VERB TENSE

introduction
Every sentence has a subject and a main verb. Verbs describe what the subject is
doing. To be able to show exactly what the subject does at any time, verbs have
different forms and tenses. In order to speak and write English correctly, you must
learn the various verb forms and tenses.
Learning Hint:
To use verbs accurately, learn the standard verb forms and tenses. Memorize
common irregular verb forms that do not follow standard forms.
Verb Forms
Verbs have five forms:
Form

Verb Example

Irregular Verb Example

Infinitive

walk

run

Past tense

walked

ran

Past participle

walked

run

Present participle

walking

running

-s or -es form

walks

runs

The only verb with more than 5 forms is be

Form

Verb

Infinitive

be

Past tense

was (for I / he / she / it); were (for we / you / they)

Past participle

be, been

Present participle

being

-s / -es form

--

The verb be also has 3 present tense forms (am, is, are) while all other verbs have
one.

Infinitive Form
The infinitive form is the plain or dictionary form. It is used when the verb's action
happens in the present and the subject is a plural noun or the pronouns I, we,
you, or they:
I go to work.
You cook very well.
We live downtown.
They help me.
Past Tense Form
The past tense shows the verb's action happened in the past. It is usually made by
adding -d or -ed to the infinitive. The past tense is formed differently for most
irregular verbs:
We lived downtown.
They helped me.
I went to work. (Irregular verb)

Past Participle and Present Participle Form

The past participle is used with the verb have (have / has / had) to create the
present and past perfect tenses. The past participle form is also used to modify
nouns and pronouns. One example is the phrase sliced bread.
The past participle is usually the same as the past tense form. Only some irregular
verbs have a past participle that is different than their past tense form.
We have lived downtown.
They have helped me.
I have gone to work. (Irregular verb)
The present participle is made by adding -ing to a verbs infinitive form:

Working
Buying
Eating
The present participle can modify nouns and pronouns. One example is the phrase
running water. When used as a noun (example: smoking is bad), the present
participle is known as a gerund. The present participle is also used to create the
progressive tense.

-S Form
The -s form of a verb is made from the infinitive of the verb. This form is used when
the verb's action is in the present and the subject is third-person singular. Thirdperson singular is a singular noun (examples: desk, John), or a singular indefinite
pronoun (examples: everybody, someone), or the personal pronouns he / she / it.
How the -s form is made depends on the last letter of the verb:
Verb Ending

To Make Third Person

Singular

Example

add -es

Pass - It passes

sh

add -es

Wish - Everyone wishes

ch

add -es

Watch - She watches

consonant + y

change y to i and add -es

Try - He tries

Any other letter

add -s

Drink - He drinks

Verb Types
Irregular Verbs
Many verbs do not follow the rules to make the different forms. They are called
irregular verbs. No single rule explains how to make their past tense and past
participle forms. The irregular verbs must be memorized. These are some of the
common irregular verbs:
Infinitive

Past Tense

Past Participle

choose

chose

chosen

do

did

done

drink

drunk

drank

eat

ate

eaten

give

gave

given

forget

forgot

forgotten

lie

lay

lain

let

let

let

see

saw

seen

sleep

slept

slept

throw

threw

thrown

write

wrote

written

Helping Verbs
Another important type of verb is the helping or auxiliary verb. Helping verbs show
tense and can show person, number, voice or mood. These verbs combine with a
main verb to form a verb phrase. A main verb is an infinitive, a present participle or
past participle. These are verb phrase examples:
will give
has been working
can go
Some helping verbs combine with main verbs to show time and voice. These
helping verbs are shall, will, have (has / had), do (does / did) and the forms
of be (am / is / are / was / were / been / being):
We will live downtown.

We did not live downtown.

They shall help me.

They were helped.

I have been working.

I had worked.

Modal Verbs
Helping verbs such as can, could, may, might, must, ought, shall, should,
will, and would are used to add extra meaning to main verbs. These helping verbs
are called modals. They show a necessity, possibility, ability, permission, prediction
or responsibility:
You should write that report.

We must go.

He can carry heavy objects.

I might leave.

The helping verb do (does) or its past tense did is used together with the infinitive
of a verb to ask questions, make the negative form, or to show added importance:
Does she work this week?

Do they go to school?

Where does he live?

Where did they live?

She does not sleep well.

She did not sleep well.

You do work every day.

He does run on weekends.

Verbals
A verbal (nonfinite verb) is no longer a verb. It is a verb form used as a noun, an
adjective, or an adverb. A verbal can never be a main verb.
Verbal

Example

Verb Form

Noun

Running is great exercise.

present participle

Adjective

Blocked printers cannot print.

past tense

Adverb

We were ready to work.

to + infinitive

Verb Tenses
Tense shows the time of a verbs action or being. There are three verb
tenses: simple, perfect, and progressive. Each tense
has past, present and future forms.

Note: Because tense shows time, a time word in a sentence helps to decide what
tense is being used. Most time words can only go with a certain tense. These are
some examples:
Present

Past

Future

Progressive

often

yesterday

tomorrow

now

every hour / day / week last week / month next week / month today
every month/year

last year

next year

usually

amount of time + in + amount of

ago
time

this month
for + amount
of time

sometimes
today
for + amount of time

Simple Tense
The simple tenses show that an action or state of being is past, present, or future.
The present tense shows action that is happening now as a person speaks or writes.
The present tense is also used to describe actions that are factual or habitual
(commonly repeated over a period of time). The present tense uses the verbs
infinitive or the -s form for third person singular subject.
The past tense shows action that has finished as a person speaks or writes. The
past tense uses the verbs past tense form.
The future tense shows action that has not happened yet as a person speaks or
writes. The future tense uses the helping verbwill or shall plus the verbs infinitive.
Tense

Regular Verb: Walk

Present I / you / we / they walk.

Irregular Verb: Run

I / you / we / they run.

He / she / it walks.

He / she / it runs.

Past

I / you / we / they / he / she /

it walked.

I / you / we / they / he / she /

it ran.

Future

I / you / we / they / he / she / it will

walk.

I / you / we / they / he / she / it

will run.

Perfect Tense
The perfect tenses show that an action was or will be finished BEFORE another time
or action happens. The perfect tenses are made with the helping verb have (have /
has / had) plus the verbs past participle. All subjects use had for the past perfect
tense. All subjects use will have or shall have for the future perfect tense. The
infinitive have or has for singular third person is used for the perfect present tense.
Examples:
Tense

Regular Verb: Walk

Present Perfect I / you / we / they have walked.

He / she / it has walked.
Past Perfect

I / you / we / they / he / she / it had walked.

Future Perfect I / you / we / they / he / she / it will have walked.

Tense

Irregular Verb: Run

Present Perfect I / you / we / they have run.

He / she / it has run.
Past Perfect

I / you / we / they / he / she / it had run.

Future Perfect I / you / we / they / he / she / it will have run.

The present perfect tense can also show that an action started in the past and is
still going on in the present.
Examples:
He has lived downtown. (Action is finished at the time it is written.)
He has worked for three hours. (Action started in the past and is still going
on.)
She has always written in a diary. (Action started in the past but continues
now.)
Progressive Tense

The progressive tenses show continuing action. They can also show how long an
action has been going on for an amount of time in the present, past, or future. A
verb's present participle joins with some forms of the verb be (am, is, are, was,
were) to make the simple progressive tenses.
Tense

Example

Present
Progressive

I am working.
You / we / they are working.
He / she / it is working.

Past Progressive

I / he / she / it was working.

You / we / they were working.

Future Progressive I / he / she / it / they / we / you will be working.

The past progressive can show an action that happened in the past and was not
finished:
He was doing his work. (He was working, but he may not have finished the
work.)
The perfect tense form plus been plus the verbs present participle makes the
perfect progressive tenses:
Tense

Example

Present Perfect
Progressive

I / you / we / they have been working.

Past Perfect
Progressive

I / he / she / it / they / we / you had been working.

Future Perfect
Progressive

I / he / she / it / they / we / you will have been working.

He / she / it has been working.

Not all verbs can make a progressive tense. Verbs that have qualities not able to
show change cannot make the progressive tense. These are some of the verbs:
be

guess

seem

see

believe

include

think

smell

cost

like

understand

taste

desire

love

want

need

doubt

remember

wish

have

Examples:
Incorrect:

She is being pretty.

Correct:

She is pretty.

Incorrect:

That is owning to him.

Correct:

He owns that.

Incorrect:

They are wanting a raise.

Correct:

They want a raise.