Verb Tenses

3 distinctions in time Past Present Future

4 types of actions for each tense Simple: basic actions Perfect: completed or “perfected” actions Progressive: on-going actions Perfect-Progressive: usually describes on-going actions that end or are stopped by another action

Simple Tenses: Basic Actions “simple” usually means no helping verbs, just the verb conjugated in past, present, or future tense. Simple Past Tense: -ed form of the Main Verb *The past tense form of irregular verbs like “Break” do not end in “-ed” Base Form Fill Trim Splatter *Break Simple Past Tense Filled Trimmed Splattered *Broke

Simple Tenses Continued Simple Present Tense: base or -s form of the Main Verb Depends on subject: I live there vs. she lives there Simple Present Tense Start/Starts Amuse/Amuses Evolve/Evolves Choose/Chooses Base Form Start Amuse Evolve Choose

Simple Tenses Continued Simple Future Tense: will + base form of Main Verb Base Form Involve Fly Absorb Peek Simple Future Tense Will Involve Will Fly Will Absorb Will Peek

Perfect Tense Used to describe a completed/“perfected” action. Implies that an action has been completed before another (unnamed) action takes place

Past Perfect Tense had + Past Participle (-en/-ed) form of Main Verb Base Form Past Perfect Tense Fill had filled Trim had trimmed Splatter had splattered Broke had broken

Present Perfect Tense has/have + -en/-ed form of Main Verb Base Form Start Amuse Evolve Choose Present Perfect Tense has/have started has/have amused has/have evolved has/have chosen

Future Perfect Tense will + have + -en/-ed form of Main Verb Base Form Involve Fly Absorb Peek Future Perfect Tense will have involved will have flown will have absorbed will have peeked

Past Progressive Tense Describes on-going or continuous actions Sometimes called “continuous tense” Past Progressive Tense: was/were + -ing form of Main Verb Base Form Fill Trim Splatter Break Past Progressive Tense was/were filling was/were trimming was/were splattering was/were breaking

Progressive Tenses continued Present Progressive Tense: Am/Is/Are + -ing form of Main Verb Base Form Start Amuse Evolve Choose Present Progressive Tense am/is/are starting am/is/are amusing am/is/are evolving am/is/are choosing

Progressive Tenses continued Future Progressive Tense: will + be + -ing form of Main Verb Base Form Involve Fly Absorb Peek Future Progressive Tense will be involving will be flying will be absorbing will be peeking

Perfect-Progressive Tenses Describes a completed on-going action. Implies that another action follows it an on-going action completed before another action

Perfect-Progressive Tenses Past Perfect-Progressive Tense: describes an on-going past action that is completed before another past action, or ended by another past action had + been + -ing form of Main Verb Base Form Fill Trim Splatter Break Past Perfect-Progressive Tense had been filling had been trimming had been splattering had been breaking

Perfect-Progressive Tenses Cont. Present Perfect-Progressive Tense: usually describes something you recently felt or were doing up through the present moment. Can also be used to describe an on-going action when you want to emphasize the duration of time.

Perfect-Progressive Tenses Cont. Present Perfect-Progressive Tenses: -have/has + been + -ing form of Main Verb Base Form Start Amuse Evolve Choose Present Perfect-Progressive Tense have/has been starting have/has been amusing have/has been evolving have/has been choosing

Perfect-Progressive Tenses Cont. Future Perfect-Progressive Tense: will + have + been + -ing form of Main Verb Base Form Involve Fly Absorb Peek Future Perfect-Progressive Tense will have been involving will have been flying will have been absorbing will have been peeking