Progressive Tenses

Participle Review We learned Friday that participles will (usually) require helping verbs. We also learned that the present participle always ends in an –ing. What is the present participle for scout? Parse? Testify?

Progressive Forms The present progressive form of a verb names an action or condition that is continuing in the present. My father is fishing on Lake Jordan right now. Cecilia and Drew are studying for their calculus final. Is fishing and are studying are the present progressive tenses.

Present Progressive (cont.) The present progressive form of a verb consists of the present participle of the main verb and a form of be, such as am, are, or is. Present Progressive Form Singular Plural I am swimming. We are swimming. You are swimming. He, she, or it is swimming. They are swimming.

Past Progressive The past progressive form names an action that was continuing at some point in the past. We were watching a movie about World War II. Julius was taking notes during the whole lecture. Were watching and was taking are the past progressive tenses of the verbs in each sentence.

Past Progressive (cont.) The past progressive form of a verb consists of the present participle and the helping verb was or were. Past Progressive Form Singular Plural I was swimming. We were swimming. You were swimming. He, she, or it was swimming. They were swimming.

Practice Fill in the spaces with the correct form of the verb in PRESENT PROGRESSIVE TENSE. I (play) ____ ____ the piano now. You (play) ___ ___ the guitar now. We (play) ___ ___ the violins now. They (play) ___ ___ harps now. He (play) ___ ___ the trumpet now. She (play) ___ ___ the flute now. It (play) ___ ___ the drums now.

More Practice Fill in the spaces with the correct form of the verb in PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE. I (bike) ___ ___ to school last semester. He (make) ___ ___ a model airplane. We (care) ___ ___ for the sick children in March. You (take) ___ ___ too much time. It (become) ___ ___ colder that evening. She (look) ___ ___ at the sign. They (shine) ___ ___ the car for the parade.