English Language Arts
Grade 6
15 min
Form the progressive verb tenses
Form the progressive verb tenses
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1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify the two main components of all progressive verb tenses.
Correctly form the present progressive tense using the auxiliary verb 'to be' and a present participle.
Correctly form the past progressive tense to describe actions ongoing in the past.
Correctly form the future progressive tense to describe actions that will be ongoing in the future.
Distinguish between simple and progressive verb tenses based on their structure and meaning.
Apply subject-verb agreement rules when forming progressive tenses.
Use progressive verb tenses accurately in their own sentences to convey ongoing actions.
Have you ever wanted to describe something that was happening right now, or something that was happening yesterday at a specific time? ⏳ Progressive v...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
VerbA word that describes an action, state, or occurrence.run, think, be, exist
TenseThe form of a verb that shows when an action happened (past, present, or future).walked (past), walks (present), will walk (future)
Progressive TenseA verb tense that shows an action is or was or will be ongoing, continuous, or happening over a period of time.I am reading (present progressive), She was singing (past progressive), They will be studying (future progressive)
Auxiliary VerbA 'helping' verb that works with a main verb to form a verb phrase. For progressive tenses, the auxiliary verb is always a form of 'to be'.is, am, are, was, were, will be
Present ParticipleThe '-ing' form of a verb. This is the main verb in all progressive tenses.running,...
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Key Rules & Conventions
Present Progressive Tense Formula
Subject + (am/is/are) + Main Verb (-ing form)
Use the present progressive tense to describe an action that is happening right now, at the moment of speaking, or an ongoing action around the present time. Remember to match 'am,' 'is,' or 'are' to the subject (I am, He/She/It is, You/We/They are).
Past Progressive Tense Formula
Subject + (was/were) + Main Verb (-ing form)
Use the past progressive tense to describe an action that was ongoing or happening over a period of time in the past, often interrupted by another action. Match 'was' for singular subjects (I, He, She, It) and 'were' for plural subjects (You, We, They).
Future Progressive Tense Formula
Subject + (will be) + Main Verb (-i...
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Challenging
Read the short paragraph. Which sentence should be changed to a progressive tense to improve its description of an ongoing past action? '(1) Yesterday was a stormy day. (2) I sat by the window. (3) Rain fell against the glass for hours. (4) I read my favorite book.'
A.Sentence 1 should be 'Yesterday was being a stormy day.'
B.Sentence 3 should be 'Rain was falling against the glass for hours.'
C.Sentence 2 should be 'I will be sitting by the window.'
D.Sentence 4 should be 'I am reading my favorite book.'
Challenging
Identify the error in the following sentence and choose the best correction: 'The scientists, after many months of research, is finally presenting their evidence.'
A.Change 'is finally presenting' to 'are finally presenting'
B.Change 'is finally presenting' to 'was finally presenting'
C.Change 'presenting' to 'presented'
D.Change 'scientists' to 'scientist'
Challenging
An author writes, 'The detective was carefully examining the clue while the clock was ticking loudly on the wall.' What is the most likely reason the author chose the past progressive tense for both actions?
A.To show that the actions were completed very quickly.
B.To suggest that the actions might happen in the future.
C.To argue that one action was more important than the other.
D.To build suspense by showing two continuous, simultaneous actions happening in a critical moment.
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Form the progressive verb tenses is a Grade 6 English Language Arts lesson on ExcelOS.
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Form the progressive verb tenses
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