KEY ENGLISH VERBS

PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE

The Past Progressive tense is used to describe action that was still continuing (was still going on) at the time.

1. TO BE (INFINITIVE) PRESENT PARTICIPLE: BEING
a. EXISTENCE
b. HELPING VERB (auxiliary)

Sample sentences:

I was being quiet. You were being loud. She was being difficult.

2. TO DO (INFINITIVE) PRESENT PARTICIPLE: DOING
a. ACTION

 

Singular	Singular	Plural	Plural
I	WAS DOING	WE	WERE DOING
YOU	WERE DOING	YOU	WERE DOING
HE	WAS DOING	THEY	WERE DOING
SHE	WAS DOING
IT	WAS DOING
Singular nouns	WS DOING	Plural nouns	WERE DOING

Sample sentences:

I was doing the laundry yesterday. Were you be doing laundry, too?

3. TO GO (INFINITIVE) RESENT PARTICIPLE: GOING
a. MOVEMENT

 

Singular	Singular	Plural	Plural
I	WAS GOING	WE	WERE GOING
YOU	WERE GOING	YOU	WERE GOING
HE	WAS GOING	THEY	WERE GOING
SHE	WAS GOING
IT	WAS GOING
Singular nouns	WAS GOING	Plural nouns	WERE GOING

Sample sentences:

I was going shopping when I saw him in the street. He was going shopping, too.

They were going shopping at the mall. The car was going fast.

4. TO HAVE (INFINITIVE) PRESENT PARTICIPLE: HAVING
a. POSSESSION
b. HELPING VERB (auxiliary)

 

Singular	Singular	Plural	Plural
I	WAS HAVING	WE	WERE HAVING
YOU	WERE HAVING	YOU	WERE HAVING
HE	WAS HAVING	THEY	WERE HAVING
SHE	WAS HAVING
IT	WAS HAVING
Singular nouns	WAS HAVING	Plural nouns	WERE HAVING

Sample sentences:

I was having a good time. She was having fun. They were all having fun at the party.

5. TO COME (INFINITIVE) PRESENT PARTICIPLE: COMING

a. MOVEMENT TO (TOWARDS)
b. TO COME BACK = TO RETURN

 

Singular	Singular	Plural	Plural
I	WAS COMING	WE	WERE COMING
YOU	WERE COMING	YOU	WERE COMING
HE	WAS COMING	THEY	WERE COMING
SHE	WAS COMING
IT	WAS COMING
Singular nouns	WAS COMING	Plural nouns	WERE COMING

Sample sentences:

It started to rain while I was coming home from work today.

6. TO MAKE (INFINITIVE) PRESENT PARTICIPLE: MAKING
a. CREATE

 

Singular	Singular	Plural	Plural
I	WAS MAKING	WE	WERE MAKING
YOU	WERE MAKING	YOU	WERE MAKING
HE	WAS MAKING	THEY	WERE MAKING
SHE	WAS MAKING
IT	WAS MAKING
Singular nouns	WAS MAKING	Plural nouns	WERE MAKING

Sample sentences:

You were making me laugh. She was making you cry. This movie was making me smile.

7. TO FEEL (INFINITIVE) PRESENT PARTICIPLE: FEELING

SENSES
a. TO TOUCH, PRESENT PARTICIPLE: TOUCHING
b. TO SEE, PRESENT PARTICIPLE: SEEING
c. TO HEAR, PRESENT PARTICIPLE: HEARING
d. TO TASTE, PRESENT PARTICIPLE: TASTING
e. TO SPEAK, PRESENT PARTICIPLE: SPEAKING

 

Singular	Singular	Plural	Plural
I	WAS TOUCHING	WE	WERE TOUCHING
YOU	WERE TOUCHING	YOU	WERE TOUCHING
HE	WAS TOUCHING	THEY	WERE TOUCHING
SHE	WAS TOUCHING
IT	WAS TOUCHING
Singular nouns	WAS TOUCHING	Plural nouns	WERE TOUCHING

Sample sentences:

I was feeling happy today. She was feeling sad today.

They were feeling the warm sun.

They were hearing the birds singing. She was hearing the birds singing.

He was speaking Russian. She was speaking English. We all were speaking English.

I was touching my chin. He was touching his chin. She was touching her chin.

8. TO PUT (INFINITIVE) PRESENT PARTICIPLE: PUTTING
a. To PLACE b. To INVEST c. To GIVE

 

Singular	Singular	Plural	Plural
I	WAS PUTTING	WE	WERE PUTTING
YOU	WERE PUTTING	YOU	WERE PUTTING
HE	WAS PUTTING	THEY	WERE PUTTING
SHE	WAS PUTTING
IT	WAS PUTTING
Singular nouns	WAS PUTTING	Plural nouns	WERE PUTTING

Sample sentences:

He was putting the car in the garage when it started to snow. The children were putting away the toys when I came home.

9. TO GIVE (INFINITIVE) PRESENT PARTICIPLE: GIVING
a. PROVIDE

 

Singular	Singular	Plural	Plural
I	WAS GIVING	WE	WERE GIVING
YOU	WERE GIVING	YOU	WERE GIVING
HE	WAS GIVING	THEY	WERE GIVING
SHE	WAS GIVING
IT	WAS GIVING
Singular nouns	WAS GIVING	Plural nouns	WERE GIVING

Sample sentences:

He was giving her a kiss when I walked in. The children were giving us gifts when the telephone rang.

10. TO GET (INFINITIVE) PRESENT PARTICIPLE: GETTING
a. HOLD
b. BUY
c. WIN
d. CARRY
e. UNDERSTAND

 

Singular	Singular	Plural	Plural
I	WAS GETTING	WE	WERE GETTING
YOU	WERE GETTING	YOU	WERE GETTING
HE	WAS GETTING	THEY	WERE GETTING
SHE	WAS GETTING
IT	WAS GETTING
Singular nouns	WAS GETTING	Plural nouns	WERE GETTING

Sample sentences:

You were getting hungry, so I brought us lunch. We were getting tired, so we took a nap.
All of us were getting thirsty, so we went for a drink.

Basic Grammar Review  

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