Join Erica as she makes a movie about her family in this week’s Spotlight lesson, Erica’s Movie. Your students will see the present progressive in context, and they will compare this tense with the simple present in the follow-up tasks. (more…)
present continuous
Present Progressive
What are you doing right now? Are you studying? Are you learning? We’ve completely redone our Present Progressive lesson to give your kids even more practice with this very common verb tense! (more…)
Motorcycle: Present Progressive Reading
This week’s Spotlight lesson, Motorcycle, introduces students to Anthony and Maria, a couple from Italy. In this lesson, students see the present progressive and the simple present in context, and they also get a chance to discuss their own likes and dislikes using gerunds and infinitives. (more…)
Act It Out: Present Progressive Practice
What’s your favorite way of practicing the present progressive (present continuous)? I’ve tried many methods, from describing pictures or movies to guessing games, but my favorite activity involves acting. I like it because it’s easy to prepare and lots of fun for my students. Our Spotlight lesson on Sprout English this week was Riding the Train: Present Progressive Reading, so I thought it was a great time to share this activity with you. I also had our designer whip up some verb cards so you wouldn’t have to make your own. Feel free to print them out when you try this activity! There is also a blank page of cards for you to add other verbs (or get your students to make their own verb cards). Enjoy!
Verb Cards (more…)
Riding on the Train – Present Progressive Reading
In this week’s Spotlight lesson, Riding on the Train, students get a chance to see the present progressive in context when a young Korean girl describes what her family is doing on the train ride home. (more…)
Pako – Simple Present / Present Progressive Reading
The present tenses are fairly simple to master on their own, but students can get confused when they’re paired in the same context. Seeing the simple present and present progressive together in the same text really helps students figure out when to use each one. This week’s Spotlight lesson, Pako, features a reading and exercises that use both tenses. (more…)
Juan and Sofia – Simple Past Reading
Are your students or children ready for a review of the basic verb tenses? This week’s Spotlight lesson, Juan and Sofia – Simple Past Reading, includes the simple present, present progressive, and simple past tenses, and will engage your kids with a hilarious story and fun, educational activities!
This lesson includes a short reading, comprehension questions, sentence puzzles, a crossword, and a group discussion activity to review the simple present, present progressive, and simple past. There is also a helpful spelling review on forming the past tense of regular verbs.
All of the readings in our Library section have a digital component, so teachers and parents can choose how to present the reading and comprehension questions—either on paper or online!
Other simple past resources: (more…)
Turn Off the TV – Dialogue
Turn Off the TV, in the Simple Past Dialogues 2 category of the Conversation Station, is Sprout English’s lesson of the week.
This one-page dialogue is the perfect way to review the simple present, present progressive, and simple past. All three tenses are used naturally in this conversation between a father and his daughter. The topic of a parent wanting a child to stop watching TV and go study is something kids can definitely relate to! (more…)
Simple Present Vs. Present Progressive
The simple present tense is one of the first things English language learners learn. Later on, grammar textbooks introduce the present progressive (also known as the present continuous), and students learn how to describe actions that are happening at that time. The problem is that most textbooks don’t compare these two present tenses together, so young learners don’t often realize which one to use in different situations.
When I was teaching TOEIC test prep classes to beginner and intermediate students, I would compare and contrast the two tenses side by side, and my students would tell me that this method really helped them understand the differences. Try the method outlined below with your young learners as an introduction to the present progressive or as a review of these two essential tenses. 
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Teaching the Present Progressive
The present progressive, also called the present continuous, is a very common verb tense in English. It is natural in speaking since a lot of conversations start with “What are you doing?” It’s also useful when talking about sports and actions. Since the Lesson of the Week this week is our coloring activity about Baseball, I thought it would be a good time to review this grammar tense. The method below is one I’ve often used with my students for presenting the present progressive. Next week, I’ll blog about comparing the simple present and the present progressive. Being able to use each one in the correct context is the ultimate test of your students’ understanding.
1. Form
BE + -ING Verb
Remind students that the BE verb must be conjugated according to the subject (I am, you are, he/she/it/third person singular count nouns/non-count nouns is, we are, you (pl.) are, they/third person plural count nouns are). (more…)
