Transcript Verb Tenses

Verb Tenses
Verb Tense
 An action expressed in the verb can take
place in three different times:
Past
Present
Future
 In each time, the action can be of three
different types:
Simple
Progressive
Perfect
The three times together with the three types
are called TENSES.
Table of Tenses
Past
Present
Future
Simple
I played the guitar I play guitar in a
for 3 hours
band.
yesterday.
I will play next
weekend at a
music festival.
Progressive
II was playing
daily when I was
in college.
I will be playing
more frequently in
the future.
Perfect
I had played for
I have played in
five years before I my current band
joined a band.
for 15 years.
I am playing less
frequently these
days.
I will have played
in over 100
concerts by the
end of the year.
Regular verbs have reliable forms.
Infinitive
to laugh
to start
to travel
Simple
Present
laugh(s)
start(s)
travel(s)
Simple
Past
laughed
started
traveled
Or to fish,
fish(es), fished,
fished, fishing!
Past
Participle
laughed
started
traveled
Present
Participle
laughing
starting
traveling
Irregular verbs, however, have no
consistent patterns.
Infinitive
to drive
to think
to drink
to swim
Simple
Present
drive(s)
think(s)
drink(s)
swim(s)
Simple
Past
drove
thought
drank
swam
Past
Participle
driven
thought
drunk
swum
Present
Participle
driving
thinking
drinking
swimming
For example, to catch,
catch(es), caught,
caught, catching!
Past Simple
The action already happened.
Use the past participle.
 Ex: My brother and I played chess.
 Ex: I gave my dad a tie for his birthday.
 Ex: The garden was planted last spring.
Present Simple
The action is taking place in the
present or takes place regularly.
Use the present form of the verb
by itself.
 I walk to school on Tuesdays and
Thursdays.
 I usually drink chai tea with my afternoon
snack.
Future Simple
The action is going to happen.
Use will or shall with the
present tense of the verb.
 Ex: Dana will organize a talent show at
her school.
 Ex: Dr. Jones shall turn in the book fair
money.
Progressive Tenses
 The progressive tense describes an
action that is continuing or ongoing.
 All progressive tenses use a form of the
verb TO BE (am, is, are, was, were, will
be) with the present participle of the verb
(ending in “–ing”)
 Examples: I am watching you.
You are moving too slowly.
They will be riding their bikes to school
from now on.
Perfect Tenses
 There are three perfect tenses: past perfect,
present perfect, and future perfect.
 Perfect means COMPLETED. Perfect tenses
describe an action that has already taken place
or has been completed.
 ALL three perfect tenses use the past participle
of the verb and the helping verbs have, has,
had, or will have.
Perfect Tenses
The present perfect is formed with has
or have and the past participle.
I have watched three seasons of
Downton Abbey.
The present perfect stresses the
duration of an event that has happened
and will likely continue to happen. It is
different from the simple present.
I watch Downton Abbey.
Past Perfect Tense
 When two events happened in the past,
the past perfect tense describes the
event that happened first.
 It is formed with the past participle and
the helping verb “had.”
 I had waited for one hour before my ride
finally arrived.
 We had eaten five helpings of wedding
cake by the time they cleared the table.
Future Perfect Tense
 When TWO events will happen in the
future, the future perfect tense describes
the event that will occur first.
 It is formed with the past participle and
the verb “will have” or “shall have.”
 By the time we finish the book, the movie
will have left the theaters.
 He will have lost five pounds by the time
his fast ends.
Perfect Tenses: Play
Present Perfect
have played
has played
Past Perfect
had played
Future Perfect
will have played
shall have played