Present Progressive Conjugation, Form and Function
Present Progressive conjugation is only the first step in teaching this verb tense to students studying English as a second language. In addition to conjugation, "form" and "function" must also be taught. For a thorough discussion on teaching verbs to adults learning ESL, see
ESL Verb Tenses.
The Present Progressive tense (also called the Present Continuous) is usually one of the first verb tenses ESL students are taught. However, prior to a grammar lesson about Present Progressive conjugation, ESL students have to learn the irregular verb, "to be." The verb "to be" is the helping verb (or auxiliary verb) used to form the Present Continuous.
The Present Progressive is formed by combining the helping verb "to be" with the "-ing" (or the Present Participle) form of the main verb. For example, "She is dancing" ("dance" is the main verb, "to be" is the helping verb). The Present Participle of the main verb will always be the same, no matter whom or what the subject is. It is the helping verb in a Present Progressive conjugation that will change according to the subject. (See the examples below.)
As with teaching all verb tenses, three things are essential to teach students learning English as a second language:
(1) Verb conjugation,
(2) Verb form, and
(3) Verb function.
Present Progressive Verb Conjugation (using miscellaneous common verbs, for example)
1. I am talking. I am walking. I am dancing. I am thinking.
2. You are talking. You are walking. You are dancing. You are thinking.
3. She/He/It is talking. She/He/It is walking. She/He/It is dancing. She/He/It is thinking.
4. They are talking. They are walking. They are dancing. They are thinking.
5. We are talking. We are walking. We are dancing. We are thinking.
Present Progressive Verb Forms (five forms the ESL student must learn)
1. Affirmative Usage (e.g., She is talking.)
2. Negative Usage (e.g., She isn’t talking.)
3. Yes/No Questions (e.g., Is she talking?)
4. Short Answers (e.g., Yes, she is. No, she isn’t.)
5. WH- Questions (e.g., When is she talking?)
Present Progressive Function (when to use the Present Progressive)
The Present Progressive/Present Continuous verb tense has two primary functions, and one secondary function:
(1) To express an activity that is in progress at the moment of speaking. The activity is temporary. It began in the past, is happening right now, and will probably end at some time in the future (e.g., I am writing an article about Present Progressive conjugation. She is sleeping on the couch. They are watching television.), and
(2) To talk about something that is happening generally at this time (during this week, this year, at this time one's life, etc), (e.g., I am teaching ESL to adults. She is traveling with friends. He is writing a book.).
(3) Using the Present Progressive for the Future: Depending on the context, the Present Progressive can also be used with a future meaning. For example, "Tonight, I'm cooking dinner for friends."
ESL Student Challenges
There are two common challenges ESL students have with Present Progressive verbs:
(1) Using the correct auxiliary verb (beginning ESL students often confuse "to do" with "to be"), and
(2) Knowing when to use the Present Progressive instead of the Simple Present and vice versa.
