Progressive Tenses (English)
The "progressive tenses" are useful for showing that an action was, is or will be ongoing during a period in the past, present or future.
Past progressive tense lets you show that an action began in the past, continued for a time, and then ended sometime prior to the present.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Jones was lying the whole time he was on the stand.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Jones was on the stand during some period in the past.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]During that period, he lied continuously.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]People were jumping from the burning building.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]At some point in the past, people started jumping from the burning building.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]The jumping went on for a while.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Then the jumping ended sometime prior to the present.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]To form this tense, add "-ing" to the present tense of the verb and put either "was" or "were" in front of it.
Present progressive tense lets you show that an action is ongoing, that it began sometime in the past but that it is continuing right now and will continue into the future.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]The FBI is investigating the case.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Visitors are flocking to the new museum.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]I am hopingfor a good grade.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Notice how the verb tense indicates that the investigating, flocking and hoping are all going on right now.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Each of the actions began at some undefined point in the past and have been going on uninterrupted since then.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]To form this tense, add "-ing" to the present tense of the verb, then put "am," "is" or "are" in front of it.
Future progressive tense lets you show that an action will start at some point in the future and will continue indefinitely.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Astronauts will be conducting several experiments during the flight.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Sometime in the future, the experiments will begin.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]The experiments will continue into the future.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]To form this tense, add "-ing" to the present tense and precede it with "will be."
The "perfect progressive tenses" let you show the order of two or more events, some ongoing and some not, that take place either in the past, the present or the future.
Past perfect progressive tense lets you show that two actions took place in the past, one an ongoing action and the other a one-time action, and that the ongoing action preceded the one-time action.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Police had been tracking him for years and finally caught him.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]The tracking went on for some time in the past.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]The catching was a one-time action that also occurred in the past.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Furthermore, the tracking preceded the catching.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Jones, who had been running, arrived out of breath.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]The running went on for some time in the past.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]The arriving was a one-time action that also occurred in the past.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Furthermore, the running preceded the arriving.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]To form this tense, add "-ing" to the present tense and precede it with "had been."
Present perfect progressive tense lets you show that an action began sometime in the past, continued uninterrupted up to the present, but probably won't continue into the future.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]I have been telling you all along that you need to brush up on your grammar.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]She has been trying to get a quote from the mayor all morning.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Both the telling and the trying began sometime in the past.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Both actions continued up to the present, but have now halted.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]To form this tense, add "-ing" to the present tense of the verb and place "have been" or "has been" in front of it.
Future perfect progressive tense lets you show that two actions will take place in the future, one an ongoing action and one a one-time action, and that the ongoing action will precede the one-time action.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]By the time crews plug the hole, the tanker will have been leaking oil for weeks.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]The leaking is an ongoing action that will take place in the future.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Sometime after the leaking begins, crews will plug the hole.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]To form this tense, add "-ing" to the resent tense verb expressing the ongoing action, then precede it will "will have been."
Wayne Gregory and JoAnn E. Seibert, January 1998. All rights reserved.
Past progressive tense lets you show that an action began in the past, continued for a time, and then ended sometime prior to the present.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Jones was lying the whole time he was on the stand.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Jones was on the stand during some period in the past.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]During that period, he lied continuously.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]People were jumping from the burning building.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]At some point in the past, people started jumping from the burning building.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]The jumping went on for a while.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Then the jumping ended sometime prior to the present.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]To form this tense, add "-ing" to the present tense of the verb and put either "was" or "were" in front of it.
Present progressive tense lets you show that an action is ongoing, that it began sometime in the past but that it is continuing right now and will continue into the future.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]The FBI is investigating the case.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Visitors are flocking to the new museum.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]I am hopingfor a good grade.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Notice how the verb tense indicates that the investigating, flocking and hoping are all going on right now.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Each of the actions began at some undefined point in the past and have been going on uninterrupted since then.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]To form this tense, add "-ing" to the present tense of the verb, then put "am," "is" or "are" in front of it.
Future progressive tense lets you show that an action will start at some point in the future and will continue indefinitely.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Astronauts will be conducting several experiments during the flight.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Sometime in the future, the experiments will begin.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]The experiments will continue into the future.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]To form this tense, add "-ing" to the present tense and precede it with "will be."
The "perfect progressive tenses" let you show the order of two or more events, some ongoing and some not, that take place either in the past, the present or the future.
Past perfect progressive tense lets you show that two actions took place in the past, one an ongoing action and the other a one-time action, and that the ongoing action preceded the one-time action.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Police had been tracking him for years and finally caught him.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]The tracking went on for some time in the past.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]The catching was a one-time action that also occurred in the past.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Furthermore, the tracking preceded the catching.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Jones, who had been running, arrived out of breath.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]The running went on for some time in the past.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]The arriving was a one-time action that also occurred in the past.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Furthermore, the running preceded the arriving.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]To form this tense, add "-ing" to the present tense and precede it with "had been."
Present perfect progressive tense lets you show that an action began sometime in the past, continued uninterrupted up to the present, but probably won't continue into the future.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]I have been telling you all along that you need to brush up on your grammar.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]She has been trying to get a quote from the mayor all morning.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Both the telling and the trying began sometime in the past.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Both actions continued up to the present, but have now halted.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]To form this tense, add "-ing" to the present tense of the verb and place "have been" or "has been" in front of it.
Future perfect progressive tense lets you show that two actions will take place in the future, one an ongoing action and one a one-time action, and that the ongoing action will precede the one-time action.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]By the time crews plug the hole, the tanker will have been leaking oil for weeks.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]The leaking is an ongoing action that will take place in the future.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]Sometime after the leaking begins, crews will plug the hole.
·[FONT="] [/FONT]To form this tense, add "-ing" to the resent tense verb expressing the ongoing action, then precede it will "will have been."
Wayne Gregory and JoAnn E. Seibert, January 1998. All rights reserved.
