Verbs – Their Forms and Tenses
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The function of verbs is to convey an action or indicate a relationship between the subject
and other words in a sentence. Another vital function of verbs is the expression of time.
They show when an action or situation occurs in the present, future, or past. The time
expressed by a verb is called the verb tense. As verbs change their time or tense, they also
change their form. Most verbs are regular, meaning that their tenses change in consistent
ways. Using verb tenses correctly is one way to ensure that your writing will convey your
ideas clearly.
Present tense describes an action or situation that is happening now.
Future tense describes an action or situation that has not occurred yet.
Past tense describes an action or situation that has already occurred.
Present Tense
Present Tense indicates action that is going on right now!
For regular verbs, the form of the present tense varies according to the subject. If the subject is
singular, it refers to one person or thing. For present tense singular, you add –s (or –es if the
verb ends in –sh, -ch, or –x) to end the basic verb.
This tense indicates an action that goes on habitually.
Example: Summer follows spring.
It also indicates general truths.
Example: The sun rises in the East.
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Verbs – Their Forms and Tenses
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Further, this tense indicates future action.
Example: This train leaves at 2:00 AM.
Example
Singular:
My friend laughs at all the instructor’s bad jokes.
Plural:
Most children watch too much television.
If the subjects change, the verbs will also change accordingly.
Example:
Singular:
My friends laugh at all the instructor’s bad jokes.
Plural:
The average child watches too much television.
Present Tense Verbs with Pronoun Subjects
Singular
Plural
First Person
Second Person
Third Person
I climb.
You climb.
He/She/It climbs.
We climb.
You climb.
They climb.
Future Tense
Writers use future tense to describe an action that has not occurred yet or a relationship
that is to come.
You can change regular verbs to future tense by adding will to the basic verb. In the future tense,
the verb endings –s and –es are not needed. Singular and plural forms are the same.
Example:
Present:
The employees enjoy their new spacious office.
Future:
The employees will enjoy their new spacious office.
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Verbs – Their Forms and Tenses
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Past Tense
Writers use the past tense to describe an action or situation that has already occurred.
The key letters utilized in constructing past tense sentences are the letters –ed. For regular
verbs, you can form the past tense by adding –ed to the basic verb form. If the basic form ends
in –e, add –d. The endings for singular and plural forms are the same.
Example:
Present Tense:
After midnight, the waitress cleans all the sticky tables.
Past Tense:
After midnight, the waitress cleaned all the sticky tables.
To further summarize Simple Present, Past, and Future tense, refer to the table below:
Tenses
Basic or “I”
Form
Form for Plural
Subjects
Form for
Singular
Subjects
For the simple
present tense, use
the basic verb form.
Add –s or –es for
singular subjects.
For the simple
future tense, use
the basic verb form
plus will. Use the
same verb form for
both singular and
plural subjects.
For the simple past
tense, use the basic
verb form plus –d or
–ed. Use the same
verb form for both
singular and plural
subjects.
I walk a mile every
day.
Harvey and Sheila
walk a mile every
day.
They walk a mile.
Norton walks a mile
every day.
Harvey and Sheila
will walk a mile
every day.
Norton will walk a
mile every day.
I will walk a mile
every day.
He walks a mile.
He will walk a mile.
They will walk a
mile.
I walked a mile
every day.
Harvey and Sheila
Norton walked a
walked a mile every mile every day.
day.
He walked a mile.
They walked a mile
every day.
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Verbs – Their Forms and Tenses
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Perfect Tenses
In the Perfect tenses (Past Perfect, Present Perfect and Future Perfect), just add to the past
participle (the –ed form of the verb).
*The helping verbs to use are: had, has, and have.
Helping Verb
+
Past Participle
=
Perfect Tense
had
walked
had walked
has
walked
has walked
have
walked
have walked
The rest is simple. Take a look at the chart below to grasp how to make the items into perfect
tense using the past participle.
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Verbs – Their Forms and Tenses
Tense
Helping Verbs
has
Present Perfect
Indicates an action
completed at the present
time.
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Examples
Sharon has finished her
paper.
Curt has played tennis for
years.
Also indicates an action
continuing into the
present.
Past Perfect
had
Warren had “spilled the
beans” before Gus could tell
the story.
will or have
Many events will have
happened before.
The events have happened
before.
Indicates an action
completed BEFORE a
specific time in the past.
Future Perfect
Indicates an action that
will be completed before A
specific time in the future.
**It is important to use the correct form of verbs in your writing.
VERB FORMS PRACTICE EXERCISE:
Directions: Correct the verb errors.
Example: NO:
YES:
Yesterday Claire drawn a wonderful picture of a worm.
Yesterday Claire drew a wonderful picture of a worm.
1. Paula done the assignment.
2. She should have wrote it earlier because she was used to having someone else read it before
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Verbs – Their Forms and Tenses
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giving it to the instructor.
3. When she get to class, she claimed that her little brother had threw her paper away.
4. Actually she had throwed it into the trash can.
5. Then in class she begun to cry.
6. Unfortunately, the instructor seen her in action.
7. Therefore, the instructor had not believe her story.
8. In fact, he ask her to leave class and not return until she had wrote the essay.
9. She leave immediately and gone to the Learning Assistance Center to write.
10. She was able to complete the paper as she was suppose to have did.
VERB TENSES PRACTICE EXERCISE:
Directions: In each blank write the correct tense and form of the verb
in parentheses.
Example: Jim
his mind before Joy could give him an explanation. (to speak)
to the president’s meeting. (to go)
1. Last month I
2. It is a fact that night
day. (to follow)
3. Right now Tom
great. (to look)
4. Tomorrow the instructor
5. By tomorrow Joan
6. Sam always
7. Gussie
his students for the first time. (to meet)
the first set of her inoculations. (to take)
his paper before he
his outline. (to write)
before I could tell her that the house was safe. (to leave)
8. The television reporter announced the news, “Josh Rush just
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Verbs – Their Forms and Tenses
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the finish line.” (to cross)
9. Are you aware that Sandy
10. Flowers
camp every summer? (to attend)
every spring. (to bloom)
ANSWERS
VERB FORMS PRACTICE EXERCISE
1. did
2. written, used
3. got, thrown
4. thrown
5. began
6. saw
7. believed
8. asked, written
9. left, went 10. supposed, done
VERB TENSES PRACTICE EXERCISE
1. went
6. has written, wrote
2. follows
7. had left
3. looks
8. has crossed
4. will meet
9. attends or attended
5. will have taken
10. bloom
Irregular Verb Forms
Present Tense
Past Tense
Past Participle (+ has,
had, have)
am, is, are
arise
awaken
become
was, were
been
arisen
awoken
become
arose
awoke
became
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Verbs – Their Forms and Tenses
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begin
bend
bind
bite
bleed
blow
break
bring
build
burn
burst
buy
catch
choose
cling
come
cost
creep
cut
deal
dig
dive
do/does
began
bent
bound
bit
bled
blew
broke
brought
built
burned, burnt
burst
bought
caught
chose
clung
came
cost
crept
cut
dealt
dug
dived, dove
did
begun
bent
bound
bitten, bit
bled
blown
broken
brought
built
burned, burnt
burst
bought
caught
chosen
clung
come
cost
crept
cut
dealt
dug
dived
done
Present Tense
Past Tense
Past Participle (+ has,
had, have)
draw
dream
drink
drive
eat
fall
feed
feel
fight
find
flee
fling
fly
forbid
forget
freeze
get
give
go/goes
drew
dreamed, dreamt
drank
drove
ate
fell
fed
felt
fought
found
fled
flung
flew
forbade, forbad
forgot
froze
got
gave
went
drawn
dreamed, dreamt
drunk
driven
eaten
fallen
fed
felt
fought
found
fled
flung
flown
forbidden
forgotten
frozen
got, gotten
given
gone
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Verbs – Their Forms and Tenses
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grind
hang
have/has
hear
hid
hold
hurt
keep
kneel
knit
know
lay
lead
leap
leave
let
lie
light
lose
make
mean
meet
mistake
pay
ground
hung
had
heard
hid
held
hurt
kept
knelt, kneeled
knit, knitted
knew
laid
led
leaped, leapt
left
let
lay
lighted, lit
lost
made
meant
met
mistook
paid
ground
hung
had
heard
hidden, hid
held
hurt
kept
knelt, kneeled
knit, knitted
known
laid
led
leaped, leapt
left
let
lain
lighted, lit
lost
made
meant
met
mistaken
paid
Present Tense
Past Tense
Past Participle (+ has,
had, have)
plead
prove
put
quit
raise
read
ride
ring
rise
run
say
see
seek
sell
send
set
sew
shake
shine
pleaded, pled
proved
put
quit
raised
read
rode
rang
rose
ran
said
saw
sought
sold
sent
set
sewed
shook
shined
pleaded, pled
proved, proven
put
quit
raised
read
ridden
rung
risen
run
said
seen
sought
sold
sent
set
sewn, sewed
shaken
shone
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Verbs – Their Forms and Tenses
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shoot
shrink
shut
sing
sit
sleep
slid
sling
slink
sow
speak
speed
spell
spend
spit
spring
stand
steal
stick
sting
stink
stride
strike
string
shot
shrank, shrunk
shut
sang, sung
sat
slept
slid
slung
slunk, slinked
sowed
spoke
sped, speeded
spelled
spent
spit, spat
sprang, sprung
stood
stole
stuck
stung
stank, stunk
strode
struck
strung
shot
shrunk, shrunken
shut
sung
sat
slept
slid
slung
slunk, slinked
sown, sowed
spoken
sped, speeded
spelled
spent
spit, spat
sprung
stood
stolen
stuck
stung
stunk
stridden
struck, stricken
strung
Present Tense
Past Tense
Past Participle (+ has,
had, have)
strive
swear
sweat
swell
swim
swing
take
teach
tear
tell
throw
understand
wake
wear
weave
weep
win
wind
strived, strove
swore
sweat, sweated
swelled
swam
swung
took
taught
tore
told
threw
understood
woke, waked
wore
weaved
wept
won
wound
striven, strived
sworn
sweat, sweated
swelled
swum
swung
taken
taught
torn
told
thrown
understood
woken
worn
weaved
wept
won
wound
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Verbs – Their Forms and Tenses
wring
write
wrung
wrote
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wrung
written
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