Progressive forms

The simple and perfect tenses have progressive forms that describe actions in progress.

Present progressive (am, is, are + present participle)

Example sentence: Carlos is building his house on a cliff overlooking the ocean.

Example sentence: We are going to the circus next Tuesday.

Past progressive (was, were + present participle)

Example sentence: Roy was driving a brand-new red Corvette yesterday.

Example sentence: When my roommate walked in, we were planning her party.

Example sentence: We were going to spend spring break in Florida, but we went to New York instead.

Future progressive (will + be + present participle)

Example sentence: Naomi will be flying home tomorrow.

Present perfect progressive (have, has + been + present participle)

Example sentence: My parents have been living in Oregon since 2001.

Past perfect progressive (had + been + present participle)

Example sentence: By the time I moved to Georgia, I had been supporting myself for five years.

Future perfect progressive (will + have + been + present participle)

Example sentence: By the time we reach the register, we will have been waiting in line for two full hours.

NOTE:The progressive forms are not normally used with mental activity verbs such as believe, know, and think.)

Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: I am wanting to see August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean. Revised sentence: I want to see August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean. Explanation: The verb “am wanting” has been changed to “want.”

Some of these verbs, however, have special uses in which progressive forms are normal (We are thinking about going to the Bahamas).

Complete survey of tenses

Exercise: Verb forms and tenses 1

Exercise: Verb forms and tenses 2

Exercise: Using verbs: review