Present and Past Tense Verbs

​⏳ “Now or Then? Learning Present and Past Tense Verbs!”

Verbs show when something happens — now (present) or already happened (past)!

What Is a Verb?

A verb is an action word — it tells what someone or something does.

Examples:

• run

• jump

• play

• laugh

• swim

💡 Verbs can also tell when the action happens!

Present tense verbs show actions happening right now.

Examples:

• I walk to school.

• She jumps high.

• He laughs at the joke.

• They play outside.

💡 Many present tense verbs end in –s when the subject is he, she, it.

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Present Tense Verbs

Past tense verbs show actions that already happened.

Examples:

• I walked to school.

• She jumped high.

• He laughed at the joke.

• They played outside.

💡 Many past tense verbs end in –ed (but not all — some are irregular).

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Past Tense Verbs

Present vs. Past

Let’s compare the same verbs in different tenses:

Present (now)	Past (before)
walk	walked
laugh	laughed
wait	waited
play	played
run	ran (irregular)

💬 Ask: How does the verb change when it moves to past tense?

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Identify the Tense

Directions: Decide if each verb is present or past tense.

1. runs → present

2. jumped → past

3. plays → present

4. waited → past

5. sang → past (irregular)

💡 Look for –s endings (present) and –ed endings (past).

Categorize

Options (16)

laughs

waits

runs

jumps

walked

played

kicked

helped

packed

talked

visited

watched

sings

dances

writes

reads

Sort the verbs into the correct column.

Present Tense

Past Tense

Match

Match each verb to its past tense.

*💬Hint: Most past tense verbs add –ed!

• danced

• jumped

• squealed

• offered

• waited

dance

jump

squeal

offer

wait

• dance

• jump

• squeal

• offer

• wait

Multiple Choice

I walk / walked home yesterday.

• walk

• walked

Multiple Choice

She laughs / laughed at the funny movie lastnight.

• laughs

• laughed

Multiple Choice

They wait / waited for the bus this morning.

• wait

• waited

Multiple Choice

Chase plays / played soccer after school today.

• plays

• played

Multiple Choice

Read this sentence: "We need some cinnamon for this French toast."

What tense is the verb need?

• Present Tense

• Past Tense

Multiple Choice

Read this sentence: "I remember you from first grade."

What tense is the verb remember?

• Present Tense

• Past Tense

Multiple Choice

Read this sentence: "Justine and I walk home together."

What tense is the verb walk?

• Present Tense

• Past Tense

Multiple Choice

Read this sentence: "I played a wolf in the school musical."

What tense is the verb played?

• Present Tense

• Past Tense

Multiple Choice

Read this sentence: "They offered to watch our dog."

What tense is the verb offered?

• Present Tense

• Past Tense

Multiple Choice

Read this sentence: "Nick laughs when I tell jokes."

What tense is the verb laughs?

• Present Tense

• Past Tense

Multiple Choice

Read this sentence: "We kicked the ball to the goal line."

What tense is the verb kicked?

• Present Tense

• Past Tense

Multiple Choice

Read this sentence: "Jackson waits for me at the bus stop."

What tense is the verb waits?

• Present Tense

• Past Tense

Multiple Choice

Read this sentence: "Kristen packed her suitcase for the trip."

What tense is the verb packed?

• Present Tense

• Past Tense

Multiple Choice

Read this sentence: "The mouse squealed and ran away."

What tense are the verbs squealed and ran?

• Present Tense

• Past Tense