1. 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.
2. 6 Types
Verb Tenses
Present Past Future
Present Past Future
Perfect Perfect Perfect
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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)
7. 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.
8. 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.
10. 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.
11. Regular verbs and their
Principal Parts
Principal Present Present Past Past
Parts:
Tense Participle Tense Participle
Verb:
To call call, calling called (have)
calls called
To dust dust, dusting dusted (have)
dusts dusted
12. 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.
13. Four Principal/Main Parts
Principal Present Present Past Past
Parts:
Tense Participle Tense Participle
Verb:
To Be be, am, being was, (have)
are, is were been
To Have have, having had (have)
has had
14. Other Common Irregular
Verbs and their Principal Parts
Principal Present Present Past Tense Past
Part Tense Participle Participle
Verb
To see see, seeing saw (have)
sees seen
To do do, does doing did (have)
done
To fly fly, flies flying flew (have)
flown
To run run, runs running ran (have)
run
15. 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.
16. Conjugation of the verb: to be
Tense Singular Plural
Present I am We are
You are You are
He, she, it is They are
Past I was We were
You were You were
He was They were
Future I shall be We shall be
You will be You will be
He will be They will be
Present Perfect I have been We have been
You have been You have been
He has been They have been
Past Perfect I had been We had been
You had been You had been
He had been They had been
Future Perfect I shall have been We shall have been
You will have been You will have been
He will have been They will have been
