Reviewing Simple and Continuous Forms

Reviewing Simple and Continuous Forms

Instructions: You know by now that there are two common verb forms in all English tenses, simple and continuous (also called progressive). In general the continuous form refers to actions that are in progress at a particular moment in time. Complete the following tasks to get a better idea about how these forms work.

Task 1: Identify the concept. Look at the following diagrams that represent simple and continuous forms in different tenses and decide:

• What time is it (past, present, future)?
• Is it simple or continuous?
• Can you think of the sentence that the diagram describes?

• Time and form:
• Possible Sentence:

Time and form:

Possible Sentence:

Time and form:

Possible Sentence:

Time and form:

Possible Sentence:

Time and form:

Possible Sentence:

Time and form:

Possible Sentence:

Time and form:

Possible Sentence:

When you finish, you can CLICK HERE to check your answers. Read through the document with your partners and identify the structure of the continuous forms in the different tenses.

Task 2: Find the error. Now that you understand what the simple and continuous forms mean and how they are constructed, let's look at some exceptions. We cannot make continuous sentences with every verb. In English we have two type of verbs, dynamic and stative. Dynamic verbs can be used in the continuous but stative verbs cannot.

Look at these pairs of sentences. For each one, decide if the verb looks good in the continuous form or if it seems strange. If it seems strange to you, it is probably a stative verb that can only be used in the simple form.

• I run three kilometers every day.
• The man is running on the street.

• I love English literature.
• I am loving you.

• We need more chairs for the meeting.
• I am needing to go to the store to buy some food.

• People in Costa Rica eat lots of rice.
• I was eating a pizza and my shirt got dirty.

• I like to go to the cinema on the weekends.
• I am liking that movie.

• I don't believe you.
• I am not believing you.

• What does this word mean?
• What is this meaning?

• The president of the company will visit in July.
• While he is visiting we should show him nice places in the city.

• I know the answer.
• She is knowing the answer. 

• We try to give every customer the best experience possible. 
• I'm trying to help you but you won't listen. 

• I don't want to do anything this weekend.
• I'm wanting to watch Netflix and relax.

When you finish, CLICK HERE to check your answers.