English lesson plan · 2nd grade (Year 3 in England) · 30 minutes
Present and past progressive (-ing)
Grammar
CCSS L.2.1England: Y2 GPS (progressive form)
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Present and past progressive (-ing).
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Past, present and future
Leads to: Perfect tenses (past, present, future); Past, present and future progressive (was running, is running, will be running)
Materials: Sentence strips, Highlighters, Mini whiteboards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 4 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Past, present and future). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Choose the verb that matches the time in the sentence. Last night the dog ___ at the moon. (howled / will howl / howls) → howledPrompt: Find the time word: yesterday, tomorrow, every day, right now…
- Choose the verb that matches the time in the sentence. Next week we ___ a picnic. (had / will have / has) → will havePrompt: Find the time word: yesterday, tomorrow, every day, right now…
- Choose the verb that matches the time in the sentence. Soon the bus ___ here. (was / will be / is being) → will bePrompt: Find the time word: yesterday, tomorrow, every day, right now…
Hook · 3 min
- Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
- Share the objective: Present and past progressive (-ing). Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 7 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Choose the correct -ing form of the verb. When the phone rang, I ___ (read).
- Step 1: The progressive form shows an action that is (or was) still going on.
- Step 2: It was going on at a time in the past: was/were + -ing.
- Step 3: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "When the phone rang, I was reading."
- Step 4: So the answer is: was reading
- Answer: was reading
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 6 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Choose the correct -ing form of the verb. Look! The baby ___ (smile). (is smiling / smiling / smiles / was smiling) → is smilingPrompt: Is it happening now or was it happening in the past?
- Choose the correct -ing form of the verb. At 7 o'clock last night we ___ (eat) dinner. (were eating / eat / are eating / eating) → were eatingPrompt: Is it happening now or was it happening in the past?
You do: independent practice · 7 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 3 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Choose the correct -ing form of the verb. Shh! Grandpa ___ (sleep). (sleep / sleeping / was sleeping / is sleeping) → is sleepingPrompt: Is it happening now or was it happening in the past?
- Choose the correct -ing form of the verb. Look! The baby ___ (smile). (smiling / was smiling / smiles / is smiling) → is smilingPrompt: Is it happening now or was it happening in the past?
Watch out for
- Naming the feature but not using it in their own sentences.
- Thinking a sentence is right because it sounds right when spoken casually.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Past, present and future.
- Use concrete materials: sentence strips.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Move on to: Perfect tenses (past, present, future); Past, present and future progressive (was running, is running, will be running).
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-2.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder