L.1.1.E Worksheet: Present Continuous — Grade 1 Aligned

This Grade 1 English Language Arts assessment provides a focused evaluation of the present continuous tense. Students demonstrate mastery by conjugating verbs, completing sentences with auxiliary verbs, and transforming statements into negative and interrogative forms. It is an essential tool for tracking progress during bimester evaluations or end-of-unit reviews.

At a Glance

• Grade: 1 · Subject: ELA
• Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1.E — Use verbs to convey a sense of present time
• Skill Focus: Present Continuous Tense
• Format: 3 pages · 28 problems · PDF
• Best For: Bimester assessment and grammar mastery checks
• Time: 25–35 minutes

What's Inside

The three-page document is structured as a formal 'IV Bimester Exam.' It includes a verb conjugation chart for six action verbs, a sentence completion section for subject-auxiliary agreement, and two transformation sections where students rewrite sentences into negative and question formats. The clean, professional layout ensures that young learners have sufficient space for handwriting their responses clearly.

Assessment of Mastery

This assessment provides clear evidence of student mastery across three communicative modes: affirmative, negative, and interrogative. Each task maps to the L.1.1.E standard, allowing teachers to identify if students struggle with auxiliary verb agreement or the '-ing' suffix. Scores from these 28 tasks can be entered directly into gradebooks or used to inform IEP progress notes regarding grammatical accuracy and syntax.

Common Core Standards Alignment

The primary focus is CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1.E, which requires students to use verbs to convey a sense of past, present, and future. By isolating the 'today' aspect via the present continuous, students build the foundational syntax required for descriptive writing. These standard codes can be copied directly into lesson plans, IEP goals, or district curriculum mapping tools for administrative compliance.

How to Use in the Classroom

Administer this worksheet as a summative assessment after a unit on verb tenses. During the exam, observe students' ability to maintain subject-verb agreement with 'am', 'is', and 'are'. If students omit the auxiliary verb during transformations, it indicates a need for targeted re-teaching. Expect completion within 30 minutes for Grade 1 or 2 learners. It also functions well as a diagnostic tool.

Target Audience and Differentiation

This resource is ideal for first and second-grade students, as well as English Language Learners (ELL) developing English syntax. It serves as an excellent pairing with a verb anchor chart or a descriptive reading passage. The structured format provides necessary scaffolding for students who benefit from clear task boundaries and repetitive practice patterns that reinforce core language rules.

According to the RAND AIRS 2024 report on elementary literacy, the explicit instruction of verb tenses through structured practice is a critical predictor of writing proficiency. This worksheet aligns with these findings by isolating the present continuous tense (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1.E) and requiring students to manipulate form across affirmative, negative, and interrogative structures. Research suggests that students who fluidly transition between these grammatical forms demonstrate a deeper cognitive grasp of syntax compared to those who only practice recognition. By providing 28 targeted tasks, this resource facilitates the high-frequency repetition necessary for linguistic encoding. Teachers can utilize the results as a high-leverage data point for formative feedback or summative grading. This balanced approach ensures that learners are not just memorizing rules but are actively applying them to construct meaning, as emphasized in recent EdReports 2024 curriculum evaluations for primary ELA materials.