TENSES: PRESENT & PAST CONTINUOUS TENSES

TENSES:

PRESENT & PAST CONTINUOUS TENSES

by Natasha Azani

A RECAP BEFORE WE CONTINUE...​

​What is VERB TO BE?

Multiple Choice

Verb To Be is...

• main verb

• root verb

• helping verb

• action verb

Multiple Choice

Verb To Be (v.t.b) consist of...

• is, are, am, was, were

• do, does, did

• has, have, had

• will, shall

​VERB TO BE:

• ​There are 2 forms of verb to be (v.t.b):

1. ​present form ( is/ are/ am)

2. ​past form (was/ were)

• ​Verb to be is usually used for Simple tense and Continuous tense.

​For examples:

​Simple present/past tenses:

1. ​Adilla is unhappy with her exam result.

2. ​Rahul was an engineer at Petronas a few year ago.

3. ​Jane and Fifi are very excited to hear the good news.

4. ​They were angry with Ghani because he ruined their school project.

5. ​I am a year 5 student at SK Tanjung Arang.

6. ​I was happy with my sister's achievement.

​Present Continuous Tense:

We used Present Continuous Tense to talk about:

1. ​action happening now. (present)

2. ​action in the future. (future)

​The structure (formula) for this tense is:

​Subject + v.t.b (is/are/am) + Verb-ing (present participle) + Object

​For example:

• ​Erna is talking to Fifi right now.

• ​Erna is not (isn't) talking to Fifi right now.

• Spongebob and Patrick are watching their favourite TV show at this moment.

• Spongebob and Patrick are not (aren't) watching their favourite TV show at this moment.

• ​I am expecting the train to arrive soon.

• ​I am not expecting the train to arrive soon.

Multiple Choice

Which picture below is matching with the sentence given?

Tom and Jerry are not laughing right now. They are shaking hands.

Multiple Choice

Put the sentence in order below. Use the appropriate form of Present Continuous Tense.

the/sun/shine/it/a/is/day/is/nice.

• The sun is shine. It is a nice day.

• The sun shine. It is a nice day.

• The sun is shining. It is a nice day.

• The sun shining. It is a nice day.

Multiple Choice

What is he doing right now?

• He is eating an apple.

• He eating an orange.

• He is eating a carrot.

• He is eating an orange.

Multiple Choice

Fill in the blank in the sentence below with Present Continuous Tense.

My older sister…………to rock music.

• often listening

• is often listening

• is often listen

• is listening often

Multiple Choice

What is she doing?

• He is singing.

• He is jumping.

• She is singing.

• She is dancing.

​Past Continuous Tense:

• ​Past continuous tense expresses action at a particular moment in the past.

• ​The action started before that moment but has not finished at that moment.

​FOR EXAMPLE:

​Yesterday, I watched a film on TV. The film started at 7pm and finished at 9pm.

​

​So, when we used Past continuous tense;

​

​*Here, the sentence shows an action was being done in between 7pm to 9pm.

The structure for Past Continuous Tense:

[Subject + vtb (was/were) + Verb-ing + Object​]

​(Positive statement)

​

[​Vtb (was/were) + Subject + verb-ing + Object]

​(Question sentence)

​For example:

• I was working at 10pm yesterday.

• I was not (wasn't) working at 11pm yesterday.

• -Was I working at 10pm yesterday?​

• ​They were playing football at 9am this morning.

• ​they were not (weren't) playing football at 8am this morning.

• ​-Were they playing football this morning?

• ​She was cooking when I phoned her.

• ​she was not (wasn't) cooking when I phoned her.

• ​-Wasn't she cooking when I phoned her?