Year 6 · SPaG · Autumn: Verbs and tenses
Year 6 present tense worksheet and PowerPoint
To recognise and use the simple present, the present progressive and the present perfect.
The present tense forms
A verb changes its form to show when something happens. There are three present forms. Each uses a different pattern.
| simple present | the base verb (add s for he, she, it): the baker carries a bag |
|---|---|
| present progressive | is / are + the -ing form: the baker is carrying a bag |
| present perfect | has / have + the past participle: the baker has carried a bag |
Examples
- The farmer opens the gate.
- The farmer is opening the gate.
- The farmer has opened the gate.
Key words
- tense
- the form of a verb that shows when something happens
- simple present
- happens regularly or is true now
- progressive
- is happening now, using the -ing form
- perfect
- links the past to now, using has or have
- past participle
- the verb form used after has, have and had
What is on the worksheet
Every sheet for this lesson has a short teaching box and 12 questions that get gradually harder: 8 fluency questions, then 4 reasoning questions that ask pupils to explain or choose. A writing challenge follows. The questions use the same styles as the key stage 2 grammar and punctuation test (circle, underline, tick, fill the gap, add punctuation, rewrite, explain). They are written for this website, not copied from past papers.
All the answers are on the last page of the same editable Word file. New questions are made every time, so you can print a different sheet for every group or for homework. The same sheet code always gives the same sheet.
Writing challenge: Write six sentences about what is happening in your classroom right now. Use the simple present, the present progressive and the present perfect twice each. Underline the verbs.
Pupil target: I can recognise and use the present tense forms.
The PowerPoint
A 20-slide lesson deck for the same lesson: a starter that revisits earlier learning, key words, an I do and a You do question on each slide with a countdown timer, answers that appear one click at a time, and a challenge. Download the present tense PowerPoint.
Where this lesson fits
This is lesson 15 of 72 in the Year 6 SPaG scheme, in the Autumn term, block “Verbs and tenses”. It is taught before the SATs grammar test in May.
Other lessons in this block
- Past tense
- Keeping the tense the same
- Was and were in Standard English
- Recognising the subjunctive
- Using the subjunctive
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