate: 知っています。

Answer: I know.

"Know" is a state verb. English does not say "I'm knowing".
4. A student writes "My sister is marrying with a doctor." Fix it.

Answer: My sister is married to a doctor.

結婚しています is a state. English says "married to", not "with".