Progressive Tense in Japanese: Drills and Exercises

The Progressive Tense in Japanese, also known as the -te iru form, is essential for expressing ongoing actions, habitual activities, and certain states of being. Mastering this tense can significantly enhance your fluency and comprehension in Japanese. Our drills and exercises are designed to guide you through the intricacies of this tense, providing you with practical examples and opportunities to practice forming and using the -te iru form in various contexts. Whether you're describing what you're doing right now, talking about a recurring event, or expressing a current state, understanding the Progressive Tense is key to effective communication. In these exercises, you'll encounter a range of sentence structures and vocabulary that will help reinforce your grasp of the Progressive Tense. From simple sentences to more complex constructions, each drill aims to build your confidence and proficiency. You'll practice conjugating verbs into their -te iru forms, learn to distinguish between ongoing actions and habitual activities, and understand how context influences the meaning of the tense. By the end of these exercises, you will have developed a stronger command of the Progressive Tense, enabling you to communicate more naturally and accurately in Japanese.

Exercise 1

1. 私は今、図書館で本を *読んでいます* (reading a book).

2. 彼は毎日、朝ごはんを *食べています* (eating breakfast).

3. 彼女は電話で友達と *話しています* (talking with a friend on the phone).

4. 私たちは公園でサッカーを *しています* (playing soccer in the park).

5. 田中さんは会社で仕事を *しています* (working at the company).

6. 子どもたちは庭で遊んで *います* (playing in the garden).

7. 彼は今、音楽を *聞いています* (listening to music).

8. 私は毎晩、日記を *書いています* (writing a diary every night).

9. 彼女はカフェでコーヒーを *飲んでいます* (drinking coffee at the cafe).

10. 彼らは映画館で映画を *見ています* (watching a movie at the cinema).

Exercise 2

1. 私は今、本を*読んでいます* (action of reading).

2. 彼は会社で*働いています* (action of working).

3. 彼女は公園で*走っています* (action of running).

4. 私たちは映画を*見ています* (action of watching).

5. 彼らはレストランで*食べています* (action of eating).

6. 先生は教室で*教えています* (action of teaching).

7. 子供たちは庭で*遊んでいます* (action of playing).

8. 彼はピアノを*弾いています* (action of playing an instrument).

9. 彼女は手紙を*書いています* (action of writing).

10. 友達は電話で*話しています* (action of talking).

Exercise 3

1. 私は今、手紙を *書いています* (書く)

2. 彼女は公園で犬と *遊んでいます* (遊ぶ)

3. 田中さんは会社でレポートを *作成しています* (作成する)

4. 私たちはカフェでコーヒーを *飲んでいます* (飲む)

5. 彼は毎朝ジョギングを *しています* (する)

6. 先生は授業を *教えています* (教える)

7. 猫が窓の外を *見ています* (見る)

8. 子供たちは公園で *遊んでいます* (遊ぶ)

9. 私の母は夕食を *作っています* (作る)

10. 友達は電話で話を *しています* (する)