Progressive Versus Simple Tense Verbs

by Karen Reiser , guest contributor

Karen Reiser is a freelance writer and editor living in Northeast Ohio. Her experience editing varies over the past six years from trade magazines and physics journals to more literary works including novels and short stories.

Does good grammar make good writing? Not necessarily, but it definitely helps. However, there are different ways to write a grammatically correct sentence, but just because it's correct does not mean it's the best way to express that thought. This article not only shows that some "correct" sentences read better than others, but that more words do not make better writing.

Progressive Tense Verbs

Is something wrong with the following sentences?

Jill was running through the park.

Alex was opening the door.

Diane is asking for help.

The sentences above are grammatically sound, so in that sense, there's nothing wrong with them. You will recognize the verb form as the progressive tense, formed by combining the verb "to be" with the present participle form (verb plus -ing). This verb tense shows the subject of the sentence engaged in continuous action. So what's the problem? Some writers use progressive tense when simple past or present tense would be more appropriate, and when they do this, the action in their sentence takes a secondary role to the linking verb.

Simple Past or Present Tense Verbs

Compare the sentences above to the following.

Jill ran through the park.

Alex opened the door.

Diane asks for help.

See the difference? It's subtle, but there's definitely a difference. These simple past and present tense verbs tighten up the sentence, improving the pace for the reader and the rhythm of the prose. These verbs also have more impact than their progressive tense counterparts.

Why Do Writers Do This?

The habit of using progressive tense inappropriately begins, for many, when they are students. If their essay doesn't meet the required word count, they use "padding" such as progressive tense, passive voice, and perhaps throwing in an extra adverb or two. Unfortunately, this can creep into their writing later and become a habit. However, what they don't realize is that more words do not necessarily make the piece better. More often than not, it only creates excessive wordiness which distracts the reader and draws them out of the story.

Final Comments

The next time you consider using progressive tense in your writing, make sure you have a reason to use it. If not, use simple past or present tense verbs instead. It will strengthen your verbs by letting them stand alone without a linking verb, and more importantly, it will improve the rhythm of your sentences.