Table of Contents

Introduction: pages 3-4

The simple present tense: pages 4-8

The present progressive tense: pages 8-11

The present perfect tense: pages 11-15

The present perfect progressive tense: pages 16-19

The simple past tense: pages 19-22

The past progressive tense: pages 22-26

The future in the past: pages 27-33

The simple future tense will/be going to: pages 34-38

The simple present tense for the simple future: pages 38-40

The present progressive tense for the simple future: pages 40-42

Time expression review: pages 42-48

Verb tense and time expression recognition practice: pages 48-50

Keeping consistent verb tense in writing: pages 50-68

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Verb tense consistency on the paragraph and essay level: pages 68-74

Answer key: pages 75-83

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 Verb Tense Review

There are twelve formal tenses in English, four in the present, four in the past, and four in the future.

There are five ways to express past activity and four formal tenses.

The simple past I worked in Santa Ana in 1988.

The past progressive I was watching TV at eight o’clock last night.

The past perfect I had eaten breakfast by the time I got to school.

The past perfect progressive I had been studying for an hour when you called.

The future in the past I dreamed that I would become rich. OR

I dreamed I was going to become rich.

There are four present tenses.

The simple present Jane lives in San Diego.

The present progressive Jane is driving to work now.

The present perfect Jane has lived in San Diego for twenty five years.

The present perfect progressive Jane has been working since she was sixteen.

There are seven ways to express future activity and four formal tenses.

The simple future with “will’ We will be there at noon.

The simple future with “be going to” We are going to visit New York in October.

The simple present tense Classes start in February.

The present progressive tense We are visiting New York in October.

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The future progressive I will be sleeping at ten o’clock tonight. Or

I am going to be sleeping at ten o’clock tonight.

The future perfect I will have picked up some groceries by the time I get home

this evening.

The future perfect progressive By the time you receive this, we will have been living here for

two weeks.

This student manual does not review all twelve of the English tenses. It does, however, review the most
common tenses and forms. Learning to write and speak in correct verb tense is essential for those who
would like to have advanced, fluent English. Learning the information in this manual will help you to
accomplish that goal.

The Simple Present Tense

1. Time function: The simple present tense expresses an action that is repeated habitually.

For example: I feed my cats every morning.

2. Time function: The simple present tense also expresses a general truth that is repeated
periodically.

For example: The sun rises in the east.

3. Time function: The simple present tense also expresses a condition that does not repeat but is
always true.

For example: They love the San Diego Zoo.

4. The simple present tense is used with a non-action verb to indicate something that is happening
right now.

For example: I own that car.

We don’t believe you.

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 I need a screwdriver.

5. In lengthy narration (story telling), the simple present tense can refer to past events. This is not
correct, formal English.

For example: “So we get in the car and drive two blocks when a cop stops us.”

6. When the simple present tense is used after “while” or “as,” it indicates a continuous action.

For example: I watch TV while/as I work (am working) on my project.

7. These are common time expressions used with the simple present tense. These time
expressions are not only used in the present tense. They can be used in other tenses. It is
important, however, to remember these time expressions and how they relate to the functions
of the present tense.

Always/ Almost always

Often

Frequently

Usually

Sometimes

Every day, week, month, year, Wednesday, etc.

Once a week, month, year, etc.

Occasionally

Seldom

Rarely

Never/Almost never

On Mondays, on weekends, etc.

At ten o’clock, at five thirty, etc.

The Simple Present Tense Verb Form

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When a simple present tense verb is positive, it has two forms with its corresponding subject
pronouns. These forms are the base and third person singular subject forms. A third person
singular subject is the pronouns, he, she, and it and their noun equivalents. Noun equivalents
can be, for example, my father, John, the teacher, a woman, my grandmother, a dog, the pencil,
water, my friend, time, etc.

I go (base)

You go (base)

He/She/It goes (third person singular subject form)

We go (base)

You go (base)

They go (base)

When a simple present tense verb is negative, it requires an auxiliary. The auxiliary has two
forms (do/does), and the main verb has only one form, base.

I do not go

You do not go

He/She/It does not go

We do not go

You do not go

They do not go

Exercise One: Read the following paragraph, and write the twenty simple present tense verbs in
the model paragraph on the lines below. Indicate whether or not the verbs are base or third
person singular subject form. Circle the subjects of the third person singular subject verbs. Also,
write the time function of the simple present tense verb on the line. If the verb has a time
expression, include it on the line with function one, function two, or function three.

Friday Evening at Humphrey’s

On Friday evenings at about five o’clock, I like to go to Humphrey’s by the Bay for happy hour. I
always go with a friend, and we try to arrive as early as possible to hear the live music, eat
happy hour food, and enjoy the view of the marina. The happy hour lasts from five to seven

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o’clock. Humphrey’s offers fifty percent off on its food and drinks every day of the week during
happy hour unless there is a concert. Its bands are almost always good. They play rock, the
blues, rhythm and blues, and jazz. On Fridays, there are usually rock or blues bands. There is a
large dance floor, so people crowd the floor and dance the entire two hours. Some of the
dancers are incredible. One elderly man usually throws his wife over his shoulder while they
dance. Humphrey’s overlooks the marina, so my friend and I enjoy looking at the boats in the
water. Humphrey’s is truly a special place in San Diego because it features so many great things.
I love Fridays because of Humphrey’s.

1.________________________________________________

2.________________________________________________

3.________________________________________________

4.________________________________________________

5.________________________________________________

6.________________________________________________

7.________________________________________________

8.________________________________________________

9.________________________________________________

10._______________________________________________

11._______________________________________________

12._______________________________________________

13._______________________________________________

14._______________________________________________

15._______________________________________________

16._______________________________________________

17._______________________________________________

18._______________________________________________

19._______________________________________________

20._______________________________________________

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Exercise two: Write a paragraph in the simple present tense. Include a minimum of fifteen verbs
and five time expressions. Write about something you do habitually on a particular day like the
model paragraph above.

The Present Progressive Tense

1. Time function: The present progressive tense expresses an action that is happening right
now. Non-action verbs do not usually occur in the present progressive tense. You must use
the simple present tense with non-action verbs.

For example: They are riding bicycles. (continuous verb)

For example: I want a hamburger. (non-action verb)

2. Time function: The present progressive tense also expresses an action (repeated or of long
duration) in a time period that includes the present time period, but the action is not
necessarily happening right now. This tense is used in this way for a temporary activity.

For example: Jennifer is working temporarily as a supermarket clerk.

For example: I am relaxing this week.

3. Time function: The present continuous is used for a very frequent activity that we feel some
emotion about. The emotion usually expresses negative feelings but sometimes can express
positive feelings. It is used with the adverbs always, forever, or constantly.

For example: She is always complaining. OR David is constantly smiling.

4. The present progressive tense is used after the subordinating conjunctions “while” and “as.”
These conjunctions indicate a continuous action that is happening at the same time as
another continuous action. There are two possible positions in the sentence for a clause
beginning with “while” or “as.”

For example: As/ While Barbara and Cathy are doing their homework, John is just sitting
(just sits) there doing nothing. OR John is just sitting (just sits) there doing nothing while/as
Barbara and Cathy are doing their homework.

5. When there is a compound verb, the auxiliary “be” is omitted from the second action.

For example: Elemanzer is lying on the ground and watching Jarmara.

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6. These are important time expressions for the present progressive tense.

For time function one: right now, at the (this) moment, at present, this morning, afternoon,
evening, today, currently.

For time function two: these days, nowadays, today, this week, this month, this year, this
semester, this quarter, etc. *This group of time expressions can be used in other tenses.

For time function three: always, forever, constantly *This group of time expressions can be
used in other tenses.

The Present Progressive Tense Verb Form

When a present progressive tense verb is positive, it requires the auxiliary verb “be” (is, am,

are) and the main verb in present participle form (ing).

I am going.

You are going.

He/She/It is going.

We are going.

You are going.

They are going.

When a present progressive tense verb is negative, it requires the auxiliary verb “be” + not

and the main verb in present participle form (ing).

I am not going.

You are not going.

He/She/It is not going.

We are not going.

You are not going.

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 They are not going.

Exercise one: Read the following paragraph, and write the eleven present progressive verbs
in the paragraph on the lines below. If the verb has a time expression, write it on the line.
Also, write the number of the time function on the line: function one, two, or three. Some of
the verbs in the paragraph are non-action verbs. They indicate the action is happening now
but cannot be used in an “ing” form. Underline eight non-action verbs. There is also a
present progressive infinitive that has two present participle forms. Can you find it?

An Evening in the Summer at the San Diego Zoo

In the summer, the San Diego Zoo stays open until nine o’clock at night. My friend and I are
there right now. A parade is passing by. The parade has giant sized puppets on sticks people
are holding, so they appear to be moving and walking on their own. A huge lion is shaking its
head at some small children who are staring at it in awe. Some tribal like men are dancing
around the lion and giving high fives to the children. A rhinoceros is bowing its head to the
audience, and an elephant is waving its trunk hello. My friend has a big smile on his face. He
is a happy guy who is forever smiling, but he seems especially happy this evening. Beautiful
purple and blue colored lights are shining on the trees and plants at this moment. The plant
life is gorgeous here. People of all ages are walking happily around. The San Diego Zoo is an
incredible place to visit on a summer evening.

1.__________________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________________

3.__________________________________________________________________________

4.__________________________________________________________________________

5.__________________________________________________________________________

6.__________________________________________________________________________

7.__________________________________________________________________________

8.__________________________________________________________________________

9.__________________________________________________________________________

10._________________________________________________________________________

11. ________________________________________________________________________

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Exercise two: Write a paragraph in the present progressive tense about something you are
watching now. Include at least ten present progressive tense verbs and five non-action
verbs. Try to include some present progressive tense time expressions.

The Present Perfect Tense

1. Time function: One use of the present perfect tense is to express an activity that started
in the past and continues to now. Something in the sentence or context tells you when
the action began. The action may be continuous or periodic.

For example: My parents have been happily married since their wedding day fifty nine
years ago. (continuously)

For example: Diane has exercised all her life three times a week. (periodic)

2. Time function: We use the present perfect for a past action when the time of the action
isn’t known or important (indefinite past). The meaning of the tense in this case is
“some time or any time before now.”

For example: The Smiths have gone to Hawaii.

3. Time function: The present perfect expresses one action (or the repetition of an action)
that is finished. However, the period of time that it happened in is not over.

For example: They’ve gone there several times this year.

This unfinished time period may be this week (weekend, month, year) today, or others.
Sometimes this period of time is quite long: in the past ten years, in my life, and so on.
The indication of time (this year and so on) is not always in the sentence; it is often in
the mind of the speaker/writer.

For example: I’ve been there twice. (in my life)

4. Time function: Both the simple past and the present perfect are used with a very
recently completed action, but the simple past is more common.

For example: I just finished. (simple past) = I’ve just finished. (present perfect)

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5. The present perfect tense is used with certain verbs to express the duration of an
activity that began in the past. Some of these verbs are: have, sleep, know, wear, hold,
have (a cold), belong (to a club), know, and be.

6. These are important time expressions for the present perfect tense.

For time function one: We often use the present perfect with the words “since” and
“for.” “For” tells us the length of the action, and “since” indicates the point in time when
the action began. Here are some examples.

For: five minutes, two weeks, three years, several days, a long time, the past (last) week

Since: 6:00, April 23, 1980, the accident, I was young, last week

For example: My father has been married to the same woman for fifty nine years.

For example: She has lived in the same city since she was born.

We also use the time expression “so far,” “up to now,” and “always” with this time
function. “Always” indicates permanency from the past to the present.

For time function two: ever= at any time in your life, used in questions and negative
statements.

For example: Have you ever gone to Sea World?

He hasn’t ever been to Sea World.

Never = “not ever,” used in positive statements.

For example: She has never liked spaghetti.

Yet= “before now” in questions when the activity is expected to have happened. “Yet” is
also used in negative statements.

For example: Has she done her homework yet?

I haven’t cleaned the house yet.

Still = “before now” in negative statements. Still implies that the activity should have
happened but hasn’t.

For example: He still hasn’t taken a math class.

Already = “before now” in affirmative statements and questions. The use of already
suggests that the activity has happened earlier than expected.

For example: Has he already finished that book?

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For time function three: today, this morning, afternoon, evening, this week (weekend,
month, year, etc.) in the past ten years, in my life, etc., one time, two times, many times
etc., once, twice, etc.

For example: I’ve read Gone with the Wind three times. (in my life)

For time function four: just, recently, lately

For example: They have taken a trip to El Salvador recently.

My parents have just arrived.

Present Perfect Tense Verb Form

When a present perfect tense verb is positive, it requires the auxiliary “have” and a past
participle main verb. The auxiliary “have” must agree with the subject of the sentence,
and the past participle verb form is either regular “ed” or irregular.

I have eaten.

You have eaten.

He/She/It has eaten.

We have eaten.

You have eaten.

They have eaten.

When a present perfect tense verb is negative, it requires the auxiliary “have” + “not” +
a past participle verb (ed or irregular).

I have not eaten.

You have not eaten.

He/She/It has not eaten.

We have not eaten.

You have not eaten.

They have not eaten.

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Exercise one: Read the following paragraph. Write the sixteen present perfect tense
verbs in this paragraph on the lines below. Indicate the time function of the verb and
any time expressions connected to the verbs. There is a perfect infinitive. Can you find
it? This paragraph also has the simple present and past tenses in it.

My Life

My life has been pretty good so far. I was born and have always lived in California, which
is the best state in the USA. I went to college in San Diego. I have lived in San Diego for
twenty seven years. I have had many good times in San Diego. I have also traveled a lot.
I have visited England, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Holland, Austria, Switzerland, France,
Costa Rica, Spain, and Mexico. I have been to New York many times. I love New York. I
have been a teacher since 1987 and have been a full time professor of ESL at Imperial
Valley College for sixteen years. My students at IVC are wonderful people. I have made
friendships with some very good people, and I have been lucky enough to have had a lot
of adventures with them. I have had pets for twelve years. My life has completely
changed since I have had pets. They bring a lot of joy to my life. My parents moved to
San Diego over twenty years ago, so we have had many wonderful experiences together
in San Diego. I have had an interesting life up to now.

1.______________________________________________________________________

2.______________________________________________________________________

3.______________________________________________________________________

4.______________________________________________________________________

5.______________________________________________________________________

6.______________________________________________________________________

7.______________________________________________________________________

8.______________________________________________________________________

9.______________________________________________________________________

10._____________________________________________________________________

11._____________________________________________________________________

12._____________________________________________________________________

13._____________________________________________________________________

14._____________________________________________________________________

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15._____________________________________________________________________

16._____________________________________________________________________

Exercise two: Read the following student paragraph. Underline all present perfect tense
verbs and write them on the lines below. Include any time expressions related to the
verbs on the lines.

Present Perfect Tense (Indefinite Past) Student Paragraph By Sergio A. Morales

I have done many interesting (things) in my life. I have been to Texas two times. When
I was fifteen, I went my (the) first time, and I visited “Six Flags over Texas.” It was very
exciting. I visited the place where J.F. Kennedy died, and it was very interesting because
I learned the history of how he died. Monterrey, Mexico, is another place that I have
visited and before I visited it, I thought that it was a boring place, but I was wrong
because Monterrey had a lot of things to do and amazing places to find out about. I
have been to Monterrey just one time, but I would like to go again.

1.______________________________________________________________________

2.______________________________________________________________________

3.______________________________________________________________________

4.______________________________________________________________________

Exercise three: Write a paragraph about your life. Use the present perfect tense in your
paragraph a minimum of ten times. You can include other tenses in your paragraph,
such as the simple past and simple present tenses. Try to include some time
expressions.

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 The Present Perfect Progressive Tense

1. Time function: The present perfect progressive tense like the present perfect tense
expresses an action that began in the past and is continuing now. The action may be
continuous or periodic.

For example: She has been waiting since 2:00. (continuously)

For example: For the last two months, I’ve been reading Gone with the Wind.
(periodically, a little bit each day)

Sometimes the indication of when the action began is not in the sentence. It’s only
in the mind of the speaker.

For example: I’ve been waiting for you to show up.

2. Time function: We often use the present perfect progressive for a finished action if:
A. The action finished very close to now.
B. We want to emphasize long duration or hardship.
C. There is evidence in the present of recent past action.

For example: Oh, there you are! I have been looking for you everywhere!

For example: I can smell alcohol on your breath. Have you been drinking?

The streets are wet. It has been raining.

The present perfect progressive is not used with non-action verbs or with adverbs of
frequency, such as never, often, and always. The present perfect is used instead.

For example: Brenda and Laurel have known each other since they were young children.
(“know” is a non-action verb and cannot be used in the present perfect progressive
tense).

3. Time function: The present perfect progressive can also indicate temporary activity.

For example: I’ve been living in Texas for three years, but next month I’m moving to San

Diego.

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 4. These are important time expressions for the present perfect progressive tense.

For time function one: since, for, all day (week, month, and so on), this week, mont,
and so on, in the past week (few months, year, few years, and so on), recently,
lately.

5. When we have a compound verb, the auxiliary verbs “have” and “been” are
omitted.

For example: He has been thinking about the future and making plans.

The Present Perfect Progressive Verb Form

When a present perfect progressive tense is positive, it has two auxiliary verbs. They are “have” and
“been.” The main verb is a present participle verb form “ing.” The auxiliary “have” must agree with the
subject of the sentence.

I have been eating.

You have been eating.

He/She/It has been eating.

We have been eating

You have been eating.

They have been eating.

When a present perfect progressive tense verb is negative, it requires the auxiliary “have” + “not” + the
auxiliary “been” + present participle verb “ing.”

I have not been eating.

You have not been eating.

He/She/It has not been eating.

We have not been eating.

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 You have not been eating.

They have not been eating.

Exercise one: Read the following paragraph. Underline the twelve present perfect progressive tense
verbs in the paragraph. Then write them on the lines that follow. Include any time expressions on the
lines with the verbs. Indicate the time function of the verb. Also, find three non-action verbs that are in
the present perfect tense and write them on the last three lines. How many other verb tenses are in this
paragraph?

My Neighbor, Cathy

I have known my neighbor, Cathy, for three and a half years. She is a very nice person. Cathy has been
living in the duplex next door to me for many years. She is very helpful. She has been taking care of
some of my cats and garden in San Diego while I am in Imperial Valley since I moved in next to her. My
cats love her. Cathy recently got a job at the Goodwill. She has been working part time there since the
spring. Cathy doesn’t have a car. She’s been using public transportation many years, and she uses it to
get to her job. She has been doing her job and working hard in other aspects of her life all year. Cathy
and I have had a lot of good times together. We have been getting together from time to time to drink
wine and have conversations for a while now. Our landlords, who live on the same property with us, are
on vacation, so Cathy has been taking care of their home, watering their plants, feeding their five cats
and her own two cats as well as going to her job this week. I have been driving between San Diego and
Imperial Valley, where I work, for sixteen years but have never had anyone help me with my pets and
home in San Diego until I met Cathy. Cathy is a special person, and I am so fortunate to live next door to
her.

1.___________________________________________________________________________________

2.___________________________________________________________________________________

3.___________________________________________________________________________________

4.___________________________________________________________________________________

5.___________________________________________________________________________________

6.___________________________________________________________________________________

7.___________________________________________________________________________________

8.___________________________________________________________________________________

9.___________________________________________________________________________________

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10.__________________________________________________________________________________

11.__________________________________________________________________________________

12.__________________________________________________________________________________

13.__________________________________________________________________________________

14.__________________________________________________________________________________

15.__________________________________________________________________________________

Exercise two: Write a paragraph about someone you know. Use the present perfect progressive tense a
minimum of ten times in the paragraph. Remember that you must use the present perfect tense with
non-action verbs. You can use other tenses, such as the simple present, present perfect, and simple past
tenses. Try to use some time expressions in your paragraph.

The Simple Past Tense

1. Time function: We use the simple past for a finished action in the past.

For example: Last weekend I attended a party in Chicago.

2. Time function: The simple past can also indicate repeated past action. The period of time the
action happens in is over.

For example: They went there several times last month.

3. Time function: The simple past is also used for a finished activity of duration.

I owned a sports car for years. (I don’t own it now.)

4. The simple past is used with certain verbs to express the beginning of an action. Some of these
verbs are: find out, meet, get (become), get (receive), go to bed, learn, put on, pick up, catch (a
cold), join (a club).

5. Both the simple past and the present perfect tenses are used with a very recently completed
action. The simple past is more common.

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 For example: My mother just called. OR My mother has just called.

6. These are important time expressions for the simple past tense: yesterday, last week, last year,
at 2:30, ago, in September, etc. These words are not always in the sentence, but they are in the
mind of the speaker. The time expression “ever” is used in questions and negatives. The
preposition “for” is used with the simple past tense to express a finished activity of duration.

For example: Did you ever to see that movie?

I worked in Orange County for twelve years.

The simple past is used with phrases, such as this weekend, this morning, and this year if in the
speaker’s mind, the time is finished. In December, a person uses the past with this year because
in his mind, the year is finished.

The Simple Past Tense Verb Form

When a simple past tense verb is positive, it has two forms, regular “ed” and irregular.

I worked.

You worked.

He/She/It worked.

We worked.

You worked.

They worked.

When a simple past tense verb is negative, it requires the auxiliary verb “did’ + not + base verb.

I did not work.

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You did not work.

He/She/It did not work.

We did not work.

You did not work.

They did not work.

Exercise one: Underline fifteen simple past tense verbs in the following paragraph. Write them
on the lines below. Write any time expressions that are used with the verbs on the lines. How
many of these verbs are irregular?

A Summer Night at the Hotel del Coronado

Last weekend, Barbara, Rob, David, and I went to the Hotel del Coronado to watch the sun set.
We drove to the San Diego Harbor and took a ferry to the Coronado Island. After we got to the
hotel, we sat in its outdoor bar area, which had large circular seating areas with fire pits in the
middle. While we talked, some other people joined us although they were strangers. They had
interesting stories about their recent travels. At about eight thirty, the sun started to go down.
It cast beautiful colors on the ocean. At that time, an employee lit a fire in our fire pit, so we
experienced a lovely fire as the sun set.

1._____________________________________________________________________________

2._____________________________________________________________________________

3._____________________________________________________________________________

4._____________________________________________________________________________

5._____________________________________________________________________________

6._____________________________________________________________________________

7._____________________________________________________________________________

8._____________________________________________________________________________

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9._____________________________________________________________________________

10.____________________________________________________________________________

11.____________________________________________________________________________

12.____________________________________________________________________________

13.____________________________________________________________________________

14.____________________________________________________________________________

15.____________________________________________________________________________

Exercise two: Write a paragraph in the simple past tense. Write about a weekend experience
that happened in the recent past. Use at least ten simple past tense verbs, and try to use some
time expressions in your writing.

The Past Progressive Tense

1. Time function: The past progressive is used for an action in progress at a specific time in the
past.

For example: I was sleeping at midnight last night.

2. Time function: The past progressive is used for a past action that was in progress when
another action happened. The verb in the past continuous may stop when the second action
occurs, or it may continue beyond the second action.

For example: I was having lunch when something incredible happened.

*Note: The past continuous is not an independent tense. It is used with another time in
either the sentence or context.

3. Time function: When two actions in the past happen at the same time, and we emphasize
the duration of each action, we use the past continuous for both.

For example: I was washing the dishes while my friend was hanging the mirror.

22
4. The past progressive is often used in clauses with the subordinating conjunctions “while”
and “as.” Sometimes the past progressive is used after the subordinating conjunction
“when.”

For example: My neighbor was vacuuming her house as/while I was watching TV.

For example: My neighbor was vacuuming when I was watching TV.

5. The past progressive is not used with non-action verbs.

6. The past continuous sometimes expresses repetition in the past.

For example: I was coughing all night.

7. When the past progressive is used with “always,” “forever,” and “constantly,” it expresses a
frequent activity that we feel some emotion about (irritation, amusement, admiration, and
so on).

For example: We were forever getting into trouble.

8. These are common time expressions for the past progressive tense.

As

While

When

Always, forever, constantly

At that time, at that moment, at 10:00, yesterday, etc.

The Past Progressive Tense Verb Form

The positive past progressive tense verb form requires the auxiliary verb “was/were” + the

present participle main verb form (ing).

I was eating.

23
 You were eating.

He/She/It was eating.

We were eating.

You were eating.

They were eating.

The negative past progressive verb tense verb form requires the auxiliary verb was/were
+ not + present participle main verb form (ing).

I was not walking.

You were not walking.

He/She/It was not walking.

We were not walking.

You were not walking.

They were not walking.

Exercise one: Read the following paragraph. Underline all past progressive tense verbs and write them
on the lines below. Include any time expressions associated with the verbs. What other verb tenses are
used in this paragraph?

September 11th 2016

Yesterday was September 11th, 2016. It was a day of remembrance for Americans. A man was reading a
list of the names of all the people who had died on September 11 th, 2001, when I turned on the TV in the
morning. While the man was reading the names, people in the crowd were crying and thinking about
the people who had suffered that day. The 9/11 Museum had recently opened, so there were several
programs about it. The museum holds a fire truck that was badly damaged when debris was falling from
the crumbling towers. One program featured a family member of a 9/11 victim who was looking through
photographs, crying, and trying to choose appropriate pictures of that person to put in the museum. A
businessman who survived the terrorist attacks that day is a volunteer at the museum. Yesterday he was
giving tours of the museum, and guests of the museum were asking him many questions. As I was

24
watching these programs, I had many memories of September 11 th, 2001 and what I was doing that
morning.

1.__________________________________________________________________________________

2.__________________________________________________________________________________

3.__________________________________________________________________________________

4.__________________________________________________________________________________

5.__________________________________________________________________________________

6.__________________________________________________________________________________

7.__________________________________________________________________________________

8.__________________________________________________________________________________

9.___________________________________________________________________________________

10.__________________________________________________________________________________

11.__________________________________________________________________________________

12.__________________________________________________________________________________

Exercise two: Read the following paragraph. Underline all past progressive verbs and write them on the
lines below. Include any time expressions on the lines. Be careful. One “ing” form is a verbal, not a past
progressive verb. What other tenses are used in this paragraph?

A Frightening Event in El Centro

Last January at the beginning of the spring semester, I experienced a shooting at my condominium
complex in El Centro. I went to sleep at my usual time, 9:00. I was sleeping soundly when I heard three
extremely loud, frightening sounds right under my bedroom window. The first thing I saw was my clock,
so I knew it was almost one in the morning. I was fairly sure they were shots although I had never heard
shots before. However, my fan was running when I woke up, so I wasn’t one hundred percent sure that
they were shots. I didn’t want to look out the window and see a dead body in the alley, so I tried to go
back to sleep. At about five in the morning, I decided to turn off my fan. When I turned it off, I heard
voices in the alley, so I finally looked out my window. I saw detectives with flashlights walking around
the alley under my window. They were looking for evidence. That was when I knew there had been a
shooting. As the detectives were walking in the alley, I opened the door, went on my balcony, and told
them I knew what time the shooting had happened and how many shots were fired. When I was driving
down my alley to work that morning, I saw three bullet holes in the wall of the building next to mine.

25
Several weeks later, when I was watching TV, a story about the shooting came on the news, so I found
out that an ex-boyfriend had tried to kill his former girlfriend and her new boyfriend in her bedroom
while they were sleeping. That building is right next to mine.

1.___________________________________________________________________________________

2.___________________________________________________________________________________

3.___________________________________________________________________________________

4.___________________________________________________________________________________

5.___________________________________________________________________________________

6.___________________________________________________________________________________

7.___________________________________________________________________________________

Exercise three: Read the student’s paragraph. Underline all past progressive tense verbs, and write them
on the lines below. Include any time expressions on the lines. Be careful. One “ing” form is a gerund, not
a verb.

Student Paragraph Past Progressive Tense By Maritza Lomeli

Two years ago, it was about 10:00 pm on Friday night when an incident occurred. I was peacefully lying
down on my bed when suddenly I heard horrible noises. I told my husband that something was going
on, and I looked out the window to check. When I looked outside, a man was hitting his wife. The man
kept throwing her against a car, and he was saying a lot of bad words to her. She was crying and saying
she was sorry to him. I was afraid that the man might kill her, so I called 911. After thirty minutes, the
police and an ambulance finally arrived. As the police were taking the man, his wife was taken to the
hospital. Two days later, I saw the news on the Internet, and I learned it was over jealousy.

1.___________________________________________________________________________________

2.___________________________________________________________________________________

3.___________________________________________________________________________________

4.___________________________________________________________________________________

5.___________________________________________________________________________________

6.___________________________________________________________________________________

7.___________________________________________________________________________________

26
Exercise four: Write a paragraph about a day in your recent past or about an incident you have
experienced. Use a minimum of ten past progressive verbs. Use the subordinating conjunctions as,
while, and when in your writing. You can use other tenses in this paragraph.

The Future in the Past

1. The future in the past is used to express the idea that you thought something would happen in
the future. It does not matter if you were correct or not. The future in the past follows the
same basic rules as the simple future.

2. Like all future forms, the future in the past cannot be used in clauses beginning with time
expressions, such as when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of
using the future in the past, you must use the simple past.

For example: I told Mark that when he arrived, we would go out to dinner (not when he would
arrive).

3. Time function: “Would” is used to volunteer (plan made at the moment) or promise.

For example: I knew that dad would make dinner (voluntary action).

I was walking by your mailbox, so I thought that I would leave you a note (plan
made at the moment).

For example: Jane promised that she would buy roses (promise).

4. Time function: The future in the past “was/were going to” and the past progressive “was/were +
present participle (ing)” forms are used for an action that was intended (a prearranged plan) but
never happened (an unfulfilled past future plan). They are also used for prearranged plans that
did happen.

For example: I was going to go to the beach, but it rained. OR I was going to the beach, but it
rained.

27
 For example: Maria and Jose were preparing tacos. They were having guests that evening. OR
They were going to have guests that evening.

5. Time function: The “was/were going to” and the “would” forms are also used in noun clauses
that are the direct object of a past tense verb. They express an action that we thought, said,
dreamed, and so on would happen at some time after the time we thought it.

For example: I dreamed that I was going to become a teacher. OR I dreamed that I would
become a teacher.

6. Time function: Both forms “would” and “was/were going to” can be used to make predictions
about the future.

For example: I had a feeling that the vacation was going to be a disaster. OR I had a feeling that
the vacation would be a disaster.

7. Time function: The “was/were going to” form to express inevitability.

For example: It was 1999, and I was going to have a baby (inevitability).

I found out that I was going to die (inevitability).

The Future in the Past Verb Form

The affirmative future in the past has three forms: would + base verb, was/were going to + base
verb, and was/were + present participle (ing) form.

Was/were going to form

I was going to eat, but I didn’t.

You were going to eat, but you didn’t.

He/She/It was going to eat, but he/she/it didn’t.

We were going to eat, but we didn’t.

You were going to eat, but you didn’t.

They were going to eat, but they didn’t.

28
Would form

I thought that I would go to McDonald’s.

You thought that you would go to McDonald’s.

He/She/It thought that he/she/it would eat.

We thought that we would go to McDonald’s.

You thought that you would eat at McDonald’s.

They thought that they would eat at McDonald’s.

Was/were = present participle (ing) form

I was leaving the day before the party.

You were leaving the day before the party.

He/She/It was leaving the day before the party.

We were leaving the day before the party.

You were leaving the day before the party.

They were leaving the day before the party.

To make the future in the past negative, use “not.” The three negative future in the past forms
are: would + not + base verb, was/were + not + going to + base verb, was/were + not + present
participle verb form (ing).

Was/were not going to form

I was not going to eat, but I did.

You were not going to eat, but you did.

He/She/It was not going to eat, but he/she/it did.

We were not going to eat, but we did.

You were not going to eat, but you did.

29
 They were not going to eat, but they did.

Would not form

I thought that I would not eat.

You thought that you would not eat.

He/She/It thought that he/she/it would not eat.

We thought that we would not eat.

You thought that you would not eat.

They thought that they would not eat.

Was/were + not + present participle (ing) verb form

I was not leaving the day before the party.

You were not leaving the day before the party.

He/She/It was not leaving he day before the party.

We were not leaving the day before the party.

You were not leaving the day before the party.

They were not leaving the day before the party.

Exercise one: Change the sentences to the past tense. Then indicate what the future in the past forms
indicate: a plan made at the moment, inevitability, etc. Use both forms of the future in the past in the
sentences if it is possible.

1. Friends ask me when I am going to graduate.

_____________________________________________________________________________

2. I am passing McDonald’s, so I think I will get a hamburger.

_____________________________________________________________________________

30
3. I am not sure who my teacher will be.

_____________________________________________________________________________

4. David needs to buy a car that will accommodate him.

_____________________________________________________________________________

5. I don’t know if I am going to get a good job.

_____________________________________________________________________________

6. We hope she will be there.

_____________________________________________________________________________

7. When she drops her pen, Steve will pick it up.

_____________________________________________________________________________

8. It is my birthday tomorrow, and I am going to turn twenty-one.

_____________________________________________________________________________

9. I realize my job in the dessert will be difficult.

_____________________________________________________________________________

10. Laura predicts her job will be long term.

_____________________________________________________________________________

11. Tina says that she is going to be married by the time she is thirty.

_____________________________________________________________________________

12. Carol tells George she will help him on Sunday.

_____________________________________________________________________________

13. Tom promises that he won’t get drunk.

_____________________________________________________________________________

14. It is November 19th, and I am going to turn forty tomorrow.

_____________________________________________________________________________

15. Brenda is going to start her new job on Monday.

_____________________________________________________________________________

16. I am tired, so I think I will take a nap.

_____________________________________________________________________________

31
Exercise two: Read the following paragraph. Underline twelve forms of the future in the past and write
them on the lines below. Write the number of the time functions on the lines next to the verbs.

Past Future Expectations

Laura is a successful teacher. She loves her job, but when she was in college, she thought that
she was going to be a businesswoman and that she would be very happy. After she graduated
from college with a business degree, Laura had a few business positions. Her parents predicted
that she would be a prosperous businesswoman, but Laura felt that there was something
missing in her life. As a result, she went back to college to get a teaching credential. She decided
that she was going to become a teacher. She promised herself that she would do her best to
educate the children in her classroom. After she received her teaching credential, She began to
teach at an elementary school in a poor community. She believed that it was going to be
difficult work, and it was. However, she was very dedicated to her students. Even though the
work was very hard, Laura though that maybe the children she taught would remember her and
be thankful someday. Twenty five years after Laura had taught her very first class of first
graders, three of her former students contacted her. She was shocked because she thought that
they would forget her. They did not forget her, and one invited her to her upcoming wedding,
which she was having on a beach. Laura was happy to get the invitation and told her student
that she would attend her wedding. As Laura watched her former student getting married with
the ocean in view, she realized that when she thought she would be happy as a businesswoman,
she was wrong and when she believed that her students would forget her, she was wrong.
Becoming a teacher was the best decision she had ever made in her life.

1._____________________________________________________________________________

2._____________________________________________________________________________

3._____________________________________________________________________________

4._____________________________________________________________________________

5._____________________________________________________________________________

6._____________________________________________________________________________

7._____________________________________________________________________________

8._____________________________________________________________________________

9._____________________________________________________________________________

10.____________________________________________________________________________

11.____________________________________________________________________________

32
12.____________________________________________________________________________

Exercise three: Read the student’s paragraph. Write all future in the past verb forms on the
lines that follow. Then answer the question.

Student Paragraph the Future in the Past By Mireya Quinteros

When I was a girl, I dreamed I was going to become a singer, but I never took sing (singing)
classes. Also, I thought that Santa Claus was going to bring me a bicycle, but it never arrived. My
father said that he was going to go to Buenos Aires to see (find out) all about Tango, but he died.
In 2000, many people said that the world was going to finish (end), but it didn’t happened
(happen). When I was a teenager, I imagined that I was going to have four children, but I only
had two. My son told me that he was going to become a chef, but he studied civil engineering. I
thought I was going to do the homework early, but I did it at midnight.

1. ___________________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________________________

4. ___________________________________________________________________________

5. ___________________________________________________________________________

6. ___________________________________________________________________________

7. ___________________________________________________________________________

8. What time function is used in the student paragraph above?__________________________

Exercise four: Write a paragraph about your past future expectations. Try to use the three
future in the past forms in your writing. Use at least eight future in the past verb forms.

Exercise five: Fill in the blanks with “would” or “was/were going to” for the future in the past.

1. I knew that she____________________________do that.

2. Brenda____________________be a doctor, be she wound up becoming a lawyer.

33
3. My boyfriend promised me that he______________________help me yesterday.
4. My father was sure that Barack Obama___________________________be the next
president of the United States.
5. Yesterday when I was driving home from work, I thought that
I_____________________stop and get a chocolate sundae.
6. It was January 10th, 2005, and the next day David_________________________get married.
7. After his break up, Larry vowed that he_______________________never have another
girlfriend.
8. Yesterday I_________________________go to the supermarket after work, but I changed
my mind.
9. Frankie always knew he________________________ get married. He just didn’t know who
his future wife___________________________be.
10. My best friend________________________call me yesterday, but she didn’t. She must have
been busy.

The Simple Future: Will/Be going to

1. Time function: “Will” indicates promise, determination, volunteered action, prediction, or

inevitability for the future.

For example: Your money will disappear. (prediction)

For example: You will die someday. (inevitability)

For example: I will love you forever. (promise)

For example: The city will hire as many people as possible. (determination)

For example: I’ll pick up the pencil you just dropped. (volunteered action)

2. Time function: In the negative, “will not” can mean refusal besides the negatives of the
meanings above.

For example: My car won’t start. The door won’t open.

3. Time function: “Will” is used in polite requests and invitations. In this usage, it is
interchangeable with “can,” “could,” and “would.”

For example: Will you pick that up please?

4. Time function: “Be going to” indicates prediction and inevitability, but it does not usually
indicate promise, determination, or a volunteered action.

34
 For example: Your money is going to disappear. (prediction)

For example: You’re going to die someday. (inevitability)

5. Time function: “Be going to” indicates an action or event planned with some certainty for
the future.

For example: I am going to graduate from college in 2017.

6. Time function: “Be going to” indicates a future situation that is already developing. There is
some evidence in the present that indicates the prediction of a future action.

For example: Look at those cars. They are going to crash.

7. These are common simple future time expressions: tomorrow (tomorrow morning,
tomorrow afternoon, tomorrow evening), the day after tomorrow, in a year (in an hour, a
week, a month, etc.) next month, next year, this week (this month, this year, this weekend),
on Monday, on the weekend, in June, later, some day.

The Simple Future “Will” Verb Form

The positive verb form of “will” for the simple future is “will” + base verb.

I will go.

You will go.

He/She/It will go.

We will go.

You will go.

They will go.

The negative form of “will” for the simple future is “will” + not + base verb.

35
I will not go.

You will not go.

He/She/It will not go.

We will not go.

You will not go.

They will not go.

The Simple Future “Be Going To” Form

The positive verb form of “be going to” for the simple future is “be” (is/am/are) + going to +
base verb.

I am going to go.

You are going to go.

He/She/It is going to go.

We are going to go.

You are going to go.

They are going to go.

The negative verb form of “be going to” for the simple future is “be” (is, am, are) + not +
going to + base verb.

I am not going to go.

You are not going to go.

He/She/It is not going to go.

We are not going to go.

You are not going to go.

They are not going to go.

36
Exercise one: Read the following paragraph, and underline fifteen simple future tense
verbs. Write them on the lines below, and indicate the time function of each verb. Include
any time expressions related to the verbs. What are the other tenses used in this
paragraph?

A Trip to New York

My next vacation will be incredible. In October on Halloween weekend, my friend and I are
going to go to New York. We are going to do many interesting things. The first night, we are
going to have dinner at One World Trade Center, which is the tallest building in the Western
Hemisphere. My friend and I are also going to see two plays on Broadway on Saturday and
Sunday. They are Holiday Inn and On Your Feet, the story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan. I
want to go shopping, too. I have promised myself that I will not spend too much money, but
the shopping is amazing in New York! I am going to look at and possibly buy some beautiful
clothes or jewelry there because it is the Paris of the USA. We are also going to see the 9/11
Museum and Memorial Plaza. I know that I am going to cry at those places even if I try to
stop myself. We are going to go to Fraunces Tavern, which is a colonial American tavern that
has been operating since 1762. It is the oldest standing structure in New York, and we are
going to go to the Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog, considered the best Irish pub in the USA.
It will be pretty cold there in October, so I am going to take heavy coats, gloves, and boots. I
am very excited to take this trip, and I believe it will be one of the best in my life.

1. ________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________________________
6. ________________________________________________________________________
7. ________________________________________________________________________
8. ________________________________________________________________________
9. ________________________________________________________________________
10. ________________________________________________________________________
11. ________________________________________________________________________
12. ________________________________________________________________________
13. ________________________________________________________________________
14. ________________________________________________________________________

37
15. ________________________________________________________________________

Exercise two: Write a paragraph about a future event that you have planned. Try to use
both “will” and “be going to” and some simple future time expressions. Use a minimum of
ten simple future tense verbs in your writing. You can use other tenses in this paragraph.

The Simple Present Tense for the Future

1. Time function: The simple present has a future meaning in subordinate adverb clauses
that express time and condition with these conjunctions:

When

Whenever

While

As (while)

Until

Before

After

As soon as

By the time

If

Unless

In case

For example: As soon as you save enough money, you will buy a new car.

Unless you get sick, you are going to have a great weekend.

38
2. Time function: The simple present tense has a simple future meaning with specific verbs
that indicate a scheduled event. Some of these verbs are: start, begin, end, open, close,
arrive, leave, take off (leave), get to (arrive), land (arrive), rise, and set.

For example: The wedding begins at two o’clock next Saturday.

The plane takes off at six o’clock.

The Simple Present Tense for the Simple Future Verb Form

(See the simple present tense for the verb form).

Exercise one: Read the following paragraph. Underline all simple present tense verbs
that indicate the simple future. Write them on the lines below. Include any time
expressions related to the verbs on the lines. Then write all other simple future tense
verbs on the remaining lines. What other verb tenses are used in this paragraph?

The sun rises at about six thirty tomorrow. I am going to get up, make breakfast, take a
shower, and review my student manual. A Zumba exercise class begins at noon and
ends at one tomorrow, and I am taking that class. After my exercise class finishes, I am
going to go home because all of the weather forecasters think it will begin to rain in the
afternoon, so it will be a good time to watch an old movie. Room for One More, which
stars Cary Grant, starts at 3:15 and finishes at 5:00 in the afternoon. I have seen it
before, but it was so good that I will enjoy watching it again. The sun sets at about five
thirty tomorrow evening; as a result, I will be upstairs so that I can see the spectacular
colors over the buildings of downtown San Diego from my balcony. Tomorrow is going
to be a lovely day.

1.______________________________________________________________________

2.______________________________________________________________________

3.______________________________________________________________________

4.______________________________________________________________________

5.______________________________________________________________________

6.______________________________________________________________________

7.______________________________________________________________________

39
 8.______________________________________________________________________

9.______________________________________________________________________

10._____________________________________________________________________

11._____________________________________________________________________

12._____________________________________________________________________

13._____________________________________________________________________

14._____________________________________________________________________

15._____________________________________________________________________

16._____________________________________________________________________

17._____________________________________________________________________

18._____________________________________________________________________

The Present Progressive Tense for the Future

1. Time function: The present progressive for the simple future is used for a planned future
event. It is generally interchangeable with the “be going to" simple future form.

For example: What are we doing next? = What are we going to do next?

40
2. When the present continuous means the future, some indication of time is given in the
sentence itself or in the whole context.

For example: What are you doing tomorrow? (time expression in sentence)

I’m starting a new job as a clerk. (context)

3. You can use all of the same time expressions for “will” and “be going to” with the
present continuous tense for the simple future.

The Present Progressive for the Simple Future Tense Verb Form

(See the present progressive tense for the verb form).

Exercise one: Read the following paragraph. Underline seven present continuous verbs
for the simple future, and write them on the lines that follow. Underline three simple
present tense verbs for the simple future, and write them on the lines that follow as
well. Include any of time expressions related to the verbs on the lines. Be careful. Don’t
confuse the present continuous and “be going to” forms. Then write all other simple
future verb tense forms on the remaining lines.

My Weekend

Tomorrow is Friday, and then the weekend begins. I am going to the gym tomorrow to
get in a third day of exercise this week. I am going to dance in a Zumba class. It is a very
good workout. I am shopping later after Zumba. When I finish shopping, I am returning
home to work on my project. I am going to work on my project for several hours. On
Saturday, I am visiting my parents in Encinitas, where we are eating at a Mexican
restaurant. On Sunday, I am sleeping in and staying home; I need to clean my home. I
am going to clean most of the day. This weekend will be a nice weekend. I am going to
enjoy it.

1.__________________________________________________________________________

2.__________________________________________________________________________

41
 3.__________________________________________________________________________

4.__________________________________________________________________________

5.__________________________________________________________________________

6.__________________________________________________________________________

7.__________________________________________________________________________

8.__________________________________________________________________________

9.__________________________________________________________________________

10._________________________________________________________________________

11._________________________________________________________________________

12._________________________________________________________________________

13._________________________________________________________________________

14._________________________________________________________________________

15._________________________________________________________________________

Exercise two: Write a paragraph about your upcoming weekend. Try to use the present progressive
tense and the simple present tense for the simple future at least eight times. You can use other simple
future tense forms and other tenses.

Time Expressions Review

It is VERY important that you stay in the correct tense when you are speaking or writing in English.
When you are writing in English, focus on the time expressions you use as they indicate the tense you
need to be in. Here are the most important time expressions in English. Study them and remember what
tense they indicate when you are speaking or writing in English.

The simple present tense uses these time expressions.

1. Always: I always brush my teeth twice a day.

2. Often
3. Frequently
4. Almost always
5. Usually
6. Sometimes: Carol goes to the gym sometimes.
7. Every day, week, month, and so on

42
 8. Once a week, twice a month, three times a year, and so on
9. Occasionally
10. Seldom
11. Rarely
12. Almost never: We almost never go to the movies.
13. Never

The present progressive tense uses these time expressions.

1. Now, right now: I am petting my cat right now.

2. At the (this) moment, at present, presently
3. These days, nowadays: People are discussing a lot of politics these days.
4. Today: Jaime is doing a lot today.
5. This week, month, year, and so on: I am relaxing this week.
6. This semester, this quarter, and so on: Lupe is taking four classes this semester.
7. Always, forever, constantly-These time expressions are used with the present progressive tense
for a very frequent activity that we feel some emotion about: My brother is always laughing. My
teacher is forever criticizing us.
8. Currently: We are currently working on three separate projects.

The present perfect tense with the indefinite past time function uses these time expressions.

1. Ever= at any time in a person’s life/used in question and negative statements: Have you ever
been to Spain? I haven’t ever been to Spain.
2. Never= not ever/used in sentences with positive verbs: I have never been to Spain.
3. Yet= before now/used in questions and negative statements: I haven’t been to Spain yet. I
haven’t yet been to Spain.
4. Still= before now/used in negative statements: She still hasn’t done her homework.
5. Already=before now/used in affirmative statements and questions: She has already done her
homework. Has she eaten breakfast already? Has she already eaten breakfast?
6. Recently=not long ago: I’ve recently been to Hawaii. I’ve been to Hawaii recently.
7. Just=the very recent past: John has just finished his work.
8. One time, two times, many times, once, twice, etc= I’ve been to McDonald’s twice this week.
(I’m not at McDonald’s now). I’ve seen the Godfather many times (in my life) (I’m not watching
the Godfather now). The present perfect can express an action or the repetition of an action
that is finished. However, the period of time in which it happened is not finished.
9. This year, month, week, in (over) the past ten years, in my life, etc.= (if the time period is
unfinished) They’ve gone to Disneyland three times this year.
10. Before= Jennifer has heard that before.
11. Lately= not long ago: He hasn’t gone dancing lately.

43
When the present perfect tense indicates an action that started in the past and continues to the
present, it has these time expressions.

1. Since= indicates a starting point in time of an action that continues to now: I have lived in San
Diego since I went to SDSU.
2. For= indicates the duration of an action that started in the past and continues to now: I have
lived in Golden Hill for sixteen years.
3. So far= up to now: My students have taken three tests so far.
4. Up to now/up until now: earlier: Up to now, the USA has admitted a few more than 10,000.
5. Always= permanently from the past to now: I have always lived in California.
6. All day (week, year, and so on) I’ve worked hard all week.
7. The past (last) week/this week, this year, in my life, all my life: Cindy has been very happy this
week. My students have worked hard the past week.
8. Today, this morning, this afternoon, this evening (unfinished time periods): The teachers have
been very busy today. (They are still busy now). The students have learned a lot this morning.
(They are still learning now).

The present perfect progressive tense uses these time expressions.

1. Since: Cathy has been living next to me since I moved in three and a half years ago.
2. For: Your teacher has been working at IVC for sixteen years.
3. All day, week, month, and so on: The men have been making noise all day.
4. The past/last week, few months, year, few years, and so on: Martha has been studying hard the
past week.
5. Recently: I have been exercising a lot recently.
6. Lately: Brenda has been eating a lot of junk food lately.

The simple past tense uses these time expressions.

1. This weekend, this year, etc. (If in the speaker’s mind, the time is finished). I drank two cups of
coffee this morning. This year was a good year. (The speaker is probably talking in December).
2. For= a finished activity of some duration: I owned my first car for ten years.
3. When= After “when,’ the verb is usually in a simple tense, such as the simple past: I loved ice
cream cones when I was a child.
4. While/As= The simple past can be used after “while” and “as” when the meaning is continuous: I
cleaned the house while my roommate watched TV.
5. Last month, last year, last week, the last time I saw you, etc: Our teacher got sick last week.
6. One week ago, fifty years ago, etc: I got married five years ago.

44
 7. In the eighteenth century, in 2011: etc.- Barack Obama became president in 2009.
8. At 2:00, 3:30, 11:45, etc: I got home at 11:00.
9. Yesterday, the day before yesterday, yesterday morning, yesterday evening, yesterday
afternoon: I had a lot of work yesterday.
10. Several times, one time, once, two times, twice, the first time, the last time etc: I went to
Disneyland one time last year. The last time I went to the beach was when I was in my twenties.
11. In the past: In the past, people had answering machines.
12. Always, usually, sometimes, never, rarely, almost never, almost always, occasionally, seldom,
often, frequently, every day, etc., once a week, etc: When I was a little girl, I always bought ice
cream from the ice cream truck.
13. The next day, later that day: I worked very hard on Friday, but the next day, I went to the
beach.
14. One day: When I was a child, I disliked vegetables, but one day, I decided to start eating them
for my health.

The past progressive tense uses these time expressions.

1. When/While/As= “when” in a continuous sense. They are usually used with a continuous tense:
As I was driving home, my mom called.
2. At that time: What were you doing at seven o’clock? I was eating at that time.
3. Yesterday: David was walking home at 2:00 yesterday.

The future in the past uses these time expressions.

1. The next day: Tom was twenty years old, and the next day he was going to be twenty one years
old.
2. In the future: I didn’t know it at the time, but in the near future, I would be married.
3. Later that day: Bill had made breakfast. Later that day, he was going to wash his clothes.
4. Some day, one day: I knew that my father would be a great man one day.

The simple future tense has these time expressions.

1. Tomorrow, tomorrow morning, tomorrow night, tomorrow in the afternoon (tomorrow

afternoon), tomorrow in the evening (tomorrow evening), the day after tomorrow: I am going to
study tomorrow afternoon.
2. Next week, year, month, and so on: I am going to New York next month.
3. This afternoon, this evening, later this evening, this weekend, this month, tonight (if in the
speaker’s mind these time periods are in the future) She is going to watch TV this evening.

45
 4. Later: She will talk to you later.
5. In a minute, in a year, in two days, in 2020, and so on: I will be finished in a minute.
6. On Monday, on Saturday, in December, in March, and so on: David is going to work on Monday.
The plane leaves on Sunday.
7. Soon: I’ll be there soon.
8. Always, sometimes, never, etc.; My father will always love my mother. I will never forget my
students.
9. Forever: My parents will love each other forever.
10. Someday, one day: One day my prince will come.
11. For: I’ll wait here for ten minutes.

Exercise one: Write the verb tense or tenses that can be used next to each time expression.

1. Since_____________________________________________________
2. For_______________________________________________________
3. Always____________________________________________________
4. Ago_______________________________________________________
5. Never_____________________________________________________
6. Seldom____________________________________________________
7. In ten minutes______________________________________________
8. Now______________________________________________________
9. All my life__________________________________________________
10. The next day________________________________________________
11. Next month________________________________________________
12. Later______________________________________________________
13. Forever____________________________________________________
14. So far______________________________________________________
15. While______________________________________________________

Exercise two: Complete the sentences. It is important to review your sentences on the board with your
teacher.

1. For many years,_______________________________________________________________.

2. Three years ago,_______________________________________________________________.
3. ____________________________________________________________________this week.

46
 4. ____________________________________________________________________since 2005.
5. While I was listening to you ______________________________________________________.
6. Next year,_____________________________________________________________________.
7. ___________________________________________________________________________yet.
8. ___________________________________________________________________________yet?
9. _________________usually_______________________________________________________.
10. _______________________________________________________________________in June.
11. On weekends,__________________________________________________________________.
12. __________________________________________________________________at the moment.
13. _______________________always_________________________________________________.
14. _________________________________________________________________________so far.
15. _________________________________________________________________________lately.

Exercise three: Write sentences in the verb tenses that are given. Use the time expression in your
sentence. It is important to review your sentences on the board with your teacher.

1. Simple present tense/ always

______________________________________________________________________________
2. Present perfect tense/always
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Present progressive tense/constantly
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Present perfect progressive tense/all day
______________________________________________________________________________
5. Simple past tense/ago
______________________________________________________________________________
6. Future in the past/the next day
______________________________________________________________________________
7. Past progressive tense/as
______________________________________________________________________________
8. Simple future tense/in a minute
______________________________________________________________________________

47
 9. Present perfect tense/since
______________________________________________________________________________
10. Present progressive tense/this semester
______________________________________________________________________________
11. Simple present tense/never
______________________________________________________________________________
12. Past progressive tense/when
______________________________________________________________________________
13. Present perfect tense/many times
______________________________________________________________________________
14. Present progressive tense for the future/on Saturday
______________________________________________________________________________
15. Simple past tense/for
______________________________________________________________________________
16. Present perfect progressive tense/for
______________________________________________________________________________
17. Simple present tense/every Saturday
______________________________________________________________________________
18. Present perfect tense/never
______________________________________________________________________________
19. Simple present tense for the future/at ten o’clock in the morning
______________________________________________________________________________
20. Present perfect tense/ever
______________________________________________________________________________

Verb Tense and Time Expression Recognition Practice

Exercise One: Identify the tense of the verbs in the following sentences as: a. simple present tense b.
simple past tense c. present perfect tense d. present continuous tense. Circle all time expressions
related to the tenses.

48
For example: Mr. Murphy has never liked fish. C=present perfect tense (never=time expression)

1. California leads the country in college enrollment.__________

2. More than 30,000 students attended San Diego State University last year. __________
3. Stacy has become very successful. __________
4. The whole process took about a year. __________
5. The store itself is so quintessentially New York. __________
6. I am watching what they are trying on. __________
7. She has the memory of a mosquito. __________
8. Have you seen my calculator? __________
9. She is constantly singing. __________
10. The kids are dancing to electronica these days. __________
11. My sister and I began working at a really young age. __________
12. New Yorkers live in tiny cramped apartments. __________
13. Harry and Sally are always arguing. _________
14. I have done so much in my life. ___________
15. Have you just finished work? _________

Exercise two: Identify the tense of the verbs in these sentences as: a. past progressive tense b. simple
future tense c. future in the past and the simple past d. present progressive tense. Circle all time
expressions related to the tenses.

1. One day, we were all at the counter discussing a new product. __________
2. The stores don’t open until ten o’clock tomorrow. __________
3. All the teenagers are going to the beach this weekend. __________
4. Sheila was going to go to college, but she got a job instead. __________
5. She said that she would be home at eight. __________
6. President Obama is giving one of his last speeches. __________
7. The nightly news begins soon. __________
8. He was holding a gun. _________
9. My car won’t start. __________
10. Are you working this afternoon? __________
11. She promised that she would do it the next day. __________

49
 12. A couple of people were smoking in the yard. __________
13. The sun will rise at 6:30 tomorrow.__________
14. While you were sweating in the hot sun, I was hanging out in the air conditioned shopping mall.
__________
15. The last time I saw her, she was going to leave for a vacation in France. __________.

Exercise three: Read the following sentences. Write the verb tense for each verb on the line (simple
present, present continuous, present perfect, present perfect continuous, simple past, past progressive,
future in the past, or simple future: be going to, will, present progressive for the future, simple present
tense for the future. Circle any related time expressions.

1. Careen’s round little face became pink. __________

2. He drinks tea at breakfast every morning. __________
3. I have seen that movie twenty times. __________
4. The shop opens at nine thirty. __________
5. I’m leaving on Thursday. __________
6. I am studying to become a doctor. __________
7. I knew you would help him. __________
8. Peter didn’t go to the meeting yesterday. __________
9. Will you come to the party? __________
10. Wendy is working on her computer at the moment. __________
11. What were you doing at that time? __________
12. She hasn’t been working in the garden for long. __________
13. Cathy has lived in Europe since 1987. ___________
14. I don’t often go to the cinema.__________
15. Where did you go on vacation last summer? __________
16. Alice isn’t going to attend the conference. _________
17. They were going to call last night, but they forgot. __________
18. Are you working? __________
19. How long have you been cooking? _________
20. I am driving to the beach on Saturday. __________

Keeping Consistent Verb Tense in Writing

The verb tense you choose in your writing affects the way the reader understands your piece of writing.
Therefore, it is very important that you focus on the tense you are writing in and the tense changes you
may need to make. Remember that time expressions are indicators of specific tenses. Many students
use time expressions in their writing but fail to use the correct tense associated with the time

50
expressions. You must study and remember time expressions and their related tenses in order to have
excellent writing (and speaking) skills in English. Sometimes the tense you need to use is determined by
the context in a sentence or sentences. Read the following sentences. What is wrong with them?

1. Shannon left work, gets gas, and stopped by the supermarket on the way home.

“Left” and “stopped” are in the simple past tense, but “gets” is in the simple present tense. Logically,
this can’t happen because the sentence either indicates a habitual routine in the simple present tense or
action that was completed in the past. What are two ways you could fix the sentence?

2. The winds along the coast blow the trees over when the weather got bad.

“Blow” is in the simple present tense, and “got” is in the simple past tense. Logically, this can’t happen
since the sentence indicates factual action in the simple present or simple past tense. What are two
ways you could fix the sentence?

3. I am eating the cake which I made this morning.

This sentence is correct in spite of the fact that it has two different verb tenses. It is logical because the
cake must first be made and second be eaten. What are the two verb tenses in this sentence?

If you suspect tense inconsistency in your or the writing of others,

1. Think about what tense or time the overall sentence is in.

2. Locate all the verbs in a sentence and see what tense they are in.
3. Reread the sentence to make sure you understand what it is saying.
4. Reexamine the verbs in the sentence to make sure they are in a consistent tense.
5. Locate all time expressions in a sentence and be sure the verbs relate to those time expressions.
6. Think about the context of your sentence. What time period does it indicate?

Exercise one: Circle the correct verb.

1. The hero__________the dragon in the book that I read.

A. kill
B. killed
C. is killing
D. has killed

51
2. You never__________the dirty dishes. You’re so lazy.
A. are washing
B. are going to wash
C. wash
D. would wash

3. I__________photos of the bride and groom on Saturday.

A. take
B. am taking
C. will take
D. have been taking

4. My boss__________a new secretary. Can you recommend someone?

A. looked for
B. was looking for
C. is looking for
D. would look for

5. My best friend__________through town on the weekend.

A. is going to pass
B. has passed
C. passes
D. has been passing

6. “Floor”__________with “door,” doesn’t it?

A. rhymed
B. is rhyming
C. will rhyme
D. rhymes

7. You__________two candy bars so far. You shouldn’t eat anymore.

A. ate
B. eat
C. have eaten
D. have been eating

8. I__________ a French class last year, but I decided to study German.

A. was going to take
B. took
C. take
D. would take

9. Jennifer__________a lot lately, so she has dropped a few pounds.

52
 A. exercises
B. has been exercising
C. exercised
d. is going to exercise

10. I knew that I__________a teacher someday.

A. will become
B. become
C. became
d. would become

11. As my daughter__________outside, I got a bad headache.

A. was playing
B. plays
C. has played
D. is playing

12. Robin__________very well last night.

A. was sleeping
B. would sleep
C. slept
D. sleeps

13. My neighbor__________construction on his house since August.

A. does
B. did
C. has been doing
D. was doing

14. My niece__________married someday.

A. got
B. is going to get
C. gets
D. has gotten

15. My landlord_____always_____at someone. It drives me crazy.

A. screams
B. is screaming
C. has been screaming
D. was screaming

53
16. When my mother has half a tank of gas, she__________to a gas station to fill up.
A. went
B. goes
C. has gone
D. will go

17. Helena__________her work yet.

A. didn’t finish
B. hasn’t finished
C. doesn’t finish
D. isn’t finishing

18. Thirty years ago, hardly anyone thought that computers__________common in the home.

A. will be
B. were
C. would be
D. are

19. We__________dinner now.

A. have
B. had
C. are having
d. are going to have

20. Call me next week. Maybe I__________free.

A. am going to be
B. will be
C. am
D. was

21. Look at those dark clouds! It__________.

A. will rain
B. is raining
C. is going to rain
D. has been raining

22. You will need to wait in a long line after you__________to the airport.

A. will get
B. are going to get
C. get

54
 D. got

23. Jean__________the answer. She is raising her hand.

A. has known
B. knows
C. knew
D. would know

24. Look at Tommy. He__________silly today.

A. is
B. has been
C. is being
D. will be

25. My plane to New York__________at 7:40 0n October 28.

A. is going to leave
B. will leave
C. leaves
D. is leaving

Exercise two: Circle the correct verb. Write the name of the verb’s tense after the sentence.

1. On our last trip to New York City, my friend and I (had/have) the chance to see the Statue of
Liberty, but we visited World Trade Center One instead.
2. The student (has worked/is working) on the same project for days with no end in sight.
3. Next year, my parents (will celebrate/have celebrated) their sixtieth wedding anniversary.
4. He (is not attending/did not attend) the party yesterday because he was sick.
5. While the dancer (has warmed up/was warming up), the rest of the troupe went back on stage
to take a bow.
6. Whenever my sister talks to the fellow she has a crush on, she (gets/got) butterflies in her
stomach.
7. My sister is busy at the moment; she (dries/is drying) her hair.
8. When my mother was a child, she thought that she (would get/got) married one day.
9. My Zumba class (is/will be) at ten thirty tomorrow morning.
10. I (am going to retire/will retire) in six years.

Exercise three: Use the words in parentheses to complete the sentences.

55
 1. You look really great! (you/work out)________________________________at the gym
recently?
2. What (you/do)______________________________when the accident happened?
I (try)_________________________________to stop at the stop sign.
3. My best friend (own)_________________________________the same car for more than ten
years, so she’s thinking about buying a new one.
4. If it (snow)______________________________this weekend, my friends and I
(go)____________________________skiing.
5. Shannon (arrive)_____________________________in San Diego a week ago.
6. Sandra (live)______________________________in Berlin for more than three years. She
(live)________________________ there when the Berlin Wall came down.
7. If Susan (keep)______________________________drinking, she (lose,
eventually)______________________her job.
8. Shhhh! Be quiet! The baby (sleep)_____________________________.
9. It (rain)_________________________all week. I hope it stops by Saturday because I want to go
to the beach.
10. Listen, Donna. I don’t care if you (miss)________________________the bus this morning. You
(be)____________________________late to work too many times. You are fired!
11. When we (wake up)____________________________tomorrow morning, we
(clean)____________________________the house.
12. What do Americans usually drink with their breakfast? They
(usually/drink)_____________________________coffee, milk, or orange juice.

Exercise four: Read the sentences. Decide if the sentence is correct or has a verb tense error. If the
sentence has a tense error, rewrite it on the line. Change only verbs not time expressions.

1. Samuel fought David and dies as a result.

A. Correct

B. Tense error___________________________________________________________________

2. Because I learned extensively about Hillary Clinton, I was eager to vote for her.

A. Correct

B. Tense error___________________________________________________________________

3. My parents live in Encinitas since they left Orange County in 1995.

A. Correct

B. Tense error__________________________________________________________________

56
4. The little boy always brushes his teeth before he went to bed.
A. Correct

B. Tense error___________________________________________________________________

5. She was sure that Charlie would never come back.

A. Correct

B. Tense error___________________________________________________________________

6. Cynthia is busy at the moment; she speaks in a meeting.

A. Correct

B. Tense error__________________________________________________________________

7. I was going to tell him, but he doesn’t give me a chance.

A. Correct

B. tense error___________________________________________________________________

8. My friend was writing an email when the phone rang.

A. Correct

B. Tense error__________________________________________________________________

9. We see you tomorrow.

A. Correct

B. Tense error__________________________________________________________________

10. Imperial Valley College’s spring semester begins on February 16 th.

A. Correct

B. Tense error__________________________________________________________________

11. The students have been taking the test two hours ago.

A. Correct

B. Tense error__________________________________________________________________

12. Your teacher has taught grammar classes many, many times.

A. Correct

57
 B. Tense error__________________________________________________________________

13. Mary told her father that she likes sociology not psychology.
A. Correct

B. Tense error__________________________________________________________________

14. Julie has always been living in California.

A. Correct

B. Tense error__________________________________________________________________

15. I was driving by your house yesterday when I thought that I will stop by to see you.

A. Correct

B. Tense error__________________________________________________________________

16. My neighbor works very hard lately.

A. Correct

B. Tense error__________________________________________________________________

17. President Obama was born in Hawaii, and he lived in Indonesia for four years when he was a
child.

A. Correct

B. Tense error___________________________________________________________________

18. My brother ate two hot dogs so far.

A. Correct

B. Tense error__________________________________________________________________

19. Harry and Sally are always arguing.

A. Correct

B. Tense error__________________________________________________________________

20. The sun rises in the east and set in the west.

A. Correct

58
 B. Tense error__________________________________________________________________

21. As Barbara puts in her contact lens, the telephone rang.

A. Correct

B. Tense error_____________________________________________________________

22. Isn’t he a fine looking soldier?

A. Correct

B. Tense error____________________________________________________________

23. Everyone hopes the plan would work.

A. Correct

B. Tense error____________________________________________________________

24. The doctor suggested bed rest for the patients who will suffer from a bad cold.

A. Correct

B. Tense error____________________________________________________________

25. Scientists predict that the sun will die in the distant future.

A. Correct

B. Tense error___________________________________________________________

Exercise five: In each sentence below, one verb must be changed to its correct tense. Underline the
incorrect verb. Write it in the correct tense, and write the name of the tense on the line. Pay close
attention to time expressions and the context of the sentences.

For example: When Janet heard the ice cream truck, she ran into her house, goes into the kitchen, and
asked her father for some money. (went/simple past tense)

1. People admire and even worshiped cats for eons, but they have not always lived cozily with
them.
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Until a couple of hundred years ago, most domesticated cats prefer to keep their distance from
those who were deluded enough to think of themselves as their owners.
______________________________________________________________________________

59
 3. There are those who shudder when a black cat will cross their path.
______________________________________________________________________________
4. By the early twentieth century, the good luck black cat presided over Christmas cards even
when wishes for the coming year are not part of the card’s message.
______________________________________________________________________________
5. I loved cats since I was a little girl, but I have not always lived with cats.
______________________________________________________________________________
6. She pets and talking to her cat at the moment.
______________________________________________________________________________
7. When I saw the kitten in the alley, I decided that I will bring it home.
______________________________________________________________________________
8. Raphael Tuck & Sons, Christmas card maker to Queen Victoria, prefer to use more common cats
in dozens of the hundreds of cards that he and his sons produced for royals and commoners.
______________________________________________________________________________
9. I am going to brush my long haired cat last night, but I forgot to do it.
______________________________________________________________________________
10. Julie tries to make her cats get along for two months, but they still hate each other.
______________________________________________________________________________

Exercise six: Underline the verbs in these sentences. Then explain any inconsistencies in verb tense and
identify the tense of the verb that you have corrected. If there is more than one way to correct the
sentences, indicate that. Remember that the context of sentences along with time expressions can
indicate the sentences must be written in one specific tense. However, if the sentences indicate
habitual, routine action, they can be written in different tenses.

For example: We were seven miles from shore when suddenly the sky turns dark.

The verb “turns” should be “turned” simple past tense because the two verbs need to be in the simple
past tense to indicate completed past action. The context indicates the sentence is a past idea.

For example: The man behind me was slurping down soda and crunching on candy, so I am getting
angrier by the minute.

The verb “am getting” should be “was getting” past progressive tense because the three actions were all
happening at the same time in the past. The context of the sentence indicates it is a past idea.

60
For example: As soon as I got out of bed, I do fifty push-ups.

The verb “do” should be “did” simple past tense. The two verbs need to be in the simple past tense to
indicate completed past action. OR The verb “got” should be “get” simple present tense. Then the two
verbs indicate habitual present tense activity.

1. Every time my son practices the drums, we covered our ears.

______________________________________________________________________________
2. Yesterday we ride horses on the beach, and guides accompany us; at the end of the ride, we had
lunch at our hotel.
______________________________________________________________________________
3. If Jane exercises three times a week, she slept well at night.
______________________________________________________________________________
4. We started cheering as he approaches the finish line.
______________________________________________________________________________
5. My mother and I talked for hours about my vacation; I tell her about my flight, the shopping,
and all the food that I ate.
______________________________________________________________________________

6. I was carrying in my groceries when my neighbor start talking to me.

______________________________________________________________________________
7. The mouse sniffs the cheese and ran away.
______________________________________________________________________________
8. The people at my dentist’s office are very nice because they always answered people’s
questions patiently.
______________________________________________________________________________
9. Often people come to visit us in San Diego, and sometimes they overstayed their welcome a
little bit.
______________________________________________________________________________

10. Bill took the money and vanishes.

______________________________________________________________________________

61
Exercise seven: Complete the sentences using the tense given.

1. We wait patiently, hoping that (Use the simple future tense and write a noun clause.)
______________________________________________________________________________

2. Advertisers seem to believe that (Use the simple present tense and write a noun clause.)
______________________________________________________________________________

3. I will leave for Chicago as soon as (Use simple present tense and write an adverb clause.)
______________________________________________________________________________

4. Yesterday Lupe watched a movie that (Use simple past tense and write an adjective clause.)
______________________________________________________________________________

5. Before the teacher enters the classroom, she always (Use simple present tense and write an
independent clause.)
______________________________________________________________________________

6. Before the teacher enters the classroom, she (Use the simple future tense and write an
independent clause.)
______________________________________________________________________________

7. Yesterday our track team competed in a meet that (Use the simple past tense and write an
adjective clause.)
______________________________________________________________________________

8. One student keeps repeating what (Use the present perfect tense and write a noun clause.)
______________________________________________________________________________

9. While the UPS driver was delivering a package, (Use the simple past tense and write an
independent clause.)
______________________________________________________________________________

62
 10. When Michael was a teenager, he knew that (Use the future in the past and write a noun
clause.)
______________________________________________________________________________

11. I am trying to watch TV, but my cat (Use present progressive tense and write an independent
clause.)

______________________________________________________________________________

12. Since Rose woke up, (Use present perfect progressive tense and write an independent clause.)

______________________________________________________________________________

Exercise eight: Read the following paragraph. Underline any verbs that show inconsistency in tense.
Then write the correct tenses on the lines below. What tense should this paragraph have been written
in?

The dog saw the cat, so it will bark. It runs down the driveway and jumped on the cat’s back. The cat
yowls and clawed at the dog. The poor old dog gets a big scratch on its nose and will race back home.

1.__________________________________________________

2.__________________________________________________

3.__________________________________________________

4.__________________________________________________

5.__________________________________________________

Exercise nine: Find and underline the three verb tense mistakes in the following paragraph.

63
David was a growing nine year old boy in my third grade class. At home, his diet consisted of cold cereal
and sandwiches. His mom was a single parent who works as a custodian for a local company. While I
was monitoring the lunch line one day, I noticed David asking for an extra slice of pizza for his school
lunch, but he does not receive one. When I asked a school employee about it, she said, “That kid is
always hungry.” That settled it. Without his knowing where it came from, there was an extra lunch for
David every day for the rest of the year. I feel good knowing that David wasn’t going hungry although
my meager beginning teacher’s salary was barely enough for me to pay my bills.

Circle the correct answers to complete the statement.

Verb tense should be consistent. In the previous paragraph, three verbs have to be changed because
they are mistakenly in the (simple present/simple past tense) although all the other verbs in the
paragraph are in the (simple present/simple past tense).

Exercise ten: Look for tense errors in the following paragraph.

If you want to pick up a new outdoor activity, hiking is a great option to consider. It’s a sport that is
suited for a beginner or an expert. It just depended on the difficulty of the hikes you choose. However,
even the newest beginners can complete difficult hikes if they pace themselves and were physically fit.
Not only is hiking an easy activity to pick up, it also will have some great payoffs. As you walked through
canyons and climbed up mountains, you can see things that you wouldn’t otherwise. The views are
breathtaking, and you will have a great opportunity to mediate on the world and your role in it. The
summit of a mountain is unlike any other place in the world.

What errors in verb tense did you find? List the incorrect verbs below.

1._______________________________________________________

2._______________________________________________________

3._______________________________________________________

4._______________________________________________________

5._______________________________________________________

6._______________________________________________________

64
What is the primary tense of the above paragraph? Now, rewrite the paragraph so that all of the verbs
are in the correct tense.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Exercise eleven: In the following paragraph, all the verbs are in past tenses because all the action took
place in the past. Read the paragraph and underline all of the verbs. Then on the lines below, identify
the tenses of the verbs.

My mother had a strange and shocking experience when she was five years old. While she was riding
her bicycle on her driveway, a car pulled up, and the driver whisked her into the front seat and drove
off. After some time, he picked up a woman at a bus stop and sped off on the expressway into the
country. As he was turning on a narrow road leading into the mountains, the woman suddenly grabbed
the man’s arm and cried out that she wouldn’t go on with the wild scheme to have a child of their own.
That night the woman dropped my mother off close to her home and drove off into the dark night. My
mother raced in the opposite direction toward the lighted house on the corner.

1.___________________________________________________________________________________

2.___________________________________________________________________________________

3.___________________________________________________________________________________

4.___________________________________________________________________________________

5.___________________________________________________________________________________

6.___________________________________________________________________________________

7.___________________________________________________________________________________

65
8.___________________________________________________________________________________

9.___________________________________________________________________________________

10.__________________________________________________________________________________

11.__________________________________________________________________________________

12.__________________________________________________________________________________

13.__________________________________________________________________________________

14.__________________________________________________________________________________

15.__________________________________________________________________________________

Exercise twelve: Write a paragraph that describes an experience you or someone you know has had.
Keep all the action in the past. Try to use the simple past, past progressive, and future in the past.
Underline all the verbs in your paragraph.

Exercise thirteen: The following paragraph has a variety of tenses. Read the paragraph and underline all
of the verbs. Then write the verbs and their tenses on the lines below.

My mother loves to tell me a story about a frightening experience she had when she was five years old.
I have heard that story many times, and every time I hear it, it is still exciting. She describes how she was
riding her bicycle on the driveway when a car pulled up, and the driver whisked her into the front seat of
the car and drove away. Then she explains how she calmed down a little when he picked up a woman at
a corner. My mother really gets dramatic when she tells me the rest of the story. It is as though she is
living it all over again. “We sped along the expressway for hours. Just as we were turning onto a narrow
lane, the woman suddenly grabbed the man’s arm and screamed hysterically that she wouldn’t go on
with their wild scheme to obtain a child of their own in this way. At this point in the story, the ending is
always the same. “I will never forget that night when the woman drove me toward the city and home.
She gently lifted me out of the car three blocks from my home. As she was driving away into the dark, I
ran to the lighted house on the corner.” I think I know the story as well as my mother by this time.

1.___________________________________________________________________________________

2.___________________________________________________________________________________

3.___________________________________________________________________________________

4.___________________________________________________________________________________

5.___________________________________________________________________________________

6.___________________________________________________________________________________

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7.___________________________________________________________________________________

8.___________________________________________________________________________________

9.___________________________________________________________________________________

10.__________________________________________________________________________________

11.__________________________________________________________________________________

12.__________________________________________________________________________________

13.__________________________________________________________________________________

14.__________________________________________________________________________________

15.__________________________________________________________________________________

16.__________________________________________________________________________________

17.__________________________________________________________________________________

18.__________________________________________________________________________________

19.__________________________________________________________________________________

20.__________________________________________________________________________________

21.__________________________________________________________________________________

22.__________________________________________________________________________________

23.__________________________________________________________________________________

24.__________________________________________________________________________________

25.__________________________________________________________________________________

26.__________________________________________________________________________________

27.__________________________________________________________________________________

28.__________________________________________________________________________________

29.__________________________________________________________________________________

30.__________________________________________________________________________________

31.__________________________________________________________________________________

Exercise fourteen: Now rewrite your paragraph from exercise five and try to use the seven tenses that
were used in the paragraph above in your new paragraph. You can use the above paragraph as a model.
Underline all of your verbs.

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Exercise fifteen: Read the following paragraph. Find and underline the ten errors in verb tense, and then
rewrite the paragraph with the correct verb tenses. In some cases, more than one tense is possible in
your corrections. Pay close attention to time expressions and the context of the paragraph.

Today has been an exciting but tiring day so far. I start the day at six o’clock this morning. After I
finished my morning routine, I will go shopping for a new car. I am looking for a Japanese car because
they have been good cars. I have visited two dealerships up to now, but I needed to shop around some
more. I have had several good Japanese cars in my life, so I am wanting another one. I test drove an SUV
two hours ago, and I really liked it, but it has cost too much. Choosing a new car was not an easy
decision. I am getting tired and need a break, so I think I would go to a restaurant for lunch, and after
that, I continue my search for a new car. I was hoping I find a great deal.

Exercise sixteen: Read the following paragraph. Determine the main tenses. Then reread it and circle
the three verbs that shift incorrectly from the main tense.

For the past seven years, John has called himself a swimmer. Swimming, his one sport, provides a
necessary outlet for his abundant energy. He has always drawn satisfaction from exertion, straining his
muscles to their limits. He doesn’t know why pushing forward in the water as his muscles cried out in
pain sets off a booming cheer in his head. Many times, when he rounded the turn for the last lap of a
race, his complaining muscles want to downshift and idle to the finish. His mind, however, presses the
pedal to the floor and yells, “Faster!” The moment that he touched the wall his muscles relax; the pain
subsides. He is pleased to have passed the point of conflict. (Adapted from Brendon MacLean,
“Harder!”)

1. What are the two main tenses of this paragraph?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. What are the three verbs that fail to maintain consistent tense?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

3. What are the correct forms of the above three verbs?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Verb Tense Consistency on the Paragraph and Essay Level

68
 1. Use the simple present tense when you are writing about:
A. habitual present time activity
B. factual topics
C. the action in a specific play, book, or movie
D. time now for non-action verbs

Exercise seventeen: Write a paragraph or essay in the simple present tense. The paragraph should be
habitual present time activity, a factual topic, or about the action in a specific play, book, or movie.

2. Use the simple past tense when you are writing about:
A. past events
B. completed studies or findings and arguments presented in scientific literature
C. habitual past activities
D. non-action verbs

Exercise eighteen: Write a paragraph or essay in the simple past tense. The paragraph should be
habitual past tense action, past events, or about completed studies or findings and arguments
presented in scientific literature.

3. Use the simple future tense when you are writing about:
A. events that will happen in the future

Exercise nineteen: Write a paragraph or essay in the simple future tense. The paragraph should be
about events that will happen in the future.

Remember. Change tense only when something in the context of your writing demands that you do so
to clarify different time periods.

Exercise twenty: Read the following paragraph and notice how it incorporates tense change as needed
to clarify several time periods.

Didion’s memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking, examines the period of grief that follows the death of a
loved one. The book is based upon the death of Didion’s husband, John Gregory Dunne, who died in
December 2003. At that time, their daughter, Quintana, was hospitalized for a serious infection
following a bout with the flu. Didion and Dunne just returned from visiting their daughter at the
hospital when Dunne suffered a fatal heart attack. The memoir describes Didion’s experiences and

69
thoughts after her husband’s heart attack and offers the reader a compelling account of what kind of
magical thinking often occurs during the grieving process.

List the verbs and their tenses in each sentence.

1. ______________________________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________________________________________

Give the reasons for the use of each verb’s tense.

For example: In sentence one, the verbs “examines” and “follows” are in the simple present tense
because they are used to discuss the action in a specific book.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Sentence two:_________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Sentence three:________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Sentence four:_________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Sentence five:_________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Exercise twenty one: Read the following paragraph, and pay close attention to the verb tenses and any
shifts in tense.

70
This morning was very interesting. I decided to stop at a unique lamp shades shop in the Hillcrest area of
San Diego. The shop is in an old two story home. It has incredibly unusual lamps and lamp shades. Many
are antiques. It also has a fireplace in one of the rooms of the house. This morning, there was a small
fire in the fireplace, which made the shop very cozy. A woman whose name was Vicky helped me look
at various shades for one of my lamps. One of the shades was from the 1960’s. Another shade had small
pearls all over it, but the shade I chose was a black string shade. String lamp shades are see through, so I
also purchased an Edison light bulb to go with the shade. Edison light bulbs are incandescent light bulbs.
The filament in this type of bulb is visible as the horizontal line between the vertical supply wire. It glows
with visible light. I was thrilled to buy the shade and bulb. The shop even took my old lamp shade as a
trade in. It was a great experience, and I am so happy I finally decided to stop by the shop. I have a
beautiful lamp that is truly unique.

List the verbs and their tenses in each sentence.

1.___________________________________________________________________________________

2.___________________________________________________________________________________

3.___________________________________________________________________________________

4.___________________________________________________________________________________

5.___________________________________________________________________________________

6.___________________________________________________________________________________

7.___________________________________________________________________________________

8.___________________________________________________________________________________

9.___________________________________________________________________________________

10.__________________________________________________________________________________

11.__________________________________________________________________________________

12.__________________________________________________________________________________

13.__________________________________________________________________________________

14.__________________________________________________________________________________

15.__________________________________________________________________________________

16.__________________________________________________________________________________

17.__________________________________________________________________________________

18.__________________________________________________________________________________

71
Give the reason for the use of each verb’s tense.

For example: In sentence one, “was” is in the simple past tense because it indicates a past event.

Sentence two:_________________________________________________________________________

Sentence three:________________________________________________________________________

Sentence four:_________________________________________________________________________

Sentence five:_________________________________________________________________________

Sentence six:__________________________________________________________________________

Sentence seven:_______________________________________________________________________

Sentence eight:________________________________________________________________________

Sentence nine:_________________________________________________________________________

Sentence ten:__________________________________________________________________________

Sentence eleven:_______________________________________________________________________

Sentence twelve:_______________________________________________________________________

Sentence thirteen:______________________________________________________________________

Sentence fourteen:_____________________________________________________________________

Sentence fifteen:_______________________________________________________________________

Sentence sixteen:_______________________________________________________________________

Sentence seventeen:____________________________________________________________________

Sentence eighteen:_____________________________________________________________________

Exercise twenty two: Read the following paragraph. Pay close attention to each verb’s tense and any
shifts in tense.

I am very excited about next weekend. On Saturday, my friend and I are going to Sea World. The last
time I went to Sea World was when I was in college in the early 1980’s. As a result, I feel eager to go
again. My friend and I bought year passes, so I am going to visit it a lot. Sea World offers many kinds of
animal learning experiences. They cost extra money, but they are very educational. This Saturday, we
are going to have lunch with orcas. The event consists of a buffet lunch that guests eat right next to the
orcas. Guests watch the orcas interact with their trainers while they are eating lunch. There are also

72
other animal interaction events, such as swimming with dolphins and beluga whales. After we eat lunch
with the orcas, we are going to explore the park and look at the many animal exhibits. This weekend is
going to be a special time. I love to be around and learn about animals.

List the verbs and their tenses in each sentence.

1.___________________________________________________________________________________

2.___________________________________________________________________________________

3.___________________________________________________________________________________

4.___________________________________________________________________________________

5.___________________________________________________________________________________

6.___________________________________________________________________________________

7.___________________________________________________________________________________

8.___________________________________________________________________________________

9.___________________________________________________________________________________

10.__________________________________________________________________________________

11.__________________________________________________________________________________

12.__________________________________________________________________________________

13.__________________________________________________________________________________

14.__________________________________________________________________________________

Give the reason for the use of each verb’s tense.

For example: In sentence one, “am” time now for a non-action verb.

Sentence two:_________________________________________________________________________

Sentence three:________________________________________________________________________

Sentence four:_________________________________________________________________________

Sentence five:_________________________________________________________________________

73
Sentence six:__________________________________________________________________________

Sentence seven:________________________________________________________________________

Sentence eight:________________________________________________________________________

Sentence nine:_________________________________________________________________________

Sentence ten:__________________________________________________________________________

Sentence eleven:_______________________________________________________________________

Sentence twelve:_______________________________________________________________________

Sentence thirteen:______________________________________________________________________

Sentence fourteen: _____________________________________________________________________

74
 Answer Key

Pages four- five, exercise one

1 like, base verb, #4

2 go, base verb, #1
3 try, base verb, #1
4 lasts, third person singular verb, subject, happy hour=subject, #3
5 offers, third person singular verb, Humphrey’s restaurant=subject, #3
6 is, third person singular verb, concert=subject, #3/4
7 are, #3/4
8 play, base verb, #1
9 are, #3/4
10 is, third person singular verb, dance floor=subject, #3/4
11 crowd, base verb, #1
12 dance, base verb, #1
13 are, #3/4
14 throws, third person singular verb, man=subject, #1
15 dance, base verb, #6
16 overlooks, third person singular verb, Humphrey’s restaurant, #3
17 enjoy, base verb, #1
18 is, third person singular verb, Humphrey’s restaurant, #3/4
19 features, third person singular subject, it=subject, #3
20 love, base verb, #3

Page eight, exercise one

1 is passing, #1
2 are holding, #1
3 is shaking, #1
4 are staring, #1
5 are dancing, #1
6 are giving, #1
7 is bowing, #1
8 is waving, #1
9 is smiling (forever) #3
10 are shining (at this moment) #1
11 are walking, #1

Non action verbs: are, has, appear, has, is, seems, is, is

Present progressive infinitive (to be moving and walking)

75
Pages twelve-thirteen, exercise one

1 has been (so far), #1 11 have been, #2

2 have lived (always), #1 12 have had (for), #1

3 have lived (for), #1 13 has changed (since), #2

4 have had, #2 14. have had (since), #1

5 have traveled, #2 15 have had, #2

6 have visited, #2 16 have had (up to now), #2

7 have been (many times), #2

8 have been (since), #1

9 have been (for), #1

10 have made, #2

Perfect infinitive: to have had

Page thirteen, exercise two

1 have done (in my life)

2 have been (two times)

3 have visited

4 have been (one time)

Pages sixteen-seventeen, exercise one

1 has been living (for), #1

2 has been taking care of (since), #1
3 has been working (since), #1
4 has been using (for many years), #1
5 has been doing (all year), #1
6 has been working, (all year), #1
7 have been getting together (for), #1
8 has been taking care of (this week), #1
9 has been watering (this week), #1
10 has been feeding (this week), #1
11 has been going (this week), #1
12 have been driving (for), #1

76
 13 have known
14 have had
15 have never had

Pages nineteen-twenty, exercise one

1 went, irregular (last weekend)

2 drove, irregular
3 took, irregular
4 got, irregular
5 sat, irregular
6 had, irregular
7 talked or were talking (while)
8 joined (while)
9 were, irregular
10 had, irregular
11 started
12 cast, irregular
13 lit, irregular
14 experienced
15 set, irregular

Pages twenty two- twenty three, exercise one

1 was reading (when)

2 was reading (while)
3 were crying (while)
4 were thinking (while)
5 was falling (when)
6 was looking
7 was crying
8 was trying
9 was giving (yesterday)
10 were asking (yesterday)
11 was watching (as)
12 was doing

simple present, simple past, past perfect

Pages twenty three- twenty four, exercise two

1 was sleeping (when)

2 was running (when)

77
 3 were looking
4 were walking (as)
5 was driving (when)
6 was watching (when)
7 were sleeping (while)

past perfect, simple past, simple present

Page twenty four, exercise three

1 was lying (when)

2 was going on
3 was hitting (when)
4 was saying
5 was crying
6 was saying
7 were taking (as)

throwing=gerund

Pages twenty eight-twenty nine, exercise one

1 Friends asked me when I would/was going to graduate.

2 I was passing McDonald’s, so I thought I would get a hamburger.
3 I was not sure who my teacher would/was going to be.
4 David needed to buy a car that would/was going to accommodate him.
5 I didn’t know if I would/was going to get a good job.
6 We hoped she would be there.
7 When she dropped her pen, Steve would pick it up.
8 It was my birthday the next day, and I was going to turn 21.
9 Laura predicted her job would/was going to be long term.
10 Tina said that she would/was going to be married by the time she was thirty.
11 Carol told George she would help him on Sunday.
12 Tom promised that he wouldn’t get drunk.
13 It was November 19th, and I was going to turn forty the next day.
14 Brenda was going to start her new job on Monday.
15 I was tired, so I thought I would take a nap.

Pages twenty nine- thirty, exercise two

1 was going to be
2 would be
3 would be
4 was going to become
5 would do

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 6 was going to be
7 would remember
8 would be
9 would forget
10 would attend
11 would be
12 would forget

Page thirty one, exercise three

1 was going to become

2 was going to bring
3 was going to go
4 was going to finish
5 was going to have
6 was going to become
7 was going to do
8 #4

Pages thirty one-thirty two, exercise five

1 would
2 was going to
3 would
4 would/was going to
5 would
6 was going to
7 would
8 was going to
9 would/was going to
10 was going to

Pages thirty four-thirty five, exercise one

1 will be, #1
2 are going to go (in October on Halloween), #1
3 are going to do, #5
4 are going to have, #5
5 are going to see (on Saturday and Sunday), #5
6 will not spend, #1
7 am going to look at, #5
8 am going to buy, #5
9 are going to see, #5
10 am going to cry/try (conditional clause), #5

79
 11 are going to go, #5
12 are going to go, #5
13 will be (in October), #1
14 am going to take, #5
15 will be, #1

simple present tense/present perfect progressive

Pages thirty six-thirty seven, exercise one

1 rises (at about six thirty tomorrow)

2 begins (at noon)
3 ends (at one tomorrow)
4 finishes
5 starts (at 3:15)
6 finishes (at five in the afternoon)
7 sets (at about five thirty tomorrow evening)
8 am going to get up
9 am going to make
10 am going to take
11 am going to review
12 am taking
13 am going to go
14 will begin
15 will be
16 will enjoy
17 will be
18 is going to be

present tense/present perfect/simple past

Pages thirty eight-thirty nine, exercise one

1 am going (tomorrow)
2 am shopping (later after zumba)
3 am returning
4 am visiting (on Saturday)
5 are eating (on Saturday)
6 am sleeping in (on Sunday)
7 am staying (on Sunday)
8 is (tomorrow)
9 begins (tomorrow)
10 finish
11 am going to dance

80
 12 am going to work
13 am going to clean
14 will be (this weekend)
15 am going to enjoy

Page forty six, exercise one

1 a
2 b (last year)
3 c
4 b
5 a
6 d
7 a
8 c
9 d (constantly)
10 d (these days)
11 b
12 a
13 d (always)
14 c (in my life)
15 c (just)

Page forty six, exercise two

1 a (one day)
2 b (tomorrow)
3 b (this weekend)
4 c
5 c
6 d
7 b (soon)
8 a
9 b
10 b (this afternoon)
11 c (the next day)
12 a
13 b (tomorrow)
14 a (while)
15 c (the last time)

Page forty seven, exercise three

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 1 simple past
2 simple present (every morning)
3 present perfect (twenty times)
4 simple present or simple present for the future (at nine thirty)
5 simple future (on Thursday)
6 present progressive
7 future in the past
8 simple past (yesterday)
9 simple future
10 present progressive (at the moment)
11 past progressive (at that time)
12 present perfect progressive (for long)
13 present perfect (since 1987)
14 simple present (often)
15 simple past (last summer)
16 simple future
17 future in the past
18 present progressive
19 present perfect progressive
20 simple future (on Saturday)

Page forty nine, exercise one

1 b
2 c
3 b
4 c
5 a
6 d
7 c
8 a
9 b
10 d
11 a
12 c
13 c
14 b
15 b
16 b
17 b
18 c
19 c
20 b
21 c

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22 c
23 b
24 c
25 c

83