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. Third-person 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 Example

Singular

s 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 / last week / next week / today

week month month

every month/year last year next year this month

usually amount of time in + amount of for + amount

+ ago time 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 verb will or shall plus the verbs infinitive.

Tense Regular Verb: Walk Irregular Verb: Run

Present I / you / we / they walk. I / you / we / they run.

He / she / it walks. He / she / it runs.

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

it walked. / it ran.

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

it will walk. / 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 I / you / we / they have walked.

Perfect
He / she / it has walked.

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

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

Perfect

Tense Irregular Verb: Run

Present I / you / we / they have run.

Perfect
He / she / it has run.

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

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

Perfect

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 I am working.

Progressive
You / we / they are working.

He / she / it is working.

Past Progressive I / he / she / it was working.

You / we / they were working.

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

Progressive

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 I / you / we / they have been working.

Progressive He / she / it has been working.

Past Perfect I / he / she / it / they / we / you had been

Progressive working.

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

Progressive 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.