Verb Tense

Tense denotes the time of the action indicated by a verb. The time is not always the same as that indicated by the name of the tense.

6 Types

Verb Tenses

Present

Past

Future

Present Perfect

Past Perfect

Future Perfect

Present Tense

Present tense may express action which is going on at the present time or which occurs always, repeatedly, or habitually. Examples: He sees the train. He eats cereal for breakfast every day.

Past Tense

Past tense expresses action completed at a definite time in the past. Examples: He wrote the letter yesterday. She lived to be 90 years old.

Future Tense

Future tense expresses action which will take place in the future. It uses the helping verbs will or shall* and the present tense form of the verb). Examples: He will send the letter tomorrow. I shall wait here until you return. * Traditionally, shall is used for 1st person and will for 2nd and 3rd persons.

Present Perfect Tense

Present perfect tense expresses action completed at the present time (perfect means complete) or begun in the past and continuing into the present. This tense uses the helping verbs has and have and the past participle of the verb. Examples:

He has written a letter to his uncle. (completed action) The Waltons have lived here for seven years. (continuing)

Past Perfect Tense

Past perfect tense expresses action completed before certain time in the past. (This is the before-past tense.) It uses the helping verb had and the past participle of the verb. Example: She had written the letter before I saw her.

Future Perfect Tense

Future perfect tense expresses action which will be completed before a certain time in the future. (This is the before-future tense) It uses the helping verbs will have or shall have and the past participle of the verb. Example: He will have finished the paper before next Friday.

Verb Forms

Verb Forms

Regular

Irregular

Regular Verbs

Regular verbs form their past tense and past participle by adding ed or d to their present tense form. More than 95% of all English verbs are regular. Regular verbs cause few problems in speaking and writing.

Regular verbs and their Principal Parts

Principal Parts:

Present Present Past Participle Tense Tense

Past

Participle

Verb:

To call

call, calls calling dusting

called dusted

(have) called (have) dusted

To dust dust, dusts

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs can form their past tense and past participle forms in various way. These forms cause even native speakers innumerable problems. The most irregular verb of all is the verb to be. Another irregular verb that is important for its use with other verbs is the verb to have.

Four Principal/Main Parts

Principal Parts:

Present Tense

Present

Past Participle Tense

Past

Participle

Verb:

To Be

be, am, are, is

being

was, were (have) been had (have) had

To Have have, has having

Other Common Irregular Verbs and their Principal Parts

Principal Part Present Tense Verb Present Participle Past Tense Past Participle

To see To do To fly To run

see, sees seeing do, does doing fly, flies flying

saw did flew ran

(have) seen (have) done (have) flown (have) run

run, runs running

Conjugation

A conjugation of a verb is the correct arrangement of its form through its tenses, persons, and numbers. Person means the speaker, the person spoken to, and the person or thing spoken of. Number means singular or plural.

Conjugation of the verb: to be

Tense
Present

Singular
I am You are He, she, it is I was You were He was I shall be You will be He will be I have been You have been He has been I had been You had been He had been I shall have been You will have been He will have been

Plural
We are You are They are We were You were They were We shall be You will be They will be We have been You have been They have been We had been You had been They had been We shall have been You will have been They will have been

Past

Future Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect