In many achievement tests, there is an entire section of the test devoted to verb tense. Use the following little "trick" to determine which verb tense is the correct one to use in each tense.

For present tense, use this sentence, putting your verb in the blank:
I ____________ today.

For past tense, use this sentence, putting the same verb in the blank:
I _____________ yesterday.

For future tense, add will plus your verb:
I will ____________ tomorrow.

For present perfect, add have plus the past participle:
I have _____________ many times before.

For past perfect, add had plus the past participle:
I had ___________ many times before.

For future perfect, add will have plus the past participle:
By Friday, I will have ___________ many times.
 
 

Example:
RUN - Imagine that you are talking with a friend about field day races.

Present: I run today.
Past: I ran yesterday.
Future: I will run tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have run many times before.
Past Perfect: I had run many times before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have run many times.

Below is a chart of verbs that students often find confusing. Read the sentences aloud and carefully study the verb tenses.  Remembering them in sentence form will help preserve the information for future use.

WRITE
Present: I write today.
Past: I wrote yesterday.
Future: I will write tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have written many times before.
Past Perfect: I had written many times before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have written many times.

TEAR  (Note that you may add the pronoun "it" to make the sentence flow more smoothly)
Present: I tear it today.
Past: I tore it yesterday.
Future: I will tear it tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have torn it before.
Past Perfect: I had torn it before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have torn it many times.

TAKE  (Note that you can add "it" or put in a noun that helps the sentence make sense to you. Let's consider that we are "taking" a test and insert "the test.")
Present: I take the test today.
Past: I took the test yesterday.
Future: I will take the test tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have taken the test before.
Past Perfect: I had taken the test before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have taken the test many times.

DRINK (Note that you can add "it" or put in a noun that helps the sentence make sense to you. Let's consider that we are "drinking" water.)
Present: I drink water today.
Past: I drank water yesterday.
Future: I will drink water tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have drunk water before.
Past Perfect: I had drunk water before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have drunk water many times.

BLOW (Note that you can add "it" or put in a noun that helps the sentence make sense to you. Let's consider that we are "blowing" a tuba and insert "the tuba.")
Present: I blow the tuba today.
Past: I blew the tuba yesterday.
Future: I will blow the tuba tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have blown the tuba before.
Past Perfect: I had blown the tuba before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have blown the tuba many times.

COME (Note that you can add a prepositional phrase to help the sentence make sense to you. Let's consider that we are "coming" to town and insert "to town.")
Present: I come to town today.
Past: I came to town yesterday.
Future: I will come to town tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have come to town before.
Past Perfect: I had come to town before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have come to town many times.

GO (Note that you can add a prepositional phrase to help the sentence make sense to you. Let's consider that we are "going" to town and insert "to town.")
Present: I go to town today.
Past: I went to town yesterday.
Future: I will go to town tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have gone to town before.
Past Perfect: I had gone to town before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have gone to town many times.

SPEAK (Note that you can add a prepositional phrase to help the sentence make sense to you. Let's consider that we are "speaking" to the class and insert "to the class.")
Present: I speak to the class today.
Past: I spoke to the class yesterday.
Future: I will speak to the class tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have spoken to the class before.
Past Perfect: I had spoken to the class before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have spoken to the class many times.

CHOOSE (Note that you can add "it" or put in a noun that helps the sentence make sense to you. Let's consider that we are "choosing" a snack and insert "the apple.")
Present: I choose the apple today.
Past: I chose the apple yesterday.
Future: I will choose the apple tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have chosen the apple before.
Past Perfect: I had chosen the apple before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have chosen the apple many times.

BURST (Let's change from "I" to "the bubbles" since that will make more sense.)
Present: The bubbles burst today.
Past: The bubbles burst yesterday.
Future: The bubbles will burst tomorrow.
Present Perfect: The bubbles have burst before.
Past Perfect: The bubbles had burst before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, the bubbles will have burst many times.

DRIVE (Note that you can add "it" or put in a noun that helps the sentence make sense to you. Let's consider that we are "driving" a car and insert "the Mustang.")
Present: I drive the Mustang today.
Past: I drove the Mustang yesterday.
Future: I will drive the Mustang tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have driven the Mustang before.
Past Perfect: I had driven the Mustang before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have driven the Mustang many times.

FALL
Present: I fall today.
Past: I fell yesterday.
Future: I will fall tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have fallen before.
Past Perfect: I had fallen before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have fallen many times.
 

BREAK (Note that you may add the preposition "it" to make the sentence flow more smoothly)
Present: I break it today.
Past: I broke it yesterday.
Future: I will break it tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have broken it before.
Past Perfect: I had broken it before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have broken it many times.

THROW (Note that you may add the preposition "it" to make the sentence flow more smoothly)
Present: I throw it today.
Past: I threw it yesterday.
Future: I will throw it tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have thrown it before.
Past Perfect: I had thrown it before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have thrown it many times.

DRAW (Note that you may add the preposition "it" to make the sentence flow more smoothly)
Present: I draw it today.
Past: I drew it yesterday. 
Future: I will draw it tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have drawn it before.
Past Perfect: I had drawn it before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have drawn it many times.

FREEZE (Note that you can add "it" or put in a noun that helps the sentence make sense to you. Let's consider that we are "freezing" popsicles.)
Present: I freeze popsicles today.
Past: I froze popsicles yesterday. 
Future: I will freeze popsicles tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have frozen popsicles before.
Past Perfect: I had frozen popsicles before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have frozen popsicles many times.

KNOW (Note that you may add the preposition "it" to make the sentence flow more smoothly)
Present: I know it today.
Past: I knew it yesterday. 
Future: I will know it tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have known it before.
Past Perfect: I had known it before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have known it a long time.

SIT
Present: I sit today.
Past: I sat yesterday. 
Future: I will sit tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have sat before.
Past Perfect: I had sat before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have sat many times.

DO
(Note that you may add the preposition "it" to make the sentence flow more smoothly)
Present: I do it today.
Past: I did it yesterday. 
Future: I will do it tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have done it before.
Past Perfect: I had done it before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have done it many times.

FLY (Note that you can add a prepositional phrase to help the sentence make sense to you. Let's consider that we are "flying" on an airplane.)
Present: I fly on an airplane today.
Past: I flew on an airplane yesterday. 
Future: I will fly on an airplane tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have flown on an airplane before.
Past Perfect: I had flown on an airplane before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have flown on a airplane many times.

RISE (Note that you can add a prepositional phrase to help the sentence make sense to you. Let's consider that we are "rising" from bed in the morning.)
Present: I rise from bed today.
Past: I rose from bed yesterday. 
Future: I will rise from bed tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have risen from bed before.
Past Perfect: I had risen from bed before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have risen from bed many times.

GROW
Present: I grow today.
Past: I grew yesterday. 
Future: I will grow tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have grown before.
Past Perfect: I had grown before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have grown many times.

RING (Note that you can add "it" or put in a noun that helps the sentence make sense to you. Let's consider that we are "ringing" bells.)
Present: I ring the bells today.
Past: I rang the bells yesterday. 
Future: I will ring the bells tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have rung the bells before.
Past Perfect: I had rung the bells before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have rung the bells many times.

SING (Note that you can add "it" or put in a noun that helps the sentence make sense to you. Let's consider that we are "singing" songs.)
Present: I sing the songs today.
Past: I sang the songs yesterday. 
Future: I will sing the songs tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have sung the songs before.
Past Perfect: I had sung the songs before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have sung the songs many times.

BEGIN (Note that you can add "it" or put in a noun that helps the sentence make sense to you. Let's consider that we are "beginning" a job and insert "the work.")
Present: I begin the work today.
Past: I began the work yesterday.
Future: I will begin the work tomorrow.
Present Perfect: I have begun the work before.
Past Perfect: I had begun the work before.
Future Perfect: By Friday, I will have begun the work many times.
 

CONJUGATION:
Every verb can be used in first person, second person, or third person tenses. The following chart will set it up in a simple way for you. Memorize the chart.

SINGULAR     PLURAL
I ______     We  _______
You _______     You ________
Person's name, he, she, it ________  Group name, they ___________

EXAMPLE ONE
Example using the verb SWIM - Present Tense: 
I swim.     We swim.
You swim.     You swim.
Sam swims.      The hippos swim.
He swims. She swims. It swims.  They swim.

Example using the verb SWIM - Past Tense:
I swam.     We swam.
You swam.     You swam.
Cindy swam.     The explorers swam.
He swam. She swam. It swam.  They swam.

Example using the verb SWIM - Future Tense:
I will swim.     We will swim.
You will swim.    You will swim.
Monte will swim.    The children will swim.
He will swim. She will swim. It will swim. They will swim.

Example using the verb SWIM - Present Perfect Tense:
I have swum.     We have swum.
You have swum.    You have swum.
Eddie has swum.    The dogs have swum.
He has swum. She has swum.   They have swum.
It has swum.

Example using the verb SWIM - Past Perfect Tense:
I had swum.     We had swum.
You had swum.    You had swum.
Diane had swum.    The children had swum.
He had swum. She had swum.  They had swum.
It had swum.

Example using the verb SWIM - Future Perfect Tense:
I will have swum.    We will have swum.
You will have swum.    You will have swum.
Tim will have swum.    The teenagers will have swum. 
He will have swum.    They will have swum.
She will have swum.
It will have swum.
 

EXAMPLE TWO
Example using the verb SEE - Present Tense: 
(We can add "it" to help the sentence flow more smoothly.)
I see it.      We see it.
You see it.     You see it.
Sam sees it.      The birds see it.
He sees it. She sees it. It sees it.  They see it.

Example using the verb SEE - Past Tense:
I saw it.     We saw it.
You saw it.     You saw it.
Cindy saw it.     The soldiers saw it.
He saw it. She saw it. It saw it.  They saw it.

Example using the verb SEE - Future Tense:
I will see it.     We will see it.
You will see it.    You will see it.
Monte will see it.    The children will see it.
He will see it. She will see it. It will see it. They will see it.

Example using the verb SEE - Present Perfect Tense:
I have seen it.     We have seen it.
You have seen it.    You have seen it.
Eddie has seen it.    The dogs have seen it.
He has seen it. She has seen it.  They have seen it.
It has seen it.

Example using the verb SEE - Past Perfect Tense:
I had seen it.     We had seen it.
You had seen it.    You had seen it.
Diane had seen it.    The singers had seen it.
He had seen it. She had seen it.  They had seen it.
It had seen it.

Example using the verb SEE - Future Perfect Tense:
I will have seen it.    We will have seen it.
You will have seen it.    You will have seen it.
Tim will have seen it.    The workmen will have seen it. 
He will have seen it.    They will have seen it.
She will have seen it.
It will have seen it.
 
 

EXERCISES:
1. drink:  He ________ all the milk.

2. go: The boys have _______ home.

3. sit: Benny had _____ on the cake.

4. choose: They had __________ the wrong road.

5. do:   They _______ the best that they could.

6. break:  I thought you had __________ your leg!

7. know: You should have ___________ better.

8. give: I ________ the right answer on the test yesterday.

9. fly: You drove? You could have __________ here in half the time. (hint: "could" is a helping verb. Just be concerned with "have." What goes with "have"?)

10. run: He _________ as fast as he could.

11. throw: Who _________ those papers on the floor?  (hint: Substitute "he" for "who.")

12. burst: As we drove around the corner, the tire ___________.

13. rise: Yesterday, a heavy fog _________ over the water.

14. swim: One of the boys has _______ to shore to get help.

15. blow: You should have ___________ up those balloons for the party!

16. come:  When we ____________ home, we found the dog inside!

17. drive: You must have _________ really fast to be here so soon.

18. draw: I have ____ a smaller version of the picture for my lab report.

19. fall: He had __________ over the skate left in the road.

20. freeze:  The berries had ___________ in the new refrigerator.

21. grow: You have _________ much taller than your brother.

22. ring: He has ___________ that church bell a hundred times!

23. see:  I have __________ that show a dozen times or more.

24. sing: She has never ________ better in her life.

25. speak:  Have you ______________ to Sam?

26. take: I have not ________ that test yet.

27. tear: The coach thought he had ______ a ligament.

28. write: I have __________ my report already.

29. burst: My suitcase suddenly _________ wide open in the middle of the airport!

30. freeze:  The plants will __________ if we do not bring them in.

31. fly:  We'd be getting home now if we had ______________.

32. blow:  The storm had ________________ over.

33. fall:  She could not have _______ more than six feet.

34. break: Were any bones _____________?

35. begin:  We _________ that job last Friday

36. know:  You should have _________ what to do.

37. swim: She had ________ the English Channel when she was younger.

38. ring: The old man has _________ the bell to warn the town of the fire.

39. drive:  How far have you _________ today?

40. drink: During the flood, we ___________ bottled water.

41. run: When I saw her pass the house, I ________ after her.

42. do:  She ______ all her homework tonight.

43. swim:  When I called for help, Helen _________ out to me.

44. come:  He __________ in about an hour ago.

45. choose:  The council could have ________ someone else.

46. sing:  The children _________ in the program.

47. grow:  The group has __________ really large.

48. go:  Alice has _______ to the movies.

49. see:  I'm sure Ray __________ me when I left the room.

50. give:  What _______________ you that idea?
 
 

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