Test Yourself

Verb Tenses

[Harbrace 7 & 7b - 7c] 

Review

• Introduction: Regular and Irregular Verbs 
• Examples of Verb Tense Changes 
• Verb Tense "Rules" 

Introduction

Regular and Irregular Verbs [Harbrace 7]

A verb's form, or tense, shows the time of an action or condition.

To change from the present tense to the past, add -d or -ed to a regular verb.

An irregular verb has different forms (which can be checked in a dictionary).

PRESENT AND PAST -- REGULAR:

I walk; I walked 

PRESENT AND PAST -- IRREGULAR:

I swim; I swam 

There are four principal forms of each verb:
[Harbrace 7b]

REGULAR:

walk (present), walked (past), walked (past participle with auxiliaries), walking (present participle, -ing form) 

IRREGULAR:

swim (present), swam (past), swum (past participle with auxiliaries), swimming (present participle, -ing form) 

Note: For some tense changes, auxiliary (or helping) verbs are added to the main verb. 

We could have arrived earlier if we had taken a different flight. 

Examples of Verb Tense Changes [Harbrace 7c]

The following examples illustrate regular and irregular verbs in the third person plural, active voice, indicative mood. 

• REGULAR:
  walk (present), walked (past), walked (past participle with auxiliaries), walking (present participle, -ing form) 

• SIMPLE TENSES: REGULAR
  they listen (present), they listened (past), they will listen (future)

• SIMPLE TENSES: IRREGULAR
  they write (present), they wrote (past), they will write (future) 

• PROGRESSIVE TENSES: REGULAR
  are listening (present progressive), were listening (past progressive), will be listening (future progressive)

• PROGRESSIVE TENSES: IRREGULAR
  are writing (present progressive), were writing (past progressive), will be writing (future progressive)

• PERFECT TENSES: REGULAR
  have listened (present perfect), had listened (past perfect), will have listened (future perfect) 

• PERFECT TENSES: IRREGULAR
  have written (present perfect), had written (past perfect), will have written (future perfect) 

• PERFECT PROGRESSIVE: REGULAR
  they have been listening (present), they had been listening (past), they will have been listening (future) 

• PERFECT PROGRESSIVE: IRREGULAR
  they have been writing (present), they had been writing (past), they will have been writing (future) 

Within a sentence or series of sentences, the verbs should follow an appropriate sequence of tenses. In others words, the times for the various actions -- expressed in the verb tenses -- should logically relate.

Verb Tense "Rules" [Harbrace 7c(2)] 

1. Use tenses in subordinate or dependent clauses that relate logically to the tenses in main or independent clauses. 

If Nancy applies to graduate school, she will be accepted. 

If Nancy had applied to graduate school, she would have been accepted. 

2. Use the present infinitive to show action at the same time as, or later than, the action indicated by the main verb. 

The first-year hoped to test out of composition class. 

3. Use the present-perfect infinitive for action before that indicated by the main verb. 

The first-year hoped to have tested out of composition class. 

4. Use the present participle to show action happening at the same time indicated by the main verb. 

Taking the exam, she knew that her grade would be high. 

5. Use the present-perfect participle for action happening before that indicated by the main verb. 

Having taken the exam, she knew that her grade would be high.