Verb Tenses

Verb Tenses

By Christina Hicks

Verb Tenses

Explanation

Tense refers to the form a verb takes in a sentence, whether to express the present, past or future.

Examples

English II | Grammar

Simple Tenses

Present

The present tense indicates that an action is taking place at the time you express it, or an action occurs regularly.

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​Ex. We wear organic cotton shirts. [an action taking place when it is expressed]

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I watch the documentary on PBS each Sunday night. [an action that occurs regularly]

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Simple Tenses

Past

The past tense indicates that an action is completed and has already taken place.

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ex.: Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his most famous speech in 1963. [an action completed in the past]

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As a girl, she wondered how her college degree would help her career [an action that occurred once or many times in the past but did not extend to the ​present]

Simple Tenses

Future

The future tense indicates that an action will or is likely to take place. Use will or shall as a helping verb.

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Ex. Later today I will rinse the dishes. [a future action that will definitely occur]

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The defendant probably will plead innocent. [a future action that is likely to occur]​

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Poll

1-2-3

How well do you understand simple tenses?

• 1 - Huh? I don't get it.

• 2 - I get it, but I may need some help.

• 3 - I got this! Easy peasy lemon-squeezy!

Multiple Choice

Choose the sentence that is in present tense.

• We played dodgeball all afternoon.

• We will fry the fish we caught in the lake.

• All of us study hard for school.

• Mary cried on his shoulder all through the movie.

Multiple Choice

Choose the sentence that is in past tense.

• She will marry him on Tuesdday.

• Fred tried to get into the concert by posing as a security guard.

• I shop for all of my birthday presents at the art fair.

• No one will admit that they are tired.

Multiple Choice

Choose the sentence that is in future tense.

• The driver asked for the exact fare last week.

• Oliver used to live in Berkeley.

• The fireworks terrify the younger children.

• The assistants will compile the materials.

Perfect Tenses

Perfect tenses designate actions that were or will be completed before other actions. You can form the perfect tenses with the appropriate tense form of the helping, or auxiliary, verb have (has, had, have) plus the past participle ( -d, -ed).

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Perfect Tenses

Present Perfect​

The present tense indicates that an action is taking place at the time you express it, or an action occurs regularly.

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Ex.: We have worn organic cotton shirts. [an action began in the past and is finished in the present]

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She has donated extensively to UNICEF. [an action that began in the past and ​ and extends to the present]

Perfect Tenses

Past Perfect​

The past perfect tense indicates an action occurring before a certain time in the past.

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Ex.: By 1995, Doctor Harvey had built the first artificial brain.​

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Perfect Tenses

Future Perfect

The future perfect tense indicates that an action will be finished by a certain time.

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Ex.: By Thursday, the President will have apologized for his mistake.​

Some text here about the topic of discussion

Poll

3-2-1

How well do you understand perfect tenses?

• 1 - Huh? I don't get it.

• 2 - I get it, but I may need some help.

• 3 - I got this! Easy peasy lemon-squeezy!

Multiple Choice

Identify the sentence that is in present perfect tense.

• Joan has finished her lunch.

• Eric had taken piano lessons since he was ten years old.

• Bill will join the Coast Guard.

• Alyssa will give a drawing to each of her friends.

Multiple Choice

Identify the sentence that is in past perfect tense.

• She will have run 10 miles by then.

• Chickens pecked at bugs and fruit in the garden.

• The wings had plenty of room to spread.

• Madison had collected the hay in the morning.

Multiple Choice

Identify the sentence that is in future perfect tense.

• One day, Martians will land on the planet Earth.

• Each egg will have traveled a thousand miles.

• Ferdinand was scoffing when his friends all left for college.

• The pumpkins had ripened too long last year.

Progressive Tenses

The progressive tenses express continuing action. You can form them with the appropriate tense of the verb be (is, are, was, were, be, being, been) plus the present participle (-ing).

Progressive Tenses

Present Progressive

The present progressive tense indicates that something is happening at the time you express it.

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Ex.: The worker is hammering, and her foreman is watching lazily. ​

Progressive Tenses

Past Progressive

The past progressive tense indicates two kinds of past action: a continuing action and an action occurring at the same time in the past as another action.

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Ex.: Poe's writing was becoming increasingly bizarre and dark. [a continuing action in the past]

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The mob tackled Jean-Luc Goddard while he was introducing the film. [an action ​occurring at the same time in the past as another action]

Progressive Tenses

Future Progressive

The future progressive tense indicates a continuing in the future.

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ex.: The government will be monitoring the phones in the lab.​

Progressive Tenses

Present Perfect Progressive

The present perfect progressive tense indicates action continuing from the past into the present and possible into the future.

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Ex.: The teacher has been grading since yesterday afternoon.​

Progressive Tenses

Past Perfect Progressive

The past perfect progressive tense indicates that a past action went on until another occured.

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Ex.: Before her promotion, Nico had been working on restoring open space on campus.

Progressive Tenses

Future Perfect Progressive

The future perfect progressive tense indicates that an action will continue until a certain future​ time.

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Ex.: On Tuesday I will have been working on this paper for six weeks.​

Poll

3-2-1

How well do you understand progressive tenses?

• 1 - Huh? I don't get it.

• 2 - I get it, but I may need some help.

• 3 - I got this! Easy peasy lemon-squeezy!

Multiple Choice

Identify the progressive tense in the sentence:

I am studying for for the history test.

• present progressive

• past perfect progressive

• future progressive

• present perfect progressive

Multiple Choice

Itentify the progressive tense in the following sentence:

I had been working at the company for five years.

• past progressive

• past perfect progressive

• present progressive

• future perfect progressive

Multiple Choice

Identify the progressive tense in the following sentence:

At five o’clock, I will have been waiting for thirty minutes.

• future perfect progressive

• future progressive

• past perfect progressive

• present progressive