Verb Tenses Verbs express the action of a person or an object in a sentence, e.g., John runs, or they tell us the condition of someone or something, e.g., Mandy seems ill. Each sentence expresses an idea at a particular time. e.g., Now I am happy. Yesterday I was late for school. Tomorrow I will wash the car. We use different verb tenses to indicate the various points in time. The different verb tenses are made up from the principal parts of verbs. Each verb has three principal parts present, past and past participle. Here are helpful phrases for memorizing the parts of verbs. Present "Right now, I.." Past "Yesterday, I." Past Participle "I have.." Example: the three principal parts of the verb walk Present Past Past Participle walk walked walked Regular verbs such as walk, pick, learn, etc. make the past and past participle by simply adding "ed" to the present form. Irregular verbs such as eat, run, do, etc. change form instead of adding "ed". Present Past Past Participle Right now, I eat Yesterday, I ate I have eaten
begin began begun Study the principal parts of these verbs. Be able to say them from memory. Present Past Past Participle write know bite tear take shake see become come drive go find begin do keep wrote knew bit tore took shook saw became came drove went found began did kept written known bitten torn taken shaken seen become come driven gone found begun done kept Present Tenses Simple present tense The simple present tense (often called the present tense) is used in several ways, each of which includes the idea of the present. The simple present tense is commonly used in two ways:
a. The simple present tense is used to say that something is true now. They have ten projects in ten states. Washington, D.C. is our capital. Marion knows two languages: English and Swahili. b. The simple present tense is used to say that something happens regularly. It rains every November. My uncle walks to work daily. They always exercise before breakfast. There is a form of the present tense that tells about an action that is continuing to happen or is about to happen. It is called the present progressive. It is formed by using the helping verb am, is, or are with the present-participle form of the main verb. I am studying French. She is helping me. Exercise A Fill in the present-progressive form of each present-tense verb shown. Your body is working even though you re not aware of it. (works) Blood through your body at this moment. (moves) Your lungs air. (inhale) Stomach muscles your food. (digest)
Glands your body s temperature. (control) Your senses to things around you. (react) The present perfect tense tells about an action that began in the past and is still going on, or about an action that happened at some indefinite time in the past. This tense is formed by using the helping verb have or has with the past-participle form of the main verb. e.g., People have used a written language for thousands of years. Exercise B Fill in the present perfect form of each present-tense verb shown. Amanda to fetch some groceries. (go) I my homework for tomorrow. (finish) I must ask Mother is she my purse. (see) The Clarkson sisters lots of money to charity. (give) The dogs the pie that I made for supper. (eat) Past Tenses Simple past tense
The simple past tense (sometimes called the past tense) says that the action started and ended before the present. Many verbs, called regular verbs, form the simple past tense by adding d or ed (used + d = used, walk + ed = walked). Some verbs, called irregular verbs, form the simple past tense in other ways (run = ran, come = came, go = went, be = were, sleep = slept, swim = swam). Heather walked in the woods. Mike left before you left. Paul took these photographs of the guacharo when he lived in Trinidad. Exercise C Fill in the simple past tense form of each present-tense verb shown. Christine my best friend. (be) The old man all the cigars in the store. (buy) I the letter some time ago. (write) Fred to the park. (go) The bride daisies for her bouquet. (choose)
The past tense has a progressive form, too. The past progressive tells about an action that was continuing to happen in the past. It is formed by using the helping verb was or were with the present participle form of the main verb. e.g., The fire was crackling. The campers were sitting in a circle. Exercise D Fill in the past progressive form of each present tense verb shown. People horses for cars. (trade) While you last night, your body continued its work. (sleep) I for part of the night. (dream) We ourselves. (enjoy) When we saw James, he with a cane. (walk) The past perfect tense tells about an action that happened before another action. This tense is formed by using the helping verb had with the past-participle form of the main verb. Exercise E e.g., Before they learned to write, cave dwellers had drawn pictures on the walls to tell a story. Fill in the past perfect form of each present tense verb shown. The first people who settled in Hawaii from the Marquesa Islands. (come) Peter before we left. (arrive) They for their mother for a long time. (care) The apple on the ground and was being kicked. (drop) When I called, I was told that Mr. Jones fishing. (go)
Future Tense Simple future tense The simple future tense (sometimes called the future tense) says that something has not started yet, but will start at some time after the present. The simple future tense is formed by combining will (or shall) with the verb being used. ------ An hour after lunch, they will launch the ship. ------ The Irish wolfhound will bark up any tree. ------ No, Olive will not try to swim the English Channel. Progressive future tense The progressive future tense says that an action has not started, yet will start and will be continuing (will be progressing) at some time after the present. The progressive future tense is formed by combining will (or shall) be and the ing form of the verb being used. -------------- The pirates will be walking the plank. -------------- Rollo predicts she will be running. ---------------- Will you be using your tiddlywinks tonight? Exercise F Fill in the progressive future tense of each present tense verb shown. Tomorrow, Paul all day. (work) I for you at 1:00 p.m. (wait) You ll recognize me as I a pink tie. (wear)
The workmen the system next week. (test) you your new car? (drive) Future perfect tense The future perfect tense says that something will have been completed before some other specific future time or event. The future perfect tense is formed by combining will (or shall) with the past participle of the verb being used. --------------- specific future time Kip will have napped an hour by the end of the lecture. specific future time ---------- By eight in the morning, they will have left for work. --------------- specific future event I will have gained ten pounds by the time I have finished this box of candy. Exercise G Fill in the future perfect tense form of each of the present tense verbs shown. By tomorrow night, I my essay. (write) When the sun sets, the heat. (go) I am late and I think my friend before I get there. (leave) Just think that in an hour, I to the president himself. (talk) I all my exam results by the end of the week. (have) Exercise H Complete each of the following sentences by writing in the blank the correct tense of the verb in parentheses.
Sugar prices (present of be) higher today than last year. Nick (past progressive or work) at the stables until midnight. The skaters (present perfect of race) here before. Until the demonstrations began, the fans (past perfect of enjoy) the events. By tomorrow, he (future perfect of win) his second skating medal. 6. The owner (simple future of select) a jockey tomorrow. 7. Jimmy (present progressive of sing) his favourite song. 8. In 1936, my grandfather (simple past of pay) $650 for a new car. 9. He (past perfect of lift) the other skater over his head before she was ready. 10. Even if she arrives now, she (future perfect of miss) the race. 1 At these Olympics, we (present perfect of see) skaters from Japan. 1 The Olympic skaters (present perfect of practise) long hours. 1 For the third time, Mario and Elfi (present perfect of skate) to victory. 1 On Saturday, I (future progressive of cheer) for my favourite football team. 1 The soldier solemnly (simple past of lay) the wreath on the grave. 16. Paul (simple present of have) exactly three dollars. 17. The judge (past perfect of award) them a trophy. 18. They (future perfect of take) jobs with the ice show by
next month. 19. We (present perfect of purchase) our ice show tickets. 20. Before this year, only figure skaters (present perfect of perform) here. 2 Helene (past perfect of be) the star skater for several years. 2 If I go tonight, I (future perfect of see) her skate four times in all. 2 She (past perfect of hope) to skate faster. 2 Everyone (present progressive of study) really hard for this exam. 2 This morning Fred (past progressive of eat) his breakfast when his tooth broke. A Answer Key is moving are inhaling E had come had arrived H 6. 7. will select is singing are digesting had cared 8. paid are controlling had dropped 9. had lifted are reacting had gone 10. will have missed B has gone have finished F will be working will be waiting 1 1 have seen have practised has seen will be wearing 1 have skated have given will be testing 1 will be cheering C have eaten was bought G will be driving will have written will have gone 1 16. 17. laid has had awarded
wrote will have left 18. will have taken went will have talked 19. have purchased D chose were trading H will have had are 20. 2 have performed had been were sleeping was working 2 will have seen was dreaming have raced 2 had hoped were enjoying had enjoyed 2 is studying was walking will have won 2 was eating