Verb Tenses

Lesson 1 Verb Tenses

Essential Question

How do we show when an action takes place?

Grammar in the World

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How do we show when an action takes place? Think about the actions and beliefs you have from the time you were born, until this very moment in time, and into the future. Pick any verb (like play, eat, or wonder) and think about it:

Is it something you are doing right now?
How about something you are doing right now and will do every day?
Or, is it something you did in the past?
How about something you did in the past that repeats?
Or, is it something that will happen in the future?
How about something in the future that you will do only once? Or, more than once?

If this sounds a little confusing, well...you’re right. There are twelve different tenses of verbs we can use to be specific about what we think and do. While you don’t need to memorize them all, they are helpful to refer to when you need a specific way to talk about thinking and doing.

What Do I Know?

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Use the quiz below to see how much you know about verb tenses before the lesson:

Building Blocks

Grammar is a complex system and structure of language. Mizzou Academy Grammar Lab spotlights one skill (or block) at a time. It is also helpful to see how each skill works together with other, related blocks to build the language structure as a whole. You may find the following resource topics helpful as context for this lesson:

Learn About Verb Tenses

In everyday conversation, you use a variety of verb tenses to specify the timing of actions or states of being. When you write (unless you are writing dialogue) it will be appropriate to use one, consistent tense. Switching back and forth between tenses may confuse your readers.

Present Verb Tenses

Click on each tab to learn about each type of past tense verb:

Present Simple

Purpose

Describes a routine – something you do every day, week, month, or year.

Examples

I wear my favorite shirt on Mondays.
She studies in the library every morning.
They visit Mount Rushmore each year in the summer.

Tips

Sometimes, we add a detail to indicate when the verb is happening – on Mondays, every morning, each year, etc.

Present Continuous/Progressive

Purpose

Describes what is happening right now, at this moment in time.

Examples

I am wearing my favorite shirt.
He is studying in the library.
They are visiting Mount Rushmore now.

Tips

Form this type of verb by using a form of “to be” and adding -ing to the verb.

You can also form this tense by using forms of “to be”:

I am excited.
He is hopeful.
They are here!

Present Perfect

Purpose

Describes an action that is complete.

Examples

I have ironed my shirt.
She has studied for her test.
They have visited Mount Rushmore.

Tips

Form this type of verb by using a form of “to have” and the past tense of a verb.

Present Perfect Continuous/Progressive

Purpose

Describes an action that started in the past and is still happening now.

Examples

I have been wearing this shirt all day.
He has been studying for the test for three hours.
They have been visiting the landmark all day long.

Tips

Add a detail that shows when the action started.

I have been wearing this shirt all day.
He has been studying for the test for three hours.
They have been visiting the landmark all day long.

Past Verb Tenses

Click on each tab to learn about each type of past tense verb:

Past Simple

Purpose

Describes a finished action in time.

Examples

I washed my shirt yesterday.
She finished her project this morning.
They visited Mount Rushmore last year.

Tips

Often, we add a detail that shows when the action was completed.

I washed my shirt yesterday.
She finished her project this morning.
They visited Mount Rushmore last year.

Past Continuous/Progressive

Purpose

Describes an action that started in the past and was interrupted.

Examples

I was planning to wear that shirt when I found a hole in it.
While he was studying, his stomach growled.
They were visiting the landmark when they saw a prairie dog.

Tips

This type of verb is usually paired with another verb that shows a completed action:

was planning...found
was studying...growled
were visiting...saw

Purpose

It is also used with the word “wonder” and to show action that happened repeatedly in the past.

Examples

I was wondering how tall Mount Rushmore is.
She was always telling funny stories about family vacations.
They were constantly talking about their visit to South Dakota.

Past Perfect

Purpose	Describes how one action happened before another action in the past.
Examples	I had fallen asleep before I changed clothes. He studied all day because he *had wanted* to do well. They had visited Mount Rushmore before they went to the Black Hills.
Purpose	It is also used to show regret and to report dialogue.
Examples	My mother asked if I had gotten a good night’s sleep. She wished she had studied more for her test. Their daughter asked who had carved the faces on the mountain.

Past Perfect Continuous/Progressive

Purpose

Describes a complete action that took place before a second action.

Examples

I had been wearing that shirt when I found a hole in it.
While he had been studying, his stomach growled.
They had been planning to visit earlier but decided to go in the summer.

Tips

You will see this verb tense more often in literature than you will hear it in everyday conversation.

Future Verb Tenses

Click on each tab to learn about each type of future tense verb:

Future Simple

Purpose

Describes a planned action in the future.

Examples

I will buy a new shirt tomorrow.
She is going to study with friends this afternoon.
They will visit Mount Rushmore after they eat lunch.

Tips

“Will” and “going to” both show future simple tense.

Future Continuous/Progressive

Purpose

Describes an action that will not be complete by the time another action happens.

Examples

I will be shopping when you get home from work.
He will be studying when the basketball game starts.
They will be visiting Mount Rushmore when they go on vacation.

Tips

Notice that “will” is paired with “be + verb + ing” to form this tense.

Future Perfect

Purpose

Describes an action that will be completed in the future before another action is completed.

Examples

I will have a brand new shirt by the time school starts.
She will know her test score before she leaves for the day.
They will spend several hours viewing Mount Rushmore before they go home.

Future Perfect Continuous/Progressive

Purpose

Describes an action that will continue in the future and be interrupted by another action.

Examples

I will have been wearing my new shirt for several hours by the time dinner is ready.
She will have been studying for her test for a long time when she decides to go to sleep.
They will have been traveling for hours by the time they arrive back home.

Tips

When using this tense, we usually show how long the first action has been happening.

Do I Get It?

Now, let's see how well you can recognize the different verb tenses with the following quiz: