Verbs forms and Tenses.pdf

Verbs forms and Tenses

1. Verb Forms and Tenses
Adapted from Real Good Grammar, Too by Mamie Webb Hixon

2. Verb Forms
Every English verb except “(to) be” has five
forms, which vary depending on whether the
verb is regular (such as “type” and “text”) or
irregular (such as “write”).
infinitive/bare form(to) type(to) text(to) write
present (-s) types texts writes
present participle (-ing)typing texting writing
past (-ed) typed texted wrote
past participle (-en) (have) typed(have)texted(have) written
The Verb Forms

3. Verb Forms and Tenses
Verb tense is the ability of a verb to
indicate the time at which an action
takes place.
Verb forms are the tools you’ll use
to create tenses.

4. Use present tense
in universally true statements not limited to
a particular time:
The Sun isninety-three million miles from Earth.
in definitions:
Hardware isthe physical system of a computer.
in statements about the content of literature
and other published works:
Hamlet appearsextremely indecisive.

5. Use present tense
for events that are currently happening:
I amreally mad at Anthony.
Andrea attendsmass every week.
now/the present the distant future
the near future
the distant past
the near past
am,
attends

6. now/the present the distant futurethe distant past
the near past
Use present infinitive
for verbs that point to the future:
I hopeto completemy degree by the time
we get married.
She plannedto earnan MBA by the end
of the year.
hope,
plan
to complete,
to earn
the near future

7. now/the present the distant future
the near future
the distant past
Use present perfect tense
for an action that began in the past but
continues into the present or the future:
I havelivedin Pensacola all my life.
She haslivedin Pensacola all her life.
have lived
the near past

8. now/the present the distant future
the near future
the distant past
Use a present participle
for an action that occurs at the same
time as the verb:
Speedingdown the interstate, I sawa
police car.
speeding +saw
the near past

9. Use past tense
for an earlier action:
Marvin boughtthe car.
now/the present the distant future
the near future
the distant past
bought
the near past

10. Use past perfect tense
for an earlier action that is
mentioned after a later action:
Marvin boughtthe car that he had
seenadvertised online.
now/the present the distant future
the near futurethe near past
the distant past
bought
had seen

11. Use future tense
for an action that will be completed:
I willgraduatefrom college.
now/the present the distant future
the near future
the distant past
the near past
will graduate

12. Use future perfect tense
for an action that will have been completed at a specific
future time in relation to another specific time:
By 2020, I will have graduated from college.
now/the present
the near future
the distant past
the near past
will have graduated
2020
the distant future

13. Mood
Mood enables verbs to express how the
speaker or writer regards the sentence.
Mood can express attitudes, intentions,
commands, wishes, recommendations,
and possibilities.

14. Use subjunctive mood
to express a condition contrary to fact or a wish:
If I were President, I’d work with Congress to protect
the environment.
You are not the President. You’ll have to protect the
environment without the help of Congress.
The CFO would have been terminated a long time
ago were she notthe CEO’s niece.
The CFO is the CEO’s niece, so she’s still hanging
around.

15. Use subjunctive mood
to express insistence, importance, necessity, or urgency
after the word “that”:
It is important thatyou beon time.
We demand thatthe company dosomething about its toxic
waste.
The syllabus requires thateach student writea research
paper.
Note: Use the base form of a verb (e.g. “be” instead of
“are”) because if you use the present form the problem
isn’t urgent –the person is already doing what you’ve
asked!