W5

Use the correct verb tense. 

 

The “tense” tells when it happened.

  

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 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)

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