Lesson video

Hi, I'm Mr. Buckingham and I'm so glad you've joined me today for our lesson about progressive tenses.

Now these tenses give us another way to talk about things that have happened, are happening or will be happening, and that's a great addition to our writer's toolkit, so let's get to work.

Today's lesson is called: Writing sentences in the progressive present, past and future tense.

And it comes from our unit called: three tense forms and modal verbs.

By the end of today's lesson we'll be able to write a range of sentence types in the progressive present, past and future tense.

Now, once you finish this lesson, I'd like you to go and read a book and see if you can spot any of these progressive tenses.

I think you'll see lots of verbs in these progressive tenses.

Now that shows us these are really useful tenses for us when we are acting as writers ourselves, so let's make a start.

Here are keywords for this lesson.

My turn, your turn, verb, progressive tense, auxiliary verb, infinitive and suffix.

Well done.

Now a verb we know is a being, a doing or a having word.

A progressive tense is one that denotes, or shows ongoing action over a period of time.

We'll talk more about that as we go on.

An auxiliary verb is the helping verb that's always paired with the main verb when we use it.

And some tenses need an auxiliary verb.

The infinitive is any verb proceeded by the word to, for example, to play, to be and to have.

So it has the word to in front of it.

It's a form of the verb.

And a suffix is a group of letters, as I'm sure you know at the end of a word which creates another word.

For instance, ing or ED.

Let's look at our lesson outline.

We're going to start off by identifying the progressive tenses and then we'll move on to writing sentences in these progressive tenses.

Now we know that a verb in a sentence tells us the tense of the sentence when the action is happening.

Is it happening in the past, in the present or in the future? So let's look at this one.

When the individual joins the club, they quickly learn the rules.

The verbs joins and learn are in the present tense, this sentence is in the simple present tense.

That present tense has been formed with just one verb.

There is no auxiliary verb helping out, joins or learn.

Let's have a look at another one, because you interfered, we lost the game.

Interfered and lost are both in the past.

This is a simple past tense sentence and again, the simple past tense has been made there with just one verb, interfered and lost.

No auxiliary verb has been used there.

What about this one? I'm determined you will develop your handwriting skills this year, will develop is talking about something in the future and this is the simple future tense and I bet you spotted that verb will next to our main verb develop.

That's the auxiliary verb.

So like we just saw, sometimes we need an auxiliary verb to help out the main verb in a sentence.

Here's an example which doesn't have an auxiliary verb.

I explained what to do but he ignored me.

Explained is a main verb and ignored is a main verb, they don't have another verb paired with them.

This is just the simple past tense, there's no auxiliary verb there.

What about this one? We will enter the competition and we will win.

Here will is on auxiliary verb paired with the main verb enter.

And here, will, the auxiliary verb is paired with the main verb win.

So these are telling us this will happen in the future.

So we've made the simple future tense using the auxiliary verb, win paired with a main verb.

So which simple tense is each sentence here written in, the simple past, simple present or simple future? Pause the video and decide.

Great effort, let's take a look.

A, has the verb stretch and flows, those are in the present tense.

So this is the simple present tense.

We sacrificed a lot, but we won the battle.

Sacrificed in the past, so this is the simple past tense.

It will hurt my stomach, but I will eat it anyway, we're talking about things that are going to happen.

So this is the simple future tense.

And look, we've got that auxiliary verb will paired with hurt and paired with eat in the simple future tense.

Great job.

Now when we talk about verbs, we say that they are being, doing and having words.

Being words are all based on the infinitive, the verb to be.

And we can take that infinitive to be and we can make different forms of the infinitive to show the past, the present and the future.

Let me show you.

We can say I was, I am and I will be.

We can say we were, we are and we will be and we can say she was, she is and she will be.

We've taken those being verbs, and we've shown lots of different forms of the being verbs in the past, present and future.

Now we can use these being verbs as auxiliary verbs to make another type of tense, the progressive tenses we're focusing on today.

And I'm gonna show you how that works now.

Now, we've just seen lots of forms of the verb to be, the progressive tenses are a type of tense that use these different forms of the infinitive to be.

Here's one example, the temperature is rising.

Now we form each progressive tense using an auxiliary verb from the verb to be like the ones we just saw with the form of the main verb with an ing suffix, so it'll have an ing ending.

So in this sentence we can see the word is, that's our auxiliary verb based on the infinitive to be, it's a being verb.

And then we have rising, which is our main verb with an ing suffix.

It's the ing form of our main verb.

So is rising is a progressive tense.

We could also have this one, Sam was interfering.

Look, here we've got a past tense word, worse, but that's an auxiliary verb based on the infinitive to be.

And then we've got our ing form of our main verb.

The temperature is rising, Sam was interfering.

They both have an auxiliary verb based on to be, and an ing form of the main verb.

So in this progressive tense sentence, which word is the auxiliary verb and which word is the main verb? I am waiting for silence.

Pause the video and decide which verb is which.

Well done, hopefully you spotted that am is the auxiliary verb based on that verb to be, and waiting is the main verb.

Let's look at it in more detail.

We've got our sentence, I am waiting for silence.

We've got our auxiliary verb there based on to be, and we've got our ing suffix form of that main verb.

Really well done if you spotted this.

Now there are just like there were three simple tenses, three progressive tenses, the progressive past, the progressive present and the progressive future.

The auxiliary verb changes in each of those progressive tenses.

And we saw the different auxiliary verbs we could use based on to be already, but the main verb always stays in that ing form with the ing suffix.

Let me show you what I mean, we could say, I was persuading him, I am persuading him, I will be persuading him.

Notice how each time we've got an auxiliary verb based on the infinitive to be.

We've got, I was persuading him, I am persuading him and I will be persuading him, those are the auxiliary verbs.

But they're helping out the main verb in it's ing form.

Persuading is always in its ing form there, it hasn't changed in those three different progressive tenses.

So we can look at those auxiliary verbs, and decide are they in the past, the present or the future.

So I was persuading him, it's the progressive past.

I am persuading him, it's the progressive present and I will be persuading him is the progressive future and we tell that by looking at those auxiliary verbs, not at the main verb because that won't change, it keeps that ing suffix.

So like we just said, we can tell which progressive tense sentence is using by looking at the auxiliary verb and not the main verb.

Let's look at this sentence.

Lucas and Alex were watching when Mrs. Begum was explaining.

Watching and explaining are our main verbs with ing suffixes.

So we need to look at the auxiliary verbs that come before them.

We've got were and was, those are both past tense being verbs.

So this must be the progressive past tense.

If you look at this one, we are waiting while you are talking.

We've got waiting and talking, our main verbs with an ing suffix.

So we need to look in front of them at the auxiliary verbs, are and are.

Those are both in the present tense, so this is the progressive present tense.

Then if we look at this one, we've got my dad will be signing the form for me tonight.

Signing is our main verb in is ing form.

We're looking in front of it for those auxiliary verbs will be, that tells us the future is happening.

So this is the progressive future tense.

Now can you decide whether each sentence is written in the progressive past, the progressive present or the progressive future tense? Pause the video and see if you can decide.

Great effort, hopefully you looked carefully for those auxiliary verbs.

Here we've got is in front of our main verb causing, this is the progressive present.

He is causing it now.

Jun's mum was accompanying us to the paintball range, that means she went with us.

So there was a reverb words.

Well, she was doing that in the past, so this is the progressive past tense.

Izzy will be sailing on a yacht, will be tells us the future, so this is the progressive future tense.

Now the auxiliary verb can also show us a negative, which means when something is not being done.

Let me show you.

Lucas and Alex were watching is the progressive past tense.

So the negative version would be Lucas and Alex were not watching.

These are both the progressive past tense.

We could say we are waiting for you to stop talking, that's the progressive present tense, we're waiting now.

But we could say the negative, we aren't waiting for you to stop talking.

It's still in the progressive present tense.

We could say my dad will be signing the form tonight, that is in the progressive future tense.

But we could say my dad won't be signing the form for me tonight, it's still in the progressive future tense, but we've made it a negative.

We're saying it will not be happening now.

Can you decide whether each of these negative sentences is written in the progressive past, the progressive present or the progressive future tense? Pause the video and see if you can work it out.

Great effort, these are tricky.

Let's have a look together.

I wasn't occupying much space, there's my auxiliary verb wasn't, that is the progressive past tense.

Won't be is the progressive future tense.

And if we look at I'm, I'm is the contracted form of I am.

So that says am not recommending it, that would be the progressive present tense.

Really well done if you managed to spotlight those.

Let's do our first task for this lesson.

I'm going to show you some sentences, and I'd like you to circle the verbs which are in the progressive tense and then look at those auxiliary verbs to decide if the sentence is in the progressive past, progressive present or progressive future.

And when you circle the verbs, make sure you include the auxiliary verbs in what you're circling.

Here are the sentences, pause the video and really carefully look at those auxiliary verbs in front of those ing main verbs to try and work out which progressive tenses we have, good luck.

Okay, let's try and work out which progressive tenses we've got in each of these sentences.

In A, we've got was hoping and was travelling.

Those are both in the progressive past.

In B, we've got are hoping and he's saying, he's is the contracted form of he is, so those are both the progressive present.

In C, see we've got will be communicating, that's the progressive future tense.

I won't be interrupting you, well that's a tricky one.

It's a negative but it's still talking about something from the future, so that's the progressive future as well.

While we're queuing here, the restaurant is serving, well that we're is the contracted form of we are, that's are queuing and is serving.

Those are both in the progressive present tense.

And then finally, Andeep, who was working hard, wasn't distracting anyone.

We've got a positive and a negative there, but they're both in the progressive past.

Now, that was tricky.

So if you managed to get those, you've done a fantastic job.

Let's keep us up.

Now, we're going to move on now to looking at how we can write sentences in these progressive tenses.

Now the progressive tenses can help us to show action that's ongoing over a period of time.

For instance, this is not a progressive tense.

I spoke another language, that's a simple past tense.

It suggests that at one point in time I was speaking that language but perhaps I no longer do.

Instead in the progressive tense we would say, I was speaking another language, that's the progressive past tense and that suggests that over a period of time I was speaking that language.

So there's a slight difference in the meaning there between our simple past tense, and our progressive past tense.

Now, we might also use progressive tenses for another purpose.

We might use them along with simple tenses to show that something was interrupted.

Here's an example, while we were queuing, Jun arrived and he waved at us.

Now were queuing is a progressive past tense, but Jun arrived and waved are both simple past tense.

So we've shown that during that ongoing period of time when we were queuing, Jun arrived and did two things which interrupted that ongoing period of queuing.

Now we can change the progressive tense we're using by changing the auxiliary verb.

Remember the main verb will stay in its ing form.

So here's an example in the progressive present, we are speaking a different language.

We can change the auxiliary verb to make we were speaking a different language.

We've changed to the progressive past tense.

Here we've said we weren't decoding the symbols, we could change the progressive future, we won't be decoding the symbols.

Remember that main verb does not change, each time it's kept that ing suffix, we've just changed the auxiliary verb to a different tense.

So can you change each of these progressive present tenses to the progressive past? Pause the video and see if you can do it.

Okay, let's have a go.

In A we've got the progressive present, she is constantly interfering, we would say she was constantly interfering.

For B, the soldiers are invading would become the soldiers were invading rapidly from the coast.

And for C, instead of Sam isn't appreciating, we would say Sam wasn't appreciating our presence.

It's still a negative, but now is the progressive past as well, great work.

Now we often try and maintain, or keep the same progressive tense in a sentence, so that it makes sense.

Here's a bad example where that hasn't been done.

While Izzy was swaying to the rhythm, Jun is dancing wildly.

Hmm, well was swaying is the progressive past, is dancing is the progressive present.

And in this sentence that doesn't sound right.

We should have Jun was dancing wildly, they're both in the progressive past now.

At other times though we use two different progressive tense verbs in the same sentence to make it make sense.

For instance, we will be practising times tables while they are learning French.

Can you see how will be practising is the progressive future and then are learning is the progressive present? But that sentence makes sense, even though it has two different progressive tenses in it.

In the same way we've got this one, the sun, which is rising slowly, will be warming us up soon.

Is rising is progressive present, will be warming is progressive future, but that sentence makes sense.

So sometimes we have to keep the progressive tense the same.

Sometimes we have to use different progressive tenses in the same sentence to make sure it makes sense.

So I'd like you to choose an appropriate present tense verb to correct the second verb in each sentence.

So you can see I've put those in green, they're the ones that need correcting.

So pause the video and use the first part of the sentence to help you to correct that second progressive tense verb.

Have a go.

Okay, let's take a look.

In A, while we were cooking, the oven was warming up, they're both progressive past.

For B, we would say we will be singing a hymn as Year six are entering the church.

So here we've got will be singing, progressive future and are entering, progressive present.

For C, we would say the temperature, which is rising rapidly, will be reaching dangerous levels soon.

So we've got which is rising, progressive present and will be reaching, progressive future.

So again, we can see sometimes they must stay the same and sometimes we can have two different progressive tenses in the same sentence, fantastic job.

Now sometimes we might want to change a sentence from the simple tenses to the progressive tenses, perhaps because we want to emphasise that the action was going on over a period of time.

Let's see how it's done.

Here's a simple past tense sentence because my shoulder ached, I sat out of PE.

I know it's simple path because those verbs are just on their own, there's no auxiliary verbs there at all.

To make it the progressive past tense, I would do this.

I would say because my shoulder was aching, I was sitting out of PE.

Look how those verbs ached and sat have changed to aching, and sitting with the ing suffix and we've added in those auxiliary verbs was and was to make the progressive past tense.

What about this one in the simple present? The secretary listens while the head teacher talks.

I know it's simple present 'cause there's just one verb, no auxiliary verb.

In the progressive present it would be, the secretary is listening while the head teacher is talking.

We've got those auxiliary verbs is, and our ing form of the main verbs.

It's gone from listens to listening, talks to talking.

One final example now, my baby brother will cause a nuisance while we watch the movie.

Now here's a tricky one because we've got will cause, simple future and watch, simple present.

So let's make them both the progressive version.

It would be, my baby brother will be causing, progressive future a nuisance while we are watching, progressive present the movie.

So we can see how we've come from cause to causing, watch to watching and from will cause to will be causing, and from watch to are watching.

So again, we've had to put in those auxiliary verbs.

Now let's see if you can change each of these simple tense sentences to the relevant progressive tense for the same progressive tense.

Pause the video and see if you can have a go.

Let's have a look, my muscles will hurt tonight is simple future.

So progressive future would be my muscles will be hurting tonight.

As the neighbours argued, mom rolled her eyes, that's simple past.

So if I change both argued and rolled to the progressive past, it would be, as the neighbours were arguing, mom was rolling her eyes.

While the committee meets, simple present, we will wait quietly.

Hmm, will wait is simple future.

So we should have a mixture here, while the committee is meeting, we will be waiting quietly.

So we've got the progressive present and the progressive future there, really good job if you managed to do this.

Now you may have heard of a non-finite ing clause, that's a subordinate clause, which might sound like walking up the stairs.

It starts with a progressive tense verb there, walking without an auxiliary verb.

Now they can be used to create non-finite complex sentences when they're joined to a main clause.

And the main clause in a non-finite complex sentence can contain progressive tense verbs as well.

Now that's all quite confusing, so let's look at some examples.

We've got this non-finite complex sentence, walking into the classroom, I was expecting to see Mrs. Begum.

Here we've got the non-finite ing clause, walking into the classroom and it starts with a progressive tense verb, but there's no auxiliary verb there.

We've just got the word walking with its ing suffix, that's what makes it a non-finite ing clause.

Then we've got the main clause here, I was expecting to see Mrs. Begum, this is a main clause which has progressive past tense verbs was expecting.

So we've got our verb walking at the start of the non-finite ing clause and we've got was expecting inside the main clause.

Here's another example, fearing the worst, the soldier was marching grimly onwards.

Here we've got that non-finite ing clause, starting with our ing word fearing, that's a progressive tense verb.

And then in our main clause we've got the soldier was marching grimly onwards.

Again, a main clause with progressive past tense verbs there.

I wonder if you can match up the non-finite clauses on the left to the possible endings that use progressive tense verbs on the right.

Pause the video and see which ones match up best.

Okay, let's take a look.

For A, we would say gazing up at the night sky, we were hoping to see a comment.

So we've got, were hoping there, progressive past tense.

For B, marking our work, Mr. McIntyre was shaking his head sadly, again, it's the progressive past tense.

And walking into parliament, the MPs were chatting amongst themselves, again the progressive past tense.

Great job if you manage to match those up.

Now when we complete a sentence in a progressive tense, we must make sure we maintain the right tense.

Now not necessarily the same tense, but the right tense to make sure the sentence makes sense.

So here's the beginning of a sentence, we will be watching, that is in the progressive future tense.

But let's see which endings might work.

Can we say we will be watching while you will be performing? No, can we say we will be watching while you were performing? No, we can't.

We have to say we will be watching while you are performing.

So we will be watching is the progressive future, but the ending that works is in the progressive present, while you are performing.

Let's try another one, because you are being silly, hmm.

You're is the contracted form of you are.

This is our being, that's the progressive present.

Let's see what endings work.

Can we say, because you're being silly, we were going to play late? No, can we say, because you're being silly, we are going to play late? Yes we can, but we can also say because you're being silly, we will be going to play late.

Both of those would work.

You can choose which one you think works best for you.

Now let's suppose we're given the start of a sentence using a progressive tense and we want to complete the sentence and we're given a verb to use.

Let's see how we could do that.

We've got the start of a sentence here.

When the neighbours were arguing, progressive past, we and I put the verb listen in brackets to everything.

So we're gonna take that verb listen and change it into a progressive tense verb.

So maybe we could say, when the neighbours were arguing, we were listening to everything.

I've got both my verbs there in the progressive past tense.

What about this one? Because my shoulder is hurting, progressive present, I play football today, hmm.

Let's change that verb play to a progressive tense.

I could say I won't be playing football today, so there I've got is hurting, progressive present and won't be playing, progressive future in the same sentence.

But it makes sense there to have those two different progressive tenses.

Let's see if you can do the same.

Use the given verb, the one in brackets to complete the sentence, choosing an appropriate progressive tense.

We've got the team, which was playing well, hope to win.

And we will be helping your children when they do their reading.

So you're going to change hope and do to a progressive tense form that works for these sentences.

Pause the video and have a go.

Okay, let's take a look.

For the first one, we could say the team which was playing well was hoping to win, those two are both in the progressive past tense.

We could say here we will be helping your children when they are doing their reading.

So we've got will be helping, progressive future and are doing, progressive present.

Great job if you've got something similar.

Okay, let's do our final task for this lesson.

We're going to use the exact same structure we just did.

I'm going to give you a verb in brackets, and I want you to use that given verb to complete the sentence, choosing an appropriate progressive tense to do that.

So here are your sentences.

You've got the progressive tense verbs in green, and then you've got your second verb in brackets which are going to change into an appropriate progressive tense.

Pause the video and have a go.

Okay, let's take a look.

We're going to first of all check our sentences to see if they work.

First of all, does your new verb, the one which you took from the verb in brackets, have an ing suffix, for instance, interrupting, being and distracting.

Check that all of your new verbs have an ing suffix.

Then I'd like you to check, have you used an auxiliary verb based on the infinitive to be with each of those ing verbs you've just created, for instance, was, or were or am.

And finally, have you read your sentence out loud to check that it makes sense because when we're doing these tenses, it's so important to just read them and check does that sound right? Because we've often found in this lesson we can see that it doesn't sound right and correct it.

So pause the video now and check your sentences once more.

Okay, let's share our sentences we've written, I would say for A, while you were eating at home, I was eating at a restaurant, the progressive past.

For B, Sophia will be staying in at playtime because she was interrupting Mrs. Begum.

For C, Andeep was distracting me and I was distracting him.

For D, I was working hard while you were being a nuisance.

For E, Sam is begging me to come to her house, but dad is waiting for me at home.

And finally when you arguing at the shops, I will be shopping online at home.

So notice how sometimes we've kept the same progressive tense like in A, were eating and was eating and sometimes it's changed.

For F, when you are queuing, I will be shopping.

Really good job if you manage to get those.

Okay, let's summarise our learning this lesson.

We've learned that a progressive tense is a type of tense that shows action going on over a period of time.

And we've learned that there are three progressive tenses, the progressive past, progressive present, and progressive future.

We've learned that the progressive tense is formed using an auxiliary verb based on the verb to be, and a main verb with an ing suffix.

And we've seen that we can change between different progressive tenses, and between the simple tenses and the progressive tenses.

Wow, what a lot of work we've done this lesson, and a huge amount of learning as well.

Really good job for getting this far, and I really hope to see you again in a future lesson, goodbye.