Using Verb Tenses

A verb indicates the time of an action, event or condition by changing its form. Through the use of a sequence of tenses in a sentence or in a paragraph, it is possible to indicate the complex temporal relationship of actions, events, and conditions

There are many ways of categorising the twelve possible verb tenses. The verb tenses may be categorised according to the time frame: past tenses, present tenses, and future tenses.

Verb Tense: Time

The four past tenses are

1. the simple past ("I went")
2. the past progressive ("I was going")
3. the past perfect ("I had gone")
4. the past perfect progressive ("I had been going")

The four present tenses are

1. the simple present ("I go")
2. the present progressive ("I am going")
3. the present perfect ("I have gone")
4. the present perfect progressive ("I have been going")

Note that the present perfect and present perfect progressive are a present not past tenses -- that idea is that the speaker is currently in the state of having gone or having been going.

The four future tenses are

1. the simple future ("I will go")
2. the future progressive ("I will be going")
3. the future perfect ("I will have gone")
4. the future perfect progressive ("I will have been going")

Verb Tense: Aspect

Verb tenses may also be categorised according to aspect. Aspect refers to the nature of the action described by the verb. There are three aspects: indefinite (or simple), complete (or perfect), continuing (or progressive).

The three indefinite tenses, or simple tenses, describe an action but do not state whether the action is finished:

• the simple past ("I went")
• the simple present ("I go")
• the simple future ("I will go")

A verb in the indefinite aspect is used when the beginning or ending of an action, an event, or condition is unknown or unimportant to the meaning of the sentence. The indefinite aspect is also used to used to indicate an habitual or repeated action, event, or condition.

The three complete tenses, or perfect tenses, describe a finished action:

• the past perfect ("I had gone")
• the present perfect ("I have gone")
• the future perfect ("I will have gone")

A verb in the complete aspect indicates that the end of the action, event, or condition is known and the is used to emphasise the fact that the action is complete. The action may, however, be completed in the present, in the past or in the future.

The three incomplete tenses, or progressive tenses, describe an unfinished action:

• the past progressive ("I was going")
• the present progressive ("I am going")
• the future progressive ("I will be going")

A verb in the continuing aspect indicates that the action, event, or condition is ongoing in the present, the past or the future.

It is also possible to combine the complete tenses and the incomplete tenses, to describe an action which was in progress and then finished:

• the past perfect progressive ("I had been going")
• the present perfect progressive ("I have been going")
• the future perfect progressive ("I will have been going")

Simple PRESENT TENSE

The simple present is used to describe an action, an event, or condition that is occurring in the present, at the moment of speaking or writing. The simple present is used when the precise beginning or ending of a present action, event, or condition is unknown or is unimportant to the meaning of the sentence.

Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the simple present tense and each sentence describes an action taking place in the present:

Deborah waits patiently while Bridget books the tickets.

The shelf holds three books and a vase of flowers.

The crowd moves across the field in an attempt to see the rock star get into her helicopter.

The Stephens sisters are both very talented; Virginia writes and Vanessa paints.

Ross annoys Walter by turning pages too quickly.

The simple present is used to express general truths such as scientific fact, as in the following sentences:

Rectangles have four sides.

Canada Day takes place on July 1, the anniversary of the signing of the British North America Act.

The moon circles the earth once every 28 days.

Calcium is important to the formation of strong bones.

Menarche and menopause mark the beginning and the ending of a woman's reproductive history.

The simple present is used to indicate a habitual action, event, or condition, as in the following sentences:

Leonard goes to The Jumping Horse Tavern every Thursday evening.

My grandmother sends me new mittens each spring.

In fairy tales, things happen in threes.

We never finish jigsaw puzzles because the cat always eats some of the pieces.

Jesse polishes the menorah on Wednesdays.

The simple present is also used when writing about works of art, as in the following sentences.

Lolly Willowes is the protagonist of the novel Townsend published in 1926.

One of Artemisia Gentleschi's best known paintings represents Judith's beheading of Holofernes.

The Lady of Shallot weaves a tapestry while watching the passers-by in her mirror.

Lear rages against the silence of Cordelia and only belatedly realizes that she, not her more vocal sisters, loves him.

The play ends with an epilogue spoken by the fool.

The simple present can also be used to refer to a future event when used in conjunction with an adverb or adverbial phrase, as in the following sentences.

The doors open in 10 minutes.

The premier arrives on Tuesday.

Classes end next week.

The publisher distributes the galley proofs next Wednesday.

The lunar eclipses begins in exactly 43 minutes.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS or PRESENT PROGRESSIVE

While the simple present and the present progressive are sometimes used interchangeably, the present progressive emphasises the continuing nature of an act, event, or condition.

Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the present progressive tense. In each sentence the on-going nature of the action is emphasised by the use of the present progressive rather than the simple present.

Nora is looking for the first paperback editions of all of Raymond Chandler's books.

Deirdre is dusting all the shelves on the second floor of the shop.

The union members are pacing up and down in front of the factory.

KPLA is broadcasting the hits of the 70s this evening.

The presses are printing the first edition of tomorrow's paper.

The present progressive is occasionally used to refer to a future event when used in conjunction with an adverb or adverbial phrase, as in the following sentences.

The doors are opening in 10 minutes.

The premier is arriving on Tuesday.

Classes are ending next week.

The publisher is distributing the galley proofs next Wednesday.

Simple Past

The simple past is used to describe an action, an event, or condition that occurred in the past, sometime before the moment of speaking or writing.

Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the simple past tense and each sentence describes an action taking place at some point in past.

A flea jumped from the dog to the cat.

Phoebe gripped the hammer tightly and nailed the boards together.

The gem-stones sparkled in a velvet lined display case.

Artemisia Gentilsechi probably died in 1652.

The storyteller began every story by saying "A long time ago when the earth was green."

1. The simple past is used to talk about completed actions in the past
2. The simple past is often used with expressions that refer to points of time in the past

1. Forming the Simple Past Tense using '-ed'

The Simple Past Tense is formed by adding 'ed' to the verb. There are some verbs that are irregular and form the Simple Past differently. These Irregular Verbs must be memorized. You can learn Irregular Verbs in a future englishcam.com lesson or in a good English textbook. Later in this lesson we will use irregular verbs. Look at the table (below) which compares the Simple Present and Past tenses:

The Simple Past Tense is used to describe an action when it happened at a specific time in the past. The Simple Present describes actions that generally occur on a regular basis. It is used for events or situations that usually or always exist in the past, present and future. The following sentences show how the Simple Present and Past are used:

a: It rains during the winter in Costa Rica. It rained yesterday.
b: My father works in an office. My father worked late last night.
c: Teachers usually ask students questions in class. The teacher asked the student to be quiet.
a: My son calls me on the telephone every week. My son called two hours ago.

Note that the words, yesterday, last and ago are often used to express past time. As in other exercises, you may repeat a sentence during the pause indicated on the video. Now let's practice the Simple Present and Past tenses in the following exercises. For example:

1. I __listen__ to the radio when I drive a car. I ___listened___ to the news last night. (listen)

Repeat:

2. He always ________ me before he comes to my house. He ___________ me yesterday on the cell phone. (call)

Repeat:

3. I often _________ my teacher for advice. She __________ the teacher the same thing 5 minutes ago. (ask)

Repeat:

4. We usually ___________ our own meals in the Conversa House. Last night we ____________ a great meal. (cook)

Repeat:

5. They typically ____________ a long time for the bus. Yesterday morning, they _______________ over an hour for the bus. (wait)

Repeat:

6. The farmers _____________ their crops early in the spring. Two years ago it rained a lot and they _________ their crops in late spring. (plant)

Repeat:

2. The Negative in the Simple Past

The negative in the Simple Past is formed using the words DID NOT (or the contraction didn't) between the Subject and the present tense of the Main Verb. For example:

a: I did not teach class yesterday.

Repeat: I did not teach class yesterday.

b: My boyfriend did not give me a ring last night.

Repeat: My boyfriend did not give me a ring last night.

c: We didn't finish the job on time.

Repeat: We didn't finish the job on time.

Now let's practice the NEGATIVE in the Simple Present and Past tenses in the following exercises. For example:

1. Ivan and Ana _come__ to school every day. But yesterday Ana __didn't come_ with Ivan. (come)

2. My boyfriend normally ____________ me dancing on Saturday night. Unfortunately, last Saturday night he __________________ me dancing. (take)

3. You often ________________ the answers to the homework. But today you ___________________ the answers. (explain)

4. I usually ________________ time to explain the answers. However, since I was late, I ___________________ time to explain them. (have)

5. We always __________ shopping when there is a sale. Since it was raining, we _________________ shopping. (go)

3. Making Yes/No Questions in the Simple Past

Very good. Now let's practice making questions. To make a question in the Simple Past we use the past tense of the helping verb To Do, or DID with the subject followed by the main verb. The answer is often a short one. The structure is:

In the following exercise, the short answer is followed by the long answer.

a: Did you go to the movies last night?
b: Yes, I did. I went to the movies last night.
Repeat: Yes, I did. I went to the movies last night.

a: Did Fernando come to class yesterday?
c: No, he didn't. Fernando didn't come to class yesterday.
Repeat: No, he didn't. Fernando didn't come to class yesterday.

a: Did the Yankees win the World Series last year?
b: Yes, they did. The Yankees won the World Series last year.
Repeat: Yes, they did. The Yankees won the World Series last year.

a: Did Ivan go dancing with Ana tonight?
c: Yes, he did. Ivan went dancing with Ana tonight.
Repeat: Ivan went dancing with Ana tonight.

4. Making Questions using Where, When, Why, How, and What Time.

The structure of these sentences is to use the Question Word (where, when) plus the helping verb DID plus the Subject followed by the Main Verb.

Where, When, Why, How, What Time + DID + Subject + Main Verb

a: I went to Costa Rica on vacation last year. Lee, where did you go on vacation last year?
b: I went to Germany last year. When did you make your vacation plans?
Repeat: I went to Germany last year. When did you make your vacation plans?

a: I made vacation plans one week before I went. Kiyomi, how did you travel on your vacation?
c: I took a train. What time did the next bus leave for New York?
Repeat: I took a train. What time did the bus leave for New York?

a: It left at 9 o'clock. Lee, why did you study Spanish?
b: I studied Spanish because there are many people in America who speak it.
Repeat: I studied Spanish because there are many people in America who speak it.

5. Making Questions with What and Who

Very good. When we ask questions about things we use What. Who is used to ask questions about people. The structure uses the question word followed by a helping verb plus the subject followed by the main verb.

Question Word (What, Who) + Helping Verb (did) + Subject + Main Verb

In the following exercises, make a question based on the information and verb given. Use the Simple Past tense. Repeat the question where indicated. For example:

1. a: (What/find/new restaurant) _________________What did you find? ________________________

Repeat: What did you find?

b: _______________We found a new restaurant.______________

Repeat: We found a new restaurant.

2. a: (What/you/buy/English Dictionary) __________________________________________________________?

Repeat:

c: ________________________________________________________________________

3. a: (Who/go/movies/with) __________________________________________________________?

Repeat:

b: (Bob) _______________________________________________________________________

4. a: (What/buy/apple) ________________________________________________________?

Repeat:

b: (I) ________________________________________________________________________

5. a: (What/have/dinner/last night) ____________________________________________________?

Repeat:

c: (we/fish) _____________________________________________________________________

6. a: (Who/see/beach/yesterday) ___________________________________________________

Repeat:

b: (John) _________________________________________________________________

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE

The present perfect tense is used to describe action that began in the past and continues into the present or has just been completed at the moment of utterance. The present perfect is often used to suggest that a past action still has an effect upon something happening in the present.

Each of the highlighted compound verbs in the following sentences is in the present perfect tense.

They have not delivered the documents we need.

1. Present perfect is used to talk about a present situation which is a result of something that happened at an unspecified time in the past.

Therefore we do not use specific time expression such as yesterday, last week, etc.

I have given your article about networking to professor.
(I gave him your article and he has it now.)

2. The present perfect is often used with the word JUST to talk about actions that have taken place very recently. The exact time is not mentioned.

You cannot meet Mrs Jones. She has just left.

Notice. The difference between have been and have gone

I am afraid Mrs. Jones as not here at the moment. She has gone to the meeting in Brussels.
(She is still at the meeting.)

Anita has been to the travel agent. She has her tickets for USA.
(She went to the travel agent and has returned.)

3. The present prefect is often used with the words EVER and NEVER to talk about general life experience.

Have you ever worked abroad.
(i.e., In all your life up to now?)

I have never been to China.
(i.e., Not in all your life up to now)

The present perfect with EVER is often followed by the simple past. We use the simple past to give more information about completed action, when referring to a specific time or context.

Have you ever been in Malaysia?
Yes, I have. I was in Kuala Lumpur at INET'97 when I worked in KPI.

4. The present perfect is often used with ALREADY and YET.

ALREADY is used in positive sentences. It often indicates that something has taken place slightly earlier that expected.

She has already printed this page.
(Note. NOT: She has  printed already...)

YET is used in negatives and questions. It shows that we expect an action will take place if it has not happened up to now.

Have you talked to Peter yet?
(Note. NOT: Have you talked yet to Peter?)

I have not talked to him yet.
(Note. NOT: I have not talked yet to him)

5. The present perfect is often used with prepositions or prepositional phrases indicating periods of time that have not finished yet.

Common examples are:

today
this morning
this month
this year
so far
to date
over the last few weeks
up to now
since, for
recently
etc.

This week we have received a lot of enquiries about our new web site.
(The week has not finished yet, and there may be more enquiries)

If we are speaking about a situation after one of these time periods, we use the simple past because we are referring to a period of time that has finished.

Have you seen John this morning?
(It is now 10.30 in the morning; and the morning has not finished)

Did you see John this morning.
(It is now 3.00 in the afternoon; the morning has finished)

6. Stative verbs + FOR and SINCE

The present perfect simple is often used with FOR and SINCE and stative verbs to talk about things that began in the past and have continued up to now.

I have known about the plans to spin off this service from the company. (And I know now)

7. We use FOR to talk about the duration of a period of time and SINCE to talk about when a period started

I have been with my department for three years.
I have been in Internet technologies since 1992.

8. HOW LONG ...?, for and SINCE

To ask questions about periods of time, we can use HOW LONG ...? + the present perfect

How long have you been in Amsterdam? I have been here since September / for six months.

Note. COMMON MISTAKE: We do not use the present simple tense with for and SINCE to talk about something which began in the past and has gone on up to the present.

WRONG: I am here since January.
RIGHT: I have been here since January.

9. Negatives

We can use the present perfect negative to talk about the amount of time that has passed between now and last time something happened.

We haven't received any messages from him for several months / since the last working group meeting.

10. Completed actions over a period of time

If we talk about a completed action (particularly if we give details about how much, how many, etc.), we can use the present perfect and SINCE (but not for). We can also use other phrases of duration such as to date, recently, over the past two years, etc. The action itself is finished, but the period of time extends up to the present.

The Commission has launched three new programs since December.

11. This sentence suggest that the documents were not delivered in the past and that they are still undelivered.

The health department has decided that all high school students should be immunised against meningitis.

12. The writer of this sentence uses the present perfect in order to suggest that the decision made in the past is still of importance in the present.

The government has cut university budgets; consequently, the dean has increased the size of most classes.

13. Here both actions took place sometime in the past and continue to influence the present.

The heat wave has lasted three weeks.

14. In this sentence, the writer uses the present perfect to indicate that a condition (the heat wave) began in past and continues to affect the present.

Donna has dreamt about frogs sitting in trees every night this week.

Here the action of dreaming has begun in the past and continues into the present.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Like the present perfect, the present perfect progressive is used to describe an action, event, or condition that has begun in the past and continues into the present. The present perfect progressive, however, is used to stress the on-going nature of that action, condition, or event.

Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the present perfect progressive tense and each sentence suggests that the action began in the past and is continuing into the present.

That dog has been barking for three hours; I wonder if someone will call the owner.

I have been relying on my Christmas bonus to pay for the gifts I buy for my large family.

They have been publishing this comic book for ten years.

We have been seeing geese flying south all afternoon.

Even though the coroner has been carefully examining the corpse discovered in Sutherland's Gully since early this morning, we still do not know the cause of death.

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
VS PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

1. Unfinished activities

Present perfect continuous is used with FOR, SINCE, and HOW LONG ...? and other expressions of duration (e.g., all month), to talk about activities that started happening in the past and are still happening now. The activity may have been going on continuously or repeated several times.

They have been coordinating network development for 5 years.
(They started coordinating 5 years ago . They are still coordinating network developement.)

However, we normally use the present perfect simple with the stative verbs, or about a situation we consider permanent.

I have lived in Kiev all my life (NOT: I have been living ...)

2. Finished and unfinished activities

We use the present perfect simple if we are talking about a completed action, particularly if we give details of how much or how many. we use the present perfect continuous when something is still going on.

I've written a report for Peter. (It is finished.)
I've been writing a report about international characters usage. (I am still writing it.)

3. Negatives: Present perfect simple vs Present perfect continuous

In the negative, the focus on the present perfect simple is on the amount of time that has passed since something happened. The focus of the present perfect continuous is on the verb itself.

I haven't met him for six months. (The last time was six months ago.)
I haven't been feeling well recently. (This has been continuing for days.)

4. Recently finished activities

We use present perfect continuous to talk about an activity that was in progress, but has just finished. Normally there is some evidence.

The ground is very wet. It has been raining.

Summary of Usage:
Simple Past vs Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous

SUMMARY OF USAGE:
Simple Past VS PRESENT PERFECT VS PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Past CONTINUOUS OR PAST PROGRESSIVE

The past progressive tense is used to described actions ongoing in the past. These actions often take place within a specific time frame. While actions referred to in the present progressive have some connection to the present, actions referred in the past progressive have no immediate or obvious connection to the present. The on-going actions took place and were completed at some point well before the time of speaking or writing.

1. Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the past progressive tense.

The cat was walking along the tree branch.

2. This sentence describes an action that took place over a period of continuous time in the past. The cat's actions have no immediate relationship to anything occurring now in the present.

Lena was telling a story about the exploits of a red cow when a tree branch broke the parlour window.

3. Here the action "was telling" took place in the past and continued for some time in the past.

When the recess bell rang, Jesse was writing a long division problem on the blackboard.

4. This sentence describes actions ("ran" and "was writing") that took place sometime in the past, and emphasises the continuing nature of one of the actions ("was writing").

The archivists were eagerly waiting for the delivery of the former prime minister's private papers.

Here the ongoing action of "waiting" occurred at some time unconnected to the present.

Between 1942 and 1944 the Frank and Van Damm families were hiding in a Amsterdam office building.

In this sentence, the action of hiding took place over an extended period of time and the continuing nature of the hiding is emphasised.

Past PERFECT TENSE

The past perfect tense is used to refer to actions that took place and were completed in the past. The past perfect is often used to emphasis that one action, event or condition ended before another past action, event, or condition began.

Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the past perfect.

Miriam arrived at 5:00 p.m. but Mr. Whitaker had closed the store.

All the events in this sentence took place in the past, but the act of closing the store takes place before Miriam arrives at the store.

After we located the restaurant that Christian had raved about, we ate supper there every Friday.

Here the praise ("had raved") precedes the finding ("located") of the restaurant. Both actions took place sometime before the moment of speaking or writing.

The elephant had eaten all the hay so we fed it oats for a week.

In this sentence, both actions take place in the past, but the eating of the hay ("had eaten") preceded the eating of the oats ("fed").

The heat wave had lasted three weeks.

While the sentence "The heat wave has lasted three weeks" suggests that a condition began in the past and continues into the present, this sentence describes an action that began and ended sometime in the past ("had lasted"). By using the past perfect the writer indicates that the heat wave has no connection to any events occurring in the present.

After she had learned to drive, Alice felt more independent.

Here the learning took place and was completed at a specific time in the past. By using the past perfect rather than the simple past ("learned"), the writer emphasises that the learning preceded the feeling of independence.

Past PERFECT CONTINUOUS OR PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

The past perfect progressive is used to indicate that a continuing action in the past began before another past action began or interrupted the first action.

Each of the highlighted compound verbs in the following sentences is in the past perfect progressive tense.

The toddlers had been running around the school yard for ten minutes before the teachers shooed them back inside.

Here the action of the toddlers ("had been running") is ongoing in the past and precedes the actions of the teachers ("shooed") which also takes place in the past.

We had been talking about repainting the front room for three years and last night we finally bought the paint.

In this example, the ongoing action of "talking" precedes another past action ("bought").

A construction crew had been digging one pit after another in the middle of my street for three days before they found the water main.

Here, the action of digging ("had been digging") took place in the past and occurred over a period of time. The digging was followed by the action of finding ("found").

Madeleine had been reading mystery novels for several years before she discovered the works of Agatha Christie.

In this sentence the act of discovery ("discovered") occurred in the past but after the ongoing and repeated action of reading ("had been reading").

The chef's assistant had been chopping vegetables for several minutes before he realized that he had minced his apron strings.

This sentence is a bit more complex in that it contains three different past verb tenses. The sequence of tenses conveys a complex set of information. The past perfect progressive ("had been chopping") is used to emphasise the ongoing nature of the past act of chopping. While a second past perfect progressive ("had been mincing") could be used, the past perfect ("had minced") is used to suggest that act of mincing was completed. The simple past ("realized") is used to describe the action closest to the present, an action that followed both the chopping and the mincing.

SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE

The simple future is used to refer to actions that will take place after the act of speaking or writing.

Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the simple future tense.

They will meet us at the newest caf? in the market.

Will you walk the dog tonight?

At the feast, we will eat heartily.

Bobbie will call you tomorrow with details about the agenda.

The Smiths say that they will not move their chicken coop.

 

THE FUTURE PROGRESSIVE OR FUTURE CONTINUOUS

The future progressive tense is used to describe actions ongoing in the future. The future progressive is used to refer to continuing action that will occur in the future.

Each of the highlighted compound verbs in the following sentences is in the future progressive tense.

The glee club will be performing at the celebration of the town's centenary.

Ian will be working on the computer system for the next two weeks.

The selection committee will be meeting every Wednesday morning.

We will be writing an exam every afternoon next week.

They will be ringing the bells for Hypatia next month.

THE FUTURE PERFECT TENSE

The future perfect is used to refer to an action that will be completed sometime in the future before another action takes place.

Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the future perfect tense.

The surgeon will have operated on 6 patients before she attends a luncheon meeting.

In this sentence, the act of operating ("will have operated") takes place in the future sometime before the act of attending ("attends").

The plumber and his assistant will have soldered all the new joins in pipes before they leave for the next job.

Here, the plumbers' act of soldering ("will have soldered") will precede the act of leaving ("leave").

By the time you get back from the corner store, we will have finished writing the thank you letters.

In this sentence, the act of returning from the store ("get back") takes place after the act of writing ("will have written").

If this year is like last year, I will have finished my holiday shopping long before my brother starts his.

In this example, the act of finishing ("will have finished") occurs well before the act of starting ("starts").

They will have written their first exam by the time we get out of bed.

Here, the act of getting out of bed occurs sometime after the writing of the exam.

THE FUTURE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE OR CONTINUOUS

The future perfect progressive tense is used to indicate a continuing action that will be completed at some specified time in the future. This tense is rarely used.

Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the future perfect progressive tense.

I will have been studying Greek for three years by the end of this term.

In this sentence, the future perfect progressive is used to indicate the ongoing nature of the future act of the studying. The act of studying ("will have been studying") will occur before the upcoming end of term.

By the time the meeting is over, the committee will have been arguing about which candidate to interview for three hours.

Similarly in this sentence, the ongoing nature of a future act ("will have been arguing") is emphasised by the use of the future perfect progressive. The act of sustained arguing will take place before the meeting is over.

When he returns, the wine will have been fermenting for three months.

Here the ongoing action of fermentation will precede ("will have been fermenting") the act of returning.

Forming and Using Verb Tenses

English speakers form many verb tenses by combining one of principal parts of the verb with one or more auxiliary verbs.

In order to form verb tenses you need a good grasp of the auxiliaries and the principal parts of the verb. There are four principal parts: the basic form, the present participle, the past form, and the past participle.

The basic form (or root of the verb is the form listed in the dictionary and is usually identical to the first person singular form of the simple present tense (except in the case of the verb "to be"):

walk

paint

think

grow

sing

The infinitive form of the verb is a compound verb made up of the the preposition "to" and the basic form of the verb:

to walk

to paint

to think

to grow

to sing

To form the present participle, add "-ing" to the basic form of the verb:

walking

painting

thinking

growing

singing

Note that you cannot use the present participle as a predicate unless you use an auxiliary verb with it -- the word group "I walking to the store" is an incomplete and ungrammatical sentence, while word group "I am walking to the store" is a complete sentence. You will often use the present participle as a modifier.

The past form of verbs is a little trickier. If the verb is regular (or weak, you can create the past form by adding "-ed", "-d", or "-t" to the present form. When a basic form ends in "-y", you changed the "-y" to "-i-"; in many cases you should also double terminal consonants before adding "-ed" (see the section on Spelling words with Double Consonants).

walked

painted

thought

grew

sang

The past participle of regular verbs is usually identical to the past form, while the past participle of irregular verbs is often different:

walked

painted

thought

grown

sung

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs form the past participle and the past form without "-(e)d" or "-t", and frequently their past form and past participle are different. For example, the past form of the verb "break" is "broke" and the past participle is "broken".

This list contains the most common verbs that form their past tenses irregularly:

arise

arose, arise

awake

awoke or awaked, awaked or awoken

awaken

awakened, awakened

bear (to carry)

bore, borne

bear (to give birth)

bore

beat

beat, beaten or beat

be

was, been

become

became, become

begin

began, begun

bet

bet, bet

bid

bid, bid (to, offer)

bid (to order, invite)

bade, bidden

bind

bound, bound

bite

bit, bitten

bleed

bled, bled

blow

blew, blown

break

broke, broken

breed

bred, bred

bring

brought, brought

burst

burst, burst

buy

bought, bought

cast

cast, cast

catch

caught, caught

choose

chose, chosen

cling

clung, clung

come

came, come

creep

crept, crept

cut

cut, cut

deal

dealt, dealt

dig

dug, dug

dive

dived or dove, dived

do

did, done

draw

drew, drawn

dream

dreamed or dreamt, dreamed or dreamt

drink

drank, drunk

drive

drove, driven

eat

ate, eaten

fall

fell, fallen

feed

fed, fed

feel

felt, felt

fight

fought, fought

find

found, found

flee

fled, fled

fly

flew, flown

forbid

forbade, forbidden

forget

forgot, forgotten

forgive

forgave, forgiven

forsake

forsook, forsaken

freeze

froze, frozen

get

got, got or gotten

give

gave, given

go

went, gone

grind

ground, ground

grow

grew, grown

hang (to suspend)

hung, hung

hang (to execute)

hanged, hanged

have

had, had

hear

heard, heard

hide

hid, hidden

hit

hit, hit

hold

held, held

hurt

hurt, hurt

keep

kept, kept

kneel

knelt or kneeled, knelt or kneeled

knit

knitted or knit, knitted or knit

know

knew, known

lay

laid, laid

lead

led, led

leap

leaped or leapt, leaped or leapt

leave

left, left

lend

lent, lent

let

let, let

lie

lay, lain

light

lighted or lit, lighted or lit

lose

lost, lost

make

made, made

mean

meant, meant

meet

met, met

mistake

mistook, mistaken

overcome

overcame, overcome

pay

paid, paid

prove

proved, proved or proven

put

put, put

quit

quit, quit

read

read, read

ride

rode, ridden

ring

rang, rung

rise

rose, risen

run

ran, run

say

said, said

see

saw, seen

seek

sought, sought

sell

sold, sold

send

sent, sent

set

set, set

shake

shook, shaken

shed

shed, shed

shoot

shot, shot

shrink

shrank or shrunk, shrunk

shut

shut, shut

sing

sang, sung

sink

sank, sunk

sit

sat, sat

slay

slew, slain

sleep

slept, slept

slide

slid, slide

sling

slung, slung

slink

slunk, slunk

speak

spoke, spoken

speed

sped or speeded, sped or speeded

spend

spent, spent

spin

spun, spun

spit

spit or spat, spit or spat

split

split, split

spread

spread, spread

spring

sprang or sprung, sprung

stand

stood, stood

steal

stole, stolen

stick

stuck, stuck

stink

stank or stunk, stunk

strew

strewed, strewn

stride

strode, stridden

strike

struck, struck

string

strung, strung

strive

stove or strived, striven or strived

swear

swore, sworn

sweep

swept, swept

swell

swelled, swelled or swollen

swim

swam, swum

swing

swung, swung

take

took, taken

teach

taught, taught

tear

tore, torn

tell

told, told

think

thought, though

thrive

throve or thrived, throve or thriven

throw

threw, thrown

thrust

thrust, thrust

wake

woke or waked, waked or woken

weep

wept, wept

win

won, won

wind

wound, wound

wring

wring, wrung

write

wrote, written