This document discusses verb forms and tenses in English. It explains that every English verb except "to be" has five forms - infinitive, present, present participle, past, and past participle - which vary depending on whether the verb is regular or irregular. It also defines verb tense as the ability of a verb to indicate when an action takes place. The document then provides examples of how to use different verb forms and tenses such as present, present perfect, past, future, and subjunctive to express time frames like present, past, and future actions. It concludes by explaining that verb mood enables verbs to express the speaker's attitude and can be used to express conditions, wishes, importance, or necessity.

1. Verb Forms and Tenses
Adapted from Real Good Grammar, Too by Mamie Webb Hixon

2. Verb Forms
Every English verb except “(to) be” has five
forms, which vary depending on whether the
verb is regular (such as “type” and “text”) or
irregular (such as “write”).
infinitive/bare form (to) type (to) text (to) write
present (-s) types texts writes
present participle (-ing) typing texting writing
past (-ed) typed texted wrote
past participle (-en) (have) typed (have) texted (have) written
The Verb Forms

3. Verb Forms and Tenses
Verb tense is the ability of a verb to
indicate the time at which an action
takes place.
Verb forms are the tools you’ll use
to create tenses.

4. Use present tense
in universally true statements not limited to
a particular time:
The Sun is ninety-three million miles from Earth.
in definitions:
Hardware is the physical system of a computer.
in statements about the content of literature
and other published works:
Hamlet appears extremely indecisive.

5. Use present tense
for events that are currently happening:
I am really mad at Anthony.
Andrea attends mass every week.
now/the present the distant future
the near future
the distant past
the near past
am,
attends

6. now/the present the distant futurethe distant past
the near past
Use present infinitive
for verbs that point to the future:
I hope to complete my degree by the time
we get married.
She planned to earn an MBA by the end
of the year.
hope,
plan
to complete,
to earn
the near future

7. now/the present the distant future
the near future
the distant past
Use present perfect tense
for an action that began in the past but
continues into the present or the future:
I have lived in Pensacola all my life.
She has lived in Pensacola all her life.
have lived
the near past

8. now/the present the distant future
the near future
the distant past
Use a present participle
for an action that occurs at the same
time as the verb:
Speeding down the interstate, I saw a
police car.
speeding + saw
the near past

9. Use past tense
for an earlier action:
Marvin bought the car.
now/the present the distant future
the near future
the distant past
bought
the near past

10. Use past perfect tense
for an earlier action that is
mentioned after a later action:
Marvin bought the car that he had
seen advertised online.
now/the present the distant future
the near futurethe near past
the distant past
bought
had seen

11. Use future tense
for an action that will be completed:
I will graduate from college.
now/the present the distant future
the near future
the distant past
the near past
will graduate

12. Use future perfect tense
for an action that will have been completed at a specific
future time in relation to another specific time:
By 2020, I will have graduated from college.
now/the present
the near future
the distant past
the near past
will have graduated
2020
the distant future

13. Mood
Mood enables verbs to express how the
speaker or writer regards the sentence.
Mood can express attitudes, intentions,
commands, wishes, recommendations,
and possibilities.

14. Use subjunctive mood
to express a condition contrary to fact or a wish:
If I were President, I’d work with Congress to protect
the environment.
You are not the President. You’ll have to protect the
environment without the help of Congress.
The CFO would have been terminated a long time
ago were she not the CEO’s niece.
The CFO is the CEO’s niece, so she’s still hanging
around.

15. Use subjunctive mood
to express insistence, importance, necessity, or urgency
after the word “that”:
It is important that you be on time.
We demand that the company do something about its toxic
waste.
The syllabus requires that each student write a research
paper.
Note: Use the base form of a verb (e.g. “be” instead of
“are”) because if you use the present form the problem
isn’t urgent – the person is already doing what you’ve
asked!