Activities for Teaching the Progressive Tenses

 The progressive tenses are fun to teach as they follow an easy rule. When your students have studied the simple present and past tenses they will be ready to learn and use the present and past progressive tenses. This article outlines the basic grammar and provides several talking activities.

The progressive tenses show that something is happening at a specific time.

For the present progressive use the present tense of the verb

“to be” ( am / is / are) + the present participle.

 

 

   EXAMPLES:

    to play – playing           to see – seeing         to be – being

I am reading a book.

She is drinking juice.

We are learning English.

    

 

 When you add an ending to a word that ends with one silent “e”,

drop the “e”, then add the ending.

EXAMPLES:      to have – having        to close – closing         to live – living

 

For the past progressive tense use the past tense of the verb

“to be” (was / were ) + the present participle.

EXAMPLES:

I was walking yesterday.                                We were walking yesterday.

You were walking yesterday.                           You were walking yesterday.

He was walking yesterday.                             They were walking yesterday.

She was walking yesterday. / It was walking yesterday.

Your students will enjoy the above activities and find them very helpful. We found that they frequently asked for additional copies to practice with at home. As with all grammar, the most important thing is to provide plenty of oral activities. In this way the students’ use of the tenses becomes automatic.

Written by: DG01, Learning English with Laughter Inc.
Modified: September 4th, 2017
Published: June 20th, 2011