Unit: Verbs and Sentence Structure

The Principal Parts of

Verbs
Verbs take different forms in order to indicate
time. These forms of verbs are tenses.

She talks about her plans expresses action in

the present.
She talked about her plans expresses action
that occurred in the past.

To use the tenses correctly, you must know

how to form the principal parts of verbs.

The Principal Parts of

Verbs

The Principal Parts of the Verb

Talk
Present: talk
Present Participle: (am, is, are, was, were)

talking
Past: talked
Past Participle: (have, has, had) talked

The Principal Parts of

The Principal Parts of Regular Verbs
Verbs
Present: most basic form of the verb
save

Present Participle: helping verb am, is,

are, was, or were + verb with ing ending

am saving

Past: verb with ed ending

saved

Past Participle: helping verb have, has, or

had + verb with ed ending

have saved

The Principal Parts of

Verbs

The Principal Parts of Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs do not follow the same pattern as

regular verbs when forming the past and past

participle.
You will need to memorize these exceptions.
When in doubt in your writing, look up the correct
way to form the past and part participle of any verb.

Using Irregular Verbs

To Run
Present: run
Present Participle:
am running
Past: ran (not
runned)
Past Participle: have
run (not have
runned)

To Write
Present: write
Present Participle:
am writing
Past: wrote
Past Participle: have
written

Two Troublesome Irregular

Verbs
To Lay
Present: lay
Present Participle: am
laying
Past: laid
Past Participle: have
laid
Use to mean to put
something down or
to place (something)
Almost always
followed by a direct
object
The sailors laid their
uniforms on the bed.

To Lie
Present: lie
Present Participle: am
lying
Past: lay
Past Participle: have
lain
Use to mean to rest in a
reclining position or to
be situated
Never followed by a
direct object
The sailors lay down on
the narrow bunk.

Two Troublesome Irregular

Verbs
To Sit
Present: sit
Present Participle: am
sitting
Past: sat
Past Participle: have
sat
Use to mean to be
seated or to rest
Usually not followed
by a direct object.
We sat on the floor.

To Set
Present: set
Present Participle: am
setting
Past: set
Past Participle: have set
Use to mean to put
something in a certain
place or position
Usually followed by a
direct object.
He set the glasses
gingerly in the sink.

Verb Tenses
In verbs, the tense shows the time of action or

state of being.
Use the principal parts of verbs to form the six
basic tenses.
The Basic Verb Tenses
Present
I eat pizza often.
I always order from Pizza Hut.
Indicates action that happens over and over.
Principal part: present
Uses no helping verbs.

Verb Tenses
The Basic Verb Tenses
Past

I ate pizza last night.

I ordered from Pizza Hut.
Indicates action that happened in the past.
Principal part: past
Uses no helping verbs

Future

I will eat pizza tonight.

I will order from Pizza Hut.
Indicates action that will happen in the future.
Principal part: present
Uses helping verb will

Verb
Tenses
The Perfect Verb Tenses:

indicate that
an action has been completed.

Present Perfect
I have eaten pizza many times.
He has ordered from Pizza Hut.
Indicates action completed often.
Principal part: past participle
Uses helping verbs have or has

Past Perfect
I had eaten pizza before you called.
He had ordered from Pizza Hut.
Indicates action completed in the past.
Principal part: past participle
Uses helping verb had

Verb Tenses

The Perfect Verb Tenses:

indicate that an action has
been completed.
Future Perfect
I will have eaten pizza many times by the end of

the year.
Indicates action that will be completed in the
future.
Principal part: past participle
Uses helping verbs will and have

Verb
Tenses
The Progressive Forms:

indicate an
action that is in progress.

Present Progressive
I am eating pizza.
He is ordering from Pizza Hut.
Indicates action in process of being completed.
Principal part: present participle
Uses helping verbs am, is, are

Past Progressive
I was eating pizza when you called.
You were ordering from Pizza Hut.
Indicates action that was in the process of being completed

in the past.
Principal part: present participle
Uses helping verb was or were

Verb Tenses
Future Progressive
I will be eating pizza for dinner tonight.
Indicates action that will be in process in the

future.
Principal part: present participle
Uses helping verbs will and be

Verb Tenses
The Progressive Perfect Forms: indicate
completion of an ongoing action.
Present Perfect Progressive
I have been eating pizza since I was little.
Indicates action often in the process of being

completed.
Principal part: present participle
Uses helping verbs have and been
Past Perfect Progressive
I had been eating pizza, but I stopped
Indicates action was in process, but now is
completed.
Principal part: present participle
Uses helping verb had and been

Verb Tenses
Future Perfect Progressive
On my net birthday, I will have been eating

pizza for eleven years.

Indicates action that has been completed before
but will be in progress in the future.
Principal part: present participle
Uses helping verbs: will, have, and been

Verb Tenses
Now, why did we just learn all of this?
Because in your writing, you need to keep

your tenses consistent.

Choose the best tense for the situation
(past, present, or future) and be consistent
throughout the entire piece.