Here's a breakdown:
* Progressive tenses use the "be" verb (am, is, are, was, were, being, been) + the present participle (-ing form of the verb).
* They emphasize the duration of the action, implying that it's in progress and hasn't finished yet.
Examples:
* Present Progressive: "I am eating breakfast." (The action of eating is ongoing.)
* Past Progressive: "They were playing basketball." (The action of playing was ongoing in the past.)
* Future Progressive: "She will be working tomorrow." (The action of working will be ongoing in the future.)
In contrast to simple tenses:
* Simple tenses describe completed actions or states.
* Progressive tenses focus on actions that are still in progress.
Key takeaways:
* Progressive tenses describe actions happening over a period of time.
* They emphasize the ongoing nature of the action.
* They use the "be" verb + the present participle (-ing).