1. The basics of sentences
Thinking about verbs and tenses
Subject and object; agreement; past, present and future; progressive and perfect tenses.
2. Subject and verb
All sentences have verbs – they are the engine of a sentence.
Most have a subject – the ‘do-er’.
Bob ate the donut.
3. Subject and verb agreement
In sentences, the subject and verb have to ‘agree’.
The donuts is on the table.
The donuts are on the table.
Bob eat the donut.
Bob eats the donut.
4. Subject and verb agreement
Singular
First person = I
Second person = you
Third person – she/ he
Plural
First person = we
Second person = you
Third person – they
‘I were running’ or ‘I was running’?
‘They was running’ or ‘They were running’?
5. Subject Verb Object
The subject is the ‘do-er’.
The giant
The verb provides the action – gets things happening.
The giant ate
• The object is what is ‘done to’
The giant ate the donut
6. Present and Past
The present tense is used to show what is happening now.
The children listen to the lesson.
Past tense is used to show what has already happened.
The children listened to the lesson
7. Present and Past
Most verbs just add ‘ed’ on the end when turned into the
past tense:
I laugh – I laughed
Some change completely:
drive – drove
eat – ate
go – went
think – thought
speak - spoke
8. Future
• The future shows what is going to happen. Mostly, use ‘will’:
• Tomorrow, I will go to the zoo.
• Or another auxillary verb (a little helping verb).
The pirates will be sailing tomorrow.
9. Progressive
• Present progressive shows something is happening:
to be (am/are/is) + ’ing’ verb
Today, I am running fast.
• Past progressive: something was happening:
to be (was/were) + ‘ing’ verb
Yesterday, I was running slowly.
10. Perfect
• The perfect tense is used to talk about something that has
happened.
• Use ‘have’, ‘has’ or ‘had’.
• Present perfect: I have eaten my lunch.
• Past perfect: I had eaten my lunch.
