The six major verb tenses are presented in this interactive lesson.

1. VERB TENSE
Tense denotes the time of the action indicated by a verb.
The time is not always the same as that indicated by the
name of the tense.

2. 6 Types of Verb Tenses
Verb Tenses
Present Past Future
Present Past Future
Perfect Perfect Perfect

3. Present Tense
 Present tense may express action which is
going on at the present time or which occurs
always, repeatedly, or habitually.
 Examples: He sees the train. He eats cereal
for breakfast every day.
 Your Turn: Write a present tense sentence
about your morning routine.

4. Past Tense
 Past tense expresses action completed at a
definite time in the past.
 Examples: He wrote the letter yesterday. She
lived to be 90 years old.
 Your turn: Write a past tense sentence about
Superbowl Sunday.

5. Future Tense
 Future tense expresses action which will take
place in the future.
 It uses the helping verbs will or shall* and the
present tense form of the verb).
 Examples: He will send the letter tomorrow. I
shall wait here until you return.
• Traditionally, shall is used for 1st person and
will for 2nd and 3rd persons.
I shall be late.
We will be late.

6. Your Turn
 Write two future tense sentences about your
plans for Spring Break.
*Try to use shall (personal) and will (plural)

7. Present Perfect Tense
 Present perfect tense expresses action completed at the
present time (perfect means complete) or begun in the
past and continuing into the present.
 This tense uses the helping verbs has and have and the
past participle of the verb.
 Examples:
 He has written a letter to his uncle. (completed
action)
 The Waltons have lived here for seven years.
(started in past, BUT still continuing)

8. Your turn
 Write three (3) present perfect sentences
selecting from any of the following irregular
verb forms.
Forbidden Set
Fallen Brought
Swum Taken
Sprung Meant

9. Past Perfect Tense
 Past perfect tense expresses action completed
before certain time in the past. (This is the
before-past tense.)
 It uses the helping verb had and the past
participle of the verb.
 Example: Sheryl had sent the email before her
manager returned from the meeting.

10. Your turn
 Write a past perfect tense sentence about
something you are skilled at doing (i.e. you
could do it blind-folded and asleep without
messing up).

11. Future Perfect Tense
 Future perfect tense expresses action which
will be completed before a certain time in the
future. (This is the before-future tense)
 It uses the helping verbs will have or shall
have and the past participle of the verb.
 Example: He will have finished the paper
before next Friday.
 Your turn: Write a future perfect tense
sentence about an upcoming class
assignment (any course).

12. Verb Forms
Verb Forms
Regular Irregular

13. Regular Verbs
 Regular verbs form their past tense and past
participle by adding –ed or –d to their present
tense form.
 More than 95% of all English verbs are regular.
 Regular verbs cause few problems in speaking
and writing.

14. Regular verbs and their
Principal Parts
Principal Present Present Past Past
Parts:
Tense Participle Tense Participle
Verb:
To call call, calling called (have)
calls called
To dust dust, dusting dusted (have)
dusts dusted

15. Irregular Verbs
 Irregular verbs can form their past tense and
past participle forms in various way.
 These forms cause even native speakers
innumerable problems.
 The most irregular verb of all is the verb to be.
 Another irregular verb that is important for its
use with other verbs is the verb to have.

16. Four Principal/Main
Parts
Principal Present Present Past Past
Parts:
Tense Participle Tense Participle
Verb:
To Be be, am, being was, (have)
are, is were been
To Have have, having had (have)
has had

17. Other Common Irregular
Verbs and their Principal
Parts
Principal Present Present Past Tense Past
Part Tense Participle Participle
Verb
To see see, seeing saw (have)
sees seen
To do do, does doing did (have)
done
To fly fly, flies flying flew (have)
flown
To run run, runs running ran (have)
run

18. Conjugation
 A conjugation of a verb is the correct
arrangement of its form through its
tenses, persons, and numbers.
 Person means the speaker, the person
spoken to, and the person or thing spoken of.
 Number means singular or plural.

19. Conjugation of the verb: to
be
Tense Singular Plural
Present I am We are
You are You are
He, she, it is They are
Past I was We were
You were You were
He was They were
Future I shall be We shall be
You will be You will be
He will be They will be
Present I have been We have been
Perfect You have been You have been
He has been They have been
Past Perfect I had been We had been
You had been You had been
He had been They had been
Future Perfect I shall have been We shall have
You will have been been
He will have been You will have been
They will have

20. Your Turn: conjugate each verb
Tense Singular Plural
Present
1) Saunter
2) Facilitate
3) Deal*
4) Discriminate
5) Drink *
Past
Future
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future Perfect

21. Answers
Ve rbs Singular Plural
1) Saunter
2) Facilitate
3) Deal*
4) Discriminate
5) Drink *
Past
Future
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future Perfect