Verb Tenses
ELAGGSE5L1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
b. Form and use the perfect (e.g., I had walked; I have walked; I will have walked) verb aspects.
c. Use verb tense and aspect to convey various times, sequences, states, and conditions.
d. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense and aspect.*
Tenses tell us when an action happened.
Simple Tenses:
Simple tenses use the past form, the present form, and the present form with the helping verb will.
Yesterday I walked home from school.
Every day I walk home from school, and my sister walks home from school.
Tomorrow I will walk home from school.
Simple Tenses:
Simple tenses use the past form, the present form, and the present form with the helping verb will.
Yesterday I walked home from school.
Every day I walk home from school, and my sister walks home from school.
Tomorrow I will walk home from school.
Perfect tenses show when an action happened in relation to another action.
The action in the past perfect began and ended before the event or time it is being related to. The action in the present perfect began in the past and continues up to the present or has ended by the present. The action in the future tense will be finished a particular point in the future. The perfect tenses use the helping verb to have (have/has, had) with the past participle of the verb. The verb to have changes to show the tense.
Yesterday I rode to school, but the day before I had walked to school.
Most days I walk to school, but for the last two weeks I have walked to school.
By the time I get to school tomorrow, I will have walked to school many times.
The action in the past perfect began and ended before the event or time it is being related to. The action in the present perfect began in the past and continues up to the present or has ended by the present. The action in the future tense will be finished a particular point in the future. The perfect tenses use the helping verb to have (have/has, had) with the past participle of the verb. The verb to have changes to show the tense.
Yesterday I rode to school, but the day before I had walked to school.
Most days I walk to school, but for the last two weeks I have walked to school.
By the time I get to school tomorrow, I will have walked to school many times.
Progressive tenses show that an action is or was ongoing or continuing at the same time as something else. The present progressive tense is used to talk about something that is happening right now.
The progressive tenses use a form of the verb to be (am/is/are, was/were) and the present participle of the verb.
Yesterday I was walking to school when you saw me.
Most days I am walking to school when you see me.
Tomorrow I will be walking to school when you see me.
The progressive tenses use a form of the verb to be (am/is/are, was/were) and the present participle of the verb.
Yesterday I was walking to school when you saw me.
Most days I am walking to school when you see me.
Tomorrow I will be walking to school when you see me.
Perfect progressive tenses are a combination of perfect (completed before) and progressive (ongoing) tenses which show that something began, continued, and ended before another action mentioned.
The perfect progressive tenses combine the perfect (with have) and the progressive (with been) and the present participle of the verb.
Yesterday I had been walking to school when it started to rain.
Most days I have been walking to school when the weather is nice.
Tomorrow I will have been walking to school for six weeks straight. Choosing the correct tense for use in a sentence requires you to pay close attention to the clues in the sentence.
The perfect progressive tenses combine the perfect (with have) and the progressive (with been) and the present participle of the verb.
Yesterday I had been walking to school when it started to rain.
Most days I have been walking to school when the weather is nice.
Tomorrow I will have been walking to school for six weeks straight. Choosing the correct tense for use in a sentence requires you to pay close attention to the clues in the sentence.
Perfect FormThe perfect form is the verb tense used to indicate a completed, or "perfected," action or condition. Verbs can appear in any one of three perfect tenses: present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect.
Verbs in the perfect form use a form of "have" or "had" + the past participle. (It is the form of the helping verb that indicates the tense.)
The three perfect tenses in English are the three verb tenses which show action already completed. (The word perfect literally means "made complete" or "completely done.")
They are formed by the appropriate tense of the verb to have plus the past participle of the verb.
Present Perfect: I have seen it.
(Present tense of to have plus participle. Action is completed with respect to the present.)
Past Perfect: I had seen it.
(Past tense of to have plus participle. Action is completed with respect to the past.)
Future Perfect: I will have seen it.
(Future tense of to have plus participle. Action is completed with respect to the future.)
Verbs in the perfect form use a form of "have" or "had" + the past participle. (It is the form of the helping verb that indicates the tense.)
- Present Perfect: I have finished my homework already.
- Past Perfect: He had watched TV for an hour before dinner.
- Future Perfect: Nancy will have finished by the time her parents return.
The three perfect tenses in English are the three verb tenses which show action already completed. (The word perfect literally means "made complete" or "completely done.")
They are formed by the appropriate tense of the verb to have plus the past participle of the verb.
Present Perfect: I have seen it.
(Present tense of to have plus participle. Action is completed with respect to the present.)
Past Perfect: I had seen it.
(Past tense of to have plus participle. Action is completed with respect to the past.)
Future Perfect: I will have seen it.
(Future tense of to have plus participle. Action is completed with respect to the future.)