Delgado Community College
What are verb tenses? The tense of a verb indicates when the action of the verb takes place: at the present time,
in the past, or in the future.
Tense
Example
Tense
Example
Present
I eat.
Present Perfect
I have eaten.
Past
I ate.
Past Perfect
I had eaten.
Future
I will eat.
Future Perfect
I will have eaten.
Regular verbs form their past tense and their past participle by adding a –t, -d, or –ed.
Infinitive
Past Tense
Past Participle
To watch
watched
watched
To burn
burned or burnt
burned or burnt
Irregular verbs have unpredictable parts. These are usually learned by listening as we grow up
Infinitive
Past Tense
Past Participle
To be
was
been
To sing
sang
sung
To drink
drank
drunk
Use progressive tenses to indicate continued action.
Tense
Example
Tense
Example
Present Progressive
She is watching
Present Perfect Progressive
She has been watching.
Past Progressive
She was watching
Past Perfect Progressive
She will be watching.
Future Progressive
She will be watching
Future Perfect Progressive
She will have been watching.
Tense
Form
Example
PRESENT
Simple present
Present progressive
Present emphatic
She watches the Saints game.
She is watching the Saints game.
She does watch the Saints game.
PAST
Simple Past
She watched the Saints game.
Past Progressive
She was watching the Saints game.
Past Emphatic
She did watch the Saints game.
Present Perfect
She has watched the Saints game.
PAST PERFECT
Used to express an
action completed
before another.
She had watched the Saints game before she started laundry.
FUTURE
Used to describe an
action to come.
She will watch the Saints game.
