So you’re teaching present progressive? As a native English speaker (if that’s what you are), you’ve been using this tense your entire life without thinking about it. “I’m eating.” “She’s working.” “They’re studying.” It feels completely natural.
But here’s the problem: just because we USE it naturally doesn’t mean we can EXPLAIN it easily.
When students ask “Why do we say ‘I am eating’ instead of ‘I eat’?” or “What’s the difference between ‘I go’ and ‘I am going’?”, you might find yourself fumbling for an explanation. You KNOW there’s a difference. You can FEEL the difference. But articulating the actual rule? That’s harder than it should be.
This is the curse of native speaker knowledge. You’ve internalized the rules so completely that you don’t consciously think about them anymore. You just feel them. Which makes teaching them a headache, right?
What Is Present Progressive?
Present progressive mainly describes actions or events happening RIGHT NOW or actions that are temporary and ongoing. (It’s also for the future, and we’ll get to that.)
It’s formed with: am/is/are + present participle (verb-ing)
I am eating. She is working. They are studying.
It’s a simple structure with a consistent pattern, so it’s easy to memorize, right? (Right. This isn’t a trick question.)
The tricky part is understanding WHEN to use it and WHY it matters.
When Do We Use Present Progressive?
There are two main “times” we use present progressive that all grammar books mention, and then there’s ONE MORE that some neglect to go over.
1. to express actions happening right NOW
Present progressive describes what’s happening at this exact moment.
I am studying for my exams. (Right now, as I speak, I’m studying.)
She is cooking dinner. (At this moment, she’s in the kitchen cooking.)
They are watching TV. (Currently, right now, they’re watching.)
Compare this to simple present:
I study for exams. (General fact about what I do, but not necessarily happening now.)
She cooks dinner. (She has this ability or habit, but she’s not necessarily doing it now.)
They watch TV. (General statement about their habits.)
Get the difference? Present progressive is about NOW. Simple present is about general truths or habits.
2. to talk about future plans or arrangements
Present progressive can also describe plans or arrangements already made for the future.
They are going to the park later. (This is their plan, already decided.)
I am meeting my friend for coffee tomorrow. (The appointment is set.)
She is flying to New York next week. (The ticket is booked; the plan is made.)
This confuses students because they expect future tense (“will go,” “will meet,” “will fly”). But present progressive with a future time marker is extremely common for scheduled plans.
3. to complain about repeated or habitual actions (with “always”)
When you add “always” to present progressive, it expresses annoyance or frustration about repeated actions.
She is always talking during meetings. (This happens repeatedly, and it’s annoying.)
He is always leaving dishes in the sink. (This is a frustrating habit.)
My neighbor‘s always playing loud music at night. (This keeps happening, and I’m fed up.)
Without “always,” these would just be present progressive describing current actions. WITH “always,” they express exasperation about ongoing irritating behavior.
Students love learning this because it gives them a grammatically correct way to complain. Many who hate practicing grammar will practice this part with relish.
Why Students Struggle With This
Many languages don’t have a direct equivalent to English present progressive. They use simple present for everything, regardless of whether it’s happening now or generally true. Spanish speakers have an easier time because Spanish has a similar structure. But students whose first languages are Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, or many others? They’re learning a completely new concept.
They’ll say things like:
- “I eat” when they mean “I am eating right now”
- “She goes to the store” when they mean “She is going to the store right now”
These aren’t mistakes because they’re careless. These are mistakes because their brains are wired to think about time and action differently.
Your job is to help them rewire those patterns through clear explanations and tons of practice.
3 Present Progressive Teaching Tips
These three little tips will make your teaching life easier and their student life better.
Use Examples and Context
Don’t just explain the rule abstractly. Show students WHEN present progressive appears in real life.
Describe someone cooking dinner while talking on the phone. Show someone running while listening to music. Use scenarios students can visualize and relate to. I like showing clips of Mr. Bean and narrating (or having the students narrate) what is happening as it happens.
The more concrete examples you provide, the clearer the concept becomes.
Practice in Multiple Ways
Have students describe pictures using present progressive. Have them write sentences and speak in conversations. Have them listen and identify when others use it. Give them access to the present progressive task cards in your task card library. You’d be surprised at how task cards can keep them on their toes!
The more varied the practice, the better they internalize the structure.
Give Feedback and Encouragement
Students will make mistakes. Lots of them. That’s normal and expected. Encourage them to keep practicing, praise their progress, and answer their questions patiently. The students who feel supported are the ones who eventually master it.
Now let’s get to actual activities you can use in class.
Four Present Progressive Activities for Adult ESL
I’m always harping on about how worksheets and task cards definitely have their place, and that’s because THEY DO. And it’s not just we teachers who know…adult students know. These formats just really help students get the mechanics down. But here’s the thing (there’s always a thing): activities get your students using present progressive in the moment. They’re reacting and thinking on their feet in ways that filling in blanks just can’t replicate, and that’s when a different kind of learning happens.
1. What’s Happening?
This one gets students up and moving while practicing present progressive.
Preparation: Find or create pictures of people or animals doing various activities. Include some everyday actions (cooking, reading, exercising) and some unusual ones (breakdancing, juggling chainsaws, inventing a time machine). If you’re artistic (my students have always assured me I’m not), you could even draw pictures.
How to run it:
- Hang pictures around the room.
- Divide students into small groups.
- Give each group sentence stems: “He is…”, “She is…”, “They are…”
- Groups move around the room, completing sentences using present progressive to describe what’s happening in each picture.
Differentiation:
- Lower-level learners: Provide a vocabulary list they can use. Pre-teach key phrases related to activities in the pictures.
- Higher-level learners: Challenge them to create more complex sentences or use advanced vocabulary. Have them ask and answer questions about activities using present progressive.
Try creating a contest for a particularly odd picture. With a picture of someone standing on one leg while holding a potted plant, your students might come up with sentences like: “He is practicing yoga with his favorite plant.” “He is teaching balance skills to gardeners.” Creativity makes grammar practice memorable.
2. Guess What I’m Doing
This is like charades but less intimidating for shy students.
How to run it:
- Students sit in a circle.
- Student A announces: “I’m doing something that starts with the letter T” (or any letter).
- Other students guess: “Are you training?” “Are you taking a nap?”
- Student A can either only respond: “Yes, I am” or “No, I’m not.” OR….to make it more difficult, they must respond including the main verb. “No, I’m not training.” “No, I’m not taking a nap.”
- Whoever guesses correctly goes next.
Differentiation:
- Lower-level learners: Provide a list of possible activities to choose from. Give sentence stems for describing activities.
- Higher-level learners: Challenge them to use complex or abstract activities. Encourage them to ask follow-up questions using present progressive.
This works well because students who hate performing in front of the class can participate without acting anything out. The focus is on language, not theatrics.
3. Present Progressive Scavenger Hunt
This gets students physically moving and speaking while practicing present progressive. Warning: it’s fun but intense. They get the fun, but you’ll be run a bit ragged trying to keep up with everything. Don’t attempt this if you’re having a low energy day.
How to run it:
- Create lists of items students need to find around the classroom (pencil, book, red object, something soft, etc.).
- Divide students into pairs or small groups.
- Give each group a different list.
- As they search for items, they must describe what they’re doing using present progressive: “We’re looking for a pencil under the desk.” “We’re searching for something red in the supply closet.”
- Award points for the number of correct present progressive sentences used.
Differentiation:
- Lower-level learners: Provide a list of possible actions to use when describing their search. Give sentence stems.
- Higher-level learners: Challenge them to find more abstract items. Have them use advanced vocabulary. Encourage questions about each other’s searches using present progressive.
The movement makes this activity engaging, and the constant narration forces repeated practice with the target structure.
4. Present Progressive Stories
This one ramps up creativity while providing structured practice.
How to run it:
- Divide students into pairs or small groups.
- Give each group cards with various actions written on them: cooking, singing, dancing, flying, crying, laughing, building, destroying, etc.
- Groups create a story using present progressive and the actions on their cards.
- Encourage creativity. The wackier the story, the better.
- Groups share their stories with the class.
Differentiation:
- Lower-level learners: Provide a list of possible actions. Give sentence stems. Provide a story outline to follow.
- Higher-level learners: Challenge them to include complex or abstract actions. Use advanced vocabulary. Have them ask and answer questions about each other’s stories using present progressive.
Pro tip: Give students a nutty example story featuring yourself first. “I am cooking breakfast while I am singing opera off-key. My cat is attacking my ankles while I am flipping pancakes. The pancakes are flying through the air while my neighbor is calling to complain about the noise.”
Students love when teachers poke fun at themselves, and it shows them how creative and silly they can be while still using correct grammar. If you let yourself be ridiculous, you give them permission to be ridiculous, and that takes off pressure to be perfect.
The Bottom Line
Present progressive is one of the most useful tenses in English because we use it constantly. Every single day…multiple times an hour even. I’ll use it when talking to myself…like when I’ve just entered a room, which disables my brain, causing me to ask, “What am I doing here?” (Not just me, right?)
Remember that the goal isn’t memorizing a grammar rule. It’s for your students to use English to talk about their lives in real time.
That’s it from me. See you in the next post!
Want some ready-to-go present progressive teaching resources you can use TODAY with your adult ESL students?
These are available in my TpT store:
grammar guide & worksheets . . . | | | . . . task cards . . . | | | . . . activity
Keep reading more about teaching adult ESL grammar!
4 Fun Past Progressive Activities for Teaching Adult ESL Students
Teaching Future Progressive…Because Simple Future Isn’t Enough
7 Fun Activities for Opposite Adjectives
Your Grammar Class Is Too Quiet: Here’s How to Fix It Without Blowing Up Your Schedule
