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.
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
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.