• The Present Perfect Progressive is the form of verb that is used for action that started from the past and is still going on until the present time. It ends in ing and is preceded by has been (for singular subjects) or have been (for plural subjects).

Example:

She has been standing there for two hours now.

The children have been playing hopscotch since 3 o’clock.

I have been calling her since morning.

• The Past Perfect Progressive is the form of verb that is used for action that was going on when another action happened. It ends in ing and is preceded by had been.

Example:

She had been standing there for two hours when her boyfriend came.

The children had been playing hopscotch for a few hours when the rain fell.

I had been calling her for a while when she walked into my office.

• The Future Perfect Progressive is the from of verb that is used for action that is supposed to continuously happen when a certain time comes. It ends in ing and is preceded by will have been.

Example:

She will have been standing there by the time her boyfriend comes.

The children will have been playing hopscotch by 6 o’clock this afternoon.

I will have been calling her by the time she arrives.

On my first year of teaching in a review center, I handled a boy and a girl, third year and second year respectively. They are siblings and they were probably among the, excuse me, the least good of students I have handled. The boy was in better shape than the girl who had a hard time remembering four items from her notebook. They were not lazy. They were not brats. They simply weren’t.. very smart.

I always felt frustrated every time I teach them because I felt as if I was not good enough. Consequently, they weren’t my most favorite students.

Then one day, their mother paid us a visit and talked to me. She asked me how her kids were doing. Eaten by prejudice, I told her how her children were and everything I said was, as I remember it now, not the nicest things to hear. I didn’t say they were stupid, nor did I say they were hopeless, but I didn’t say they were trying their best either.

She thanked me, sincerely, and told me that she knew that her children were not smart. She told me how every night she prayed that her children make it though their lessons, how much she wished she can teach her children herself, but unfortunately she lacked the skills nor the patience that we, teachers, do have. She told me that she knew her children weren’t bright but that she had to do everything she could possibly do so that they will learn. She said she appreciate us for doing the very thing she could not do for her children. She thanked me one more time and left.

Humbled by this mother’s love for her children and ashamed for what I felt for those children, I spent several minutes looking at my desk feeling rotten. After a while, I forgave myself and promised never to look down on anyone and do the best I can for any student that will come my way..

After all, I am a mother, too…

Happy Mother’s Day!

• The present perfect refers to the form of verb that started from the past and is still true now. It is also used to refer to verbs that happened in a certain duration of time, or a recently concluded action. It is formed by using the past participle form of the verb preceded by has (for singular subjects) and have (for plural subjects).

Example:

Liza has worked on her research since last summer.

I have taught in that company for four years.

They have eaten their lunch already.

• The past perfect refers to the form of verb that was done before another verb took place. It is formed by using the past participle form of the verb preceded by had.

Example:

Liza had worked on her research before she attended the party.

I taught in the tutorial center after I had taught in a language institute.

They had eaten their lunch when the visitor arrived.

• The future perfect refers to the form of verb that shows a completed action at a certain time in the future.

Example:

Liza will have worked on her research paper by four o’clock.

I will have taught the kids by the time the sun sets.

They will have eaten their lunch by twelve o’clock.

Shane* was in grade five when she became my student. She was a smart and polite girl. Though she was obviously doing well in class, she was out-shadowed by her more accomplished and more popular elder brother, Luke*.

Sometime last year, Shane and her brother were enrolled to me for speech enhancement. As was customary, I asked their mother if there was any particular reason why she enrolled them. The mother, very excitedly, told me that Luke was about to join a competition in the near future and the speech enhancement was a preparation. I said that was very nice. When I asked her about Shane, she simply shrugged and said..

‘Don’t mind her much, focus on Luke…. I just enrolled her as Luke’s companion..’

I sincerely hoped she didn’t mean that. But as the program progressed, I noticed that the mother regularly asked about Luke’s performance but never about Shane. What pained mo more was that I knew Shane was working harder than Luke was. In fact, she was doing even better than her brother. She was diligent and responsible. She was polite and obedient. Why her mother could not see Shane’s efforts escaped me.

At the end of the program, I gave a final report on the children’s performances. Deliberately, I showed Shane’s evaluation first, but when I started talking, she cut me short and impatiently said that they had an appointment and couldn’t stay long. She requested for Luke’s performance evaluation and when I explained everything to her satisfaction, she took the papers, stuffed them in her purse and bid me goodbye. But before they got completely out of the office, Shane looked back and thanked me.

I know favoritism is a common thing, but it still hurts when you see it up close..

*not real names

What makes me smile is that they wonder why I seldom update my status in Facebook, I seldom post comment on others’ walls and photos and I rarely publish photos. They would not know of course that most of my photos are in private, because that is what I, exactly, am.

• The present progressive tense is the form of verb that is happening at the actual time. The main verb ends in ing and is preceded by is (for singular subjects) or are (for plural subjects).

Example:

He is sleeping on the couch.

The principal is signing all the forms.

The boys are mowing the lawn.

We are watching the evening news.

Joan is watering the plants.

• The past progressive tense is the form of the verb that was happening when another verb took place. It ends in ing and is preceded by the was (for singular subjects) and were (for plural subjects).

Example:

He was sleeping on the couch when the visitors came.

The principal was signing all the forms when I called.

The boys were mowing the lawn when the the rain fell.

We were watching the evening news when the television broke down.

Joan was watering the plants when the dog bit her.

• The future progressive tense is the form of the verb that will be happening by a certain time in the future. It ends in ing and is preceded by will be.

Example:

He will be sleeping for three hours by the time the visitors arrive.

The principal will be signing all the forms by four o’clock.

The boys will be mowing the lawn by tomorrow morning.

We will be watching the news by eight o’clock tonight.

Joan will be watering the plants by the time the dog is released.

For the past four summers, I spent six days a week teaching in the review and tutorial center where I used to work.  Most of the students were those of College Entrance Test Review and High School Entrance Test Review. Smarter kids usually take up advancement lessons, whereas kids with difficulties take enhancement lessons.

I also handled Speech Programs for those who wanted to develop their speaking and communication skills. But my favorite has always been and will always be my Reading Program where I taught youngsters, four to five years of age, to read words with short vowel sounds, long vowel sounds and consonant blends.

I wouldn’t say it was the easiest, but it sure was the most rewarding. You now why? Because the fruit of your labor is reaped the same day. The moment a child reads his first word, you are instantly rewarded.

This was the usual scenario at the center..

Speech Graduation Day..

See how toxic my days were? But at least I could still smile when a camera was around, right? Now, do I miss those days? Well… NOT AT ALL!