Verbs express actions or states of being and are essential parts of sentences. There are several types of verbs including action verbs, linking verbs, and helping verbs. Verb tense indicates when the action occurs, with choices being present, past, or future tense. Most regular verbs form the past tense by adding "-ed" but some verbs are irregular and do not follow this pattern. Maintaining consistent verb tense is important when writing.

1. Verbs Verbs Verbs
• Verbs are words that express an action OR
state of being, and they are an essential
part of a complete sentence.
• A sentence is a group of words with a
subject (noun/pronoun) and a verb (tells
what the subject is doing).

2. If you can do it, it is an action verb!
• sing
• walk
• jump
• read
• eat
• listen
• drink
• believe
• sleep

3. Linkingverbsconnecta subjectwitha word
orwordsin the sentence.
appear, become, feel, grow, look
, remain, stay, smell, sound
Letitia appeared
surprised at the news.
seem, taste, turn, am, is, are, wa
s, were, be, being, been
Kiera seems happy today.

4. Helpingverbs workwith the main verb to
indicatewhenthe actionoccurred.
am, is, are, was, were, be, do, do
es, did, have, had, has
We have learned so
much in this class.
may, might, must, shall, will, can
, should, would, could ought
We might win the race if
we practice.

5. Verb Tense
Tense tells when the action OR
state of being takes place
•Present
•Past
•Future

6. Present Tense
It is happening NOW!
• Jackie cooks breakfast.
• Rayvon sings every morning.
• Tyrone walks a mile everyday.
• Caesar watches the television.
• Lindsey washes the dishes.
• Students hurry from the building.
• The boys sing every morning.
To make a verb, “singular” add an “s”

7. Past Tense
The action has already happened ...It’s
completed, finished , over!!!
• The police talked to the robbers.
• Keira submitted her paragraph to the drop-box.
• We attended the live lecture yesterday.
• To make most regular verbs past tense, add “ed”
Last Week Yesterday
Once upon a
time

8. Future Tense
It will happen in the future – has not taken place
yet!
• The students will study for the final.
• I shall fly in an airplane someday.
• I will pass this class.
• I will call my instructor for help.
*helping verbs “will”
and “shall”

9. Past, Present or Future???
• We went for a
walk.
• Scott will be
driving me to
school today.
• I am doing my
homework now.
• Daniel will be
coming to dinner
on Sunday.
• went=past tense
• will be driving= future
tense
• am doing=present tense
• will be coming=future

10. Practice with
Past, Present, and Future!
I go to the movies with my friends. PRESENT
I went to the movies with my friends. PAST
I will go to the movies with my friends. FUTURE

11. Irregular Verbs
You cannot add the –ed ending
to write irregular verbs in the past
tense.

12. Irregular Verbs
Present
see
buy
come
blow
go
swim
fall
hear
speak
write
Past
saw
bought
came
blew
gone
swam
fell
heard
spoke
wrote

13. Irregular Verbs
Present
• stand
• take
• sit
• go
• do
• fight
• pay
• ride
Past
• stood
• took
• sat
• went
• did
• fought
• paid
• rode

14. Remember!
When writing, stay in the same
tense throughout the
paragraph, essay, and/or paper.