Reviewing Verb Tenses

References© 2001 by Ruth Luman

Verb Tense ReviewThe Importance of Time

Verb tense expresses the time of an event or action. Time and how it is expressed in writing is very important to English readers. The English language has twelve different tenses. In this lesson, we will review the meaning of each verb tense.

The Simple Present Tense Expresses a habit or often repeated action. Adverbs of frequency such as, often,

seldom, sometimes, never, etc. are used with this tense.

She goes to work everyday.They always eat lunch together.

The Simple Present Tense This tense also expresses general truths or facts that are timeless.

Snow falls in the December in Minnesota.Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

Write the correct form of the verb.

• I ( like) lemonade very much. • The girls always ( listen) to pop music. • Janet never ( wear) jeans. • Mr Smith ( teach) Spanish and French. • You ( do) your homework after.

Fill in the correct form of the verbs.

• We (have) a nice garden. • She ( be) six years old. • Simon ( have) two rabbits and five goldfish. • I ( be) from Vienna, Austria. • They ( be) Sandy's parents.

Give the correct verb form

• I ( listen) to music every day. • Simon ( collect) stamps. • We ( wash) the dishes once a day. • My mother always ( make) breakfast. • Sarah usually ( meet) Maria at the tennis club

Give the correct verb form

• Mr. Williams often (teach) the dogs new tricks.

• They always ( throw) their litter in the bin. • The referee usually ( stop) the game after 90

minutes. • The kids ( hurry) to open their presents. • This car can ( do) 250 km/h.

Long and Short Forms

Rewrite the sentences in the short form (where the long form is given) or in the long form (where the short form is given).

• She has got a nice mobile. → • We don't use a computer. → • Johnny does not swim in the lake. → • They are from Budapest, Hungary. → • This isn't my cup of tea. →

Negative Sentences

Make negative sentences.• They go to the supermarket. → • Ben does his homework in the kitchen. → • Jenny takes photos. → • I learn French words. → • He has two older sisters. →

Questions

Ask for the bold part of the sentence.• Danny goes to school from Monday to Friday.

→ • My rabbit has a cage in the garden. → • The children like cats because they are nice.

→ • Jenny is never late. → • Andrew's new mountain bike costs €1000. →

Negative Sentences

• My father makes breakfast. → • They are eleven. → • She writes a letter. → • I speak Italian. → • Danny phones his father on Sundays. →

Questions

• Make questions.• you / to speak / English → • when / he / to go / home → • they / to clean / the bathroom → • where / she / to ride / her bike → • Billy / to work / in the superm

The Present Progressive This tense is used to describe an action that is occurring right now (at this moment,

today, this year, etc.). The action has begun and is still in progress.

She is typing a paper for her class.He can’t talk. He is fixing the sink right now.

The Present Progressive The present progressive can also be used to describe an action that is occurring in the

present, but is temporary.

John is living in Modesto, but he might move soon.

Use a verb in the correct present progressive form.

• Look! Andy ________in the garden. • I _________TV at the moment. • We ___________a book. • She ____________the piano. • Listen! Sue and John __________.

Use the present progressive.

• My sister ( clean) the bathroom. • Look! They ( go) inside. • I ( wait) in the car now. • Mrs Miller ( listen) to CDs• We (to speak) English at the moment

Rewrite the sentences using the negative forms.

• We are playing a game. • I'm drawing a picture. • He is making pizza right now. • Susan and her brother are taking photos. • Dad is working in the kitchen. •

„Was“ or „Were“?

• I _______hungry. • You_______ in Australia last year. • She _________not there. • Charly Chaplin__________ a famous actor. • Lisa and James___________ at home.

The Simple Past We use the simple past to indicate exactly when an action or event took place in the

past.

I visited my sister yesterday.We went out to dinner last night.

The Simple Past The simple past is used to describe actions and/or events that are now completed and

no longer true in the present.

I attended MJC in 1998. (I no longer attend MJC.)I saw a movie every weekend when I was a teenager. (I don’t see movies very much

anymore.)

Write the sentences into Simple Past Tense. Add a time expression in the past

• you / cards / play • I / a car / want • we / the game / lose • not / I / early / get up • not / Jeff and Linda / home / cycle

Complete the Table in Simple Past Tense

• Positive Negative QuestionJane was tired.

Sean did not work.

Did I have a catMary did not sing.

Did she see us?

Ask for the bold part of the sentence.

• Billy ate an apple. • The children played in the garden. • Laura came home at six o'clock. • The boy read a book. • The girl wrote five letters.

Write the sentences in the simple past.

• Janet / the bus / miss • she / her room / tidy • not / Rupert / the number / dial • she / a friend / phone • not / Andy / the ball / pass

The Past Progressive The past progressive is used to talk about an activity that was in progress at a specific

point of time in the past. The emphasis is on the duration of the activity in the past.

I was studying for an exam while my mother was cooking dinner.We were walking in the park around 7 p.m. last night.

The Past Progressive The past progressive is often used with the simple past to show that one action was in

progress when another action occurred.

I was taking a bath when the doorbell rang.They were eating dinner when the neighbors stopped by for a visit.

Complete the table in past progressive.

• Positive Negative QuestionIt was raining.

They were not playing. Was I listening?

Caron was not eating.

You were singing.

The Future Will and be + going + to are often used to describe future actions.

Thomas will graduate in June.Maria is going to go to Mexico next week.

The Future The simple present and present progressive are also used to express future time.

These are often used used in connection with schedules.

She is meeting a new client at eleven o’clock.The train leaves at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow.

Test 1 Simple Future

• they / call / us /tomorrow–Positive: –Negative: –Question:

• you / copy / the homework –Positive: –Negative: •Question:

•the clouds / disappear –Positive: –Negative: –Question:

The Future Progressive This tense is used to describe an event or action that will occur over a period of time

at a specific point in the future.

I will be teaching ESL 40 at 10 a.m. tomorrow.They will be moving their furniture out of the house by the time you arrive tomorrow.

at 10 a.m. tomorrow

by the time you arrive

Give the correct verb form in Future Progressive

• he / marry / his girlfriend –Positive: –Negative: •Question:

Going to form (Future Tense)

•they / share / a room –Positive: –Negative: –Question: