Verb Forms and Tenses

1. Verb Forms and Tenses Adapted from Real Good Grammar, Too by Mamie Webb Hixon

2. Verb Forms Every English verb except “(to) be” has five forms, which vary depending on whether the verb is regular (such as “type” and “text”) or irregular (such as “write”). The Verb Forms

3. Verb Forms and Tenses Verb tense is the ability of a verb to indicate the time at which an action takes place. Verb forms are the tools you’ll use to create tenses.

4. Use present tense in universally true statements not limited to a particular time: The Sun is ninety-three million miles from Earth. in definitions: Hardware is the physical system of a computer. in statements about the content of literature and other published works: Hamlet appearsextremely indecisive.

5. Use present tense for events that are currently happening: I am really mad at Anthony. Andrea attends mass every week. now/the present the distant future the distant past am, attends the near past the near future

6. Use present infinitive for verbs that point to the future: I hopeto complete my degree by the time we get married. She plannedto earn an MBA by the end of the year. now/the present the distant future the distant past to complete, to earn hope, plan the near past the near future

7. Use present perfect tense for an action that began in the past but continues into the present or the future: I havelived in Pensacola all my life. She haslived in Pensacola all her life. now/the present the distant future the distant past have lived the near past the near future

8. Use a present participle for an action that occurs at the same time as the verb: Speedingdown the interstate, I saw a police car. now/the present the distant future the distant past speeding +saw the near past the near future

9. Use past tense for an earlier action: Marvin bought the car. now/the present the distant future the distant past bought the near future the near past

10. Use past perfect tense for an earlier action that is mentioned after a later action: Marvin bought the car that he hadseen advertised online. now/the present the distant future the distant past bought had seen the near past the near future

11. Use future tense for an action that will be completed: I willgraduatefrom college. now/the present the distant future the distant past will graduate the near past the near future

12. Use future perfect tense for an action that will have been completed at a specific future time in relation to another specific time: By 2020, I will have graduated from college. now/the present the distant future the distant past will have graduated 2020 the near past the near future

13. Mood Mood enables verbs to express how the speaker or writer regards the sentence. Mood can express attitudes, intentions, commands, wishes, recommendations, and possibilities.

14. Use subjunctive mood to express a condition contrary to fact or a wish: If I were President, I’d work with Congress to protect the environment. You are not the President. You’ll have to protect the environment without the help of Congress. The CFO would have been terminated a long time ago were she not the CEO’s niece. The CFO is the CEO’s niece, so she’s still hanging around.

15. Use subjunctive mood to express insistence, importance, necessity, or urgency after the word “that”: It is important that you beon time. We demand that the company dosomething about its toxic waste. The syllabus requires that each student write a research paper. Note: Use the base form of a verb (e.g. “be” instead of “are”) because if you use the present form the problem isn’t urgent – the person is already doing what you’ve asked!