Types of Verbs Before you begin the verb tense lessons, it is extremely important to understand that NOT all

English verbs are the same. English verbs are divided into three groups: Normal Verbs, Non-Continuous Verbs, and Mixed Verbs. Group I Normal Verbs Most verbs are "Normal Verbs." These verbs are usually physical actions which you can see somebody doing. These verbs can be used in all tenses. Normal Verbs to run, to walk, to eat, to fly, to go, to say, to touch, etc. Examples: I eat dinner every day. I am eating dinner now. Group II Non-Continuous Verbs The second group, called "Non-Continuous Verbs," is smaller. These verbs are usually things you cannot see somebody doing. These verbs are rarely used in continuous tenses. They include: Abstract Verbs to be, to want, to cost, to seem, to need, to care, to contain, to owe, to exist... Possession Verbs to possess, to own, to belong... Emotion Verbs to like, to love, to hate, to dislike, to fear, to envy, to mind... Examples: He is needing help now. Not Correct He needs help now. Correct He is wanting a drink now. Not Correct He wants a drink now. Correct Group III Mixed Verbs The third group, called "Mixed Verbs," is the smallest group. These verbs have more than one meaning. In a way, each meaning is a unique verb. Some meanings behave like "Non-Continuous Verbs," while other meanings behave like "Normal Verbs." Mixed Verbs to appear, to feel, to have, to hear, to look, to see, to weigh... List of Mixed Verbs with Examples and Definitions: to appear: Donna appears confused. Non-Continuous Verb Donna seems confused. My favorite singer is appearing at the jazz club tonight. Normal Verb My favorite singer is giving a performance at the jazz club tonight. to have: I have a dollar now. Non-Continuous Verb I possess a dollar. I am having fun now. Normal Verb I am experiencing fun now. to hear: She hears the music. Non-Continuous Verb She hears the music with her ears. She is hearing voices. Normal Verb

She hears something others cannot hear. She is hearing voices in her mind. to look: Nancy looks tired. Non-Continuous Verb She seems tired. Farah is looking at the pictures. Normal Verb She is looking with her eyes. to miss: John misses Sally. Non-Continuous Verb He is sad because she is not there. Debbie is missing her favorite TV program. Normal Verb She is not there to see her favorite program. to see: I see her. Non-Continuous Verb I see her with my eyes. I am seeing the doctor. Normal Verb I am visiting or consulting with a doctor. (Also used with dentist and lawyer.) I am seeing her. Normal Verb I am having a relationship with her. He is seeing ghosts at night. Normal Verb He sees something others cannot see. For example ghosts, aura, a vision of the future, etc. to smell: The coffee smells good. Non-Continuous Verb The coffee has a good smell. I am smelling the flowers. Normal Verb I am sniffing the flowers to see what their smell is like. to taste: The coffee tastes good. Non-Continuous Verb The coffee has a good taste. I am tasting the cake. Normal Verb I am trying the cake to see what it tastes like. to think: He thinks the test is easy. Non-Continuous Verb He considers the test to be easy. She is thinking about the question. Normal Verb She is pondering the question, going over it in her mind. to weigh: The table weighs a lot. Non-Continuous Verb The table is heavy. She is weighing herself. Normal Verb She is determining her weight. Some Verbs Can Be Especially Confusing: to be: Joe is American. Non-Continuous Verb Joe is an American citizen. Joe is being very American. Normal Verb Joe is behaving like a stereotypical American. Joe is being very rude. Normal Verb Joe is behaving very rudely. Usually he is not rude. Joe is being very formal. Normal Verb Joe is behaving very formally. Usually he is not formal. NOTICE: Only rarely is "to be" used in a continuous form. This is most commonly done when a person is temporarily behaving badly or stereotypically. It can also be used when someone's behavior is noticeably different.

to feel: The massage feels great. Non-Continuous Verb The massage has a pleasing feeling. I don't feel well today. Sometimes used as Non-Continuous Verb I am a little sick. I am not feeling well today. Sometimes used as Normal Verb I am a little sick. NOTICE: The second meaning of "feel" is very flexible and there is no real difference in meaning between "I don't feel well today" and "I am not feeling well today."

Active / Passive Verb Forms Sentences can be active or passive. Therefore, tenses also have "active forms" and "passive forms." You must learn to recognize the difference to successfully speak English. Active Form In active sentences, the thing doing the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing receiving the action is the object. Most sentences are active. [Thing doing action] + [verb] + [thing receiving action] Examples:

Passive Form In passive sentences, the thing receiving the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing doing the action is optionally included near the end of the sentence. You can use the passive form if you think that the thing receiving the action is more important or should be emphasized. You can also use the passive form if you do not know who is doing the action or if you do not want to mention who is doing the action. [Thing receiving action] + [be] + [past participle of verb] + [by] + [thing doing action] Examples:

Active / Passive Overview Active Simple Present Once a week, Tom cleans the house. Passive Once a week, the house is cleaned by Tom. Right now, the letter is being written by Sarah. The car was repaired by Sam. The customer was being helped by the salesman when the thief came into the store. That castle has been visited by many tourists. Recently, the work has been being done by John. Many cars had been repaired by George before he received his mechanic's license. The restaurant's fantastic dinners had been being prepared by Chef Jones for two years before he moved to Paris. The work will be finished by 5:00 PM.

Present Continuous Simple Past Past Continuous

Right now, Sarah is writing the letter.

Sam repaired the car. The salesman was helping the customer when the thief came into the store. Many tourists have visited that castle.

Present Perfect

Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect

Recently, John has been doing the work. George had repaired many cars before he received his mechanic's license. Chef Jones had been preparing the restaurant's fantastic dinners for two years before he moved to Paris. Someone will finish the work by 5:00 PM. Sally is going to make a beautiful dinner tonight. At 8:00 PM tonight, John will be washing the dishes.

Past Perfect Continuous

Simple Future
WILL

Simple Future
BE GOING TO

A beautiful dinner is going to be made by Sally tonight. At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes will be being washed by John.

Future Continuous
WILL

Future Continuous
BE GOING TO

At 8:00 PM tonight, John is going to be washing the dishes.

At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes are going to be being washed by John.

Future Perfect
WILL

They will have completed the project before the deadline. They are going to have completed the project before the deadline. The famous artist will have been painting the mural for over six months by the time it is finished. The famous artist is going to have been painting the mural for over six months by the time it is finished. Jerry used to pay the bills. My mother would always make the pies. I knew John would finish the work by 5:00 PM.

The project will have been completed before the deadline. The project is going to have been completed before the deadline. The mural will have been being painted by the famous artist for over six months by the time it is finished. The mural is going to have been being painted by the famous artist for over six months by the time it is finished. The bills used to be paid by Jerry. The pies would always be made by my mother. I knew the work would be finished by 5:00 PM.

Future Perfect
BE GOING TO

Future Perfect Continuous

WILL

Future Perfect Continuous

BE GOING TO

Used to Would Always

Future in the Past WOULD Future in the Past WAS GOING TO

I thought Sally was going to make a beautiful dinner tonight.

I thought a beautiful dinner was going to be made by Sally tonight.

Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses, then click the "Check" button to check your answers. 1. Every Monday, Sally (drive)

her kids to football practice.

2. Usually, I (work)

as a secretary at ABT, but this summer I (study)

French at a

language school in Paris. That is why I am in Paris.

3. Shhhhh! Be quiet! John (sleep)

4. Don't forget to take your umbrella. It (rain)

5. I hate living in Seattle because it (rain, always)

6. I'm sorry I can't hear what you (say)

because everybody (talk)

so loudly.

7. Justin (write, currently)

a book about his adventures in Tibet. I hope he can find a good

publisher when he is finished.

8. Jim: Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?

Denise: Oh, I'm sorry, I can't. I (go)

to a movie tonight with some friends.

9. The business cards (be, normally )

printed by a company in New York. Their prices (be)

inexpensive, yet the quality of their work is quite good.

10. This delicious chocolate (be)

made by a small chocolatier in Zurich, Switzerland.

Infinitive - Past tense - Past participle

abide-abode-abode awake-awoke-awoken be-was/were-been bear-bore-born beat-beat-beaten beget-begot-begotten begin-began-begun bend-bent-bent bereave-bereft-bereft beseech-besought -besought bespeak-bespoke -bespoken bestride-bestrode -bestrided

bet-bet-bet bid-bid-bid/bid-bad -bidden bind-bound-bound bite-bit-bitten bleed-bled-bled blow-blew-blown break-broke-broken breed-bred-bred bring-brought-brought broadcast-broadcast -broadcast build-built-built burn-burnt-burnt burst-burst-burst

buy-bought-bought can-could cast-cast-cast catch-caught-caught choose-chose-chosen cling-clung-clung come-came-come cost-cost-cost creep-crept-crept cut-cut-cut deal-dealt-dealt dig-dug-dug do-did-done draw-drew-drawn dream-dreamt-dreamt

drink-drank-drunk drive-drove-driven dwell-dwelt-dwelt eat-ate-eaten fall-fell-fallen feed-fed-fed feel-felt-felt fight-fought-fought find-found-found flee-fled-fled fly-flew-flown forbid-forbad(e)-forbidden forecast-forecast-forecast forget-forgot-forgotten forsake-forsook-forsaken

freeze-froze-frozen get-got-got give-gave-given go-went-gone grind-ground-ground grow-grew-grown hang-hung-hung have-had-had hear-heard-heard hide-hid-hidden hit-hit-hit hold-held-held hurt-hurt-hurt keep-kept-kept kneel-knelt-knelt

know-knew-known lay-laid-laid lead-led-led lean-leant-leant leap-leapt-leapt learn-learnt-learnt leave-left-left lend-lent-lent let-let-let lie-lay-lain lose-lost-lost make-made-made mean-meant-meant meet-met-met pay-paid-paid

put-put-put read-read-read rend-rent-rent rid-rid-rid ride-rode-ridden ring-rang-rung rise-rose-risen run-ran-run say-said-said see-saw-seen seek-sought-sought sell-sold-sold send-sent-sent set-set-set shake-shook-shaken

shed-shed-shed shine-shone-shone shoot-shot-shot show-showed-shown shrink-shrank-shrunk shrive-shrove-shriven 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-smelt smite-smote-smitten speak-spoke-spoken speed-sped-sped spend-spent-spent spin-spun-spun spit-spat-spat split-split-split spoil-spoilt-spoit spread-spread-spread spring-sprang-sprung stand-stood-stood steal-stole-stolen stick-stuck-stuck

sting-stung-stung stink-stank-stunk strike-struck-struck string-strung-strung strive-strove-striven swear-swore-sworn sweep-swept-swept swim-swam-swum swing-swung-swung take-took-taken teach-taught-taught tear-tore-torn tell-told-told think-thought-thought throw-threw-thrown

thrust-thrust-thrust tread-trod-trodden wake-woke-woken wear-wore-worn weave-wove-woven weep-wept-wept win-won-won wind-wound-wound wring-wrung-wrung write-wrote-written
The passive voice grammar rules Form Present simple passive: The car is repaired. Present continuous: The car is being repaired. Past simple: The car was repaired. Past continuous: The car was being repaired. Present perfect: The car has just been repaired. Past perfect: The car had been repaired. Future simple: The car will be repaired. Present conditional : The car would be repaired. Perfect conditional: The car would have been repaired. The passive voice in English is formed with the verb to be and the past participle, which is different for regular verbs (translated, mended) and irregular verbs (taken, thrown). Statement: The letter is written. This shop has been opened. Question: Is the letter written? Has the shop been opened? Negative: The letter is not written. The shop has not been opened.

The continuous forms are as follows. (Other continuous tenses are not normally used in the passive.) Present: A new house is being built in our street. Past: A new house was being built in our street. In all the examples above the agent is not mentioned. We do not know it. Similarly: Flowers were planted in the garden. (We do not know who did it). If we want to say who planted the flowers we mention the agent at the end of the sentence and use the preposition by. The flowers were planted by my mother. But: The window was smashed with a stone. (The stone is not the agent. We do not know who smashed the window. We only know how he or she did it). Direct and indirect objects If there are both objects in a sentence, the indirect object becomes the subject in the passive voice. Active: My friend sent me a letter. Passive: I was sent a letter by my friend. (Not: A letter was sent to me by my friend. This sentence does not sound natural in English.) Similarly: They offer Trevor a place. - Trevor is offered a place. The infinitive without to In the active voice some verbs are followed by the infinitive without to. In the passive we use most such verbs with the infinitive with to. Active: We saw them come. She made him do it. Passive: They were seen to come. He was made to do it. But: They let us go. - We were let go. Use The passive voice is used: 1. If the action is more important then the agent. A demonstration has been held. This theatre was built in 1868. The important thing is what happened, not who did it. 2. If the agent is not known. He was offered a job. (someone offered him the job) They are supposed to be good students. (some teachers suppose that) The difference in meaning between the simple and continuous A new house is built in our street. (The house is finished.) A new house is being built in our street. (They are building it these days, it is not finished.) I was being introduced to Mrs. Jones when her husband arrived. (Her husband arrived in the middle of the introduction.) When her husband arrived I was introduced to Mrs. Jones. (Her husband arrived first and then she introduced me.) Notes The passive voice is typical of an impersonal and formal style, that is why you can often find it in public notices, announcements, instructions or scientific articles. English is spoken in this shop. Visitors are not allowed to smoke. The seal must be removed.

In a less formal style the active voice is more usual. English is spoken in this shop. - We speak English in this shop. He was seen in Dover. - They saw him in Dover. The seal must be removed. - You must remove the seal. In the English language the passive is more frequent than in many other languages. Moreover, you can find some stuctures in English which are not possible in some languages. I am told that you are going to have a baby. It is thought that the crises will end soon. Try some passive voice exercises to practise the difference between the active and passive in the English tenses. If you prefer the printable version of these grammar rules and exercises in pdf, have a look at in esl printables, worksheets. You also need to practise the English tenses and modal verbs to learn how to use these forms in different grammar tenses and verb forms.