Using Verbs Correctly

Overview of Verb Functions

Verbs are words that name an action or describe a state of being.

There are four basic types of verbs: action verbs, linking verbs, helping verbs, and verb

phrases. Verbs also convey information through changes in their form. Here are the five different things we find out from a verb:

  Tense (when the action takes place: past, present, or future)

  Person (who or what experiences the action)

  Number (how many subjects act or receive the action)

  Mood (the attitude expressed toward the action)

  Voice (whether the subject acts or is acted upon: the active or passive voice)

The Six Verb Tenses

The tense of a verb shows its time. English has six verb tenses. Each of the six tenses has two

forms: basic and progressive (also known as “perfect”). The basic form shows action, occurrence, or state of being that is taking place right here and now. The basic form also is the base

for the future form (i.e., I will sleep; they will sleep).

The following chart shows the six forms for the verb to walk:

Tense                         Basic Form                                       Progressive Form

Present                           walk                                                 am walking

Past                                 walked                                             was walking

Future                             will walk                                          will be walking

Present perfect                have walked                                    have been walking

Past perfect                     had walked                                       had been walking

Future perfect                  will have walked                            will have been walking

The tense of English verbs is formed from helping verbs and principal parts. Each English verb has four main parts, as shown in the chart on the next page.

Principal Verb Parts

Present                  Present Participle                   Past                         Past Participle

look                            looking                            looked                       looked

dance                          dancing                           danced                      danced

1. The present tense

The present is used to form the present tense (“I look”) and the future (“I will look”).

English uses the helping verb will to show the future tense.

2. The present participle

The present participle forms all six of the progressive forms (“I am looking,” “I was looking,” and so on).

3. The past tense

The past forms only one tense, the past. As with the present tense, the principal part

stands alone.

4. The past participle

The past participle forms the last three tenses: the present perfect (“I have looked”), the

past perfect (“I had looked”), and the future perfect (“I will have looked”). To form the

past participle, start with a helping verb such as is, are, was, has been. Then add the principal part of the verb.

When you conjugate a verb, you list the singular and plural forms of the verb in a

specific tense.

Regular and Irregular Verbs

from the way the verb forms its past tense and past participles.

● Regular verbs: The past tense and past participle forms are created by adding -d, -ed, or -t

to the present form, but the vowel doesn’t change; for example, walk, walked, walked.

● Irregular verbs: No pattern is followed when the past and past participle are formed.

Instead, there are many different forms. For example, with some irregular verbs the vowel

changes and an -n or -e is added, as in begin, began, begun. With other verbs, the vowel

changes and a -d or -t is added, as in lose, lost, lost.

Of all the verbs in English, lie and lay are likely the most often confused. Lay is a regular

verb; lie is an irregular verb.

● Lie means “to repose.” Lie conjugates as lie, lay, lain.

● Lay means “to put.” Lay conjugates as lay, laid, laid.

Because lay is both the present tense of to lay and the past tense of to lie, many speakers

and writers use lay when they mean lie.

● Lie is an intransitive verb. That means that it never takes a direct object.

When people are exhausted, they should lie down for a rest.

● Lay is a transitive verb. That means that lay always takes a direct object.

Lay the papers down.

The following chart lists some of the most common irregular verbs that have the same

present participle, past, and past participle forms.

Present Tense                Present Participle                       Past                   Past Participle

bid                                  bidding                                      bid                    have bid

burst                               bursting                                      burst                have burst

cost                                costing                                        cost                  have cost

hit                                  hitting                                        hit                      have hit

hurt                                hurting                                       hurt                   have hurt

kneel                              knelt                                           knelt                  have knelt

let                                  letting                                        let                       have let

put                                 putting                                       put                      have put

set                                  setting                                        set                     have set

The next chart lists some of the most common irregular verbs that have the same past and

past participle forms.

Present Tense              Present Participle                   Past                     Past Participle

beat                              beat                                       beaten                  have beaten

become                        became                                 become                 have become

bend                            bent                                       bent                       have bent

bind                             binding                                 bound                    have bound

bite                              bit                                         bitten                    have bitte

bring                           bringing                                brought                 have brought

build                            building                                built                      have built

buy                              buying                                  bought                    have bought

catch                           caught                                   caught                       have caught

creep                           crept                                     crept                       have crept

dig                             dug                                        dug                         have dug

dive                               dived or dove                   dived                         have dived

find                               finding                              found                        have found

fight                             fighting                                fought                       have fought

forget                           forgot                                  forgotten                   have forgotten

forgive                           forgave                             forgiven                     have forgiven

get                                 getting                               got                             have gotten,

grow                            grew                                      grown                      have grown

hang                              hung                                    hung                        have hung

hang (execute)             hanged                               hanged                       have hanged

hide                               hid                                    hidden                         have hidden

hold                              holding                              held                            have held

keep                              keeping                              kept                             have kept

lay                                 laying                               laid                               have laid

lead                               leading                              led                               have led

lose                                losing                               lost                               have lost

pay                                 paying                              paid                              have paid

prove                              proved                             proved, proven             have proved,

ring                                 rang                                 rung                              have rung

say                                 saying                              said                                have said

send                                 sending                           sent                              have sent

show                              showing                            showed                         have showed,

sit                                    sitting                             sat                                   have sat

sleep                               sleeping                           slept                               have slept

spend                               spending                         spent                              have spent

spin                                    spinning                       spun                               have spun

stand                                standing                          stood                              have stood

stick                                 sticking                          stuck                                have stuck

teach                                teaching                          taught                              have taught

The most irregular verb in English is to be. Its principal parts are be, being, was,

were, been, am, are, is.

The following chart lists some of the most common irregular verbs that change in unpredictable ways:

Present Tense                    Present Participle                  Past                   Past Participle

arise                                  arising                                     arose                have arisen

begin                                beginning                                 began               have begun

blow                                blowing                                    blew                  have blown

break                               breaking                                   broke                 have broken

choose                             choosing                                  chose                  have chosen

come                               coming                                     came                   have come

dive                                 dived,                                        dove dived        have dived

do                                     doing                                       did                      have done

draw                                  drawing                                   drew                  have drawn

drink                                 drinking                                  drank                  have drunk

eat                                      eating                                     ate                      have eaten

fall                                     falling                                     fell                     have fallen

fly                                       flying                                     flew                   have flown

freeze                                freezing                                   froze                 have frozen

give                                    giving                                     gave                   have given

go                                     going                                        went                   have gone

know                                   knowing                                 knew                 have known

lie (horizontal)                   lying                                       lay                      have lain

ride                                    riding                                      rode                    have ridden

rise                                   rising                                        rose                    have risen

run                                    running                                    ran                      have run

see                                     seeing                                      saw                    have seen

shake                                 shaking                                  shook                   have shaken

shrink                                shrinking                                 shrank                 have shrunk

sing                                    singing                                   sang                     have sung

sink                                     sinking                                   sank                    have sunk

speak                                  speaking                                 spoke                  have spoken

spring                                  springing                               sprang                 have sprung

steal                                     stealing                                  stole                    have stolen

strive                                  striving                                   strove                 have striven

swear                                  swearing                                swore                  have sworn

swim                                  swimming                              swam                  have swum

take                                     taking                                    took                    have taken

tear                                      tearing                                  tore                      have torn

throw                                  throwing                                threw                   have thrown

wake                                    waking                                 woke,waked        have woken, waked

wear                                    wearing                                 wore                    have worn

write writing wrote have written

How to Use Tenses

The six tenses express time within three main categories: past, present, and future. You want to use the tenses correctly so that you can show how one event is related to another. The following chart shows how the tenses are related.

Verb Tense and Time

Past                                             Present                                                       Future

Simple past                                 Simple present                                           Simple future

Present perfect                                                                                               Future perfect

Past perfect

Past progressive                         Present                                                       Future progressive 

Present perfect progressive                                                                           Future perfect progressive

Past perfect progressive

● Use the two present forms (simple present, present progressive) to show events that take

place now.

● Use the six past forms (simple past, present perfect, past perfect, past progressive, present

perfect progressive, past perfect progressive) to show events that took place before the

present.

● Use the four future forms (simple future, future perfect, future progressive, future perfect

progressive) to show events that take place in the future.

1. Use past tenses accurately.

The six past tenses all indicate the past in a different way. The following chart provides

examples of how to use these tenses.

 Tense                                    Use                                                      Example

Simple past                            Completed action (indefinite              We washed the car.

                                               time)

                                               Completed condition (indefinite         We were happy the

                                               time)                                                     party was over.

                                               Completed action (definite time)        We washed the car yesterday.

                                                Completed condition (definite           I was delighted yesterday to

                                                time)                                                    receive the news.

Present perfect                        Completed action (indefinite             We have bought the gifts.

                                                 time)

                                                Completed condition (indefinite        I have been very relieved.

                                                 time)

                                                 Action continuing into the                 Sarah has called for two

                                                 present                                                                hours.

Condition continuing into the She has been in New York

present for a week.

Past perfect Action completed before Greg had called all his friends

another before the party started.

Condition completed Greg had been a butcher 

before he became a guru.

Past progressive Continuous completed action I was attending a spa

that month.

Present perfect progressive Action continuing into present Ralph has been exercising all

week.

Past perfect progressive Continuing action interrupted Katie had been repairing the

by another fence that was damaged in the 

storm.

.

Tense	Use	Example
Simple past	Completed action (indefinite time)	We washed the car.
	Completed condition (indefinite time)	We were happy the party was over.
	Completed action (definite time)	We washed the car yesterday.
	Completed condition (definite time)	I was delighted yesterday to receive the news.
Present perfect	Completed action (indefinite time)	We have bought the gifts.
	Completed condition (indefinite time)	I have been very relieved.
	Action continuing into the present	Sarah has called for two hours
	Condition continuing into the present	She has been in New York for a week.
Past perfect	Action completed before another	Greg had called all his friends before the party started.
	Condition completed	Greg had been a butcher before he became a guru.
Past progressive	Continuous completed action	I was attending a spa that month.
Present perfect progressive	Action continuing into present	Ralph has been exercising all week.
Past perfect progressive	Continuing action interrupted Katie had been repairing the by another	Katie had been repairing the fence that was damaged in the storm.