Tense and Time

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Teaching about tense and time

Self-assessment on tense and time

Introduction

Tense and time

Compound tenses

Why is there no future tense?

What is the tense of "He has taken the test" - past or present?

Choosing a tense
o

Imaginary uses of tense.

Is would really a past-tense verb?

Vivid uses of tense.

Tense in discussions of literature.

Backshift in subordinate clauses.

Consistency

Introduction

An important text-level skill is the ability to use verb tenses (past or present) consistently throughout a long passage. Many pupils are
still developing this ability at KS3.
Tense and time

What is the difference between tense and time?

Tense: classifies verbs as:

o

present tense

or past tense

Time: classifies situations described by verbs according to whether they occur at some time:
o

in the past,

in the present

or in the future

Usually, the link between tense and time is very simple:

present tense for present or future time

I like today's weather.

(The 'liking' is a situation in present time, and the verb like is in the present tense.)
I leave tomorrow.
(The leaving is in future time and the verb leave is in the present tense.)

past tense for past time

I liked yesterday's weather.

(The 'liking' is a situation in past time, and the verb liked is in the past tense.)
But sometimes a verb in one tense describes a situation in a different time:
If I died tomorrow, I would miss your party.
(The dying is in an imaginary future time, and the verb died is in the past tense.)
We shall look at some of these special rules for choosing tenses below.
Compound tenses

The underlined forms are all compound tenses:

She has seen him

She is seeing him

They had been running
:Compound tenses are easy to recognise:

They involve a verb chain.

The verb chain contains the auxiliary verbs have and/or be.

The first auxiliary verb shows the 'basic' tense:

present

or past.

The compound tense may be:

o

perfect, consisting of have followed by a past participle

continuous, consisting of be followed by a present participle

have walked, has taken

is walking, am taking

or perfect continuous, a combination of perfect and continuous: have been + present participle

has been walking, have been taking

The terms 'perfect' and 'continuous' are traditional but not very illuminating; 'perfect' hints at the 'completion' of the action (and not its
perfection!), and 'continuous' at its continuation. The meaning of the perfect is discussed briefly below.

The three compound tenses may be basically present or past tense:

Compound tenses

Present

Past

Perfect

has taken

had taken

Continuous

is taking

was taking

Perfect continuous

has been taking

had been taking

Some frequently asked questions:

Why is there no future tense?

What is the tense of "He has taken the test" - past or present?

Choosing a tense

We normally choose the tense according to the time of the situation we are describing.
Ahmed was a small boy who had lived in Birmingham all his life. He went to the school in the next road and was always playing
football.
This description uses exclusively past tenses to show that the situation described existed in the past, and exists no longer.
Ahmed is a small boy who has lived in Birmingham all his life. He goes to the school in the next road and is always playing football.

This description uses exclusively present tenses to show that the situation described still exists at the time of writing.
In one piece of writing we may describe a number of separate 'worlds' in time; for example, a letter may describe both the events of
yesterday and the plans for tomorrow, and so different tenses will be used.
The tense choice normally reflects the time of the described situation relative to the time of writing.
But there are situations where other principles influence our choice of tense:

Where the situation is imaginary.

If I knew French, I could read it.

Where a past situation is being presented in an especially vivid way.

Jake dives for cover and pulls his gun.

In discussions of literature.

Shakespeare portrays Romeo as love-struck.

In backshifted subordinate clauses.

I thought today was Monday.

These special cases are where problems of inconsistency are likely to arise.
Consistency

The choice of tense provides a time framework for the "world" being described. The chosen tense must be maintained when
describing the same world. For example, take this simple report:

I know that Mary told John that she had met Jane.
In this sentence we can distinguish three different worlds:

The present world of the writer, "I"; this world defines 'now', the time of the "knowing".

The past world of Mary telling John.

The 'pre-past' world of Mary meeting Jane.

If this report was extended, it would be important to maintain these tense choices in order to keep the three worlds separate from each
other.
Shifts of tense may be confusing, when they are inconsistent - i.e. when the tense used for one "world" changes for no reason.
I saw a house in the distance, but the windows are all dark so they must be out.
Consistency is often a problem at KS3. In the next example all the finite verbs are highlighted; the three past tense verbs are underlined,
and the present tense verbs arebold.
The writer suggests that Lewis and Benjamin had lived on their own all their lives on an isolated farm, with only neighbouring farms
for company. They have help in the form of 'Theo' and are quite independant for 80 year olds. Their family is photographs of people all
around the house, and when they sometimes come to visit. I think Benjamin is happier at the farm more than Lewis because,
Benjamin doesn't like change. And was only happy when and after they saw the farm on the flight. Lewis, however, is more open to
suggestion and, is frustrated by his cramped and frugal life.
Consistency is especially difficult when the writer is describing an imaginary world using either present tenses and will or past tenses
and would. This difficulty can be seen in the examples of KS3 writing.

Why is there no future tense?

Future time is described by verbs in the present tense:

He will take the exam soon.
He is going to take the exam soon.
I shall take the exam soon.
I take the exam tomorrow.
Will take is often thought of as "future tense" but this use of the auxiliary is only one way of expressing future time, and in any case the
auxiliary verb will is present tense. (Its past tense is would - click here for evidence.) All these expressions of future time combine with
other present-tense verbs, just as we should expect if they themselves were basically present-tense verbs:
He will take the test when he is ready.
He will take the test when he was ready.
He would take the test when he is ready.
What is the tense of "He has taken the test" - past or present?

Has taken is called the 'present perfect' because its first verb, has, is in the present tense. It counts as a basic present tense, not a past
tense, although it describes an event in the past.
The simple past tense would have been:
He took the test.

If you compare this with the present perfect:

He has taken the test.
you will see that the effect is quite different, although the difference is quite hard to explain. The difference is roughly like this:

If you want to say when the event happened, you use the simple past, not the present perfect:

He took the test last week.

He has taken the test last week.

If you want to say that the event is relevant to the present, you use the present perfect, rather than the simple
present:

He has already taken the test, so he is qualified.

He already took the test, so he is qualified.
Fortunately native speakers of English apply this distinction efficiently in everyday speech so it should not raise problems in writing;
but it is important to be aware of it when teaching tense and time because it shows that past time does not necessarily require a
past tense. The choice of tense depends on how the writer views the event: as basically in the present world, or as basically in an earlier
world.
The present perfect is also different from the past perfect:
He had taken the test.
This counts as a basic past tense combination, because had is past tense. This is used to show that the event is relevant to some earlier
world or merely that it happened before this earlier world:

He had already taken the test, so he was qualified.

He had taken the test the week before I saw him.
The imaginary use of tense

KS3 writers are often asked to describe imaginary situations, so they often have to use tense to distinguish an imaginary world from
the real world.
We use different tenses to describe imagined situations according to whether they are likely, possible or no longer possible:
likely to arise

If it rains, everyone will get wet.

Present tense verb forms, expressing future time.

merely possible

If it rained, everyone would get wet.

Past tense verb forms. (Is would really a past tense

verb?)

impossible (now)

If it had rained, everyone would

have got wet.

Past perfect and past verb forms.

The vivid use of tense

Stories are normally written in the past tense:

A shot rang out. It came from the hill above them. Jake dived to the ground and cautiously crawled behind a rock for cover.
But a deliberate choice can be made to tell a story in the present tense:
A shot rings out. It comes from the hill above them. Jake dives to the ground and cautiously crawls behind a rock for cover.

The vivid present conveys a sense of immediacy. It is rare in KS3 writing so this is an area where explicit instruction and help may be
needed.
Use of tense in discussions of literature

There is a convention allowing use of the present tense to describe an author's ideas and writing, or to describe the world the writer
described, even though the writing took place in the past and the author may be long dead:
Shakespeare portrays Romeo as love-struck.
According to Shakespeare, Romeo loves Juliet.

The normal rules for tense would demand past tenses because both Shakespeare's writing and Romeo's
feelings happened (in reality or imagination) centuries ago.

Although the act of writing and the events described are in the past, the output of the writing, our experience
of the events, is current.

This convention is not self-evident to inexperienced writers, and has to be learned. This KS3 writer has adopted the convention
successfully:
This bit of writing from H. G. Wells is very descriptive and he uses many adjectives. He starts off in the first paragraph very unsure of
what he is going to find. He expects a human shaped extra-terrestrial but he is just guessing. His attitude towards the alien
then changes he starts describing what the alienlooks like.
Backshift in subordinate clauses

The tense of a verb in a subordinate clause may be 'attracted' to the past tense of a main clause. For example,
I didn't realise that today was Tuesday.
The only reason for the past tense was is that didn't is past tense - otherwise we would expect today is Tuesday, since it is obviously still

true.
Similarly, present tenses shift to past if they are reported by a past-tense verb:
She said she liked me (reporting: I like you.)
This pattern is called backshift, and is likely to cause problems of consistency at KS3.
Is would really a past-tense verb?

The word would is the past tense of will. If you doubt this, consider the following facts:

It has more obviously past-tense uses as in:

He would sit for hours dreaming about his youth.

The form is like that of could, which is clearly the past tense of can in examples like:

He could walk before he was a year old.

It is the form we produce if we apply backshift to will; for example, suppose we start with:

It will rain soon.

then report this with a past-tense verb such as said:
He said it would rain soon.

What Are Compound Verbs?

By David James, eHow Contributor

Print this article

Compound verbs are formed by putting two or three verbs together, one or two helping, or auxiliary verbs
with a participle, or main verb. They are similar to compound nouns, which put two nouns together, such
as "raincoat," except that with compound verbs, the verbs are written as separate words. Compound verbs
are commonly used in English, in such constructions as future, continuous and perfect tenses, the passive
voice and with modal verbs.

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1.
o

Continuous Tenses

The conditional tenses use compound verbs to talk about something happening at a specific time in
the present, past or future. These are the verbs that have "ing" endings, and are used with the verb "to be."
For past and future constructions, a time reference is given. "Pete is studying"; "Pete was studying at three
o'clock yesterday"; and "Pete will be studying tomorrow at three o'clock" are examples of the present, past
and future continuous, respectively.

Perfect Tenses
o

The perfect tenses are compound verbs that are used to talk about something that started at an
unspecified time before another event. The auxiliary verb used in this tense is "have," which is used with a
participle, such as eaten, been or seen. "John has been here for six days"; "Mark had been in Spain for six
months before he left"; and "Michelle will have been here for six months come June" are examples of the
present, past and future perfect tense, respectively.

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Modal Verbs
o

Modal verbs can only be used in compound verbs. Examples of modals are can, could, will, should,
could and would. They can be used to make requests, or talk about possibility, as with "can"; to talk about
possibility or add politeness, as with "could"; or give advice, as is the case with "should." Not all modal verbs
can be used in all tenses. They are used together with participles, as in "Jason could have gone," or with a
regular verb, as seen in "Karen can come tomorrow."

Future Tense
o

The future tense is a compound tense that can take two forms. One uses the auxiliary verb "will"
and a main verb. This construction can take the form of a promise, such as "she will help me tomorrow"; or a
guess, as in "it will rain tomorrow." Another common way to talk about the future is by using "to be going to"

plus a main verb, which is used to convey a plan, such as "John is going to cook dinner tomorrow"; or a
prediction, such as "look at the clouds, it's going to rain."

Passive
o

The passive construction is used to emphasize the action of a sentence more than the person doing
the action. It is the opposite of the active voice. In this construction, the verb "to be" is used with the past
participle, and it can be used in all tenses. "Mike ate a sandwich" is an example of the active voice, while "a
sandwich was eaten by Mike" is an example of the passive.

Read more: What Are Compound Verbs? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_8315474_compoundverbs.html#ixzz2OptTIEP7

Choosing Appropriate Verb Tenses

Tenses are grammatical modifications of a verb which distinguish time. In the English
language, there are three basic verb tenses.

1.
fig. 1
Clock Store Cartoon

Whether an action takes place in the past, present, or future is indicated by a sentence's verb.

In English, the three basic verb tenses are past, present, and future.
There are twelve verb tenses: simple present, present progressive, present perfect, present perfect
progressive, simple past, past progressive, past perfect, past perfect progressive, simple future, future
progressive, future perfect, and future perfect progressive..
Each verb tense can be in the simple or progressive form.

verb
A word that indicates an action, event, or state.

tense
A tense is a grammatical category that locates a situation in time, to indicate when the situation takes place.
EXAMPLES

Examples of the same content expressed through different tenses: Simple Present: I write Present
Progressive: I am writing Present Perfect: I have written Present Perfect Progressive: I have been writing
Simple Past: I wrote Past Progressive: I was writing Past Perfect: I had written Past Perfect Progressive: I
had been writing Simple Future: I will write Future Progressive: I will be writing Future Perfect: I will have
written Future Perfect Progressive: I will have been writing
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Tenses are grammatical modifications of a verb which distinguish time. In the English language, there
are three basic verb tenses--present, past, and future--which can be in the simple, progressive, perfect,
or perfect progressive form.

Present Tenses
The simple present expresses what exists now, or general facts:
There is a shady park down the block.
I paint a portrait of my cat every week.
Mary hears a noise in the attic.
The present progressive expresses what is temporary or continuous:
I am reading a letter.
The car is running at high speed.
Michael and Anna are always working in the library.

The present perfect (or simply the perfect tense)expresses what began or occurred in the past and is
still relevant to the current situation:
I have read several of Shaws novels.
She has seen him every Saturday this month.
Jed has sampled six ice cream flavors so far.
Finally, the present perfect progressive expresses what began in the past and still continues in the
present:
I have been standing on this corner for six hours.
She has been dreaming of becoming an actress since she was ten.
Even though its raining, that Girl Scout has been selling cookies all day.

Past Tenses

First, the simple past expresses what took place in the past:
Last week, I read several of Shaws novels.
The mother took her son to the beach every day last summer.
The book sat on the shelf, collecting dust.

The past progressive expresses what took place continually during a certain amount of time in the past,
but is not necessarily relevant to the current situation:
She was giving a presentation when the microphone broke.
The computer was downloading the file for 20 minutes.
During their first year, the puppies were growing at an alarming rate.
The past perfect expresses what took place in the past, often before something else happened.
I had already seen him that morning, when I met you for lunch.
As soon as my car had been repaired, I continued my trip.
The power had gone out, so we found the flashlights.
The past perfect progressive expresses what took place continually during a certain amount of time in
the past, when something else occurred:
I had been listening to the radio when she dropped in.
The car had been running smoothly until the exhaust pipe fell off.
She realized she had been standing on his foot when he gently shoved her.

Future Tenses
The simple future expresses what will take place hereafter:
I shall see him this afternoon, and I will inform him then.
Next week, her uncle will be in town.
Will you carry this bag for me?
The future progressive expresses what will take place continually at a certain time in the future:
I will be swimming in the sea by the time you wake up.
He will be conducting a meeting every day between noon and one oclock this week.
Next summer, Jake will be traveling through South America.
The future perfect expresses what will have taken place in the future.
I shall have seen him by tomorrow at noon.
We will have finished cooking by the time you arrive.
Margaret will have dropped her niece at the airport before meeting Joe.

Lastly, the future perfect progressive expresses what will have taken place continually at a certain time
in the future:
I will have been swimming in the sea for four hours by the time you wake up tomorrow.
When they arrive, they will have been traveling for 12 hours straight.
By tomorrow, the cat will have been dead for a week.

Making Sure Subjects and Verbs Agree

Subject-verb agreement requires that the number represented by a subject agree with the
number shown in the verb being used.

1.
fig. 1

The child stands near the door.

The title demonstrates the necessity of subject-verb agreement. The third person subject, 'The child' requires
that the verb also take a third person singular form, 'stands'.

Subject-verb agreement can become more complicated in sentences where the subject is a pronoun; is
complex; is modified as part of an adjectival phrase; is modified by parenthetic expressions; is clarified in
meaning by common knowledge; or is something that occurs later in the sentence.

When faced with complicates subject-verb agreement, it is generally best to consider the entire complex
subject phrase as one subject, and then think about what kind of thing it represents.

The verb should agree with the idea that the subject represents, which could have a different number
(singularity or plurality) than the actual subject as a word. Whatever the subject represents can be
considered singular or plural, and that is what the verb should agree with.

verb
A word that indicates an action, event, or state.

collective noun

In linguistics, a collective noun is the name of a number (or collection) of people or things taken together
and spoken of as one whole.

plural
: a word in the form in which it potentially refers to something other than one person or thing; and other
than two things if the language has a dual form.
EXAMPLES

Additional examples: Mildred is tired. She tries to take a nap, but the children next door yell loudly.
Mildred and her cat look out the window at them. Neither she nor her cat understands why they are yelling.
The children, but not their father, run in circles in the yard. Many who live on Mildreds street think the
children are cute. Nobody thinks they are evil, except for Mildred. Most give the children warm smiles when
they pass. The neighborhood thinks of them as an asset to the community. Thirty minutes of yelling is
enough for Mildred to think otherwise. When the news comes on the radio, she turns up the volume. The
noise of the children is temporarily drowned out. Where are the police when you need them? Mildreds
glasses glint in the sunlight. Her favorite pair of pants hangs from the clothesline in the back yard.The
Outsidersher favorite booksits on her coffee table. Half of the children go inside for lunch.
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Subject-verb agreement is a grammatical rule which states that the number (either singular or plural)
represented by a subject in a sentence must agree with the number communicated by the conjugated
form of the verb that is being used with that subject. Subject-verb agreement also requires that the
person of the subject must agree with the person of the conjugated form of the verb being used with
that subject. For example:
Singular first person: I work
Singular second person: You work
Singular third person: He works
Plural first person: We work
Plural second person: You work
Plural third person: They work
Subject-verb agreement can become a little more complicated in other situations. This is the case, for
example, where the subject in a sentence is a pronoun; is complex; is modified as part of an adjectival
phrase; is modified by parenthetic expressions; is clarified in meaning by common knowledge; or is

something that occurs later in the sentence. When faced with situations like these, it is generally best to
consider the entire complex subject phrase as one subject, and then think about what kind of thing it
represents.
Here are some examples of common grammatical constructions and the ways in which they adhere to
subject-verb agreement:
Compound sentences have a subject and verb (which should agree) in each independent clause.
The peanut butter is on the counter and the beans are in the bag.
The children have a snow day, so I am going home early.
Compound subjects (joined with and) take plural verbs.
The president and the children are at the party.
My brothers and I are at the party.
When a singular and a plural subject are joined by or, nor, or but also, the verb should agree with
the nearest subject.
Either the president or the children are at the party.
Neither my brothers nor I am at the party.

When a positive subject and a negative subject are compounded and have different numbers, the verb
should agree with the positive subject.
It is not the assistant coaches but the head coach who calls the plays.
It is the soup, but not the appetizers, that has poisoned the queen.
Five indefinite pronouns always take plural verbs: others, both, many, few, and several.
Both are arriving at the same time.
Many will follow.
Most indefinite pronouns take singular verbs.
Everybody is at the party.
Either restaurant sounds good.
Some indefinite pronouns can take a singular or plural verb based on whether the noun to which they
are referring is uncountable (singular) or countable (plural).
Some (sand) is in my shoe.
Some (pebbles) are in my shoe.

Collective nouns (which refer to a group of beings or things as a single unit) are singular, and so take
singular verbs.
The audience was silent at the end of the play.
The class has plenty of homework for the weekend.
Amounts take singular verbs because they are treated as units, which are singular nouns.
Ten dollars is enough to buy the book.
All I need is fifteen minutes to finish the exam.
Some non-amount words end in s but also take singular verbs because they refer to units or single
entities.
Economics is an interesting subject.
The news airs at six oclock.
Sometimes modifying phrases can come between the subject and verb of a sentence. This should not
affect the subject-verb agreement.
The idea of serving frankfurters is a good one.
The children, along with their father, are taking a cab to the station.

Sometimes the subject of a sentence can come after its verb. Even in these cases, the verb should still
agree with the subject.
Where are the candles for the cake?
There is a quiet spot by the pond.
Some words ending in s refer to single objects but are considered plural and so should take plural
verbs, unless they are preceded by pair of (in which case pair would be the subject).
Your pants are bright yellow.
My favorite pair of pants is in the wash.
The title of a book or work of art is always singular even if a noun in the title is plural.
The Three Musketeers is sitting on the shelf by the window.
Sums and products take singular verbs in mathematical equations. Fractional expressions vary
depending on the meaning.
Three plus four equals seven.
Three-fourths of the professors vote Republican.

Verb Tense

Verb tenses give information about when an action took place. Choose the right tense to indicate your meaning
in your sentences. Change verb tenses only when there is a real change in time. When you are writing about an
idea, stay with the same tense.
When I open the door, my dog greets me. (present tense)
Examples:
Incorrect:

When I open the door, my dog greeted me.

Correct:

When I opened the door, my dog greeted me. (past tense)

Types of Verb Tenses:

Present Tense
Present Continuous Tense
Past Tense
Past Participle Tense
Future Tense
See More Verb Rules

Present Tense

The present tense shows that an action is taking place in the present but does not indicate when the action will end.
Examples:

We go to the store.
They study at the university.

Special uses of the present tense:

Use the present tense to describe something that is universally true and not limited to a particular time.
Example:

The boiling point of water is 100 degrees Celsius.

Use the present tense to discuss the contents of a book, a poem, or an essay even though the work might be written in the past.
Example:

Julius Caesar is murdered by Brutus in Shakespeare's play.

Present Continuous Tense

The present continuous tense shows that something is happening in the present and will have a definite end.
Examples:

We are going to the store now.

They are studying at the university.

Past Tense

The past tense shows that something was completed in the past.
Examples:

We went to the store yesterday.

They studied at the university in 1980.

Past Participle Tense

The past participle tense shows that something was completed in the past before another action. Usually, the past participle and the past tense are
used in the same sentence.
Examples:

We had gone to the store when she arrived.

They had studied at the university before they found jobs.

Future Tense

The future tense shows that something will happen in the future.
Examples:

We will go to the store later today.

They will study at the university in the coming September.

Types of Verbs Study Guide

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In this Study Guide:

Types of Verbs
Action Verbs
Linking Verbs

Helping Verbs

Types of Verbs
Like everything metaphysical the harmony between thought and reality is to be found in the
grammar of the language.
LUDWIG WITTGENSTEIN (18891951)
AUSTRIAN PHILOSOPHER
Verbs are the second fundamental component of English. Learn how to discern between action,
linking, and helping verbs, and why they are called the movers and shakers of written and
spoken language.

Action Verbs
Most action verbs are visiblethe action can be seenas in the words skate, text, sleep,
pick, grab, swim, and clap. When we have to identify action words in sentences, it is generally
pretty easy. Some, though, are more challenging to identify because they are much less
obvious to our eyes. It's hard to see the action of words like think, yearn, wish, believe,

consider, need, understand, remember, and assume. We refer to verbs like these as mental
verbs, but we must remember that they, too, are doing verbs.
Visible action verbs:

I jog every afternoon.

Justin cooks very well.

The audience clapped loudly.

Betsy fell on the sidewalk.

Invisible action verbs:

I thought it was delicious.

Donna wanted to play too.

We need to be more aware.

Shawna believes everyone.

Linking Verbs
Linking verbs convey a state of being or condition. In a sentence, they link, or connect, a
noun with an adjective, a word that describes the noun:

or with another noun, used to identify the first noun:

Sometimes you will encounter a word that looks like an action verb, when it is really a linking
verb. One trick to knowing the difference between the two is looking for the adjective that is
describing the noun. If the adjective is not there, then you have an action verb.
Action: Lucas tasted the stew.
Lucas actually tastes the stew; therefore, tasted is an action verb.

Linking: The stew tasted salty.

The stew is NOT tasting anything. The adjective salty is describing the noun stew, so the verb
is a linking verb.
Another trick is to replace the verb in the sentence with the verb is. If it makes sense, then the
sentence contains a linking verb. For example,
Kevin felt the
sandpaper.

Kevin is the
sandpaper.

This is sillyKevin is NOT sandpaper! Felt is an action verb in this sentence.

Kevin felt sick this
morning.

Kevin is sick this

morning.

Yes, this is sensiblefelt in this sentence is a linking verb.

You should make yourself familiar with this list of verbs that can be both action verbs and
linking verbs (remember that their tenses can vary, for example, appear, appears,
and appeared).

Helping Verbs
One last type of verb we use is the helping verb. Helping verbs are used to enhance a main
verb's meaning by giving us more information about its tense. Do you recognize these
common helping verbs?

In a sentence, a main verb can have as many as three helping verbs in front of it. For example:
Nate served the ball to his opponent.

Nate will serve the ball to his opponent.

Nate should have served the ball to his opponent
When a main verb has one or more helping verbs, this is called a verb phrase. You should
remember that a helping verb does not always have to be right next to the main verb in the
sentence. This is because an adverb (not, only, and -ly words) usually separates the helping
verbs. For example,
Eddie will surely choose the largest slice of pie.
Caroline could not have eaten all those cookies.

Types of Verbs Practice Exercises

Types of Verbs Practice Exercises
Practice Exercise 1
Identify the action verbs in the following sentences. You may check your answers with the key at the end of
the lesson.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

The clock in the living room chimed every hour.

You need a paperclip to secure the papers.
Open your book to page 15.
Uncle Drew cast his fishing line off the edge of the pier.
Lexi considered Morgan to be her best friend.
Marcia watched the squirrel hop from limb to limb.
Heather understood why.

Answers
1.

chimed

2.

need

3.

Open

4.

cast

5.

considered

6.

watched, hop

7.

understood

Practice Exercise 2
Determine whether the italicized verbs in the following sentences are action or linking verbs.
8.

Mom's chicken and dumplings taste too salty for some reason.

9.

Charlotte grew green and yellow peppers in her container garden.

10.

We turned at the light and headed home.

11.

Pop grew angry when we didn't listen carefully.

12.

She liked to smell the flowers when she walked past the vase.

13.

The air smelled stale, so we opened the window.

14.

Christian and Louise tasted Aunt Betty's delicious peach cobbler.

15.

Jodi's white socks turned pink in the wash.

Answers
8.

linking

9.

action

10.

action

11.

linking

12.

action

13.

linking

14.

action

15.

linking

Practice Exercise 3
Identify the verb phrases in the following sentences. Then, identify the helping verbs and the main verbs. You
may check your answers with the key at the end of the lesson.
16.

Steven and Craig must have had permission to leave early.

17.

Mitsy should vacuum the carpet before she dusts the furniture.

18.

The remote control must have fallen behind the sofa cushion.

19.

It was understood that the group would be meeting in the commons after school.

20.

Jesse will not be going to soccer practice this afternoon.

21.

Meghan might not have practiced enough for her recital.

22.

The weatherman thinks it might snow tomorrow afternoon.

Answers
16. Verb phrase: must have had; helping verb(s): must have; main verb: had
17. Verb phrase: should vacuum; helping verb(s): should; main verb: vacuum
18. Verb phrase: must have fallen; helping verb(s): must have; main verb: fallen
19. Verb phrase: was understood; helping verb(s): was; main verb: understood
Verb phrase: would be meeting; helping verb(s): would be; main verb: meeting
20. Verb phrase: will be going; helping verb(s): will be; main verb: going
21. Verb phrase: might have practiced; helping verb(s): might have; main verb: practiced
22. Verb phrase: might snow; helping verb(s): might; main verb: snow
Verbs Study Guide

A verb is a word that expresses an action or a state of being. Verbs are things that you can do (like run, breathe, jump, swim,
think, choose, enjoy, sleep, or eat), but there are also being verbs (like is, was, or become).
DaeShon likes eating pizza.
Christian is a sixth grader at AMMS.
Aaron jumps very high.
Some sentences have more than one verb:
Annie is going home after school.
Jackie was working on her math homework.
Kalisha has been studying a lot this week.
We call is going, was working, and has been studying verb phrases.
Now you try. Underline the verbs in the following sentences.
Example: Did you watch Sponge Bob yesterday afternoon?
1.

I saw the beginning of the show but not the end.

2.

Please tell me about it.

3.

I finished my homework and went to baseball practice.

4.

I pitched three short innings.

5.

My arm hurt a lot that night.

6.

I put an ice bag on my arm.

7.

The ice made my arm better.

8.

Dr. Ferrell walked down the sixth grade hall today.

9.

She greeted me cheerfully.

10. She is the best principal in the world.

11. She has such a nice smile.
12. Dr. Ferrell loves her job.
There are many different kinds of verbs.
A HELPING VERB helps the main verb express an action or a state of being.
For example, look at this sentence again:
Annie is going home after school.
We know that the verb phrase is is going. The main verb in the sentence is going. The verb is helps the main verb going.

A helping verb cannot be the only verb in a sentence. Since the definition of a helping verb is a verb that helps the main verb
express an action, there has to be another verb (a main verb) that goes along with it. If you do not see another verb in the sentence,
then you do not have a helping verb.
The following words can be used as helping verbs:
is
am
are
was
were
be
being
been

have
has
had

may
might
must

do
does
did

can
could
shall
should
will
would

Now you try. Underline the verb phrase in each sentence. Circle the helping verb(s).
1. The test is coming soon.
2. You will have no homework tonight.
3. Everyone should study for fifteen minutes.
4. I have been working in the mornings.
5. A friend may come to my house this afternoon.

6. I am coming to next weeks help session.

7. We were eating pizza for lunch.
8. He could win the big race.

Another type of verb is a linking verb. LINKING VERBS connect (or link) the subject (a noun or pronoun) to a word or a group of words
that describes the subject.
For example, look at these sentences:
Ryan is a football player.
The verb is links our subject (Ryan) to a group of words that describes him (football player.)
The water in the pond was cool and refreshing.
The verb was links our subject (the water) to a group of words that describes the water (cool and refreshing).
Here are some common linking verbs.
is
am
are
was
were

has been
have been
had been
may be
might be

can be
shall be
should bee
will be
would have been

These verbs can be linking verbs or action verbs, depending on how they are used in the sentence.
appear
become
feel

grow
look
remain

seem
smell
sound

stay
taste
turn

For example, look at this one:

The flowers smell good. (The flowers are not using a nose to smell something. Smell is not an action. It is a linking verb connecting the
subject flowers to the adjective good.)
Yvonne smelled the flowers. (Smelled is an action verb. It is something that Yvonne does.)

Now you try. Underline the linking verb in each sentence. Circle the subject. Draw an arrow from the subject to the group of words
that describes the subject.

Example:

Mrs. Durocher

is [a math teacher] at AMMS.

1. I am tired.
2. The Georgia Tech/Clemson football game was exciting.
3. The students grew restless.
4. The bacon smells delicious.
5. Mary Whitebird is the author of Ta Na E Ka.
6. The students were happy about their progress reports.
7. The principal is funny.

8. Ms. Nalley looks funny in her gorilla costume.

Review: Underline the verb (or the verb phrase) in each of the following sentences. In the blank, write the type of verb
(helping, linking, or action.)
Example 1: Ms. Buck coaches the volleyball team.

action

Example 2: The students were walking quietly.

helping (were), action (walking)

Example 3: Ms. Goodgame is very nice.

1. The rain pounded on the roof during the storm.

linking
______________________

2. This storm was a terrible one.

______________________

3. The rain had fallen all night long.

______________________

4. I wanted the storm to end.

______________________

5. It would continue for the rest of the day.

______________________

6. The damage grew worse every hour.

______________________

7. The dogs were afraid during the thunderstorm.

______________________

8. They did not like the loud noise.

______________________

Grammar tips

Ten Types of Verbs

Verb Forms and Functions
By Richard Nordquist, About.com Guide

See More About:

english language
We say that a verb is a part of speech (or word class) that describes an action or occurrence or indicates a state of
being. Generally, it makes more sense to define a verb by what it doesthan by what it is. Just as the "same" word
(rain or snow, for example) can serve as either a noun or a verb, the same verb can play a number of different roles
depending on how it's used.
Put simply, verbs move our sentences along in a variety of ways.
Here, by identifying 10 types of verbs, we'll briefly consider some of their more common functions as well. For
additional examples and more detailed explanations of these verb forms and functions, follow the links to
our Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms.

Auxiliary Verbs and Lexical Verbs

An auxiliary verb (also know as a helping verb) determines the mood or tense of another verb in a phrase:
"It will rain tonight." The primary auxiliaries are be, have, and do. Themodal auxiliaries include can, could, may,
must, should, will, and would.
A lexical verb (also known as a full or main verb) is any verb in English that isn't an auxiliary verb: it conveys a
real meaning and doesn't depend on another verb: "It rained all night."

Dynamic Verbs and Stative Verbs

A dynamic verb indicates an action, process, or sensation: "I bought a new guitar."
A stative verb (such as be, have, know, like, own, and seem) describes a state, situation, or condition: "Now
I own a Gibson Explorer."

Finite Verbs and Nonfinite Verbs

A finite verb expresses tense and can occur on its own in a main clause: "She walked to school."
A nonfinite verb (an infinitive or participle) doesn't show a distinction in tense and can occur on its own only in a
dependent phrase or clause: "While walking to school, she spotted a bluejay."

Regular Verbs and Irregular Verbs

A regular verb (also known as a weak verb) forms its past tense and past participle by adding -d or -ed (or in
some cases -t) to the base form: "We finished the project." (SeeForming the Past Tense of Regular Verbs.)
An irregular verb (also known as a strong verb) doesn't form the past tense by adding -dor -ed: "Gus ate the
wrapper on his candy bar." (See Introduction to Irregular Verbs in English.)

Transitive Verbs and Intransitive Verbs

A transitive verb is followed by a direct object: "She sells seashells."
An intransitive verb doesn't take a direct object: "He sat there quietly." (This distinction is especially tricky
because many verbs have both a transitive and an intransitive function.)

Does that cover everything verbs can do? Far from it. Causative verbs, for example, show that some person or thing
helps to make something happen. Catenative verbs join with other verbs to form a chain or series. Copular verbs link
the subject of a sentence to itscomplement.
Then there are performative verbs, prepositional verbs, iteratives, and reporting verbs. And we haven't even touched
on the passive or the subjunctive.

But you get the idea. Though they can get tense and moody, verbs are hard-working parts of speech, and we can
count on them to make things happen in many different ways.
Language Notes

Ten Types of Verbs

Verb Forms and Functions
By Richard Nordquist, About.com Guide

See More About:

english language
We say that a verb is a part of speech (or word class) that describes an action or occurrence or
indicates a state of being. Generally, it makes more sense to define a verb by what it doesthan by what
it is. Just as the "same" word (rain or snow, for example) can serve as either a noun or a verb, the same
verb can play a number of different roles depending on how it's used.
Put simply, verbs move our sentences along in a variety of ways.

Here, by identifying 10 types of verbs, we'll briefly consider some of their more common functions as
well. For additional examples and more detailed explanations of these verb forms and functions, follow
the links to our Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms.

Auxiliary Verbs and Lexical Verbs

An auxiliary verb (also know as a helping verb) determines the mood or tense of another verb in a
phrase: "It will rain tonight." The primary auxiliaries are be, have, and do. Themodal auxiliaries
include can, could, may, must, should, will, and would.
A lexical verb (also known as a full or main verb) is any verb in English that isn't an auxiliary verb:
it conveys a real meaning and doesn't depend on another verb: "It rained all night."

Dynamic Verbs and Stative Verbs

A dynamic verb indicates an action, process, or sensation: "I bought a new guitar."
A stative verb (such as be, have, know, like, own, and seem) describes a state, situation, or
condition: "Now I own a Gibson Explorer."

Finite Verbs and Nonfinite Verbs

A finite verb expresses tense and can occur on its own in a main clause: "She walked to school."
A nonfinite verb (an infinitive or participle) doesn't show a distinction in tense and can occur on its
own only in a dependent phrase or clause: "While walking to school, she spotted a bluejay."

Regular Verbs and Irregular Verbs

A regular verb (also known as a weak verb) forms its past tense and past participle by adding d or -ed (or in some cases -t) to the base form: "We finished the project." (SeeForming the Past Tense
of Regular Verbs.)
An irregular verb (also known as a strong verb) doesn't form the past tense by adding -dor -ed:
"Gus ate the wrapper on his candy bar." (See Introduction to Irregular Verbs in English.)

Transitive Verbs and Intransitive Verbs

A transitive verb is followed by a direct object: "She sells seashells."
An intransitive verb doesn't take a direct object: "He sat there quietly." (This distinction is
especially tricky because many verbs have both a transitive and an intransitive function.)

Does that cover everything verbs can do? Far from it. Causative verbs, for example, show that some
person or thing helps to make something happen. Catenative verbs join with other verbs to form a
chain or series. Copular verbs link the subject of a sentence to itscomplement.
Then there are performative verbs, prepositional verbs, iteratives, and reporting verbs. And we haven't
even touched on the passive or the subjunctive.
But you get the idea. Though they can get tense and moody, verbs are hard-working parts of speech,
and we can count on them to make things happen in many different ways.
NE ENGLISH GRAMMAR QUIZ

topic: MIXED VERB TENSES | level: Beginner

Choose the correct verb tense to complete each of the following sentences:
1. I ________ for seven hours last night.
was slept

slept

has slept

2. I ________ that you were here.

wasn't knowing

didn't knew

didn't know

3. When I came to this city, I ________ anyone.

haven't known

didn't know

wasn't knowing

4. You know where I live - I ________ in the same place for the past three years.
have been living

had lived

was living

5. You ________ my brother, have you?

haven't seen

didn't see

didn't saw

6. Where ________ last night?

have you gone

did you went

did you go

7. I ________ in bed when I heard the accident outside.

was lying

lay

have lain

8. Did you just _________ me a liar?

call

called

have called

9. She is a mean person. I don't like ________ to her.

talk

talking

have talk

10. I don't know how ________.

dance

dancing

to dance

CHECK ANSWERS (Your answers will be displayed in a new window)

Back to list of exercises

OFFICIAL ENGLISH TESTS: CAE (Certificate of Advanced English)

The Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) is the advanced general English exam provided by the University of
Cambridge as part of ESOL.
The exam is comprised of 5 parts:
Reading
Writing
Use of English
Listening
Speaking
Each of the above parts carries 1/5 (20%) of the total marks. There are three pass grades (A, B and C) and
certificates are awarded to candidates who achieve these grades. Those who receive lower grades (D,E) do not pass,
and therefore do not receive a certificate.
Like all the other Cambridge exams, once the exam is passed the qualification never expires. CAE is considered to be
very valuable, especially for international students applying to British universities, as it is the required English
certificate.
(c) 2006-2012 LearnEnglishFeelGood.com unless otherwise stated. Please see our content policy before sharing our content.

Proofread the dialogue below. Look for mistakes in action verb

tenses and quotations. Rewrite the dialogue, action verbs, and

quotations correctly.
I am so excited! Tomorrow we arrived in Taos, New Mexico! Carla says.
Dad will reply, Yes, we should be there in about a day.
Mom points to the mountains in the distance. She will say, stop the car so we
can take some pictures.
Carla remarks, I will see a strange bird in the distance.
Dad explained, the bird was a roadrunner.
Carla watched the speedy bird. It passes close enough to see its feathers.
Grammar:
Action Verbs

I am so excited! Tomorrow we will arrive in Taos, New

Mexico! Carla says.
Dad replies, Yes, we should be there in about a day.
Mom points to the mountains in the distance. She
says, Stop the car so we can take some pictures.
Carla remarks, I see a strange bird in the distance.
Dad explains, The bird is a roadrunner.
Carla watches the speedy bird. It passes close enough
to see its feathers.

VERB TENSE
Verbs have different forms to show whether something already happened, is happening right now, or will happen in the future.
Examples:
Present tense: I walk to school.
Past tense: I walked to school.
Future tense: I will walk to school.

 An action verb tells what a subject does, did, or will do.

Action verbs have different tenses. They can show action in
the past, present, or future.

A verb in the present tense tells what is happening now.

To form present-tense singular verbs, add -s to most verbs.
Add -es to verbs that end in s, ss, ch, sh, x, or z.
If a verb ends with a consonant and y, change the y to i before
adding -es.
Some verbs do not take -ed to show the past tense. Remember
which verbs are irregular.
An irregular verb is a verb that does not use -d or -ed to form
the past tense.
A verb in the past tense tells about an action that already
happened.
If a verb ends in e, drop the e before adding -ed.
If a verb ends in one vowel and one consonant, double the
consonant before adding -ed.
If a verb ends in a consonant and y, change y to i before adding
-ed.
Some verbs do not take -ed to show the past tense. Remember

which verbs are irregular.

An irregular verb is a verb that does not use -d or -ed to form
the past tense.
A verb in the future tense tells about an action that is going to
happen. To write about the future, use the word will in front of
the verb.
A verb in the present tense tells what is happening now.
To form present-tense singular verbs, add -s to most verbs.
Add -es to verbs that end in s, ss, ch, sh, x, or z.
If a verb ends with a consonant and y, change the y to i before
adding -es.
If the subject is plural, or I or You, do NOT add s.
A verb in the past tense tells about an action that already
happened. Add -ed to most verbs to show past tense.
A verb in the future tense tells about an action that is going to
happen. To write about the future, use the verb will.
A verb is used to show action or state a condition.
Use the present tense of a verb if the action or condition is
happening now.
Use the past tense of a verb to show an action that has been
completed in the past.
Some irregular verbs take special endings when they are used

with the helping verbs have, has, or had. Remember which

verbs use an irregular form.

A verb in the present tense tells what happens now.

In the present tense, you must have subject-verb agreement.
Add -s to most verbs if the subject is singular. Do not add -s if
the subject is plural or I or you.
A verb in the past tense tells about an action that already happened.
Add -ed to most verbs to show past tense.
A verb in the future tense tells about an action that is going to happen.
To write about the future, use the special verb will.

To form present-tense singular verbs, add -s to most verbs.

Add -es to verbs that end in s, ss, ch, sh, x, or z.
If a verb ends with a consonant and y, change the y to i before
adding -es.

Present
think
tear
sink

catch
freeze
break
blow
teach
wear
know
drink
choose
speak
Correct errors in verb tenses in the following sentences.
1. The sound of applause breaked the silence of the theater.
2. Sarah knowed how wonderful it would be!
3. Sarah catched the bouquet that was thrown onto the stage.
4. Sarahs father blowed her a kiss from the audience.
5. She almost teared her costume as she made a deep bow.
6. Sarah often thinked about poetry.

Past

thought
tore
sank
caught
froze
broke
blew
taught
wore
knew
drank

chose

spoke

Search

Grade 5 - English Language

2.33 Kinds of Verbs
VERB
A verb tells what something does or that something exists.
Examples:
Sally has shared her pencil with us.
Those oranges were delicious.
I hope Sue is bringing more apples tomorrow.
VERB TENSE
Verbs have different forms to show whether something already happened, is happening right now, or will happen in the future.
Examples:
Present tense: I walk to school.
Past tense: I walked to school.
Future tense: I will walk to school.
PRINCIPLE PARTS OF VERBS
Verbs have three principle parts. They are present, past, and past participle. For regular verbs, the past tense is formed by adding ed to the present
tense; and the past participle is formed by using the past tense verb with a helping verb such as has, have, or had.
Examples:
Present: invite
Past: invited
Past Participle: has/have/had invited

KINDS OF VERBS
ACTION VERBS An action word tells what the subject does. (build, laugh, walk, express) or that it exists. (is, are, was, were).
Examples:
Bob raked the leaves into a pile.
I was late to school today.
HELPING VERB ('be')
A helping verb tells when the action of a sentence takes place. The helping verb be has several forms am, is, are, were, and will. These helping verbs

can be used in all three tenses.

Examples:
Present: Bob was talking. We were eating.
Past: I am coming. Dan is walking. They are singing.
Future: I will sing. They will eat.
LINKING VERB ('be')
A linking verb links a noun or an adjective in the predicate to the subject. Forms of the verb 'be' are the most common linking verbs. Linking verbs can
be used in all three tenses.
TRANSITIVE AND INTRANSITIVE VERBS
An intransitive verb can stand alone in the predicate because its meaning is complete.
Example:
The plant grows.
A transitive verb needs a direct object to complete its meaning. The meaning of a sentence with a transitive verb is not complete without a direct
object.
Examples:
The mouse wants cheese. Here cheese tells what the mouse wants.
Both transitive and intransitive verbs can be in the past, present or future tense.
IRREGULAR VERBS
Irregular verbs change completely in the past tense. Unlike regular verbs, the past tense forms of irregular verbs are not formed by adding ed.
Examples:
Present: know
Past: knew
Past Participle: has/have/had known

Directions: Choose the verbs in the following sentences. Also, on a sheet of paper, write the verb and its type (verb tense, transitive/intransitive, etc.).

Q 1: We are painting his room blue.

Q 2: Now she is living in a house on my street.

room

street

blue

living

are painting

house

Q 3: Sue moved here from New York.

Q 4: He picked the pencil himself.

moved

pencil

New York

picked

Sue

himself

Q 5: I wonder what his parents will say.

Q 6: I have lived in this house all my life.

wonder and will say

house

parents

have lived

what

Q 7: He has a lot of stuff.

life

Q 8: Dan picked the oranges himself.

lot

picked

has

oranges

stuff

Dan

Question 9: This question is available to subscribers only!

Question 10: This question is available to subscribers only!

Grammar Lesson: Action Verbs and Verbs of Being

written by: Kellie Hayden edited by: Laurie Patsalides updated: 12/30/2011

This lesson will show students why they need to learn to identify verbs. To write effectively, students need to learn to
identify both types of verbs: action verbs and verbs of being. A sorting game will help students to learn how to
identify them.

Teaching Students Why They Need to Know Their Verbs

Teaching students the eight parts of speech in middle school should be a review, however, many students learn the
material in earlier grades and then quickly forget it.
Pull examples of run-ons and comma splices from the students' latest papers and write the sentences on the
overhead. First, ask students to tell if each sentence is a complete sentence, a run-on or a comma splice. A sentence
must have a subject, a verb and a complete thought.
Many or some students will not be able to identify the verb in the sentences on the overhead, especially if a verb of
being was used in the sentence. Show the students that they need to be able to identify verbs to write effective
sentences.

Use Resource Book

Use a grammar resource book to show students lists of action verbs and verbs of being. Most students understand
that action verbs involve an "act", such as jumping, walking and skipping. However, some students do not understand
what a verbs of being is.

English Lesson Plan Ideas

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First, let them know that verbs of being can be called helping verbs and linking verbs too. This may help some
students to remember them. Remind them that these verbs have no action and just "are."
A list of verbs of being is as follows: am, is, was, were, are, been, be, being, and been. Check out a nice PowerPoint
onverbs of being.

Action Verbs and Verbs of Being Activity

To check for understanding of identification of verbs of being and action verbs, try the following activity.
Step 1 -- Make 40 Post-its with a mix of action verbs and verbs of being on each Post-it.

Step 2 -- On the black board, make two sets of two columns and label the columns: action verbs and verbs of being.
Step 3 -- Select two volunteers to sort the verbs as quickly as they can. Offer a small prize for the first one to sort
them correctly in the shortest amount of time. Give each student 20 Post-its.
Step 4 -- When the students are done, give candy to the one who has them all correct. If both students have mistakes,
then they can get help from one other person in the class.
Step 5 - After the students are done, go through each Post-it and talk about why the Post-it was an action verb or a
verb of being.S

Irregular Verbs List

This is a list of some irregular verbs in English. Of course, there are many others,
the more common irregular verbs.
V1
Base Form

V2
Past Simple

V3
Past Participle

awake

awoke

awoken

be

was, were

been

beat

beat

beaten

become

became

become

begin

began

begun

bend

bent

bent

bet

bet

bet

bid

bid

bid

Terms | Privacy | Contact | Tell friend | Report error

1997-2013 EnglishClub

List of Irregular Verbs

A B C D E F G H K L M P Q R S T U W *
Infinitive

Simple Past

Past Participle

alight

alighted, alit

alighted, alit

arise

arose

arisen

awake

awoke, awaked

awoken, awaked

be

was, were

been

bear

bore

borne, born

beat

beat

beaten, beat

become

became

become

beget

begot

begotten

begin

began

begun

bend

bent

bent

bereave

bereaved, bereft

bereaved, bereft

beseech

besought, beseeched

besought, beseeched

bet

bet, betted

bet, betted

bid

bade, bid

bidden, bid, bade

bide

bade, bided

bided

bind

bound

bound

bite

bit

bitten

bleed

bled

bled

bless

blessed, blest

blessed, blest

blow

blew

blown

break

broke

broken

breed

bred

bred

bring

brought

brought

broadcast

broadcast, broadcasted

broadcast, broadcasted

build

built

built

burn

burnt, burned

burnt, burned

burst

burst

burst

bust

bust, busted

bust, busted

buy

bought

bought

can

could

(kein Participle)

cast

cast

cast

catch

caught

caught

choose

chose

chosen

cleave

cleft, cleaved, clove

cleft, cleaved, cloven

cling

clung

clung

clothe

clothed, clad

clothed, clad

come

came

come

cost

cost

cost

creep

crept

crept

crow

crowed

crew, crowed

cut

cut

cut

deal

dealt

dealt

dig

dug

dug

do

did

done

draw

drew

drawn

dream

dreamt, dreamed

dreamt, dreamed

drink

drank

drunk

drive

drove

driven

dwell

dwelt, dwelled

dwelt, dwelled

eat

ate

eaten

fall

fell

fallen

feed

fed

fed

feel

felt

felt

fight

fought

fought

find

found

found

flee

fled

fled

fling

flung

flung

fly

flew

flown

forbid

forbad, forbade

forbid, forbidden

forecast

forecast, forecasted

forecast, forecasted

forget

forgot

forgotten

forsake

forsook

forsaken

freeze

froze

frozen

geld

gelded, gelt

gelded, gelt

get

got

got, gotten

gild

gilded, gilt

gilded, gilt

give

gave

given

gnaw

gnawed

gnawed, gnawn

go

went

gone

grind

ground

ground

grip

gripped, gript

gripped, gript

grow

grew

grown

hang

hung

hung

have

had

had

hear

heard

heard

heave

heaved, hove

heaved, hove

hew

hewed

hewed, hewn

hide

hid

hidden, hid

hit

hit

hit

hold

held

held

hurt

hurt

hurt

keep

kept

kept

kneel

knelt, kneeled

knelt, kneeled

knit

knitted, knit

knitted, knit

know

knew

known

lay

laid

laid

lead

led

led

lean

leant, leaned

leant, leaned

leap

leapt, leaped

leapt, leaped

learn

learnt, learned

learnt, learned

leave

left

left

lend

lent

lent

let

let

let

lie

lay

lain

light

lit, lighted

lit, lighted

lose

lost

lost

make

made

made

may

might

(kein Participle)

mean

meant

meant

meet

met

met

melt

melted

molten, melted

mow

mowed

mown, mowed

pay

paid

paid

pen

pent, penned

pent, penned

plead

pled, pleaded

pled, pleaded

prove

proved

proven, proved

put

put

put

quit

quit, quitted

quit, quitted

read

read

read

rid

rid, ridded

rid, ridded

ride

rode

ridden

ring

rang

rung

rise

rose

risen

run

ran

run

saw

sawed

sawn, sawed

say

said

said

see

saw

seen

seek

sought

sought

sell

sold

sold

send

sent

sent

set

set

set

sew

sewed

sewn, sewed

shake

shook

shaken

shall

should

(kein Participle)

shear

sheared

shorn, sheared

shed

shed

shed

shine

shone

shone

shit

shit, shitted, shat

shit, shitted, shat

shoe

shod, shoed

shod, shoed

shoot

shot

shot

show

showed

shown, showed

shred

shred, shredded

shred, shredded

shrink

shrank, shrunk

shrunk

shut

shut

shut

sing

sang

sung

sink

sank

sunk

sit

sat

sat

slay

slew

slain

sleep

slept

slept

slide

slid

slid

sling

slung

slung

slink

slunk

slunk

slit

slit

slit

smell

smelt, smelled

smelt, smelled

smite

smote

smitten

sow

sowed

sown, sowed

speak

spoke

spoken

speed

sped, speeded

sped, speeded

spell

spelt, spelled

spelt, spelled

spend

spent

spent

spill

spilt, spilled

spilt, spilled

spin

spun

spun

spit

spat

spat

split

split

split

spoil

spoilt, spoiled

spoilt, spoiled

spread

spread

spread

spring

sprang, sprung

sprung

stand

stood

stood

steal

stole

stolen

stick

stuck

stuck

sting

stung

stung

stink

stank, stunk

stunk

stride

strode

stridden

strike

struck

struck

string

strung

strung

strive

strove

striven

swear

swore

sworn

sweat

sweat, sweated

sweat, sweated

sweep

swept

swept

swell

swelled

swollen, swelled

swim

swam

swum

swing

swung

swung

take

took

taken

teach

taught

taught

tear

tore

torn

telecast

telecast, telecasted

telecast, telecasted

tell

told

told

think

thought

thought

throw

threw

thrown

thrust

thrust

thrust

tread

trod

trodden

understand

understood

understood

wake

woke, waked

woken, waked

wear

wore

worn

weave

wove

woven

wed

wed, wedded

wed, wedded

weep

wept

wept

wet

wet, wetted

wet, wetted

win

won

won

wind

wound

wound

wring

wrung

wrung

write

wrote

written

In the space provided, write the proper form of the irregular verb named in parentheses after the space. Either a simple past or a participle form of
the verb will be required. (Don't write more than one word in each space.) The TAB key will take you from one space to the next. When you've filled
in all the spaces, click on "Submit Application" and the computer will grade your responses and provide correct answers (in red) where there are any
mistakes.

Last October we

(to swim) in the lagoon, out where the old freighter had

and Bobby

(to lead) us to Bristle Cove where we

but the water had not

He

(to dive)* off the rocks into the cold water. It

(to grow) up there and he hadn't

(to choose) to fly United Airlines, which had

(to see) them in years. He hadn't

(to speak) on the phone with them either. At the Vancouver airport, he

drive) to their home to surprise them. He

(to ride) our bikes to the park

(to be) late in the season,

(to wear) wetsuits.

(to fly) to Vancouver in September. (He

His granchildren had

or

(to freeze), and we

(to sink). We

(to run) ads all that summer.)

(to write) to them

(to drag) his suitcase to a rental car and

(to take) his time walking up the driveway, and then he

(to ring) the doorbell.

(to

Juan

(to lie) on the couch and his sister

and Juan

(to rise) from the couch. "I

(to sit) on the floor nearby. Gordo, their hairy dog,

(to throw) the frisbee to this mutt all morning," he

(to shake) himself violently

(to say). "And we

(to run)around the park twice, and he still wants to play."

Submit Application

Clear Answ ers

*More than one answer could be correct for this one, but the computer will recognize only one answer. See your dictionary.

Irregular Verbs

Types of Verbs Study Guide

Like everything metaphysical the harmony between thought and reality is to be found in the grammar of the
language.
LUDWIG WITTGENSTEIN (18891951)

AUSTRIAN PHILOSOPHER
Verbs are the second fundamental component of English. Learn how to discern between action, linking, and
helping verbs, and why they are called the movers and shakers of written and spoken language.

Action Verbs
Most action verbs are visiblethe action can be seenas in the words skate, text, sleep, pick, grab, swim,
and clap. When we have to identify action words in sentences, it is generally pretty easy. Some, though, are
more challenging to identify because they are much less obvious to our eyes. It's hard to see the action of
words like think, yearn, wish, believe, consider, need, understand, remember, and assume. We refer to verbs
like these as mental verbs, but we must remember that they, too, are doing verbs.
Visible action verbs:

I jog every afternoon.

Justin cooks very well.

The audience clapped loudly.

Betsy fell on the sidewalk.

Invisible action verbs:

I thought it was delicious.

Donna wanted to play too.

We need to be more aware.

Shawna believes everyone.

Linking Verbs
Linking verbs convey a state of being or condition. In a sentence, they link, or connect, a noun with
an adjective, a word that describes the noun:

or with another noun, used to identify the first noun:

Sometimes you will encounter a word that looks like an action verb, when it is really a linking verb. One trick
to knowing the difference between the two is looking for the adjective that is describing the noun. If the
adjective is not there, then you have an action verb.

Action: Lucas tasted the stew.

Lucas actually tastes the stew; therefore, tasted is an action verb.
Linking: The stew tasted salty.
The stew is NOT tasting anything. The adjective salty is describing the noun stew, so the verb is a linking verb.
Another trick is to replace the verb in the sentence with the verb is. If it makes sense, then the sentence
contains a linking verb. For example,
Kevin felt the sandpaper.

Kevin is the sandpaper.

This is sillyKevin is NOT sandpaper! Felt is an action verb in this sentence.

Kevin felt sick this
morning.

Kevin is sick this morning.

Yes, this is sensiblefelt in this sentence is a linking verb.

You should make yourself familiar with this list of verbs that can be both action verbs and linking verbs
(remember that their tenses can vary, for example, appear, appears, and appeared).

Helping Verbs
One last type of verb we use is the helping verb. Helping verbs are used to enhance a main verb's meaning
by giving us more information about its tense. Do you recognize these common helping verbs?

In a sentence, a main verb can have as many as three helping verbs in front of it. For example:
Nate served the ball to his opponent.
Nate will serve the ball to his opponent.
Nate should have served the ball to his opponent
When a main verb has one or more helping verbs, this is called a verb phrase. You should remember that a
helping verb does not always have to be right next to the main verb in the sentence. This is because an
adverb (not, only, and -ly words) usually separates the helping verbs. For example,
Eddie will surely choose the largest slice of pie.

Caroline could not have eaten all those cookies.

Subject Verb Agreement Study Guide

Subject Verb Agreement
Language is fossil poetry.
RALPH WALDO EMERSON (18031882)
AMERICAN POET
Along with fragments and run-ons, poor subjectverb agreement will detract from your writing and distort your
meaning. In this lesson, learn how to steer clear of this writing faux pas.
It is essential that all of the subjects and verbs in your writing (and speaking) are compatible in both number
and person. If your sentence has a singular subject (referring to only one person, place, or thing), then it must
be coupled with a singular verb. Likewise, if your sentence has a plural subject (referring to more than one
person, place, or thing), then it must be coupled with a plural verb.
Singular:

Tommy plans to run in the cross-country race.

The dog likes to sleep on the porch under the rocking chair.
Plural:

Kevin and Nathan usually shoot hoops on Saturdays.

The bees fly from flower to flower gathering pollen.

Tip
Did you notice the -s endings of the singular verbs in these sentences? Unlike nouns, which usually have an
-s on the end of a plural, singular verbs end in -s, while the plural verbs do not.
Most verbs are easily recognizable in our writing and speakingthey tend to move the sentence alongso
when any subjectverb agreement is incorrect, it is so easily recognizable. This is especially true of the
verb be, the most widely used verb form in the English language. The table below shows it is conjugated
according to number, form, and person.

Tip
Did you notice that the verb be doesn't contain the word be at all? It is made up of the verbs am, is, are, was,
and were, and these are be-ing verbs, wouldn't you agree?

I am

we are

you are

he/she/it is

they are

Even though we may hear the verb be used casually (and quite widely in some instances) in spoken language,
this usage is incorrect in standard English. Be only follows a subject in a sentence when it's coupled with a
helping verb (for example, can be, should be, will be, could be).
Incorrect:

She be going to school late this morning.

We be going late, too.

Correct:

She is going to school late this morning.

We are going late, too.

Compound Subjects and Verbs

Sometimes you may have two or more subjects sharing the same verb; this is referred to as acompound
subject. When you have a compound subject, you must use the conjunctions and, or, or neither . . . nor to
connect them together.
Mom or Dad was supposed to pick us up at the movies.
Neither Mom nor Dad was supposed to pick us up at the movies.
Mom and Dad are supposed to pick us up at the movies.

Copyright 2006 - 2013 Education.com, Inc. All rights reserved.

What Are Basic English Grammar Rules?

What are basic English grammar rules? There are hundreds of grammar rules but the basic ones refer to sentence structure
and parts of speech, which are noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition and conjunction. Lets look at the way
sentences are put together and the words that form them.
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Basic English Grammar Rules

Some of the most basic and important English grammar rules relate directly to sentence structure. Some of these rules specify
that:

A singular subject needs a singular predicate.

A sentence needs to express a complete thought.

Another term for a sentence is an independent clause.

Clauses, like any sentence, have a subject and predicate too. If a group of words does not have a subject and predicate, it
is a phrase.

If they can stand alone and make a complete thought, then they are independent and called sentences.

If they do not express a complete thought, they are called "dependent clauses." An example of a dependent clause,
which is not a sentence, is when i finish my work.
So, what do these basic sentence structure English grammar rules mean?

Subjects and Predicates

Basic to any language is the sentence, which expresses a complete thought and consists of a subject and a predicate... but
what are the subject and the predicate?

The subject is the star of the sentence; the person, animal, or thing that is the focus of it.

The predicate will tell the action that the subject is taking or tell something about the subject.

Basic Parts of Speech

Once you have a general idea of what basic English grammar rules are in regards to sentence structures, it is also helpful to
learn about the parts of speech:

A noun names a person, animal, place, thing, quality, idea, activity, or feeling. A noun can be singular, plural, or show
possession.

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun, like: I, you, or they.

A verb shows action and can be a main verb or a helping verb, like: were or has. Verbs also indicate tense and
sometimes change their form to show past, present, or future tense. Linking verbs link the subject to the rest of the sentence
and examples are: appear and seem.

An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun. It adds meaning by telling how much, which one, what kind, or describing it
in other ways.

An adverb will modify a verb and tell more about it, like how much, when, where, why, or how.

A preposition shows a relationship between nouns or pronouns. It is often used with a noun to show location, like:
beside, in, or on. It can also show time, direction, motion, manner, reason, or possession.

Conjunctions connect two words, phrases, or clauses, and common ones are: and, but, and or.
Mention needs to be made about other types of words that are considered by some, but not all, to be parts of speech.

One of them is the interjection. It shows emotion and examples are: yea, hurray, uh-oh, and alas.
Articles are very useful little words that are also sometimes considered to be parts of speech. The articles are: a, an,
and the. Indefinite articles are a and an and the is a definite article.
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Punctuation
To fully understand what basic grammar rules are, you also need to look at punctuation rules.

All sentences must start with a capital, or upper case, letter.

Also, titles of people, books, magazines, movies, specific places, etc. are capitalized.

Organizations and compass points are also capitalized.

Also, every sentence needs a punctuation mark at the end of it. These would include a period, exclamation mark, or
question mark.

Colons are used to separate a sentence from a list of items, between two sentences when the second one explains the
first, and to introduce a long direct quote.

Semicolons are used to take the place of a conjunction and are placed before introductory words like therefore or
however. They are also used to separate a list of things if there are commas within each unit.

There are a lot of rules for commas. The basic ones are commas separate things in a series and go wherever there is a
pause in the sentence. They surround the name of a person being addressed, separate the day of the month from the year in
a date, and separate a town from the state.

Parentheses enclose things that clarify and enclose numbers and letters that are part of a list. Apostrophes are used in
contractions to take the place of one or more letters and to show possession. An apostrophe and s is added if the noun is
singular and an apostrophe alone is added if the noun is plural.
So, now you know some basic grammar rules and you'll be well on your way to becoming a grammar expert.