Progressive and perfect tense
I can write a sentence in the progressive present tense or the perfect present tense.
Progressive and perfect tense
I can write a sentence in the progressive present tense or the perfect present tense.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Both the progressive tense and perfect tense can denote present, past or future action.
- The verb carries the tense of a sentence.
- The progressive tense is a tense that makes use of an auxiliary verb from the infinitive 'to be' with the main verb.
- The perfect tense is a tense that makes use of an auxiliary verb from the infinitive 'to have' with the main verb.
- The perfect tense often refers to action that has finished whilst the progressive tense denotes ongoing action.
Keywords
Progressive tense - a tense that denotes ongoing action
Perfect tense - made using an auxiliary verb based on the infinitive ‘to have’ and a past tense form of the main verb
Auxiliary verb - the helping verb that is always paired with the main verb
Infinitive - any verb preceded by the word 'to'
Common misconception
Pupils may think that using a being or having verb means they've written a sentence in each tense.
Being verbs as auxiliary verbs are for progressive tenses; having verbs as auxiliary verbs are for perfect tenses.
To help you plan your year 3 english lesson on: Progressive and perfect tense, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 3 english lesson on: Progressive and perfect tense, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 2 english lessons from the Tense forms: simple, progressive and perfect unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
the person, place or thing that does the main verb
paired with the main verb and tells us the tense
always ends with -ing and doesn't change when the tense does
marks the beginning and end of the sentence
Exit quiz
6 Questions
I have tidied my room.
I am tidying my room.
I tidy my room.