This document provides information about verb tenses in English. It discusses the present simple, present continuous, future simple, past simple, and present perfect tenses. For each tense, it explains how to form it and gives examples of its use. The key points covered are:
- The present simple tense is used for habitual or repeated actions.
- The present continuous tense describes actions happening now.
- The future simple tense uses "will" to talk about future actions.
- The past simple tense usually takes "ed" but some verbs are irregular.
- The present perfect tense uses "have/has" plus the past participle to describe actions with relevance to the present.
3. Verbs
Every English sentence must have a verb
English verbs can be difficult
But they do not have to be
There are 12 tenses
But you only really need 4 or 5
If you keep it simple and just use 4 or 5 tenses
You can sound like a native speaker
4. VerbsThe Present Simple Tense
Every day
When you do not know what tense to use, use the present tense.
Use the present tense to tell about what you do EVERY DAY.
I eat, I sleep, I work, I run, I play, I talk.
Problem: I eat
you eat
he eatS
she eatS
it eatS
we eat
they eat
When you talk about one man or boy,
one lady or girl or one thing
You MUST put an ‘s’ at the end of the
word
5. VerbsThe Present SimpleTense
Every day
When you do not know what tense to use, use the present tense.
Use the present tense to tell about what you do EVERY DAY.
I eat, I sleep, I work, I run, I play, I talk.
If you cannot remember to use the ‘s’ with he, she, it
Don’t worry !
6. VerbsThe Present Continuous Tense
Now
Use the present continuous tense to talk about what is happening now.
How do you make the present continuous tense?
First use the verb ‘’to be’ in the present simple tense.
Then use the verb word.
Then add ‘ing’ to the verb word.
Easy ?
7. VerbsThe Present Continuous Tense
Now
Use the present continuous tense to talk about what is happening now.
Verb To be: I am
you are
he is
she is + verb word
it is
we are
they are
8. VerbsThe Present Continuous Tense
Now
Use the present continuous tense to talk about what is happening now.
Verb To be: I am go
you are sleep
he is walk
she is + eat + ing
it is learn
we are play
they are speak
9. VerbsThe Present Continuous Tense
Now
Use the present continuous tense to talk about what is happening now.
Verb To be: I am going
you are sleeping
he is walking
she is eating
it is learning
we are playing
they are speaking
10. VerbsThe Present Continuous Tense
Now
Use the present continuous tense to talk about what is happening now.
I am going If you forget the verb ‘to be’ Don’t worry !
you are sleeping
he is walking Please do not use present continuous for every day
she is eating
it is learning
we are playing
they are speaking
11. VerbsThe Future Simple Tense
Tomorrow
Use the future simple to talk about what will happen after now.
After Now = now + 1 second
now + 1 minute
now + 1 hour
now + 1 day
now + 1 week
now + 1 month
now + 1 year
now + 1 decade
now + 1 century
12. VerbsThe Future Simple Tense
Tomorrow
Use the future simple to talk about what will happen after now.
How do you make the future simple tense?
Easy !
Put the word ‘will’ in front of the verb word
13. VerbsThe Future Simple Tense
Tomorrow
Use the future simple to talk about what will happen after now.
Every day I speak English, now I am speaking English, tomorrow I will speak English
Every day you walk to work, now you are walking to work, tomorrow you will walk to work
Every day he learns English, now he is learning English, tomorrow he will learn English
Every day she swims, now she is swimming, tomorrow she will swim
Every day it sleeps, now it is sleeping, tomorrow it will sleep
Every day we play football, now we are playing football, tomorrow we will play football
Every day they watch tv, now they are watching tv, tomorrow they will watch tv
Easy !
14. VerbsThe Past Simple Tense
Yesterday
Use the past simple tense to tell about what happened before now.
Easy ? No !
15. VerbsThe Past Simple Tense
Yesterday
Use the past simple tense to tell about what happened before now.
How do you make the Past Simple Tense?
The rule is that you add ‘ed’ to the verb word.
Every day I walk, yesterday I walked
Every day I kill, yesterday I killed
Every day I assist, yesterday I assisted
Every day I record, yesterday I recorded
Easy ?
16. VerbsThe Past Simple Tense
Yesterday
Use the past simple tense to tell about what happened before now.
The rule is that you add ‘ed’ to the verb word.
Yesterday I walked - you say walk t
Yesterday I killed - you say kill d
Yesterday I assisted - you say assist ted
Yesterday I recorded - you say record ded
Easy ?
17. VerbsThe Past Simple Tense
Yesterday
Use the past simple tense to tell about what happened before now.
The rule is that you add ‘ed’ to the verb word.
Yesterday I assisted - you say assist ted
Rule: if the verb word ends with ted, you have to say ‘ted’
indicate ted, invite ted, limit ted, point ted, protect ted
Yesterday I recorded - you say record ded
Rule: if the verb word ends with ded you have to say ‘ded’
head ded, include ded, need ded, provide ded
Easy ?
18. VerbsThe Past Simple Tense
Yesterday
Use the past simple tense to tell about what happened before now.
The rule is that you add ‘ed’ to the verb word.
Yesterday I walked - you say walk t
Yesterday I killed - you say kill d
When do you say ‘t’ and when do you say ‘d’
There is no rule.
Agreed, Aimed, Asked, Carried, Checked, Cleaned, Closed, Worked?
Easy ?
19. VerbsThe Past Simple Tense
Yesterday
Use the past simple tense to tell about what happened before now.
The rule is that you add ‘ed’ to the verb word.
Verbs that take ‘ed’ at the end of the verb word are called ‘regular verbs’
Then there are ‘irregular verbs’ !
The only rule is that there is no rule
Build, Buy, Come, Do, Fly, Go, Have, Hear, Hit, Keep, Know, Leave, Read
To burn – is that burned or burnt, To dive – is that dived or dove?
The verb ‘to be’ – every day: am, are, is. – yesterday: was were
Easy ?
20. VerbsThe Past Simple Tense
Yesterday
Use the past simple tense to tell about what happened before now.
The rule is that you add ‘ed’ to the verb word.
If you find talking about yesterday is very difficult – then do not try it.
Use the present simple tense – everyone will understand you.
Please do not use the present continuous for yesterday.
21. VerbsThe Present Perfect Tense
In my life
Time is very important in using the present perfect tense.
If you have done something and cannot do it again, then you use the past
simple tense.
If you have done something and can do it again then you use the present
perfect tense.
22. VerbsThe Present Perfect Tense
In my life
If you have done something and cannot do it again, then you use the past
simple tense.
If you have done something and can do it again then you use the present
perfect tense.
How do you make the present perfect tense?
First use the verb ‘to have’ in the present simple tense.
Then use verb #3 (past participle)
23. VerbsThe Present Perfect Tense
In my life
How do you make the present perfect tense?
First use the verb ‘to have’ in the present simple tense.
I have
you have
he has
she has
it has
we have
they have
24. VerbsThe Present Perfect Tense
In my life
How do you make the present perfect tense?
First use the verb ‘to have’ in the present simple tense.
I have
you have
he has
she has + verb #3 eaten
it has
we have
they have
25. VerbsThe Present Perfect Tense
In my life
How do you make the present perfect tense?
First use the verb ‘to have’ in the present simple tense, then use the past
participle (verb #3)
I have gone
you have slept
he has walked
she has eaten
it has learned
we have played
they have spoken
26. VerbsThe Present Perfect Tense
In my life
How do you make the present perfect tense?
First use the verb ‘to have’ in the present simple tense, then use the past
participle (verb #3)
When do you use the present perfect tense?
When you have done something and can do it again (in my life)
Last week I worked (past simple). This week I have worked.
Can you work in last week again? Can you work this week again?
No. So you use the past simple tense. Yes. So you use the present
perfect tense.
27. VerbsThe Present Perfect Tense
In my life
When do you use the present perfect tense?
When you have done something and can do it again (in your life)
I work until 5.00 pm
Friday, 4.30 pm – I have worked hard this week. I can still work hard for 30
minutes.
Friday, 5.00pm – I worked hard this week. The week is over, I cannot work
again this week.
28. VerbsThe Present Perfect Tense
In my life
When do you use the present perfect tense?
When you have done something and can do it again (in your life)
I have eaten Pad Thai
I have never gone to Australia
I am alive, I can eat Pad Thai or go to Australia again tomorrow, next year or
in 10 years time.
When I am dead, I cannot eat Pad Thai or go to Australia.
I must use the past simple tense.
