The Great Tense Challenge

What are Verb Tenses?

• 1. Forms of verbs that show the time of action or state.

• 1. A type of grammar used only for nouns.

• 1. A set of rules for sentence structure.

• 1. A method of organizing paragraph.

Answer explanation

Past = Yesterday
Present = Today
Future = Tomorrow

What does the Present Tense describe?

• 1. Actions that happened in the past.

• 1. Actions happening now or general truths.

• 1. Actions that will happen in the future.

• 1. Action that will never happen.

Answer explanation

Present = Today

She always ___ to school early.

• arrives

• arrive

• arriving

• arrived

Answer explanation

Simple Present

Rule
Use for habitual actions, general truths, and fixed schedules.

Structure
Subject + base verb (+ s/es for third-person singular).

We ___ a movie right now.

• watch

• are watching

• watched

• watches

Answer explanation

Present Continuous

Rule
Use for ongoing actions happening now or near the present.

Structure
Subject + is/are/am + verb(-ing).

I ___ this book three times.

• has read

• read

• have read

• am reading

Answer explanation

Present Perfect

Rule
Use for actions completed at an unspecified time or actions that began in the past and continue to the present.

Structure
Subject + has/have + past participle.

They ___ in this city for years.

• live

• have been living

• are living

• has been living

Answer explanation

Present Perfect Continuous

Rule
Use for actions that started in the past and are still ongoing or have just stopped.

Structure
Subject + has/have been + verb(-ing).

What does the Past Tense describe?

• Actions that happened in the past.

• Actions happening now or general truths.

• Actions that will happen in the future.

• Action that will never happen

Answer explanation

Past = Yesterday
Present = Today
Future = Tomorrow

She ___ to the mall yesterday.

• goes

• gone

• went

• is going

Answer explanation

Simple Past

Rule
Use for completed actions at a specific time in the past.

Structure
Subject + past verb.

I ___ dinner when the phone rang.

• Cooked

• was cooking

• am cooking

• cooks

Answer explanation

Past Continuous

Rule
Use for actions that were ongoing in the past.

Structure
Subject + was/were + verb(-ing).

By the time we arrived, they ___ dinner.

• had finished

• have finished

• finished

• finish

Answer explanation

Past Perfect

Rule
Use for actions completed before another action in the past.

Structure
Subject + had + past participle.