Change the Tense

To use past and present tenses correctly in my writing.

1. Complete the table with the missing verbs.

Simple Present Tense

Simple Past Tense
(for I, you, we or they)
played play
talked
swim
saw
drank
try
chased
knew
study
cancelled
hear

2. Change these sentences so that they are written in the simple past tense.
The first one has been done for you.

a. John watches the football on TV.

John watched football on TV.
b. He sits quietly on the chair.
He quietly on the chair.

SPaG | Past and Present Tenses visit twinkl.com

 Change the Tense

c. She smiles warmly at her classmates.

She warmly at her classmates.
d. Sofia throws the javelin with great skill.
Sofia the javelin with great skill.

3. Change these sentences so that they are written in the simple present
tense. The first one has been done for you.

a. Anna finished her dinner slowly.

Anna finishes her dinner slowly.
b. Oliver carried the heaviest bags.
Oliver the heaviest bags.

c. She swapped her stickers for conkers.

She her stickers for conkers.
d. The family travelled to Scotland for winter.
The family to Scotland for winter.

SPaG | Past and Present Tenses visit twinkl.com

 Changing to Past Tense
Change these sentences to past tense.

1. The cat slides down the rail to greet the boy.

The cat down the rail to greet the boy.

2. My father mows both the front and back lawns.

My father both the front and back lawns.

3. I visit my grandparents who live in another city.

I my grandparents who live in another city.

4. My friend and I play chess.

My friend and I chess.

5. She reads many books from various genres.

She many books from various genres.

6. His favorite fruit is juicy watermelon.

His favorite fruit juicy watermelon.

7. They enjoy traveling the countryside to search for wild animals.

They traveling the countryside to search for wild animals.

8. The weather is quite enjoyable and mild.

The weather quite enjoyable and mild.

visit twinkl.com
 Changing to Past Tense
Change these sentences to past tense.

1. She screams on roller coasters.

She on the roller coaster.

2. He sits up straight in math class.

He up straight in math class.

3. The goldfish grows bigger with the help of good food.

The goldfish bigger with the help of good food.

4. The wind will blow many leaves in our yard.

The wind many leaves in our yard.

5. My sister crunches cereal with gusto.

My sister cereal with gusto.

6. They think very carefully when coming up with a plan.

They very carefully when they up with a plan.

7. The scientist will observe the bacteria with the help of a microscope.
The scientist the bacteria with the help of a microscope.

8. His stomach rumbles when he is hungry.

His stomach when he hungry.

visit twinkl.com