Green Level

Lesson Nineteen

Continuous Verbs: Passive and Active

What’s the difference between these two sentences?

The first sentence is in the passive voice and in the present perfect tense. The second sentence is in the present perfect continuous tense. The "ing" ending makes it continuous.

Look at the difference:

1. She has been given flowers. (passive & present perfect)

gives

flowers

the girl

2. She has been giving flowers. (active & present perfect continuous)

gives flowers to

someone

What a big difference!

If you are confused, you should review the yellow and green levels before you continue in the purple and orange levels.

In the pictures below, notice the words with the "ing" endings. Those are the main verbs in continuous forms.

He’s sitting on the ground.

The baby was crying until his mother picked him up.

We will be having a birthday party tomorrow for our daughter who turns three.

They have been working for about two hours this morning.

This little penguin had been living in Antarctica before he was moved to the zoo where he now lives.

The house is being cleaned.

(or….The man is cleaning the house in the active voice.)

The man in the chair was being given a haircut yesterday when he got a call on his cellphone.

In the next lesson, you will review the verb "be"