A selection of English ESL present continuous (progressive) tense printables with picture description, speaking practice

This printable ESL / EFL worksheet practises picture description and reading comprehension through a lively Halloween trick-or-treating scene. Students study the detailed illustration and decide whether each of the 12 statements is TRUE or FALSE.

The main language goal is to understand simple descriptions of people, actions, objects and locations in a picture. The worksheet practises Present Continuous forms such as 'is carrying', 'is wearing', 'is sitting' and 'are giving', as well as the verb 'to be', 'there is / there are', singular and plural structures, and basic descriptive sentences. It also develops Halloween-related vocabulary, including costumes, trick-or-treating, candy, pumpkins, witches, mummies, skeletons, ghosts and other seasonal words.

The worksheet is designed for A2–B1 learners, especially children and young teens aged approximately 6–14. The detailed picture encourages careful observation and makes the activity suitable for individual work, pair work, classroom discussion or revision.

An interactive quiz is also available to complement the printable worksheet. In the digital version, students look at the same scene, read each statement and press the correct TRUE or FALSE option to submit their answer.

Page 2 contains a printable answer sheet.

Halloween Picture Description - True or False + KEY

ESL / EFL printable and interactive quiz. Unruly class goes to Paris for a class trip. Their teacher isn't exactly happy about this disorderly scene in the picture. In the interactive quiz version of this worksheet, students need to drag and drop each activity label to the right pupil.  

I deliberately did not use the most basic wording possibly. Instead I tried to make the right answers less obvious when I could, e.g. "creating huge crayon street art" instead of "drawing a big butterfly" or or "giving a gift" instead of "giving a flower" to make it a more  meaningful task for pre-intermediate learners, too. Nonetheless, with pre-teaching or a bit of scaffolding, I think, you can use this with elementary level learners, as well.

Page 2 has the solutions.

Unruly Class In Paris - Drag 'n Drop With Present Continuous

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Two pictures, to which I have added extra differences. Students have to read the sentences and decide if they are describing A, B or both. Then they can single out the differences. A full key is included. A classic ESL task.

Spot The Differences - Picture A, Picture B or Both A & B

This ESL/EFL printable worksheet and corresponding interactive quiz is based on a  great crazy picture, with lots of things going on which are just not right! The task is for the students to match up the sentence parts. In the interactive quiz students need to drag and drop the items in the right column. Key included. Hopefully this will provide a bit of fun and make them laugh. 

Crazy picture for present continuous tense pairing game

A busy picture beside a lake, with exercises. Put the verbs into the present continuous tense, then match up number and person. Some supplementary exercises on page 2. 

Picture Study - What Are They Doing - Complete The Sentences

An ESL / EFL printable and interactive quiz. Students decide if each statement is true or false or if there  not enough visual information in the picture to decide. 

Unruly class goes to Paris for a class trip. The teacher is yet again up against some naughty behaviors on the streets of Paris. In the interactive quiz version of this worksheet, students need to click on the right option: TRUE, FALSE, WDK (We don't know).  

I think the language used makes this activity best fitted for pre-intermediate learners, but with pre-teaching vocabulary and some oral scaffolding) I think you may try using this with elementary level learners. The featured tenses are mostly present continuous and two instances of the present simple.

Since there are multiple talents featured in this scene (balancing, juggling, drawing, climbing), you could follow up with talking about talents.

Page 2 has the solutions.

Unruly Class In Paris - True or False or We Don't Know - Present Continuous

They read the sentences and decide which picture is intended. Then they answer the questions. Also, a  small word search for early finishers. I include the key to the word search. 

Party Time!

This EFL / ESL printable worksheet and interactive quiz is based on a picture in which there are people doing a variety of actions in an urban scene. Students have to describe what are they doing. In the interactive quiz version they will type their answers in open-ended boxes, which means their answers are not going to be corrected and marked, they will just be shown an example solution.

Describe What The People Are Doing - Present Continuous

This is a very simple exercise on Present Continuous made for Beginners - kindergarteners or from the first years of Elementary School. The kids are supposed to complete, using the verbs in the Present Continuous. (They can also color the pictures)



What Are The Smurfs Doing - Present Continuous Tense

In this ESL / EFL printable worksheet and corresponding interactive quiz we see a community place with a bunch of people hanging out and involved in a variety of activities. Students need to say in the present continuous tense what each of them are doing.

In the interactive quiz version students will type their answers into open-eded boxes, which means their answers are not going to be corrected and marked, they will just be shown an example solution.

Present Continuous Practice Through Picture Description

2 pages, focus present continuous.  Review the meaning of the verbs before beginning the exercise. Then use the verbs in a sentence with the class. For early learners.

At The Seaside - What Are They Doing

Picture description

Present continuous (progressive) tense

Culture, intercultural communication, cross-cultural communication

Adjectives to describe feelings, emotions

Adjectives to describe personality and character

Adjectives: Gradable / Non-gradable adjectives

Articles: Definite or indefinite article (a, an or the)

BE + infinitive structures (e.g. he was to become famous)

Clauses of contrast (e.g.  although, while)

Clauses of purpose (e.g. in order to, so that, so as to)

Clauses of reason (e.g. because, because of, due to, as, since)

Cleft sentences (e.g. It's Joey we're looking for)

Comparison: Comparative adjectives and structures

Comparison: Superlative adjectives and structures

Conditional 2 (second conditional) - would

Conditionals: Conditional phrases (e.g. unless, provided that, as long as)

Conjunctions (aka connectives, e.g. and, but, or, so, then)

Contractions (shortened forms, e.g. don't, aren't, etc.)

Determiners (words that can come before nouns)

Formal and informal English (politeness or colloquial language)

Future perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Future perfect simple and continuous (progressive) tense

Future phrases (e.g. be about to, bound to, likely to, due to, set to + INF)

Homonyms (two words with the same pronunciation - homophones and homographs)

It as preparatory subject (e.g. it's raining, it's nice of you to)

Linking verbs (aka copulas, e.g. I am a student)

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Nouns: Collective nouns (team, class, family, committee)

Nouns: Proper nouns (names of people, cities, companies)

Oxymorons (phrases with words of contradictory meaning, e.g. living dead)

Participles: Past participle (e.g. HAVING DONE)

Participles: Present participle (e.g. DOING)

Parts of Speech (aka word classes, e.g. nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs)

Past perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Phonetics (pronunciation, IPA, phonetic symbols)

Plural nouns: regular plurals with S ending

Prefixes (e.g. A, UN, IM, DIS, MIS, EN, etc. )

Prepositions vs adverbs (e.g. before me, saw him before.)

Prepositions: Double prepositions (e.g. out of)

Prepositions: Participle prepositions (e.g. pending, concerning)

Prepositions: Phrase prepositions (e.g. by means of)

Present perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Present perfect simple or present continuous tense

Present simple tense: S for third person singular verbs

Present simple vs continuous (progressive) tense

Pronouns: EACH OTHER, ONE ANOTHER (reciprocal pronouns)

Pronouns: Possessive pronouns (e.g. my, mine)

Pronouns: Reflexive pronouns (e.g. myself, yourself))

Pronouns: SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, EVERYBODY, NO ONE, NOTHING, etc.

Pronouns: THIS, THAT, THESE, THOSE (demonstratives)

Pronouns: YOU and THEY to talk about people in general

Quantifiers (e.g. some, many, much, any, few, little)

Questions: WH questions (open-ended questions)

Reported speech: reported questions (indirect questions)

There is / there are / there was / there were / there will be, etc.

Verbs: Transitive or intransitive verbs (words that can or cannot stand with objects)

Working with Paragraphs: ordering, titling

Role play, miming, drama activity or improv game

Pictionary (picture dictionary) or picture matching

Writing an opinion essay (persuasive essay)

Learners who are Pre-A1 have just begun learning English and will first learn how to:<ul><li>Say the letters in the alphabet and numbers</li><li>Say hello, talk about names and age</li><li>Name the colors and dates, express likes and dislikes</li></ul>

Absolute beginners who have begun to learn the letters and numbers

Learners taking the A1 Elementary exam should be able to:<ul><li>Introduce themselves and ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, things he/she has, people he/she knows.</li><li>Communicate using very basic phrases as long as the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: common adjectives & adverbs of frequency, going to, how much/how many, imperatives, I'd like, 's – possessive, common prepositions of place and time, present simple & continuous, there is/are</li></ul>

A very basic tourist level, which is enough for buying food and a bus ticket

Learners taking the A2 Pre-intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand sentences and frequently used expressions (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment).</li><li>Complete tasks that are routine and exchange information about familiar matters.</li><li>Describe matters of immediate need in simple terms.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: countable/uncountable nouns, adverbs of frequency, future will/going to, much/many, present perfect, past simple, past continuous, common phrasal verbs, common modals: can/should</li></ul>

A tourist who can do basic conversations about the past, present and future

Learners taking the B1 Intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand points regarding family, work, school or leisure-related topics.</li><li>Deal with most travel situations in areas where the language is spoken.</li><li>Create simple texts on topics of personal interest.</li><li>Describe experiences, events, dreams, and ambitions, as well as opinions or plans in brief.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: question tags, intensifiers: too/enough, future tenses, past tenses, modals, conditionals, wh-questions in the past</li></ul>

Learners who can deal with both familiar and routine situations, in friendly and work contexts

Learners taking the B2 Upper-intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialization.</li><li>Interact with fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without difficulty for either party.</li><li>Produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain an opinion on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: perfect tenses, mixed conditionals, modals in the present, phrasal verbs, reported speech, wish, relative clauses</li></ul>

The level where you can be a tour guide for your foreign friends and talk about a lot of topics, even abstract ones, with ease and fluency

Learners taking the C1 Advanced exam should be able to: Express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts. Produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, using linking phrases (=words that connect ideas between sentences). Main grammar points to know: inversion, mixed conditionals, modals in the past, all passive forms, phrasal verbs (all patterns), wish/if only for regrets

Learners who can smoothly communicate in every walk of life, read long texts and write well

Learners taking the C2 Proficient exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand almost everything read or heard with ease.</li><li>Summarize information from a variety of sources into a coherent presentation.</li><li>Express themselves using precise meaning in complex scenarios.</li><li>Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations</li></ul>

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237 Present continuous (progressive) tense, Picture description, Speaking Practice English ESL worksheets pdf & doc