Use Progressive Verb Tenses - 4th Grade Writing

1. Which verb form correctly completes the sentence: Next week, Chen ___ (make) a poster for the whole class?
   Answer: will be making The words "Next week" tell you the action has not started yet and will be happening in the future, so you need the future progressive form. Future progressive uses "will be" plus a verb ending in -ing, so "will be making" is correct. "Was making yesterday" is past progressive; the word "yesterday" and "was" both point to the past, which does not match "Next week." "Is making right now" is present progressive; "is" and "right now" show something happening at this moment, not next week. "Will make it soon" does point to the future, but "will make" is simple future, not progressive—it is missing the "be" and the -ing ending that show an action in progress. Only "will be making" matches both the future time and the ongoing, in-progress meaning the sentence needs.
2. Complete the sentence using the correct form of the verb sit: "Yesterday at recess, they ___ on the bench."
   Answer: were sitting The word "Yesterday" tells us the action already happened, so we need a past progressive form. Because the subject is "they," we use "were sitting" to match a plural subject in the past. "Are sitting" is present progressive, so it shows something happening now instead of yesterday. "Was sitting" is past progressive but only matches a singular subject like "he" or "she," not "they." "Will be sitting" is future progressive, so it points to something that has not happened yet, which does not fit "yesterday." That is why "were sitting" is the only correct choice.
3. Which verb form matches yesterday at 6 p.m.: Jamal ___ (eat) dinner?
   Answer: was eating The words 'yesterday at 6 p.m.' tell you the action happened in the past and was going on at that moment. That is past progressive, which uses a past helping verb plus a verb ending in -ing. Since Jamal is one person (he), you need 'was' with 'eating,' so 'was eating' is correct. 'Were eating' also uses the -ing form and the past, but 'were' is for plural subjects like 'they,' not for one person like Jamal. 'Is eating' uses -ing too, but 'is' is present tense, so it shows something happening now, not yesterday. 'Has eaten' shows a finished action, and it does not use the -ing progressive form that describes an action in progress at 6 p.m. yesterday. Remember: match your helping verb to both the time (yesterday = past) and the subject (Jamal = was).
4. Complete the sentence: Right now, Jamal ___ (write) a story in class.
   Answer: is writing The words "Right now" tell you the action is happening at this very moment, so you need the present progressive tense. Present progressive uses a helping verb (am, is, are) plus the -ing form of the verb. Because Jamal is one person (he), the correct helping verb is "is," giving you "is writing." The choice "was writing" is past progressive, which shows something that was happening earlier, not right now. The choice "will be writing" is future progressive, which shows something that will happen later, so it does not match "Right now." The choice "writes" is simple present tense, which tells about something Jamal usually does, not an action in progress at this moment. Only "is writing" shows the action happening right now.
5. Complete the sentence: Last night, Keisha and Maya ___ (study) for the test.
   Answer: were studying Were studying correctly matches the plural subject Keisha and Maya and shows an action happening in the past. Was studying is singular, so it does not match two people. Are studying is present tense, which does not match last night. Studied is also past tense but does not show the ongoing action that were studying shows.
6. Complete the sentence: Right now, Sofia ___ (read) her science book.​
   Answer: is reading This question tests CCSS.L.4.1.b: forming and using progressive verb tenses (I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking). Students must form the correct progressive tense based on time context. Progressive tenses show actions that are in progress or ongoing. Present progressive (am/is/are + verb-ing) shows action happening right now. Past progressive (was/were + verb-ing) shows action that was happening at a specific time in the past. Future progressive (will be + verb-ing) shows action that will be happening at a specific time in the future. To form progressive tenses: use helping verb (am/is/are/was/were/will be) + verb with -ing ending. In this sentence, the time indicator is 'right now,' which tells us this is present progressive. The subject is 'Sofia' (singular, third person), so we need the helping verb 'is,' and the action is 'read,' which becomes 'reading.' Choice C is correct because 'is reading' uses the proper present progressive form. It has the correct helping verb 'is' that matches the subject 'Sofia,' plus the -ing form of the verb 'reading.' This matches the time context 'right now' which requires present progressive. Choice A represents a wrong tense error, which occurs when students don't match tense to time context; 'was reading' doesn't work for 'right now' because 'was' is past, not present. To help students: Teach time indicators - 'now/right now' = present progressive (am/is/are + verb-ing), 'yesterday/last week' = past progressive (was/were + verb-ing), 'tomorrow/next week' = future progressive (will be + verb-ing). Practice forming -ing correctly: usually add -ing (walk→walking), drop silent e first (make→making, write→writing), double final consonant for CVC words (run→running, sit→sitting, swim→swimming). Emphasize helping verb + verb-ing pattern. Watch for: forgetting helping verb ('I walking' incomplete), wrong helping verb for subject ('She am reading' - should be 'is'), using simple tense when progressive needed ('I walk' instead of 'I am walking'), misspelling -ing forms (forgetting to double consonant or drop e), mixing tenses ('Yesterday I am walking' - past time needs 'was'). Use hand motions showing ongoing action to reinforce progressive meaning.
7. Which verb form correctly completes the sentence? "Sofia _____ her book report at this very moment."
   Answer: is writing The sentence describes an action Sofia is doing as it happens, so it needs the present progressive form is writing, which pairs the present helping verb with the -ing word. The choice was writing uses a past helping verb, so it shows an action that already happened, not one going on now. The choice writes is simple present, which describes something Sofia does regularly or as a fact, not an action in progress. The choice will be writing uses will, which points to something she has not started yet in the future. Only is writing shows an action happening in the present as it unfolds.
8. Change to past progressive: Yesterday, Marcus runs in the park.
   Answer: Marcus was running The word "Yesterday" tells you the action happened in the past, so you need the past progressive tense. To build it, use the helping verb was or were plus the -ing form of the verb. Because Marcus is one person (singular), you use was, and run becomes running. That makes "Marcus was running" the correct answer. "Marcus is running" uses is, which is present progressive and means the action is happening right now, not yesterday. "Marcus was run" starts with the right helping verb was, but it keeps the plain form run instead of the -ing form running, so it is not a complete progressive verb. "Marcus were running" has the -ing form correct, but were is used with plural subjects like they or we; a single person like Marcus needs was. Remember: I/he/she/it use WAS, and you/we/they use WERE, always followed by the -ing form.
9. Complete the sentence: Last night, Keisha ___ (make) a card for her friend.
   Answer: was making The clue last night tells you the action happened in the past and was going on for a while, so was making is the best choice. Is making is present progressive, showing something happening right now, which does not fit an event from last night. Makes is simple present, used for things that happen regularly or right now, not for a past action. Will be making is future progressive, showing something that has not happened yet, so it cannot match last night either. Only was making shows an action that was happening in the past.
10. Complete the sentence: Tomorrow at noon, we ___ (eat) lunch at school.
    Answer: will be eating This question tests CCSS.L.4.1.b: forming and using progressive verb tenses (I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking). Students must form the correct progressive tense based on time context. Progressive tenses show actions that are in progress or ongoing. Present progressive (am/is/are + verb-ing) shows action happening RIGHT NOW. Past progressive (was/were + verb-ing) shows action that WAS happening at a specific time in the past. Future progressive (will be + verb-ing) shows action that WILL BE happening at a specific time in the future. In this sentence, the time indicator is 'Tomorrow at noon,' which tells us this is future progressive. The subject is 'we,' so we need 'will be,' and the action is 'eat,' which becomes 'eating.' Choice A 'will be eating' is correct because it uses the proper future progressive form. It has the correct helping verb combination 'will be' (same for all subjects in future progressive), plus the -ing form of the verb 'eating.' This matches the time context 'Tomorrow at noon' which requires future progressive to show ongoing action in the future. Choice B 'are eating' represents using present progressive instead of future, which occurs when students don't match tense to time context. 'Are eating' would mean happening now, not tomorrow. To help students: Teach time indicators - 'tomorrow/next week/later' = future progressive (will be + verb-ing). Note that future progressive always uses 'will be' regardless of subject (I/you/he/she/it/we/they will be). Practice recognizing future time words that signal future progressive. Watch for: using present progressive for future time ('are eating' for tomorrow), using past progressive for future ('were eating'), forgetting 'be' in future progressive ('will eating' - incomplete), using simple future instead of progressive ('will eat' vs. 'will be eating').
11. Complete the sentence: Right now, Sofia ___ (write) her name on the paper.
    Answer: is writing The words "Right now" tell you the action is happening at this very moment, so you need the present progressive tense. Present progressive uses a helping verb (am, is, are) plus a verb ending in -ing. Since Sofia is one person, the matching helping verb is "is," giving you "is writing." This is the best answer because it shows the action is going on right now. "Was writing" is past progressive, which shows something that was happening earlier, not right now. "Will be writing" is future progressive, which shows something that will happen later, so it does not fit "Right now" either. "Writes" is simple present tense; it tells about something Sofia does regularly or as a habit, but it does not show an action in progress at this moment. Remember: to show an action happening right now, use the present progressive with "am," "is," or "are" plus the -ing form of the verb.
12. Complete the sentence: At this moment, Yuki ___ (come) to the library.
    Answer: is coming The words "at this moment" tell you the action is happening right now, so you need the present progressive tense. To make it, use the helping verb "is" (because Yuki is one person, like she) plus the -ing form of come, which is "coming." That is why "is coming" is the best answer. "Comes" is the simple present tense. It can show a habit or a fact, but it does not show an action happening right now at this moment. "Was coming" is the past progressive tense. The helping verb "was" tells about something that was happening earlier, not something happening now. "Will be coming" is the future progressive tense. The words "will be" point to something that has not happened yet, so it does not match "at this moment." Remember: time words help you choose. "Now" or "at this moment" needs the present progressive (am/is/are + verb-ing), "yesterday" needs the past progressive (was/were + verb-ing), and "tomorrow" needs the future progressive (will be + verb-ing). Also, drop the silent e before adding -ing, so come becomes coming, not comeing.
13. Complete the sentence: This time tomorrow, Emma ___ (walk) to school.
    Answer: will be walking This question tests CCSS.L.4.1.b: forming and using progressive verb tenses (I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking). Students must form the correct progressive tense based on time context. Progressive tenses show actions that are in progress or ongoing. Present progressive (am/is/are + verb-ing) shows action happening RIGHT NOW. Past progressive (was/were + verb-ing) shows action that WAS happening at a specific time in the past. Future progressive (will be + verb-ing) shows action that WILL BE happening at a specific time in the future. To form progressive tenses: use helping verb (am/is/are/was/were/will be) + verb with -ing ending. In this sentence, the time indicator is this time tomorrow, which tells us this is future progressive. The subject is Emma (she), so we need the helping verb will be, and the action is walk, which becomes walking. Choice B is correct because 'will be walking' uses the proper future progressive form. It has the correct helping verb will be that matches the subject Emma, plus the -ing form of the verb walking. This matches the time context this time tomorrow which requires future progressive. Choice A represents wrong tense, which occurs when students confuse present and future progressive. 'is walking' is present progressive, which doesn't fully capture the future ongoing action with will be. To help students: Teach time indicators - 'now/right now' = present progressive (am/is/are + verb-ing), 'yesterday/last week' = past progressive (was/were + verb-ing), 'tomorrow/next week' = future progressive (will be + verb-ing). Practice forming -ing correctly: usually add -ing (walk→walking), drop silent e first (make→making, write→writing), double final consonant for CVC words (run→running, sit→sitting, swim→swimming). Emphasize helping verb + verb-ing pattern. Watch for: forgetting helping verb ('I walking' incomplete), wrong helping verb for subject ('She am reading' - should be 'is'), using simple tense when progressive needed ('I walk' instead of 'I am walking'), misspelling -ing forms (forgetting to double consonant or drop e), mixing tenses ('Yesterday I am walking' - past time needs 'was'). Use hand motions showing ongoing action to reinforce progressive meaning.
14. Which verb form completes the sentence? Yesterday at 4:00, Emma ___ (run) outside.
    Answer: was running Was running is correct because it shows an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past. Is running is present tense and does not match yesterday. Ran is simple past and suggests the action was already finished, not ongoing at 4:00. Will run is future tense and cannot describe something that already happened.
15. Complete the sentence: This time tomorrow, Amir ___ (come) home from practice.
    Answer: will be coming The words "This time tomorrow" point to something happening at a future moment, so you need the future progressive: "will be" plus the -ing form of the verb. That makes "will be coming" the correct choice — it shows an action that will be in progress tomorrow. Notice that come drops its silent e before adding -ing, so it is spelled "coming." The choice "is coming" is present progressive, showing something happening now, not tomorrow. The choice "was coming" is past progressive, showing something that was happening in the past, which does not match a future time word. The choice "has been coming" describes an action that started earlier and has kept going up to now, so it also points to the past and present, not to tomorrow. Only "will be coming" matches the future time signal "This time tomorrow."
16. How should the verb be written in past progressive? Yesterday at 6, Keisha ___ (stop) at the corner when she saw her friend.
    Answer: was stopping "Was stopping" is the past progressive: it uses "was" plus a verb ending in -ing to show an action already happening at a moment in the past, which fits 6 o'clock yesterday. "Stopped" is simple past, showing an action that already finished, not one in progress. "Had stopped" is past perfect, showing an action completed before another past event, so it does not describe the moment as it was happening. "Would stop" points to a repeated habit or something expected to happen later, not an action in progress at that exact time. Only "was stopping" shows the ongoing action the sentence needs.
17. Complete the sentence using the correct form of the verb make: "Last night, Carlos ___ a model for science."
    Answer: made This sentence is all about matching your verb to the right time, or tense. When something already happened and is finished, we use the past tense. Look for a clue word that tells you when. In this sentence, the words "Last night" tell you that this action is over and done—it happened yesterday, not right now. So you need a verb that shows the past. The word "made" is the past tense of "make," and it fits perfectly: "Last night, Carlos made a model for science." That means he finished building it. Try this: cover the verb and read "Last night, Carlos ___." Then ask yourself, "Is this happening now or already over?" Since it's over, pick the past-tense word. Quick practice: "Yesterday, I ___ (eat) lunch." Since it's yesterday, you'd say "ate." You've got this!
18. Complete the sentence: Right now, Sofia ___ (read) her science book.
    Answer: is reading it very carefully The words 'right now' tell you the action is happening at this very moment, so you need the present progressive tense. Present progressive uses a helping verb (am, is, are) plus a verb ending in -ing. Because Sofia is one person, the helping verb must be 'is,' which gives you 'is reading' — the choice that shows an action in progress right now. 'Was reading it earlier today' uses past progressive, which shows an action that was happening before now, not at this moment. 'Reads it every single night' is simple present, which describes something done as a habit, not something happening right now. 'Will be reading it tomorrow morning' is future progressive, which shows an action that will happen later, not right now. Only 'is reading' matches the time clue 'right now.'
19. Which word or phrase correctly completes the sentence using a form of the verb swim? Next week, we ___ at camp.
    Answer: will be swimming The phrase Next week signals something that has not happened yet, so the sentence needs a future tense verb. Will be swimming correctly shows an action that will be happening at a future time. Were swimming and are swimming describe the past or present, not the future, and swim alone does not match the ongoing action the sentence describes.
20. Complete the sentence: At this moment, the students ___ (study) for the quiz.
    Answer: are studying This question tests CCSS.L.4.1.b: forming and using progressive verb tenses (I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking). Students must form the correct progressive tense based on time context. Progressive tenses show actions that are in progress or ongoing. Present progressive (am/is/are + verb-ing) shows action happening RIGHT NOW. To form present progressive: use helping verb (am/is/are) + verb with -ing ending. The helping verb must agree with the subject. In this sentence, the time indicator is 'At this moment,' which tells us this is present progressive. The subject is 'the students' (plural), so we need the helping verb 'are,' and the action is 'study,' which becomes 'studying.' Choice A 'are studying' is correct because it uses the proper present progressive form. It has the correct helping verb 'are' that matches the plural subject 'the students,' plus the -ing form of the verb 'studying.' This matches the time context 'At this moment' which requires present progressive. Choice B 'is studying' represents subject-verb agreement error, which occurs when students don't match the helping verb to a plural subject. 'Is' is for singular subjects, but 'the students' is plural and needs 'are.' To help students: Teach subject-verb agreement for present progressive - I am, you are, he/she/it is, we/they are + verb-ing. Emphasize that plural subjects like 'students' always take 'are.' Practice identifying singular vs. plural subjects. Watch for: wrong helping verb for plural subjects ('students is' should be 'are'), using simple present ('study') when ongoing action is needed, or past tense ('studied') when present time is indicated.

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