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English lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 60 minutes

Past, present and future progressive (was running, is running, will be running)

Grammar

CCSS L.4.1.BEngland: Y3/4 GPS (progressive verb forms)England: KS2 SATs GPS

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Past, present and future progressive (was running, is running, will be running).

  • 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: Present and past progressive (-ing); Past, present or future? Simple verb tenses

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

Materials: Sentence strips, Highlighters, Mini whiteboards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 6 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Present and past progressive (-ing); Past, present or future? Simple verb tenses). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Choose the correct -ing form of the verb. We ___ (wait) for the bus now. (are waiting / waiting / were waiting / is waiting) → are waitingPrompt: Is it happening now or was it happening in the past?
  2. Is this sentence in the past, present or future tense? Owls hunt at night. (past / present / future) → presentPrompt: Find the verb (the action or being word).
  3. Choose the verb in the right tense. The baker ___ bread every morning before the shop opens. (baked / bakes / will baked) → bakesPrompt: Look for time words: yesterday, last, ago, next, tomorrow, every…

Hook · 6 min

  • Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
  • Share the objective: Past, present and future progressive (was running, is running, will be running). Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 12 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Which progressive tense is used? I am writing a story about a dragon.
  • Step 1: Progressive tenses show an action that is, was or will be going on for a while.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: present progressive
  • Answer: present progressive
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 12 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Which progressive tense is used? I was reading under the covers at midnight. (past progressive / present progressive / future progressive) → past progressivePrompt: Find the -ing verb and the helping verb in front of it.
  2. Choose the correct progressive form. Right now, the children ___ in the pool. (are swimming / swimming / will be swimming / were swimming) → are swimmingPrompt: Look for time clues: right now, look!, last night, when…, tomorrow, next week.

You do: independent practice · 17 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 7 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Rewrite the sentence in the FUTURE progressive. Type the whole sentence. We play chess. → We will be playing chess.Prompt: Choose the helping verb first: was/were, am/is/are, or will be.
  2. Which progressive tense is used? They will be singing in the concert on Friday. (past progressive / present progressive / future progressive) → future progressivePrompt: Find the -ing verb and the helping verb in front of it.

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: Present and past progressive (-ing).
  • 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

  • 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-4.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Past, present and future progressive (was running, is running, will be running)

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Choose the correct progressive form. Look! The robots ___ in a circle.

    • A. will be dancing
    • B. are dancing
    • C. dancing
    • D. were dancing

  2. Question 2

    Which progressive tense is used? The dog was barking at the postman.

    • A. past progressive
    • B. present progressive
    • C. future progressive

  3. Question 3

    Rewrite the sentence in the PAST progressive. Type the whole sentence. I wait for the bus.

    Answer

  4. Question 4

    Which progressive tense is used? They will be singing in the concert on Friday.

    • A. past progressive
    • B. present progressive
    • C. future progressive

  5. Question 5

    Rewrite the sentence in the PAST progressive. Type the whole sentence. The birds sing.

    Answer

  6. Question 6

    Choose the correct progressive form. Tomorrow at ten, Ana ___ in the spelling bee.

    • A. is competing
    • B. competing
    • C. will be competing
    • D. was competing

  7. Question 7

    Which progressive tense is used? Snow was falling all night.

    • A. past progressive
    • B. present progressive
    • C. future progressive

  8. Question 8

    Choose the correct progressive form. When the phone rang, Dad ___ dinner.

    • A. is cooking
    • B. was cooking
    • C. will be cooking
    • D. cooking

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Answer key: Past, present and future progressive (was running, is running, will be running)

  1. 1. B. are dancing

  2. 2. A. past progressive

  3. 3. I was waiting for the bus.

  4. 4. C. future progressive

  5. 5. The birds were singing.

  6. 6. C. will be competing

  7. 7. A. past progressive

  8. 8. B. was cooking