Throughout my years of teaching English so many of my students have told me that they find English verb tenses to be the most challenging aspect of this language to overcome. Each and every time, I tell them that this is the easiest aspect to overcome.
The key or the secret is to understand which verb tense you wish to express in your own language and then learn the English verb tense equivalent. The tense of a sentence or an idea that you are trying to express doesn’t change. If it is a past action in your language, then it is a past action in English. If it is a future action in your language, then it is a future action in English. The present tense stays present tense and the progressive tenses remain progressive and so on. If the sentence is affirmative in your language, then it is affirmative in English. If it’s negative in your language, then without a doubt, it’s negative in English. You have to know what you want to express and which tense you need to use before you attempt to say it. The tense doesn’t change.
Once you clearly see this, you will notice that all verbs and tenses in English (and other languages) follow a pattern and are repetitive. With a little time and practice, you will quickly and easily be able to compare and relate the verb tenses in your language to English verb tenses.
These courses are designed to help you overcome your struggles and gain confidence using English verb tenses and basic grammar.
Before you get started however, there are a few simple things you need to know about verbs. You also need to understand the meaning of the tenses and when to use them.
The present tense is used to express habits, routines or facts.
He rides his bike to school every morning.
I like ice cream.
The past tense is used to express a completed action in the past.
I borrowed the money from my friend.
She sent the letter this morning.
The present progressive tense is used to express an action that is presently occurring or as a future tense if the planned action is a definite fact.
We are watching a movie.
They are leaving tomorrow night.
The past progressive tense is used to express an action that happened in the past over a period of time.
He was sleeping on the bus.
You were snoring while you were sleeping.
The future tense with will is used to express an action that will happen in the future.
I will call you tomorrow.
They will regret their decision.
The future tense with be going to is also used to express an action that will happen in the future.
It is going to rain tonight.
We are going to visit you next summer.
You can use either will or be going to to express the future tense in English. Sentences with will and be going to have basically the same meaning.
The present perfect tense is used to express a past action that has no specific time.
She has broken the law many times.
They have lived overseas.
It is also used to express an action that began in the past and is continuing in the present.
She has worked at the bank for seven years.
They have been roommates since August.
The past perfect tense is used to express two past actions. For example, one past action occurred on a Thursday afternoon and the previous past action occurred on the same Thursday but in the morning.
I had finished my book (in the morning), so I went for a walk (in the afternoon).
She had torn her blue dress (4 weeks ago), so I sewed it for her (3 weeks ago).
The future perfect tense is used to express an action that is expected to happen in the future before another action takes place.
The snow will have melted by May.
The lakes will have frozen by December.
The following verbs are not normally used in the progressive form.
to cost |
to hear |
to fear |
to belong |
to believe |
to mean |
to owe |
to like |
to contain |
to agree |
to suppose |
to love |
to own |
to know |
to want |
to prefer |
to hate |
to need |
to see |
to seem |
This means that we don't say: |
We say: |
|
|
I am owning this house. |
I own this house. |
He was wanting to see you. |
He wanted to see you. |
There are regular and irregular verbs. All verbs that take ed to form the past tense are regular. All verbs that don’t take ed to form the past tense are irregular. Even though regular and irregular verbs may be different or the same when using the simple past and past participle forms, their forms must be used respectively in all tenses.
All regular verbs have the same form for the simple past and the past participle (they end with ed).
REGULAR VERBS TABLE
|
SIMPLE FORM
| SIMPLE PAST
| PAST PARTICIPLE
|
jump
|
jumped
|
jumped
|
talk
|
talked
|
talked
|
listen
|
listened
|
listened
|
call
|
called
|
called
|
remove
|
removed
|
removed
|
learn
|
learned
|
learned
|
The past participle form of the verb is used for all the perfect tenses (except the perfect progressive tenses) whether they are regular or irregular. An important part of being able to correctly express English verb tenses is that you must know all the irregular verbs in the three forms (simple, simple past and past participle) and know which verb form is used with each tense. Study a few per day until you know them all by heart. They are listed for you on the pages below.
It is very important to understand and recognize that sometimes a verb ending in ed is being used in the simple past form and sometimes the verb ending in ed is being used in the past participle form. Study the following examples.
Simple Past Tense: I talked to John yesterday. (simple past form)
Present Perfect Tense: I have talked to John many times. (past participle form)
When you know and understand these basic and simple rules, it becomes easy, clear and manageable to express English verb tenses.
Once you get started you will notice how quickly you become proficient and you will see how easy it really is to master English verb tenses and basic English grammar.
Study and learn the simple, simple past, and past participle forms of the following irregular verbs.
IRREGULAR VERBS TABLE
|
SIMPLE FORM
|
SIMPLE PAST
|
PAST PARTICIPLE
|
awake
|
awoke
|
awoken
|
be
|
was/were
|
been
|
beat
|
beat
|
beaten
|
become
|
became
|
become
|
begin
|
began
|
begun
|
bend
|
bent
|
bent
|
bet
|
bet
|
bet
|
bite
|
bit
|
bitten
|
bleed
|
bled
|
bled
|
blow
|
blew
|
blown
|
break
|
broke
|
broken
|
bring
|
brought
|
brought
|
broadcast
|
broadcast
|
broadcast
|
build
|
built
|
built
|
burn
|
burned/burnt
|
burned/burnt
|
burst
|
burst
|
burst
|
buy
|
bought
|
bought
|
cast
|
cast
|
cast
|
SIMPLE FORM
|
SIMPLE PAST
|
PAST PARTICIPLE
|
forbid
|
forbade
|
forbidden
|
forget
|
forgot
|
forgotten
|
forgive
|
forgave
|
forgiven
|
freeze
|
froze
|
frozen
|
get
|
got
|
got/gotten
|
give
|
gave
|
given
|
go
|
went
|
gone
|
grind
|
ground
|
ground
|
grow
|
grew
|
grown
|
hang
|
hung
|
hung
|
have
|
had
|
had
|
hear
|
heard
|
heard
|
hide
|
hid
|
hidden
|
hit
|
hit
|
hit
|
hold
|
held
|
held
|
hurt
|
hurt
|
hurt
|
keep
|
kept
|
kept
|
kneel
|
knelt
|
knelt
|
knit
|
knitted/knit
|
knitted/knit
|
know
|
knew
|
known
|
lay (to place, put down)
|
laid
|
laid
|
lead
|
led
|
led
|
SIMPLE FORM
|
SIMPLE PAST
|
PAST PARTICIPLE
|
set
|
set
|
set
|
sew
|
sewed
|
sewed/sewn
|
shake
|
shook
|
shaken
|
shave
|
shaved
|
shaved/shaven
|
shear
|
sheared
|
sheared/shorn
|
shed
|
shed
|
shed
|
shine
|
shined/shone
|
shined/shone
|
shoot
|
shot
|
shot
|
show
|
showed
|
shown
|
shrink
|
shrank
|
shrunk
|
shut
|
shut
|
shut
|
sing
|
sang
|
sung
|
sink
|
sank
|
sunk
|
sit
|
sat
|
sat
|
sleep
|
slept
|
slept
|
slide
|
slid
|
slid
|
speak
|
spoke
|
spoken
|
spend
|
spent
|
spent
|
spill
|
spilled/spilt
|
spilled/spilt
|
spin
|
spun
|
spun
|
spit
|
spit/spat
|
spit/spat
|
split
|
split
|
split
|
spread
|
spread
|
spread
|
spring
|
sprang
|
sprung
|
SIMPLE FORM
|
SIMPLE PAST
|
PAST PARTICIPLE
|
catch
|
caught
|
caught
|
choose
|
chose
|
chosen
|
come
|
came
|
come
|
cost
|
cost
|
cost
|
creep
|
crept
|
crept
|
cut
|
cut
|
cut
|
deal
|
dealt
|
dealt
|
dig
|
dug
|
dug
|
dive
|
dived/dove
|
dived/dove
|
do
|
did
|
done
|
draw
|
drew
|
drawn
|
dream
|
dreamed/dreamt
|
dreamed/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
|
fit
|
fit
|
fit
|
flee
|
fled
|
fled
|
fly
|
flew
|
flown
|
SIMPLE FORM
|
SIMPLE PAST
|
PAST PARTICIPLE
|
leave
|
left
|
left
|
lend
|
lent
|
lent
|
let
|
let
|
let
|
lie (to lie down)
|
lay
|
lain
|
light
|
lit
|
lit
|
lose
|
lost
|
lost
|
make
|
made
|
made
|
mean
|
meant
|
meant
|
meet
|
met
|
met
|
mistake
|
mistook
|
mistaken
|
pay
|
paid
|
paid
|
prove
|
proved
|
proved/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
|
SIMPLE FORM
|
SIMPLE PAST
|
PAST PARTICIPLE
|
stand
|
stood
|
stood
|
steal
|
stole
|
stolen
|
stick
|
stuck
|
stuck
|
sting
|
stung
|
stung
|
strike
|
struck
|
struck
|
swear
|
swore
|
sworn
|
sweep
|
swept
|
swept
|
swell
|
swelled
|
swelled/swollen
|
swim
|
swam
|
swum
|
swing
|
swung
|
swung
|
take
|
took
|
taken
|
teach
|
taught
|
taught
|
tear
|
tore
|
torn
|
tell
|
told
|
told
|
think
|
thought
|
thought
|
throw
|
threw
|
thrown
|
understand
|
understood
|
understood
|
upset
|
upset
|
upset
|
wake
|
woke
|
woken
|
wear
|
wore
|
worn
|
weep
|
wept
|
wept
|
win
|
won
|
won
|
write
|
wrote
|
written
|
|