Tenses

1. Present, Past, and Future
Tenses
Tense means time.

2. The tense of a verb tells
when an action takes place.
The bear walks to the honey
tree.
The bear walked to the honey
tree.
The bear will walk to the honey
tree.

3. Present Tense (Time)
The present tense of a
verb names an action that
happens regularly. It can
also express a general
truth.

4. The present tense of the
verb is the base form of
the verb.
When the subject is a
singular noun or he, she,
or it, you usually add s
to the verb.

5. Present tense
Singular Plural
I visit. We visit.
You visit. You visit.
He,she,or it visits. They visit.

6. The verb be
The present tense of the
verb be differs from the
base form:
am, are, is
I am. You are. She is.

7. Past tense ( time )
The past tense of a verb names
an action that already
happened.
Form past tense of most verbs
by adding ed to the base form
of the verb.

8. Future tense ( time )
The future tense of a verb
names an action that will take
place in the future.
Form the future tense by
adding the helping verb will or
shall to the base form of the
verb.

9. The balloon
floats in the
breeze.
The balloon floated
in the breeze.
The balloon will float in the
breeze.

10. More on Verb Tenses
• A Quiz on Verb Tenses
• Verb Tense and Sentence Order
• Verb Tense Introduction
• The English Club Verb Tenses
• Better English Verb Tense Exercises
• Verb Tenses Matching Game
• Tense Menu
• Verb Tense Review