Introduction to present progressive from traditional perspective

1. CTE Grammar for ESL Teachers
Present Simple
Leo Schmitt
New School

2. Did you find any especially helpful
texts or websites?
• See handout
• http://www.usingenglish.com/handouts/155.
html
• http://busyteacher.org/3715-how-to-teach-
the-present-continuous-tense.html

3. NAME:
• What is the name of the grammatical
structure? Does it have any others? If so,
which is the most helpful name for students?
• Present Progressive/Present Continuous

4. FORM:
• How is the structure formed? What is a
pattern students can follow to make it
themselves? Include patterns for questions
and negatives.
• Subject + Inflected Be + Verb in –ing form
• Subject + am/is/are + Verb +ing
– I am walking
– You are studying

5. FORM
• Negative
• Subject + Inflected Be + NOT + Verb in –ing
form
• Subject + am/is/are + NOT + Verb + ing
– I am not walking
– You are not studying

6. FORM
• Questions
• Inversion of auxiliary and subject
• Inflected Be + Subject+ Verb in –ing form
• Am/is/are + Subject + Verb +ing
– Am I walking
– Are you studying

7. PRONUNCIATION:
• What are the pronunciationpoints related to
the structure and how do you plan to teach
them?
• Stress falls on the main verb, (almost) never
on the –ing. Auxiliary verb ‘to be’ is
unstressed.
• -ing pronunciation (descriptive vs. prescriptive
question) /ın/ vs. /ıƞ/

8. USAGE:
• Why do we have this form? When do we use it?
What meaning does it imply?
• To express something that is happening at this
precise moment.
– We are studying the present progressive right now.
• To express something that is happening in this
general time period, but not exactly now. It is of a
limited duration.
– Beyonce is playing in New York this week.

9. USAGE:
• A plan for the future:
– I am traveling to India next summer.
• With ‘always’ or ‘constantly’ indicating often
or a (often bad) habit.
– She’s always slamming the door.

10. CONTEXT:
• What would be an appropriate and interesting context
you could use to present this structure? (Hint: go back
to usage and think of typical examples).
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-5zlj49ugk
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqs5gkyH930
• Describing a process or an event (compare this with
the narrative using the simple present).
– He is opens the box and pours out the parts.
– He is opening the box. Now he is pouring out the parts.

11. RELATED STRUCTURES:
• Are there any structures that are usually taught
together with this one? Or essential vocabulary
for the new usage?
• This structure is usually taught in conjunction
with the simple present.
– I live in New York vs. I am living in New York.
• This allows the students to better understand the
temporary status of the present progressive
compared to the more permanent simple
present.

12. EXCEPTIONS:
• Are there uses of this structure that vary?
• There are English variants, such as the use of
the base form ‘be’ instead of the inflected
form in some dialects. Students who may hear
these variants should be aware (prescriptive
vs descriptive issue).

13. UNTEACHABLE CHUNKS:
• Are there any aspects of the usage that seem too
advanced or confusing for your class? Any aspects
you might want to save for a higher level or omit
altogether?
• The future use may be confusing when ‘will’ and
‘going to’ are often used. It may be better to
introduce that at intermediate or higher level.
• The habitual use (You’re always complaining
about that) is not that common and can probably
wait until a more advanced level.

14. FREE ACTIVITY:
• How can you get your students to practice this
structure in an uncontrolled (i.e. not teacher-
centered) activity?
• In groups of three or four, have one student act
out a series of actions. The other students should
then try to guess what action the student is
undertaking. The teacher can prime this with
suggestions and then allow students to
improvise.
• Ask students to look at a picture, preferably one
with a lot of action in it.

17. STUDENT ERRORS:
• What are the errors that students learning this
structure typically make? What would be
some concept questions that would clarify
these errors?
• Some language groups will use stative verbs in
the progressive.
– I am wanting to say.
• Is this a verb that often appears in the
progressive?

18. • Using the base form instead of the –ing form.
– I am go there now.
• Do we use the base form with ‘to be’?
• Using the simple when the present is closer in
meaning.
– I live in New York. I study at the New School
• Do you plan to live here indefinitely?