W5 Use the correct verb tense.
The “tense” tells when it happened.
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Incorrect Example |
Correct Example |
a) Avoid switching verb tenses unless
it is necessary for the reader to understand clearly. |
He
went upstairs and sits down on his bed. (Past) (present) |
He
went upstairs and sat down on his bed. (past) (past) |
b) When telling a story, generally use
the past tense. |
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The Verb Tenses:
The Present |
Now
I listen to alternative. Now I am listening to alternative. |
The Simple Past It has –ed
on the end. |
Last
year, I listened to rock. Last year, I
was listening to rock. |
The Distant Past It has had and -ed on the end. Grammar
people call it Past Perfect. |
Before
that, I had listened to country. Before that,
I had been listening to country. |
Occasionally in the
Past It uses have and has -ed on the end. Grammar
people call it Present Perfect. |
I have listened to classical occasionally. I have been listening to classical, occasionally. |
Future It uses will. |
Next
year, I will listen to rap. Next year, I will be listening to rap. |
The Future Looking Back
It uses will have. Grammar
people call it Future Perfect. |
By
this time next year, I will have
listened to rap for
several months. By this time
next year, I will have been
listening to rap for
several months. |
Anytime It uses “to” in front of the verb. Grammar
people call it Infinitive or gerund form. |
To
listen to music is
wonderful. To be listening to music is wonderful. |
Irregular Verbs (ones that don’t fit the usual pattern) |
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Base Form |
Simple Past Tense |
Past Participle |
awake |
awoke |
has awoken |
be |
was,
were |
has been |
bear |
bore |
has born |
beat |
beat |
has beat |
become |
became |
has become |
begin |
began |
has begun |
bend |
bent |
has bent |
beset |
beset |
has beset |
bet |
bet |
has bet |
bid |
bid/bade |
has bid/bidden |
bind |
bound |
has bound |
bite |
bit |
has bitten |
bleed |
bled |
has bled |
blow |
blew |
has blown |
break |
broke |
has broken |
breed |
bred |
has bred |
bring |
brought |
has brought |
broadcast |
broadcast |
has broadcast |
build |
built |
has built |
burn |
burned/burnt |
has burned/burnt |
burst |
burst |
has burst |
buy |
bought |
has bought |
cast |
cast |
has cast |
catch |
caught |
has caught |
choose |
chose |
has chosen |
cling |
clung |
has clung |
come |
came |
has come |
cost |
cost |
has cost |
creep |
crept |
has crept |
cut |
cut |
has cut |
deal |
dealt |
has dealt |
dig |
dug |
has dug |
dive |
dived/dove |
has dived |
do |
did |
has done |
draw |
drew |
has drawn |
dream |
dreamed/dreamt |
has dreamed/dreamt |
drive |
drove |
has driven |
drink |
drank |
has drunk |
eat |
ate |
has eaten |
fall |
fell |
has fallen |
feed |
fed |
has fed |
feel |
felt |
has felt |
fight |
fought |
has fought |
find |
found |
has found |
fit |
fit |
has fit |
flee |
fled |
has fled |
fling |
flung |
has flung |
fly |
flew |
has flown |
forbid |
forbade |
has forbidden |
forget |
forgot |
has forgotten |
forego
(forgo) |
forewent |
has foregone |
forgive |
forgave |
has forgiven |
forsake |
forsook |
has forsaken |
freeze |
froze |
has frozen |
get |
got |
has gotten |
give |
gave |
has given |
go |
went |
has gone |
grind |
ground |
has ground |
grow |
grew |
has grown |
hang |
hung |
has hung |
hear |
heard |
has heard |
hide |
hid |
has hidden |
hit |
hit |
has hit |
hold |
held |
has held |
hurt |
hurt |
has hurt |
keep |
kept |
has kept |
kneel |
knelt |
has knelt |
knit |
knit |
has knit |
know |
knew |
has know |
lay |
laid |
has laid |
lead |
led |
has led |
leap |
leaped/leapt |
has leaped/leapt |
learn |
learned/learnt |
has learned/learnt |
leave |
left |
has left |
lend |
lent |
has lent |
let |
let |
has let |
lie |
lay |
has lain |
light |
lighted/lit |
has lighted |
lose |
lost |
has lost |
make |
made |
has made |
mean |
meant |
has meant |
meet |
met |
has met |
misspell |
misspelled/misspelt |
has
misspelled/misspelt |
mistake |
mistook |
has mistaken |
mow |
mowed |
has mowed/mown |
overcome |
overcame |
has overcome |
overdo |
overdid |
has overdone |
overtake |
overtook |
has overtaken |
overthrow |
overthrew |
has overthrown |
pay |
paid |
has paid |
plead |
pled |
has pled |
prove |
proved |
has proved/proven |
put |
put |
has put |
quit |
quit |
has quit |
read |
read |
has read |
rid |
rid |
has rid |
ride |
rode |
has ridden |
ring |
rang |
has rung |
rise |
rose |
has risen |
run |
ran |
has run |
saw |
sawed |
has sawed/sawn |
say |
said |
has said |
see |
saw |
has seen |
seek |
sought |
has sought |
sell |
sold |
has sold |
send |
sent |
has sent |
set |
set |
has set |
sew |
sewed |
has sewed/sewn |
shake |
shook |
has shaken |
shave |
shaved |
has shaved/shaven |
shear |
shore |
has shorn |
shed |
shed |
has shed |
shine |
shone |
has shone |
shoe |
shoed |
has shoed/shod |
shoot |
shot |
has shot |
show |
showed |
has showed/shown |
shrink |
shrank |
has shrunk |
shut |
shut |
has shut |
sing |
sang |
has sung |
sink |
sank |
has sunk |
sit |
sat |
has sat |
sleep |
slept |
has slept |
slay |
slew |
has slain |
slide |
slid |
has slid |
sling |
slung |
has slung |
slit |
slit |
has slit |
smite |
smote |
has smitten |
sow |
sowed |
has sowed/sown |
speak |
spoke |
has spoken |
speed |
sped |
has sped |
spend |
spent |
has spent |
spill |
spilled/spilt |
has spilled/spilt |
spin |
spun |
has spun |
spit |
spit/spat |
has spit |
split |
split |
has split |
spread |
spread |
has spread |
spring |
sprang/sprung |
has sprung |
stand |
stood |
has stood |
steal |
stole |
has stolen |
stick |
stuck |
has stuck |
sting |
stung |
has stung |
stink |
stank |
has stunk |
stride |
strod |
has stridden |
strike |
struck |
has struck |
string |
strung |
has strung |
strive |
strove |
has striven |
swear |
swore |
has sworn |
sweep |
swept |
has swept |
swell |
swelled |
has swelled/swollen |
swim |
swam |
has swum |
swing |
swung |
has swung |
take |
took |
has taken |
teach |
taught |
has taught |
tear |
tore |
has torn |
tell |
told |
has told |
think |
thought |
has thought |
thrive |
thrived/throve |
has thrived |
throw |
threw |
has thrown |
thrust |
thrust |
has thrust |
tread |
trod |
has trodden |
understand |
understood |
has understood |
uphold |
upheld |
has upheld |
upset |
upset |
has upset |
wake |
woke |
has woken |
wear |
wore |
has worn |
weave |
weaved/wove |
has weaved/woven |
wed |
wed |
has wed |
weep |
wept |
has wept |
wind |
wound |
has wound |
win |
won |
has won |
withhold |
withheld |
has withheld |
withstand |
withstood |
has withstood |
wring |
wrung |
has wrung |
write |
wrote |
has written |