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Verb TenseVerb Tense
Tense denotes the time of the action indicatedTense denotes the time of the action indicatedby a verb. The time is not always the same asby a verb. The time is not always the same as
that indicated by the name of the tense.that indicated by the name of the tense.
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6 Types6 Types
Verb Tenses
Present Past FutureFuture
Perfect
Past
Perfect
Present
Perfect
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Present TensePresent Tense
Present tense may expressPresent tense may express
action which is going on at theaction which is going on at the
present time or which occurspresent time or which occurs
always, repeatedly, or habitually.always, repeatedly, or habitually.
Examples: HeExamples: He seessees the train.the train.
HeHe eatseats cereal for breakfastcereal for breakfast
every day.every day.
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Past TensePast Tense
Past tense expresses actionPast tense expresses action
completed at acompleted at a definitedefinite time intime in
the past.the past.
Examples: HeExamples: He wrotewrote the letterthe letter
yesterday. Sheyesterday. She livedlived to be 90to be 90
years old.years old.
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Future TenseFuture Tense
Future tense expresses actionFuture tense expresses actionwhich will take place in thewhich will take place in thefuture.future.
It uses the helping verbsIt uses the helping verbs willwillororshall*shall*and the present tenseand the present tenseform of the verb).form of the verb).
Examples: HeExamples: He will sendwill send thethe
letter tomorrow. Iletter tomorrow. I shall waitshall wait herehereuntil you return.until you return. * Traditionally,* Traditionally, shallshallis used foris used for
11stst person andperson and willwillfor 2for 2ndnd and 3and 3rdrd
persons.persons.
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Present Perfect TensePresent Perfect Tense
Present perfect tense expresses actionPresent perfect tense expresses actioncompleted at the present time (perfectcompleted at the present time (perfectmeans complete) or begun in the past andmeans complete) or begun in the past andcontinuing into the present.continuing into the present.
This tense uses the helping verbsThis tense uses the helping verbs hashas andandhavehave and the past participle of the verb.and the past participle of the verb.
Examples:Examples: HeHe has writtenhas written a letter to his uncle. (completeda letter to his uncle. (completed
action)action) The WaltonsThe Waltons have livedhave lived here for seven years.here for seven years.
(continuing)(continuing)
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Past Perfect TensePast Perfect Tense
Past perfect tense expressesPast perfect tense expresses
action completedaction completed beforebefore certaincertain
time in the past. (This is thetime in the past. (This is the
beforebefore-past tense.)-past tense.)
It uses the helping verbIt uses the helping verb hadhadandand
the past participle of the verb.the past participle of the verb.
Example: SheExample: She had writtenhad written thethe
letter before I saw her.letter before I saw her.
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Future Perfect TenseFuture Perfect Tense
Future perfect tense expressesFuture perfect tense expresses
action which will be completedaction which will be completed
before a certain time in thebefore a certain time in the
future. (This is thefuture. (This is the beforebefore-future-future
tense)tense)
It uses the helping verbsIt uses the helping verbs willwill
havehave ororshall haveshall have and the pastand the pastparticiple of the verb.participle of the verb.
Example: HeExample: He will have finishedwill have finished
the paper before next Friday.the paper before next Friday.
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Verb FormsVerb Forms
Verb Forms
Regular Irregular
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Regular VerbsRegular Verbs
Regular verbs form their pastRegular verbs form their pasttense and past participle bytense and past participle byadding ed or d to theiradding ed or d to their
present tense form.present tense form. More than 95% of all EnglishMore than 95% of all English
verbs are regular.verbs are regular.
Regular verbs cause fewRegular verbs cause fewproblems in speaking andproblems in speaking andwriting.writing.
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Regular verbs and theirRegular verbs and their
Principal PartsPrincipal Parts
PrincipalPrincipalParts:Parts:
Verb:Verb:
PresentPresentTenseTense
PresentPresentParticipleParticiple
PastPastTenseTense
PastPastParticipleParticiple
To callTo call call, callscall, calls callingcalling calledcalled (have)(have)calledcalled
To dustTo dust dust,dust,dustsdusts
dustingdusting dusteddusted (have)(have)dusteddusted
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Irregular VerbsIrregular Verbs
Irregular verbs can form theirIrregular verbs can form theirpast tense and past participlepast tense and past participleforms in various way.forms in various way.
These forms cause even nativeThese forms cause even nativespeakers innumerablespeakers innumerableproblems.problems.
The most irregular verb of all isThe most irregular verb of all isthe verbthe verb to beto be..Another irregular verb that isAnother irregular verb that is
important for its use with otherimportant for its use with other
verbs is the verbverbs is the verb to haveto have..
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Four Principal/Main PartsFour Principal/Main Parts
PrincipalPrincipalParts:Parts:
Verb:Verb:
PresentPresentTenseTense
PresentPresentParticipleParticiple
PastPastTenseTense
PastPastParticipleParticiple
To BeTo Be be, am,be, am,are, isare, is
beingbeing was, werewas, were (have)(have)beenbeen
To HaveTo Have have, hashave, has havinghaving hadhad (have)(have)hadhad
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Other Common Irregular VerbsOther Common Irregular Verbs
and their Principal Partsand their Principal Parts
Principal PartPrincipal Part
VerbVerb
PresentPresentTenseTense
PresentPresentParticipleParticiple
Past TensePast Tense Past ParticiplePast Participle
To seeTo see see, seessee, sees seeingseeing sawsaw (have)(have)seenseen
To doTo do do, doesdo, does doingdoing diddid (have)(have)donedone
To flyTo fly fly, fliesfly, flies flyingflying flewflew (have)(have)flownflown
To runTo run run, runsrun, runs runningrunning ranran (have) run(have) run
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ConjugationConjugation
A conjugation of a verb is theA conjugation of a verb is thecorrect arrangement of its formcorrect arrangement of its formthrough its tenses, persons, andthrough its tenses, persons, and
numbers.numbers. PersonPerson means the speaker, themeans the speaker, the
person spoken to, and theperson spoken to, and theperson or thing spoken of.person or thing spoken of.
NumberNumbermeans singular ormeans singular orplural.plural.
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Conjugation of the verb:Conjugation of the verb: to beto be
TenseTense SingularSingular PluralPlural
PresentPresent I amI amYou areYou are
He, she, it isHe, she, it is
We areWe are
You areYou are
They areThey are
PastPast I wasI wasYou wereYou were
He wasHe was
We wereWe were
You wereYou were
They wereThey were
FutureFuture I shall beI shall beYou will beYou will be
He will beHe will be
We shall beWe shall be
You will beYou will be
They will beThey will be
Present PerfectPresent Perfect I have beenI have beenYou have beenYou have been
He has beenHe has been
We have beenWe have been
You have beenYou have been
They have beenThey have been
Past PerfectPast Perfect I had beenI had beenYou had beenYou had been
He had beenHe had been
We had beenWe had been
You had beenYou had been
They had beenThey had been
Future PerfectFuture Perfect I shall have beenI shall have beenYou will have beenYou will have been
He will have beenHe will have been
We shall have beenWe shall have been
You will have beenYou will have been
They will have beenThey will have been