Progressive Tenses Exploration

Year Group

Year 4

Duration

55 minutes

Class Size

7 students

National Curriculum Alignment

English Programme of Study:

Grammar and Punctuation

Pupils should be taught to:
Use the present perfect form of verbs in contrast to the past tense
Use the forms ‘a’ or ‘an’ correctly depending on whether the next word begins with a consonant or a vowel
Use a range of conjunctions, including when, if, because, although
Understand how to use different verb forms to mark relationships of time and cause (National Curriculum 2014, English Appendix 2)

Relevant literacy competence:

Understanding and using verb tenses to organise writing and convey meaning clearly
Developing grammatical awareness to support written and oral communication

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to:

Understand and explain the difference between past progressive and present progressive tenses.
Correctly form the past progressive and present progressive tenses in written and spoken contexts.
Use these tenses accurately in context, with sentences related to the novel “Diary of a Young Orphan.”
Demonstrate understanding of time-related verb forms to enhance narrative writing.

Key Vocabulary

Progressive tense
Present continuous (present progressive)
Past continuous (past progressive)
Auxiliary verb
Verb tense
Ongoing action
Past action
Present action

Resources

Whiteboard and markers
Printed verb tense exercise sheets tailored to “Diary of a Young Orphan” themes
Sentence strips with missing verbs for fill-in activities
Timer or stopwatch
Audio recording of a short diary excerpt in present and past progressive (optional)
Mini whiteboards and markers for student use

Lesson Structure

1. Starter (10 minutes)

Objective: Activate prior knowledge of verbs and discuss main verb tenses.

Begin with a fun “verb charades” game. Call on students individually to act out an ongoing action (e.g., writing, running).
Ask the class: What tense would we use to describe the action happening right now? What about if it happened yesterday but was ongoing?
Write examples on the board:
“I am writing” (present progressive)
“I was writing” (past progressive)
Elicit from students what they notice about the verb forms. Highlight the auxiliary verbs ("am/is/are" for present progressive and "was/were" for past progressive) and the “-ing” suffix.
Reference how this helps show an action that is ongoing at a particular time (now vs. past).

2. Explanation and Modelling (15 minutes)

Objective: Clarify rules and structures for both tenses.

Use short, sentence-based examples drawn from the unit’s text (“Diary of a Young Orphan”) to demonstrate:
Present progressive: "She is reading the letter."
Past progressive: "She was reading the letter when the door opened."
Engage students in identifying the auxiliary verb and the main verb in these sentences.
Highlight that the present progressive is used for actions happening now or around now, and the past progressive for actions ongoing at some moment in the past, often interrupted by another event.
Show the formulae explicitly on the board:
Present progressive = am/is/are + verb + -ing
Past progressive = was/were + verb + -ing

3. Guided Practice (15 minutes)

Objective: Practice forming and distinguishing tenses.

Hand out worksheet with paired sentences missing the verbs, e.g.:
"The orphan _______ (to write) a letter when his friend arrived."
"He _______ (to listen) to the story now."
Students fill in the blanks using correct verb forms, first individually, then discuss answers as a class.
Use mini whiteboards to allow rapid formative assessment—ask students to write the verb form quickly, then show it for immediate feedback.
Circulate and provide targeted support to ensure proper understanding.

4. Application Activity (10 minutes)

Objective: Use tenses in creative and meaningful context.

Students write two diary entries inspired by “Diary of a Young Orphan”:
One describing what the character is doing right now (present progressive).
One describing what the character was doing at a specific past moment (past progressive).
Encourage use of time phrases (e.g., “at this moment,” “yesterday at 3pm”).
Volunteer students share their sentences aloud. Offer positive reinforcement and correct gently where needed.

5. Plenary (5 minutes)

Objective: Consolidate learning and self-assess understanding.

Quick oral quiz—teacher says a sentence and students decide aloud if it should be in past or present progressive, or student volunteers convert simple sentences to the correct form.
Ask students to explain the difference between the two tenses in their own words, possibly in pairs.

Assessment for Learning

Formative assessment through mini whiteboards and worksheet activity.
Observation during paired and group discussions.
Review of diary entry sentences for correct tense usage aligned with context.
Oral questioning in plenary to check conceptual understanding.

Differentiation

For students needing extra support, provide sentence starters or verb banks.
Challenge more able students with compound sentences using both tenses or incorporating conjunctions to explain causes.
Use visual aids (charts showing verb forms) for those who benefit from additional scaffolding.

Cross-Curricular Links

History/Drama: Act out diary scenes in different tenses to deepen understanding of events in time.
PSHE: Discuss feelings and actions “at this moment” versus “yesterday,” connecting to emotional literacy.

Teacher Reflection Notes

Note which students struggle with auxiliary verbs and present additional examples in the next lesson.
Observe whether the analogy between “ongoing action” and the word endings successfully clarifies understanding.
Experiment with audio dramatization next time to appeal to auditory learners.

This lesson positions verb tense learning within a meaningful literary context, uses active participation, and integrates formative assessment to ensure mastery of past and present progressive tenses. It aligns closely with the grammatical development expectations of Year 4 in the National Curriculum, linked explicitly to the unit’s text for engagement and relevance.

Teaching Instructions