VERB TENSE

To review, a verb is a word that describes action or state of being. When you write a
verb, it will be written in a certain tense. Tense tells when an action took place.

The infinitive of a verb has “to” in front of it:

Examples: To think, to drive, to love, to be

The present tense (or simple present tense) shows something that is happening now.
Examples: I think, she drives, you love, we are or

The past tense (or simple past) shows something that has happened in the past.
Examples: I thought, she drove, you loved, we were

The future tense (or simple future) shows something that will happen in the future.
Examples: I will think, she will drive, you will love, we will be
To form the future tense: Use “will” with the infinitive form of the verb
minus “to.”

To understand the next three types of tenses you must understand what a “past
participle” is. The past participle is the often the past form of the verb (thought, cried).
Sometimes it is the form of the verb with –ed or with –en at the end. (walked, driven,
loved, broken) There are some irregular ones that we will discuss later (been, seen,
found)

The present perfect tense shows something that is completed in the present.
Examples: I have thought, she has driven, you have loved, we have been
To form the present perfect tense: Use “have” or “has” with the past
participle of the verb.

The past perfect tense shows action completed before some past time.
Examples: I had thought, she had driven, you had loved, we had been
To form the past perfect tense: Use “had” with the past participle of the
verb.

The future perfect tense shows action that will be completed before some time in the
future.
Examples: I will have thought, she will have driven, you will have loved, we will
have been
To form the future perfect tense: Use “will have” with the past participle of
the verb.
For the following sentences, underline the verbs and then name the tense of
the verbs.

1. Railroads have been constructed through mountains in the West.

Tense_________________________

2. The Cumberland Road was our first national road. Tense_________________________

3. Mary owns a 1994 Jaguar convertible. Tense_________________________

4. Grapes have been shipped from California to eastern markets in trains.

Tense_________________________

5. The letter will have been written before I see her. Tense_________________________

6. Will you read Romeo and Juliet next year? Tense_________________________

7. The whole pie had been eaten by my hungry roommates. Tense_________________________

8. The employee had embezzeled a large sum of money. Tense_________________________

9. The house beside ours has recently been remodeled by the owner.
Tense_________________________

10.The inspector found several fingerprints. Tense_________________________

11.Jennifer sees the misspelled words in her paper. Tense_________________________

12.I had heard that story already. Tense_________________________

13.The will have completed my assignment by Monday. Tense_________________________

14.Science has accomplished many things in the past few years.

Tense_________________________

15.The United States does not permit illegal immigration. Tense_________________________