---
title: "Past, Present and Progressive Tense"
description: "Use verbs to convey past and present tense correctly and consistently, including the progressive form (e.g., she is drumming, he was shouting), understanding how tense indicates time"
canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/past-present-and-progressive-tense-mt_enj1sMcfOT
source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/past-present-and-progressive-tense-mt_enj1sMcfOT.md
retrieved: 2026-10-19
---

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# Past, Present and Progressive Tense

Use verbs to convey past and present tense correctly and consistently, including the progressive form (e.g., she is drumming, he was shouting), understanding how tense indicates time

Subject: English · Area: Grammar & Punctuation · Ages 6 to 9
Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/past-present-and-progressive-tense-mt_enj1sMcfOT

## Ready when they can

- Write a passage consistently in past tense without switching to present
- Use progressive forms correctly: 'was running', 'is jumping' to show ongoing actions
- Identify verbs in a sentence and change them from past to present tense or vice versa

## Lesson: Past, Present, and Progressive Tense

Tense tells us when something happened. Past tense is for things that already happened, like 'jumped.' Present tense is for things that happen now or often, like 'jumps.' Progressive tense shows an action still going on, like 'is jumping' or 'was jumping.'

*(drawing: Jumped is past. Jumps is present. Jumping, with is or was, shows it is still happening.)*

**Example.** Yesterday, Ben walked his dog in the park. Right now, Ben is walking his dog again. 'Walked' tells you it already happened. 'Is walking' tells you it is happening this very moment.

**Tip.** Once you pick a tense for your story, stick with it. Do not jump from 'walked' to 'walks' in the same passage unless the time really changes.

**Recap.** Past tells what already happened, present tells what happens now, and progressive (is or was plus -ing) shows an action in progress.

## Practice

24 questions on this page, each with its working shown.

## Needs first

- [Building sentences](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/building-sentences-mt_N8CpN1EJrP)
- [Grammar Terms: Nouns, Verbs and Tense](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/grammar-terms-nouns-verbs-and-tense-mt_qzwQAOfurw)
- [Basic Nouns & Verbs](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/basic-nouns-and-verbs-mt_yBJyCfhtem)

## Opens up

- [The Present Perfect Tense](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/the-present-perfect-tense-mt_7D-vlii8F-)
- [Standard English Verbs](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/standard-english-verbs-mt_ay0qkGj0jg)
- [Active and passive voice](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/active-and-passive-voice-mt_gbTyzvnWzr)
- [Revising and editing](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/revising-and-editing-mt_I65kFjWwnF)
- [Irregular past tense verbs](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/irregular-past-tense-verbs-mt_KIG5FQI5fC)
- [Progressive and Continuous Tenses](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/progressive-and-continuous-tenses-mt_mkDqmejLMw)
- [Modal Verbs and Possibility](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/modal-verbs-and-possibility-mt_N9zffZxuu5)
- [Simple Past, Present and Future](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/simple-past-present-and-future-mt_Of-WsrRQ8B)