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Tasks: Simple vs Progressive Tenses

Person som hopper over ordet verb. Illustrasjon.
Image: Siren Halvorsen / CC BY-SA 4.0

Translate:

Translate the following sentences into English using either the progressive tenses or the simple tenses (past, present, or future). In pairs or small groups, explain your choice of verb tenses by referring to the rules from the article.

Click here if you want to translate from nynorsk

  1. Bussen kjem, du må skunde deg!

  2. Vi pleier å dra til Italia om sommaren, men i år dreg vi til Frankrike.

  3. Eg kan ikkje spele piano, men far min gir meg speletimar.

  4. Akkurat no bur eg hos bestemor mi, men til vanleg bur eg hos foreldra mine.

  5. Eg kjem til å flytte til Manchester samtidig som du flyttar til Birmingham.

  6. Han er røyrleggjar, men han arbeider ikkje nett no.

  7. Han blei angripen då han forlét møtet.

  8. Du køyrer altfor fort. Du må roe ned.

  9. Då eg kom heim, låg han på golvet og kikka i taket.

  10. Mens ho arbeidde hardt på kjøkkenet, sat mannen hennar framfor TV-en.

  11. Telefonen ringde mens eg tok eit bad.

  1. Bussen kommer, du må skynde deg.

  2. Vi pleier å dra til Italia om sommeren, men i år drar vi til Frankrike.

  3. Jeg kan ikke spille piano, men faren min gir meg spilletimer.

  4. Akkurat nå bor jeg hos bestemora mi, men vanligvis bor jeg hos foreldrene mine.

  5. Jeg kommer til å flytte til Manchester samtidig som du flytter til Birmingham.

  6. Han er rørlegger, men han arbeider ikke for øyeblikket.

  7. Han ble angrepet idet han forlot møtet.

  8. Du kjører altfor fort. Du må roe ned.

  9. Da jeg kom hjem, lå han på gulvet og kikket i taket.

  10. Mens hun arbeidet hardt på kjøkkenet, satt mannen hennes foran TV-en.

  11. Telefonen ringte mens jeg tok et bad.

Key:

  1. The bus is coming; you have to hurry.

  2. We usually go to Italy in the summer, but this year we are going to France.

  3. I don't know how to play the piano, but my father is giving me piano lessons.

  4. Right now, I'm living with my grandmother, but normally I live with my parents.

  5. I will be moving to Manchester at the same time as you will be moving to Birmingham.

  6. He's a plumber, but he's not working at the moment.

  7. He was attacked as he left the meeting.

  8. You're driving too fast. You have to slow down.

  9. When I came home, he was lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling.

  10. While she was working hard in the kitchen, her husband was sitting in front of the TV.

  11. The phone rang while I was having a bath.

Discuss:

Work together in pairs or small groups.

Below, you will find several sentence pairs using the simple and the progressive tense. All sentences (with the exception of one) are grammatically correct, but their meanings change depending on the tense that is used.

Go through the sentences and explain their difference in meaning. Refer to the rules you were given in the article. You will find the key below.

Example:

  • My car works perfectly (My car is generally reliable, it's a good car)

  • My car is working perfectly (My car is working right now but has stopped running in the past and may do so in the future)

  1. I enjoy the seaside. / I am enjoying the seaside.

  2. The man drowned. / The man was drowning.

  3. The bus stopped. / The bus was stopping.

  4. What do you read? / What are you reading?

  5. When we arrived, my mother made some fresh tea. / When we arrived, my mother was making some fresh tea.

  6. My foot hurts. / My foot is hurting.

  7. I work in an office. / I’m working in an office.

  8. I speak English. / I am speaking English.

  9. I eat cereal for breakfast every day. / I’m eating cereal for breakfast today.

  10. What do you do? / What are you doing?

  11. I read a book last night. / I was reading a book last night.

  12. I look forward to seeing you next week. / I'm looking forward to seeing you next week.

  13. I know the answer / I am knowing the answer.

Key:

  1. I like holidays by the sea in general - I may be on one at present, but that is not explicitly stated in the sentence. / I am enjoying this particular holiday by the sea.

  2. The man died. / The man was in the process of drowning (but he was saved at the last minute).

  3. The bus came to a full stop. / The bus was slowing down towards a stop.

  4. What types of books do you like to read? / What is the name of the book you are reading right now?

  5. My mother made some tea after we arrived. / My mother was already in the process of making tea when we arrived.

  6. There is no major difference in meaning between these two sentences. 'Hurt' is a word that refers to a physical feeling.

  7. The job is permanent. / The job is temporary; you might be looking for another one.

  8. I master the English language well; it’s a language I use on a regular basis. / The language I speak right now is English, but I might speak another one in a second.

  9. This is a habit I have and something I am doing every morning / This particular morning I have chosen to eat cereal.

  10. What is your job? What do you do for a living? / What are you doing right now?

  11. I read the whole book last night. / One of the things I did last night was reading. I did not necessarily finish the book.

  12. There is no major difference in meaning between these two sentences. They follow the same rule as words that refer to physical feelings.

  13. 'Know' is a stative verb which means that you cannot use the progressive form. 'I am knowing the answer' sounds very strange.



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