Progressive Verb Tenses | Varsity Tutors

Section 1

Where Did Progressive Tenses Come From?

Have you ever wondered why English has so many ways to talk about time? People have been figuring out how to describe actions for hundreds of years! The progressive tenses (also called "continuous tenses") let us show that something is in the middle of happening. Let's look at how this idea grew over time.

Around 900 AD

Old English

A long, long time ago, English speakers started putting words together to show actions that were ongoing. They used a form of "be" plus an -ing word, but it was pretty rare back then.

Around 1400

Middle English

During the time of knights and castles, writers began using the -ing form more often. Stories and poems started to say things like "he was riding" instead of just "he rode."

Around 1600

Shakespeare's Time

By Shakespeare's day, progressive verb forms were becoming normal in everyday speech. People could say "I am thinking" and everyone understood that it meant right now.

1800s

Modern Grammar Rules

Teachers and grammar experts wrote down clear rules for the three progressive tenses: past progressive, present progressive, and future progressive. These are the same rules you'll learn today!

So here is the big question this lesson answers: How do you form each progressive tense, and when should you use it? Let's find out!

Section 2

Core Ideas About Progressive Tenses

A progressive verb tense tells the reader or listener that an action is ongoing — it is continuing over a stretch of time. You build every progressive tense from two pieces: a helping verb (a form of "to be") plus the present participle (the main verb with -ing added). Here are the four key ideas.

It Shows Ongoing Action

A progressive verb tells us something is in progress — not finished yet. "She is reading" means she has the book open right now.

Two Parts Work Together

Every progressive verb needs a helping verb (was, am, is, are, were, will be) plus a verb ending in -ing.

Three Time Periods

Past progressive → it was happening then. Present progressive → it is happening now. Future progressive → it will be happening later.

The Helping Verb Changes

The -ing part stays the same. To change the time, you only change the helping verb: was, is, or will be.

✦ Key Takeaway

Think of the progressive tense like a movie that is still playing. If you pause a movie, the actors are in the middle of doing something. "She is jumping" is like hitting pause while she is in the air. That's what progressive means — the action hasn't stopped yet!

Section 3

See It: The Three Progressive Tenses

The diagram below shows how each progressive tense sits on a timeline. Notice how every example has a helping verb and a verb + -ing. The helping verb is what tells you when the action is happening.

Timeline diagram showing the three progressive tenses with the progressive formula.

Look at the diagram above. All three tenses follow the same pattern: a helping verb plus a verb ending in -ing. The only thing that changes between past, present, and future is which helping verb you pick!

Section 4

How to Build Each Progressive Tense

Building a progressive verb is like following a simple recipe. You always start with a helping verb and add a main verb with -ing. Below are the "recipes" for each tense.

Past Progressive

was / were + verb-ing

Use was with I, he, she, it. Use were with you, we, they.

The past progressive tells us about something that was happening at a certain time in the past. For example: "Yesterday at noon, I was eating lunch." The action was already going on — you were in the middle of eating.

Present Progressive

am / is / are + verb-ing

Use am with I. Use is with he, she, it. Use are with you, we, they.

The present progressive describes what is happening right now, at this very moment. For example: "Look! The dog is chasing a butterfly." The dog is doing it right now as you watch.

Future Progressive

will be + verb-ing

Use will be with every subject (I, you, he, she, it, we, they).

The future progressive tells us about something that will be going on at a certain time in the future. For example: "Tomorrow at 3:00, we will be playing soccer." When that moment arrives, the game will already be in progress.

✦ Key Takeaway

Think of making a sandwich. The bread is the helping verb, and the filling is the -ing verb. You always need both pieces! You can change the bread (was, is, will be) to change the time — just like picking white bread or wheat bread changes the sandwich but keeps the same filling inside.

Section 5

A Closer Look at Each Tense

Now let's put all three tenses side by side so you can see how they compare. The table below uses the same verb — play — so you can focus on how the helping verb changes.

Subject	Past Progressive	Present Progressive	Future Progressive
I	I was playing	I am playing	I will be playing
You	You were playing	You are playing	You will be playing
He / She / It	He was playing	She is playing	It will be playing
We	We were playing	We are playing	We will be playing
They	They were playing	They are playing	They will be playing

Did you spot the pattern? The -ing word (playing) never changes. The only thing that changes is the helping verb in front of it.

Flowchart to help students choose the correct progressive tense.

Use this flowchart any time you're not sure which progressive tense to pick. Just ask yourself: When is the action happening? Then choose the right helping verb and add -ing to your action word!

Section 6

Worked Example: Rewrite the Sentence

Let's practice changing a plain sentence into all three progressive tenses, step by step.

Rewrite the Sentence

Original Sentence"The kids play outside."

Step 1 — Find the Action VerbThe action word here is "play." This is the verb we'll turn into a progressive form by adding -ing: playing.

Step 2 — Make It Past ProgressiveWe need the past form of "to be." The subject is "the kids" (that's like "they"), so we use were.

"The kids were playing outside."

Step 3 — Make It Present Progressive"The kids" is plural, so we use are.

"The kids are playing outside."

Step 4 — Make It Future ProgressiveFor the future, every subject uses will be.

"The kids will be playing outside."

Step 5 — Check Your WorkDoes each sentence have a helping verb + a verb ending in -ing? Yes! Does the -ing word stay the same every time? Yes — it's always "playing." Great job! ✓

Section 7

Progressive vs. Simple Tenses

You already know the simple tenses (like "I walked," "I walk," and "I will walk"). How are they different from progressive tenses? The table below puts them side by side so you can see.

Feature	Simple Tense	Progressive Tense
What it shows	An action that happened, happens, or will happen (done & finished)	An action that was, is, or will be in progress (still going on)
Past example	I walked to school.	I was walking to school.
Present example	I walk to school.	I am walking to school.
Future example	I will walk to school.	I will be walking to school.
Number of words in verb	Usually 1–2	Always 2–3 (helping verb + -ing verb)
When to use	Quick facts, routines, completed actions	Actions happening over time, still going on

Both kinds of tenses are important! Simple tenses are great for telling what happened or what will happen. Progressive tenses are great for painting a picture of something happening right in the middle.

✦ Key Takeaway

Imagine you're watching your friend ride a bike. If you say "She rode her bike," the ride is over. But if you say "She was riding her bike," you're describing the moment while she's still pedaling! Progressive tenses put you right in the action, like watching a movie instead of reading the end of a book.

Section 8

Going Further: Perfect Progressive Tenses

You've learned the three progressive tenses — nice work! But here's a cool preview: in later grades, you'll learn about perfect progressive tenses. These tenses add one more helper to show how long an action has been going on.

Tense You Know	Advanced Version	Example
Past progressive	Past perfect progressive	I had been walking for an hour.
Present progressive	Present perfect progressive	I have been walking for an hour.
Future progressive	Future perfect progressive	I will have been walking for an hour.

Don't worry about memorizing those right now. The important thing is that you already understand the main idea: a helping verb plus an -ing verb shows ongoing action. As you grow as a writer, you'll just add more helpers to be even more specific about time!

Section 9

Practice Problems

Try these five problems. Click "Show Answer" to check your work. Good luck — you've got this!

PROBLEM 1 — CONCEPTUAL

What are the two parts you need to make any progressive verb? Name them and give one example of each part.

PROBLEM 2 — IDENTIFY THE TENSE

Read this sentence: "My brother was drawing a picture." Is this the past progressive, present progressive, or future progressive? How do you know?

PROBLEM 3 — FILL IN THE BLANK

Complete the sentence using the present progressive form of the verb "write." "Right now, Maria __________ a letter to her grandmother."

PROBLEM 4 — REWRITE THE SENTENCE

Rewrite this sentence in all three progressive tenses: "The birds sing in the trees."

PROBLEM 5 — THINK ABOUT IT

Read these two sentences: A: "I ate breakfast." B: "I was eating breakfast when the phone rang." How does the meaning change from Sentence A to Sentence B? Why would a writer choose the progressive tense in Sentence B?

Summary

Putting It All Together

The progressive verb tenses show that an action is ongoing — it's happening over a stretch of time, not just finished in a flash. Every progressive tense is built from two parts: a helping verb (a form of "to be") plus the main verb with -ing added. To talk about an action that was happening in the past, use was or were plus the -ing verb (for example, "She was reading"). To talk about what is happening right now, use am, is, or are plus the -ing verb (for example, "They are laughing"). To talk about what will be happening in the future, use will be plus the -ing verb (for example, "We will be traveling").

The -ing part never changes — only the helping verb does! Progressive tenses help you write more interesting sentences because they put the reader right in the middle of the action. Keep practicing, and you'll be a progressive tense pro in no time!