Year 3 - English
Simple and progressive tense
Tense forms: simple, progressive and perfect
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils learn formal conventions around simple and progressive tense forms in the present, past and future tenses. They learn about main and auxiliary verbs, including that main verbs can be having, as well as doing or being verbs. Pupils also learn about the perfect present tense.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to write a sentence in the simple present, past or future tense and the progressive present, past or future tense.
Key Notes
- Both the simple tense and progressive tense can denote present, past or future action.
- The verb carries the tense of a sentence.
- The simple tense is a tense that does not use an auxiliary verb in addition to the main verb except in the future.
- The progressive tense always makes use of an auxiliary verb from the infinitive 'to be' paired with the main verb.
- The progressive tense denotes ongoing action.
Vocabulary To Learn
- auxiliary verb: the helping verb that is always paired with the main verb
- infinitive: any verb preceded by the word 'to'
- progressive tense: a tense that denotes ongoing action
- ongoing: continuous or still happening
- simple tense: a tense that does not make use of an auxiliary verb in addition to the main verb in the present and past
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils might think they have used the progressive tense simply by using a being verb like 'am'.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Both the simple tense and progressive tense can denote present, past or future action. The verb carries the tense of a sentence.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'auxiliary verb'
the helping verb that is always paired with the main verb.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils might think they have used the progressive tense simply by using a being verb like 'am'. Correction: 'I am happy today.' Ask pupils why this is not written in the progressive tense. The being verb must help the main verb that ends in -ing.
More Lessons In This Unit
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