Lesson video

Hello everyone.

My name is Mrs. Riley, and I'm here today to do some grammar learning with you.

In today's lesson, we're going to be looking at different tenses.

So let's get started.

The outcome of today's lesson is to write a sentence in the simple present, past or future tense and the progressive present, past or future tense.

Here are our key words for today's lesson.

So these words are going to be really important.

Some of them might seem a little bit challenging, but don't worry, because we are going to talk about them so much in our lesson that by the end of the lesson you'll feel really comfortable with what they all mean.

I'm going to say each one and I'd like you to repeat it back to me.

Are you ready? Have you got those loud voices ready? I want to hear them nice and loud and clear.

Here we go.

Auxiliary verb.

Simple tense.

Progressive tense.

Ongoing.

Infinitive.

That one's a bit tricky, let's say it again.

Infinitive.

Well done, thank you for joining in.

Let's see what these words mean.

An auxiliary verb is the helping verb that is always paired with the main verb.

Okay, so an auxiliary verb, we have our main verb and a helping verb.

That's the auxiliary verb.

The simple tense is a tense that does not make use of an auxiliary verb in addition to the main verb in the present and the past, okay? So it's a tense that doesn't need a helping verb in the present and the past.

The progressive tense is a tense that denotes ongoing action.

Ongoing means continuous or still happening.

Sometimes I use this action for ongoing or progressive, because it's still happening.

An infinitive is any verb proceeded by the word to.

So anything, any verb, think of a verb, let's think of some doing verbs.

Drink for example here, I've got my tea here.

So to drink would be the infinitive or if the verb is look, 'cause you are looking and I'm looking.

So the infinitive would be to look.

So it sounds trickier than it is actually.

It's just any verb we can think of.

It's when we say to look, to drink, to jump, to sleep.

Okay, so in our lesson today, we have two learning cycles.

We're first going to look at the simple tense and then we're going to look at the progressive tense, okay? Let's get started.

So a verb is a doing, being or having word.

Let's have a look at some sentences and try and think about which is the verb in each one.

Where is my coat? Pass this to your mum.

They ran through the park together.

What a rainy day it is.

So the verbs in these sentences are is, that's a being verb.

Where is my coat? Pass this to your mum.

Pass as a doing word, it's an action.

They ran through the park together.

Ran is the doing verb, it's an action.

And what a rainy day it is.

That is going to be a being verb.

Where is my coat? What a rainy day it is.

A verb carries the tense of a sentence.

Now, that doesn't mean it carries it literally like carrying it on its back.

What we mean by that is, it is the verb that tells us the tense, okay? It tells us when something happens.

So if we were to find a sentence in a book you were reading and we wanted to know what tense it was written in, so when it happened, we wouldn't be looking for the noun or we wouldn't be looking for the adjective, we'd be looking for the verb to tell us when it is happening.

So let's check what we've just learned.

Could you find the verb in each sentence? Let me read them to you.

A, he dropped his plate on the floor.

B, the swimming pool has a brilliant water slide.

C, her dress was ruined.

Pause the video while you try to find the verb in each sentence.

Well done, let's go through the answers.

So in the first sentence, dropped is the verb.

It's a doing verb, it's the action, the thing that he did, he dropped.

The swimming pool has a brilliant water slide.

The swimming pool is a noun.

It's a naming word for a thing.

Brilliant is an adjective and water slide is another noun.

So has is the verb in that sentence.

And finally, her dress was ruined, that's a doing verb.

Well done if you managed to spot those.

So verbs can be linked to different people or groups, and we call this the person the verb is written in or spoken in.

Let's take a look at some examples.

I walk home.

We walk home.

What's the verb in those two sentences? Could you point at it? Well done, it's walk.

So the person is who that verb is linked to and the person in these sentences is I and we.

And that's called the first person, because it's talking from your own perspective.

I am learning.

We are learning.

We're talking, I'm talking from my own perspective.

You walk home.

You is written in the second person.

It's when you're talking to a person or a group of people.

You are learning, I'm talking to you.

It's in the second person.

And finally, she walks home, he walks home or they walk home.

This is the third person.

This is when you are talking about a person, a thing or a group of people.

So we have first, second and third person and they are who the verbs are linked to.

Now, you might notice in all of those examples we had, I walk, we walk, you walk, that when we have she walks and he walks, we add an S on it and then it goes back to they walk.

So we've got to be a little bit careful of those third person singular when there's just one person we're talking about, but it's the third person, so we're talking about a person.

In English, we write and speak in different tenses.

We have the present, which means the action is happening now.

We are learning.

We have the past, which means the action has already happened.

And we have the future, which means the action will happen in the future.

So these are called tenses.

We've got present, now, past, already happened, future, going to happen, will happen.

So for example, yesterday is in the past, today is in the present and tomorrow is in the future.

The verb tells us the tense of a sentence, when it is happening.

So in each of these sentences, it's the verb that we're going to look for to tell us the tense.

I run every day.

I ran on Tuesday.

I will run tomorrow.

Now perhaps you might be saying to me, "But Mrs. Riley, we can also tell by saying things like yesterday or on Tuesday or tomorrow." And that also gives us a clue on when things are happening, but quite often we don't have those in a sentence.

So that's when we have to look at the verb.

So I run every day.

The action is happening, it's in the present tense.

I ran on Tuesday.

The action has happened, it's in the past.

I will run tomorrow, it's in the future.

It is yet to happen.

There are several different types of past, present and future tense in English.

So we know that there's past, present and future, and then there's different types of past, present and future.

So let's check what we've just learned.

Could you match the words to the correct definition? The options are tense and person and the definitions are, tells us who is doing the verb and the other option is, tells us when a verb is happening.

Pause the video and perhaps draw a line in the air to match those up.

Well done.

So the tense tells us when a verb is happening and the person tells us who is doing the verb.

One type of present tense is the simple present tense.

So let's just remember present tense, yeah, that means it's happening now.

So a type of the tense where it's happening now is the simple present tense.

Can you say that to me? The simple.

Well done.

I love sports.

She needs help with her spelling.

They want some cake.

Jun stretches every morning.

In these sentences, here are the verbs.

Love, needs, want, stretches.

These sentences show that something is happening now using just one verb, there's no auxiliary verb, no helping verb, just one verb.

And those verbs tell us the action is happening now.

Notice that the he, she and it form of the verbs are different.

Can you remember we say, I love, you love, he loves, we love, they love but she loves.

So when we're talking about someone, when it's one person in singular, he, she or it, we've got to be careful of those, 'cause sometimes those verbs change.

We often add an S on the end.

I think, we think, you think, they think.

But what will it be if it's he, she or it? What will it be? I think, we think, you think, they think.

He.

Well done.

He thinks, she thinks or it thinks.

So one type of the past tense is the simple past tense.

So we just learned simple present, now we're looking at simple past.

I loved that lesson.

Aisha wanted her coat.

They needed the bathroom.

It howled at the door.

So for each of those sentences, could you just take a little bit of thinking time and try to look for the verb in each sentence and then see if you can notice something about the verb? Have some thinking time.

Okay, here are the verbs in each sentence.

Loved, wanted, needed and howled.

Now, maybe you might have noticed that all of these verbs end in ED.

These sentences show that something has happened already using just one verb, like the simple present tense, we use just one and in a simple past just one.

These actions have now finished.

I loved that lesson.

That implies you loved it, but now it's finished.

Aisha wanted her coat.

She doesn't want it anymore, she wanted her coat.

The action has finished.

Here the he, she and it forms of the verb are the same.

So last time we said, I think, you think, he thinks, whereas here in the past tense, they're all the same.

I thought, we thought, you thought, they thought, he, she or it thought, so they're the same.

So it's in the present tense and it's happening now that we have to watch out for those he, she and it.

So we can see that these verbs are written in the simple past tense and we spoke earlier about the fact that these ones end in ED.

They don't always end in ED, but often they end in ED.

One type of future tense is the simple future tense.

Remember that means future, it hasn't happened yet.

It will happen.

I will take the bus.

Sam will go out first.

They will sing the solos.

It will come with us.

Will take, will go, will sing, will come.

These sentences show that it is yet to happen.

It will happen in the future, it hasn't happened yet.

Here the he, she and it forms of a verb are the same again.

I will bring, we will bring, you will bring, they will bring, he she or it will bring.

So again, past and future, nothing changes, but we just have to watch for the present he, she or it tense.

So this is the simple future tense.

I will take the bus and you may have noticed that whereas last time in the past and in the present, we just used one verb.

Here, we've got how many verbs in each sentence? Shout it out to me.

That's right, we've got two.

Will take, will go, will sing, will come.

So this time we have got one of those helping verbs.

Can you remember what it's called? An aux? Well done, auxiliary verb.

So in the simple future tense, two verbs are used.

The auxiliary verb, will and the main verb.

An auxiliary verb is a helping verb that is paired with the main verb.

I will take the bus.

Will is the auxiliary verb, take is the main verb.

Right, it's time for my turn and then your turn.

So I'm going to have a look at this activity and show you how to do it and you're going to do the activity next.

So in this activity, we need to identify, that means look for, if the sentence is in the simple past, simple present or simple future tense, okay? So let's look at the first one.

Now, I know you probably are going to know the answers, but try your hardest to hold it in, because this is my turn and then you're going to have a turn in a second.

Number one, when we walked into the room, they gasped in shock.

Hmm, now I know to find out the tense, I need to look at the verb.

So when he walked, that's a verb, into the room, they gasped, that's a verb as well.

So the thing he did is he walked and the thing they did is they gasped.

Walked and gasped.

Hmm, ED.

Now, I think I can remember us saying that when a verb ends in ED, often means it's in the past tense.

So I think that's in the simple past tense.

Beg my pardon.

Right, number two, my hair is wet.

My hair, hair is a noun.

It's a naming word for a thing.

Wet is an adjective to describe it.

So the verb must be is.

Hmm, it's not my hair was wet, that would be the past.

And it's not, my hair will be wet, that would be the future.

So this must be the simple present.

And finally, I will play the piano in the concert.

Hmm, I will play.

Now that's a thing I'm going to do.

I will play.

Ooh, there's two verbs here.

There's an auxiliary verb, will and a main verb, play.

And I think that means it's going to be in the simple future, it hasn't happened yet.

Okay, so now it's your turn to do the same activity.

Here are your sentences.

Let me read them to you.

We will have a treat next week.

She tried her hardest, but it was hopeless.

As the sun shines, the grass gradually dries.

Can you pause the video while you identify which tense each sentence is written in? Well done, let's go through the answers.

In the first example, will have are the verbs, an auxiliary and a main and this is in the simple future.

It hasn't happened yet.

She tried her hardest, but it was hopeless.

Two verbs there.

They're both in the simple past tense.

And as the sun shines, the grass gradually dries.

That sounds like it's happening now.

It's in the simple present.

Well done.

It's time for your first task of today's lesson.

I would like you to read this present tense sentence carefully.

So read the present tense.

So it's already written in the present tense, which means it's happening now.

I would like you to then rewrite it in the simple past and then rewrite it in the simple future.

Here's the sentence.

We eat our lunch and then we play outside.

So first of all, you're going to rewrite that sentence in the simple past and then you're going to rewrite it in the simple future.

Remember, to help you, I would start off by looking for the verb or verbs in that sentence and there might be a little clue there, 'cause they might be in a different colour.

So look for the verbs and then think about how can you turn them into the past, which means it's happened and how can you turn them into the future, which means it's yet to happen, it's going to happen.

Good luck with this activity.

Pause the video now.

Well done, let's go through the answers.

So the verbs are eat and play.

If we were to rewrite this in the simple past, we would say, "We ate our lunch and then we played outside." In the simple future it will be, we will eat our lunch and then we will play outside.

And remember, in the future tense, we have that auxiliary, that helping verb.

Well done for giving that a go.

It's time to move on to our second learning cycle, the progressive tense.

We've looked at the simple tense and now we're looking at the progressive tense.

So we've already learned that the verb, doing, being or having word, in a sentence tells us the tense, which is when the action is happening, When Jun blew the candles out, we all cheered.

That's in the simple past.

He blew, we cheered.

I have a pet rabbit.

Ooh, there's a having verb.

I have a pet rabbit, that sounds like it's happening now.

Simple present.

We will go to the cinema this weekend.

Simple future.

We have also learned that sometimes we need an auxiliary verb to help the main verb in a sentence.

I cycled to Jack's house, but my mum drove there.

Cycled and drove are the two main verbs.

They haven't got any other verbs helping them.

That's in a simple past tense.

I will cycle to Jack's house, but my mum will drive there.

So in the simple future tense, we use that auxiliary verb, will.

I will cycle, my mum will drive.

To be is an infinitive verb.

Can you remember we spoke earlier, to drink, to look.

They're all infinitive verbs.

Different forms of to be can show the past, present and future, and we call them being verbs.

So in the past we would say, I was tired, in the present, I am tired, future, I will be tired.

We were happy, we are happy, we will be happy.

She was late, she is late, she will be late.

These being verbs can be used as auxiliary verbs to form different tenses.

So we can use these as the main verb in a sentence, for example, I am late.

In that sentence, am is the main verb, but we can also use them as an auxiliary verb, a helping verb.

So let's find out how.

Fill in the gaps in each sentence using an auxiliary verb from the infinitive to be.

Your options are, are, was and will be.

They're all versions of the verb to be, the infinitive to be.

The sentences are, last night, the moon shining so brightly.

We hoping to see you later at the party.

They bringing the decorations over tomorrow.

Now, there's a few key words there that are going to help you to decide if this is past, present, or future.

Pause the video while you fill the gaps with one of these auxiliary verbs.

Okay, well done.

Last night, now that tells me it's already happened.

So this is going to be, last night, the moon was shining.

Shining is the main verb.

It's what the moon was doing, was is the auxiliary verb.

We are hoping to see you later at the party.

Hoping is the main verb, are is the auxiliary verb.

They will be bringing the decorations over tomorrow.

Bringing is the main verb and will be is the auxiliary verb, which is telling me the future.

So shining, hoping and bringing all end in ING, and actually they don't tell me the tense.

The auxiliary verb was, are and will be is the verb that is telling me the tense.

So actually, we think it's the helping verb, like it's not the main one, but actually it has a really important role.

The progressive tense is a type of tense that shows ongoing action over a period of time.

The adults were talking.

We form each progressive tense using an auxiliary verb from the verb to be along with the ING or the ing form of the main verb.

Were is the auxiliary verb from to be.

Talking is the main verb which ends in ING.

This is the progressive tense.

It shows us something's ongoing.

If it was just in the simple past, we would just say the adults talked.

It's finished, they talked, it's finished.

But the adults were talking, it's showing this is ongoing over a period of time.

Let's check what we've just learned.

Which of the following is written in the progressive tense? A, we are baking some Challah for Shabbat.

B, we baked some Challah for Shabbat.

C, we will bake some Challah for Shabbat.

Remember, we're looking for which sentence is written in the progressive tense.

Pause the video now.

Well done, the correct answer is A.

The key thing to look for there was the verbs, we are baking.

Are is from the infinitive to be.

It's the auxiliary verb.

Baking is the main verb ending in ING.

So the main verb in a progressive tense sentence always ends in ING.

The adults were talking.

We will be listening.

Ing is a suffix.

It's a group of letters added to the end of the word to change its meaning.

So the auxiliary verb is what changes to show whether the action in the progressive tense is happening in the past, present or future.

They will be listening to what we are saying.

Auxiliary verb is will be.

Listening is the ING form of the main verb, but we know, don't we, that that's always gonna stay the same.

It's always going to end in ING.

So it's will be, it's the auxiliary verb that's telling me this is in the future progressive or the progressive future.

Auxiliary, again, we are saying.

We will be listening to what we are saying.

Are is the auxiliary verb, saying is the main verb.

Again, saying is the main verb.

They always are going to end in ING for the progressive tense, so it's the auxiliary verb from the verb based on to be which is the really important one to tell us if it's past, present or future.

This one is present, because it's are.

It's not were, it's are.

So the auxiliary verb is what changes to show the tense.

I was making a card for Aisha.

Sophia and Lucas are decorating the cake.

We will be celebrating Aisha tomorrow.

Was making, are decorating, will be celebrating.

Those main verbs, making, decorating and celebrating all end in ING.

The auxiliary verbs are was, are and will be and they are what tells me whether this progressive tense is in the past, present or future.

Was making, that tells me it's in the progressive past.

Are decorating, that's the progressive present.

Will be celebrating, that's the progressive future.

Let's check what we've just learned.

Identify the auxiliary verbs and decide if each sentence is written in the progressive past, present or future tense.

A, she was working hard on her painting.

B, they will be putting on a show.

C, I am sitting up straight.

Pause the video now.

Well done.

A, she was working hard on her painting, shows me this is in the progressive past.

They will be putting on a show, progressive future.

I am sitting up straight, progressive present.

So for your next task today, I would like you to add the auxiliary verb to each sentence to make it the correct progressive tense.

You can see in each sentence, after the sentence, I specify which progressive tense I want you to use.

So for example, they meeting tomorrow.

Now, that needs to be in the progressive present tense.

So the your options might be they were meeting tomorrow, they are meeting tomorrow or they will be meeting tomorrow.

Are, were and will be are all from the infinitive to be.

You need to decide which one is going to go in each gap.

And remember, look carefully at each sentence, 'cause some of them, you need to write them in the progressive present, some in the progressive past, some in the progressive future.

So pause the video while you complete this task now.

Well done, let's go through the answers.

They, now this is present tense, so they are meeting tomorrow.

Progressive past, I was tossing and turning all night.

It's already happened.

Progressive future, she will be travelling most of the summer.

Progressive present, the tiger is feeding her cub.

Alex and I, this is in the progressive future, so it will be, Alex and I will be helping reception later.

Well done for completing that task.

So let's summarise what we've learned today.

We have learned that the verb, which is the doing, being or having word, carries the tense of a sentence, tells us when it happened, when it will happen or if it is happening now.

The simple tense does not make use of an auxiliary verb in addition to the main verb in the present and the past.

It only uses will in the future.

The progressive tense is a tense that uses an auxiliary verb from the infinitive to be with the main verb that ends in ING like, we are learning.

Are is the infinitive, is from the infinitive to be, the auxiliary verb, learning is the main verb.

Learning, it ends in ING.

The progressive tense shows ongoing action, action that hasn't always finished.

It is ongoing.

So well done for all your hard work today.

You should feel so proud of yourselves, because we have learned a lot.

We've not only learnt just simple and progressive, we've learned simple past, present and future, progressive past, present and future.

So actually we've learnt six tenses today and I wonder this week if you could look out when you're reading and see if you can spot any sentences written in the simple or progressive tense.

So well done for working so hard and hopefully I'll see you for some more learning another time.

Bye.