Using Verbs

1. Using Verbs Language Network – Chapter 6

2. The Principal Parts of a Verb • Each verb has four principal parts: the present, the present participle, the past, and the past participle. • The following are based on the verb “to look”: • Present – look • Present Participle – (is) looking • Past – looked • Past Participle – (has) looked • Some verbs are irregular, such as “to break”: • Present – break • Present Participle – (is) breaking • Past – broke • Past Participle – (has) broken

3. Regular and Irregular Verbs Regular Verbs Irregular Verbs Regular verbs will use the present form to create the other principal parts of the verb. Present Participle (is) look + ing Past Look + ed Past Participle (has) look + ed Irregular verbs have different forms for the past and/or past participle. See pages 131-132 in Language Network for a list of common irregular verbs and their forms.

4. Forming Verb Tenses • Verb tense shows the time of an action or a condition. They are formed from the verb’s principal parts. • There are three verb tenses: • Simple Tenses • Perfect Tenses • Progressive Tenses

5. Simple Tenses • The present tenseshows that an action or condition • Occurs regularly or is generally true: • Good stories transport us across time and space. • Is occurring in the present: • I have the new book by Stephen King. • Occurs regularly: • Every night, I read several chapters of this chilling tale. • The past tense shows that an action or condition occurred in the past: • King publishedCarrie, his first novel, in 1974. • The future tense shows that an action or condition will occur in the future: • I will lend you King’s new book next week.

6. Perfect Tenses • The present perfect tense shows that an action or condition • Was completed at one or more indefinite times in the past: • King has published several books under the pen name of Richard Bachman. • Began in the past and continues in the present: • King has written more than 30 novels in the last 30 years. • The present perfect tense is formed by using have/has + past participle. • The past perfect tense shows that an action or a condition in the past preceded another past action or condition: • King had written two novels that were rejected by publishers before he published Carrie. • The past perfect tense is formed by using had + past participle. • The future perfect tense shows that an action or a condition in the future will precede another future action or condition: • By next summer, I will have read half of King’s books. • The future perfect tense is formed by using will (shall) have + past participle.

7. Progressive Form • The progressive form of a verb expresses an event in progress. • Each tense has a progressive form, made by using the corresponding tense of the verb to be with the present participle. • Present Progressive Tense: • I am reading this horror story. • Use am/are/is + present participle. • Past Progressive Tense: • A group of friends were camping in the Maine woods. • Use was/were + present participle. • Future Progressive Tense: • You will be learning until the end of the school day. • Use will (shall) be + present participle. • Progressive forms can also be used with perfect tenses, such as: • You shall have been sitting for 50 minutes by the time the bell rings. (future perfect progressive).

8. Using Verb Tenses • When writing, you will use different verb tenses to describe single events and ongoing actions that are related. • Verb tenses allow you to show how a series of events are related in time. • The following verb tenses can be used: • Simple Tense • Progressive Form • Perfect Tense • Perfect Progressive Form

9. Present Tenses • Simple Present • I talk. • Shows an action or a condition that is continuously true. • Present Progressive • I am talking. • Shows action that is now in progress. • Present Perfect • I have talked. • Shows an action or a condition that began in the past and continues into the present. • Present Perfect Progressive • I have been talking. • Shows an action that began in the past and is still in progress.

10. Past Tenses • Simple Past • I talked. • Shows actions that were completed in the past. • Past Progressive • I was talking. • Shows actions that continued over time in the past. • Past Perfect • I had talked. • Shows an action in the past that came before other actions in the past. • Past Perfect Progressive • I had been talking. • Shows an action that was in progress in the past when another action happened.

11. Future Tenses • Simple Future • I will talk. • Shows a condition that will occur in the future. • Future Progressive • I will be talking. • Shows an action that will be in progress in the future. • Future Perfect • I will have talked. • Shows an action in the future that will occur before another action. • Future Perfect Progressive • I will have been talking. • Shows an action in progress in the future when another action will happen.

12. Shifts in Tense • In some situations, you may need to shift tenses within a sentence. • You can shift from a progressive form to a simple form to describe an ongoing action interrupted by a single event. • I was talking when my brother interrupted me. • When you describe an event as a point of reference for another event, shift from a perfect tense to a simple tense. • I had been talking for a few moments before I realized that no one was listening. • Avoid shifting from present to past, past to present, etc.

13. Active and Passive Voice Active Voice Passive Voice When a verb’s subject performs the action expressed by the verb. I threw the football to my friend. When a verb’s subject receives the action expressed by the verb. The football was thrown to my friend by me. Passive voice will use a form of “to be” and the preposition “by.”

14. The Mood of a Verb • Indicative Mood makes statements and asks questions. • I like to watch movies. • Where are my glasses? • Imperative Mood makes a request or gives a command. The subject (you) is omitted. • Run a lap around the track. • Subjunctive Mood expresses a wish or states a condition that is contrary to fact. • You will use the word were instead of was. • I wish I were smarter. • Subjunctive Mood can also give a command. • Use the base form of a verb. • The school requires that all students be in first period by 8 A.M.