Ministry of Education

Secondary Engagement Programme

September 2020
Week 10
Lesson Two
Subject: English Grade: Seven
Topic: Verb Tenses
Sub-Topic: The Continuous Tense

Objectives:
(3) With the use of given examples, students will clearly state when the continuous tenses are
used.
(4) With the use of given information, students will complete given sentences with an
appropriate continuous tense form.

Concept: The tense of a verb tells you when a person did something or when something existed
or happened.

Content
The Continuous Tense
There are three forms of continuous tense – present, past and future.
The progressive tenses give the idea that an action is in progress at a particular time. The action
can begin before another action, be in progress during another action, or can continue after
another time or action. The continuous forms are used when viewing an action as occurring over
a period of time and as incomplete in some way.

The continuous tense is formed with the verb ‘be’ + -ing form of the verb
PRESENT CONTINUOUS PAST CONTINUOUS FUTURE CONTINUOUS
I am reading. I was reading. I shall be reading that story.
She is dancing. They were dancing. They will be dancing later.

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The Present Continuous Tense
The present continuous (also called present progressive) is a verb tense which is used to show
that an ongoing action is happening now, either at the moment of speech or now in a larger
sense. The present continuous can also be used to show that an action is going to take place in
the near future.

Present Continuous Forms

The present continuous is formed using am/is/are + present participle. Questions are indicated by
inverting the subject and am/is/are. Negatives are made with not.
 Statement: You are watching TV.
 Question: Are you watching TV?
 Negative: You are not watching TV.

Examples:
 You are learning English now.
 You are not swimming now.
 Are you sleeping?
 I am studying to become a doctor.
 I am reading the book Tom Sawyer.
 Aren't you teaching at the university now?
 I am meeting some friends after work.
 I am not going to the party tonight.

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The Past continuous Tense
The past continuous describes actions or events in a time before now, which began in the past
and were still going on when another event occurred.
Examples
 They were waiting for the bus when the accident happened.
 Caroline was skiing when she broke her leg.
 When we arrived he was having a bath.
 When the fire started I was watching television.

Forming the Past continuous

The past continuous of any verb is composed of two parts: the past tense of the verb "to be"
(was/were), and the base of the main verb +ing.

Subject was/were base + ing

They were watching

She was reading

She wasn't reading

Was she reading?

Wasn't she reading?

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Future Continuous Tense
The future continuous is made up of two elements: the simple future of the verb 'to be' + the
present participle (base+ing)

Subject simple future of the verb 'to be' present participle

You will be watching

I will be staying

The future continuous refers to an unfinished action or event that will be in progress at a time
later than now. The future continuous is used for quite a few different purposes.

Examples
 This time next week I will be sun-bathing in Bali.
 By Christmas I will be skiing like a pro.
 He'll be coming to the meeting, I expect.
 You'll be missing the sunshine once you're back in England.
 I'll be seeing Jim at the conference next week.
 In an hour I'll still be ironing my clothes.
 Tomorrow he'll still be suffering from his cold.
 Next year will she still be wearing a size six?

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Exercise – Continuous Tense
Fill in the blanks with an appropriate continuous tense form.

1. I …………………….. an interesting novel now.

(was reading, am reading, will be reading)
2. She ………………………. with her parents at the moment.
(was staying, is staying, will be staying)
3. This time tomorrow we ………………………. Raj’s birthday.
(were celebrating, are celebrating, will be celebrating)
4. The child ………………………… for his parents.
(was waiting, is waiting, will be waiting)
5. I ……………………… ready when she came.
(was getting, am getting, will be getting)
6. He ………………………… in the afternoon.
(was leaving, is leaving, will be leaving)
7. The child …………………….. soundly.
(was sleeping, is sleeping, will be sleeping)
8. I ……………………… when the lights went out.
(was reading, am reading, will be reading)
9. The boys ………………………. in the park when it started raining.
(were playing, was playing, are playing)
10. We …………………… to Mexico next summer.
(were going, are going, will be going)
11. The car …………………… for a service next week.
(is going in, was going in, has going in)
12. Don’t phone them now – they ……………………. dinner.
(were having, are having, will be having)

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Answer Sheet – Continuous Tense
1. I am reading an interesting novel now.
2. She is staying with her parents at the moment.
3. This time tomorrow we will be celebrating Raj’s birthday.
4. The child is waiting for his parents.
5. I was getting ready when she came.
6. He is leaving in the afternoon.
7. The child is sleeping soundly.
8. I was reading when the lights went out.
9. The boys were playing in the park when it started raining.
10. We are going / will be going to Mexico next summer.
11. The car is going in for a service next week.
12. Don’t phone them now – they will be having dinner.

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