Here are some examples of verb tenses in sentences: Present Tense: - I walk to school every day. - She studies hard for her exams. Past Tense: - I walked to school yesterday. - They studied all night for the test. Future Tense: - I will walk to school tomorrow. - She will study more for the next exam. By changing the form of the verb, we can indicate whether an action happened in the past, is happening now, or will happen in the future. Identifying the verb tense helps the reader understand when events are occurring.

5. To the students
This material will help you become a
better writer. It is very important that
you apply consistency in verbs.
As you learn to use the correct verbs in
sentences through the activities, you will
achieve better way of expressing your
thoughts especially pertaining on the time
when the events happened.

6. Carmela Hazel
Carmela Hazel
Grade 7 student
Grade 7 student

8. Carmela Hazel
Carmela Hazel
Grade 7 student
Grade 7 student

10. Verbs
Click the correct picture that means the same in the
words.

13. The present tense
The present tense
expresses an
expresses an
action that is
action that is
happening right
happening right
now, at the
now, at the
present time.
present time.
chomp!
chomp!

14. Present Tense
What's the best word to complete the sentence?
1. It ________ almost every day 3. Jo is so smart that she
in Manchester. ________ every exam
a. rain without even trying.
b. rains a. pass
c. raines b. passies
c. passes
2. My best friend ________ to
me every week. 4. We ________ to Spain every
a. write summer.
b. writhes a. fly
c. writes b. flys
c. flies

15. 5. She ________ in Florida. 8. Most banks ________ at
a. live four o'clock.
b. lives a. close
c. livees b. closies
c. closes
6. My life is so boring -- I just 9. John ________ very hard
________ TV every night. in class, but I don't think
a. watch he'll pass the course.
b. watchies a. try
c. watches b. trys
c. tries
7. I ________ in a bank. 10. My mother ________ eggs
a. work for breakfast every
b. works morning.
c. workes a. fry
b. frys
c. fries

16. Choose the correct present tense of verbs to
be used for each sentence.
1.I (play, plays) tennis.
2.She (do, does )not play tennis.
3.(Do, Does) he play tennis?
4.The train (leave, leaves) every morning at 8 AM.
5.The train (do, does) not leave at 9 AM.
6.When (do, does) the train usually leave?
7.She always (forget, forgets) her purse.
8.He never (care, cares) for his friend.
9.Every twelve months, the Earth (circle, circles) the Sun.
10.( Do, Does) the Sun circle the Earth?

17. 11.Cats (like, likes) milk.
12.Birds (do, does) not like milk.
13.(Do, Does) pigs like milk?
14.California (is, are) in America.
15.California (is, are) not in the United
Kingdom.
16.Windows ( is, are) made of glass.
17.Tables ( is, are) not made of wood.
18.New York (is, are) a small city

19. The past tense
expresses an action
the happened in the
past and does not
occur in the present.

20. Simple Past Tense
Put the verb in brackets in the correct simple past
form.
My grandfather had a very exciting life. When he
was young, he (live) on a farm in the country. His
parents (raise) cattle, and he (look) after the cows.
When he was eighteen, he went to university, where
he (study) Philosophy. He also (play) the trumpet in
a jazz band. When the war started, he (try) to join
the Air Force, but he (end) up in the Navy. In the
Atlantic, a German torpedo (rip) a hole in the side of
his ship, and the ship sank. Only five men (escape).
They (sail) in a lifeboat back to England. Then he met
my grandmother, and they (marry) after only three
weeks. He says now that he (want) to marry her very
quickly in case he (die) in the war.

21. Choose the correct past tense of verbs to
be used for each sentence.
1.I (saw, see) a movie yesterday.
2.I (did not, do not) see a play
yesterday.
3.Last year, I (traveled, travel) to Japan.
4.(Did, Do) you have dinner last night?
5.She (washed, wash) her car last summer.
6.He (buy, bought) his car last Christmas.

22. 7. I (lived, live) in Brazil for two years.
8. Shauna (studied, study) Japanese
for five years.
9.They (sat, sit) at the beach all day.
10. They (did, do) not stay at the party
the entire time last weekend.
11. We (talked, talk) on the phone for
thirty minutes a while ago.
12. How long (did, do) you wait for them
last Monday?

23. 13.I (visited, visit) French when I was a child.
14.He (played, play) the violin 2 years ago.
15.He (danced, dance) at the party.
16.(Did, do) you play a musical instrument
when you were a kid?
17.She (worked, work) at the movie theater
after school.
18. They never (went, go) to school, they
always skipped class.

25. The future
The future
tense
tense
expresses an
expresses an
action that will
action that will
happen..
happen

26. The Future
Replace the correct form of the verb in brackets.
Junko: Will you help me with my homework tonight?
Junko: (help) me with my homework tonight?
Mei-Li: Sure! I always watch Seinfeld at seven. I will
Mei-Li: Sure! I always watch Seinfeld at seven. a
come over after it's finished. Will we need
I (come) over after it's finished. (need) a dictionary?
dictionary?
Junko: If we do, I have a good dictionary at home.
Junko: If we do, I have a good dictionary at home.
How (get) here? get here?
How will you
Mei-Li: I (not know). Do you think it (rain)?
Mei-Li: I don't know. Do you think it will rain?
Junko: I (not think) so.
Junko: I don't think (not think) so.
Mei-Li: I (walk) then.
Mei-Li: I will walk then.
Junko: OK. I (see) you later!
Junko: OK. I will see you later!
Mei-Li: Bye!
Mei-Li: Bye!

27. Choose the correct future tense of verbs to be used for each
sentence.
I (will send, sent) you the information when I get it.
I (will translate, translate) the email, so Mr. Smith can
read it.
I (will not do, do) your homework for you.
I (won't do, do) all the housework myself!
The year 2222 (will be, is) a very interesting year.
The year 2222 (is going to be, is) a very interesting year.
John Smith (will be, is) the next President.
John Smith (is going to be, is)the next President.
The movie "Zenith" (will win, wins) several Academy
Awards.
The movie "Zenith" (is going to win, to win) several
Academy Awards.

29. Tense Consistency
Tense Consistency
Do I use the
Or do I need
present tense
the past
to maintain
tense instead?
consistency?

30. Once you begin a
Once you begin a
sentence with a
sentence with a
certain verb tense,
certain verb tense,
maintain that tense
maintain that tense
as long as you are
as long as you are
referring to the same
referring to the same
time.
time.

32. 6. After I swallowed the huge gulp of
water, I will cough.
7. As the trees sway in the breeze, the
birds will sing merrily.
8. Hannah mixed her paints and she
notices a crack in her palette.
9. My parents owned a diner until last
year when they sell it.
10. Tim had washed the dishes but
forgets to put them away.

33. Choose the letter of the correct
Choose the letter of the correct
answer.
answer.
 When King was a puppy, he bites toys and
furniture. Most of all, he wanted to chew
mail carrier.
 A. bit
 B. bite
 C. bitten
 D. bites

34. activity
activity
Carlos pawedat his hair and shakeshis head, but
paws at his hair and shook his head, but
pawed at his hair and shook his head, but
A B
he cannotnot dislodge the giant spider tangled in
could dislodge the giant spider tangled in
cannotdislodge the giant spider tangled in
CC
his curls.
A.was pawing
B.was shaking
w
C.could not
could not
D.No change is necessary.

35. activity
activity
Grandpa planted a backyard garden, hoping that it
was helping with the high cost of food.
was helping with the high cost of food.
A.will help
B.would help
B.would help
C.helped
D.No change is necessary.

36. activity
activity
When Gretchen was a freshman, she wanted to
was a freshman, she wanted to
A B
major in biology, but after her first rat dissection,
she couldn’t change her major fast enough.
couldn’t change her major fast enough.
C
A.had been
B.was wanting
C.cannot
D.No change is necessary.
No change is necessary.

37. activity
activity
We would have bite marks on our ankles and
would have bite marks on our ankles and
scratches on our thighs ever since adopting
Nelson, our feisty kitten.
A.had
B.have
B.have
C.will have
D.No change is necessary.

39. Make yourself ready for the
next activity!
I’m a little
nervous.. But I
know I can ace
it.

42. Choose the correct tense of verb to be
used in each sentence.
1. He knew he would not get his wish even
though he out all his birthday candles.
a. blows b. blew c. will blow
2. Cindy Nicholas was the first woman who
the English Channel both ways.
a. swims b. swam c. will swim
3. When the baby sitter raises her voice, the
children it is time to behave.
a. know b. knew c. will know

43. 4. After we had seen all the exhibits at the county
fair, we a snack and then home.
a. eat, go b. ate, went c. will eat, will go
5. I was very nervous when I on the ski
lift for the first time.
a. go b. went c. will go
6. Sally went to the store and the home.
a. returns b. returned c. will return
7. We watched the movie and then to
the coffee shop across the street.
a. walk b. walked c. will walk

44. 8. When the student asks a question, the professor
always .
a. grumbles b. grumbled c. will grumble
9. The kids will always clean the kitchen, my wife
will straighten up the den, and I in the
yard.
a. work b. worked c. will work
10.When King was a puppy, he toys and
furniture.
a. chew b. chewed c. will chew

45. Now, you can Wow!! That was
great! Now I know
narrate your what I have to do to
experiences improve my
better and more paragraphs.
clearly.
That is
Privilege to help.. absolutely right!
One last thing, Thank you very
we’re going to much..!!
check how much
you learn.

46. For the past seven years, I have called myself a
swimmer. Swimming, my one sport, provides a necessary
outlet for my abundant energy. I have always drawn
satisfaction from exertion, straining my muscles to their limits.
I did not know why pushing forward in the water, as my
muscles cried out in pain, sets off a booming cheer in my head.
Many times when I rounded the turn for the last lap of a race,
my complaining muscles want to downshift and idle to the
finish. My mind, however, presses the pedal to the floor and
yells, "FASTER!" The moment that I touch the wall my
muscles relax; the pain subsides. I am pleased to have passed
the point of conflict.

47. Read the paragraph below and identify the
incorrect shifts of verb tenses . The main tense in this
paragraph is past.
At my grandparents’ house that morning, I woke up
before anyone else and quietly grabbed the fishing pole and
headed for the pond. Across the water, I see ripples. “I
have to catch that fish,” I say to myself. I threw my lure
near where I see the ripples and reeled in the line. The fish
don’t seem interested. I saw more ripples and throw the
line in the water again. “I’ve got a strike!” I shout to the
trees around me. As I reeled in the line, a beautiful trout
jumps out of the water and spat out the hook. Discouraged,
I go back to the house. Grandpa was sitting at the table with
a bowl of hot oatmeal for me. I say, “Maybe tomorrow we’ll
have trout for breakfast.”

48. Verb Tense?? Does
this have something
to do with past,
present and future?
That’s exactly what
we’re going to talk
about.

49. Verb Tenses
Verb Tenses
Verb tense expresses the time of
an event or action. Time and how it is
expressed in writing is very important
to English readers. The English
language has twelve different tenses.
In this lesson, we will review the
meaning of each verb tense.

50. The Simple Present Tense
Do you have
examples,
Ma’am..?

51. The Simple Past
The verbs are
now in the
past..

52. The Future
This tense is used to describe
an event or action that will occur over
a period of time at a specific point in
the future.
The sentences are
all to happen in
the future.
She will meet a new client at eleven o’clock.
The train will leave at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow.
I will teach ESL this afternoon.
They will move their furniture out of the house by next week.
They will write their first exam tonight.

53. You’re doing
great. That was
very nice.
Thank you.
What’s up
next?
Very enthusiastic.
I like that!! We are
going to tackle
now the
consistency of
Verb Tenses. Verb Tenses
Consistency.. I
can’t wait!!

54. Verb tense indicates
the time of the verb:
past, present, or
future, illustrating
when an action takes
place. In writing you
need to be consistent
in the tense you are
using.

57. Yes Ma’am..
Do you still Definitely!!!
have the energy
to learn more??

63. Verb Tense Consistency
If you tell a story in PAST tense, STAY in PAST tense:
My brother was my best friend. He would always
give me advice if I was having an argument with my
boyfriend or if I needed to ask my parents for a
favor.
If you tell a story in PRESENT tense, STAY in PRESENT tense:
My brother is my best friend. He always gives me
advice if I am having an argument with my boyfriend
or if I need to ask my parents for a favor.

64. If you tell a story in FUTURE tense, STAY in FUTURE tense:
My brother will be my best friend. He will always
give me advice if I will have an argument with my
boyfriend or if I will need to ask my parents for a
favor.

65. It’s the end of our
discussion about the
Consistency of Verb
Tenses. I hope that you
learned a lot and enjoyed
the activity. Thank you for
listening! Have a nice day!
Thank you for the very
informative and lively
discussion. Now I can write
better paragraphs . I have
also gained confidence in
writing.

66. Stay Consistent!
If you suspect tense inconsistency in your own writing, or the writing of others.
1) THINK about what "tense" or "time" the overall sentence is in - past, present
or future.
2) LOCATE verbs (action words) in the sentence, and see what tense they are
in.
3) RE-READ the sentence, to make sure you understand what it is saying.
4) RE-EXAMINE the verbs in the sentence, to make sure they are in a
consistent tense.

67. Assignment
Write a paragraph about what
you learned in the activities
today. Make sure to observe
the right Consistency of
Tenses.

73. Answer Keys
• Activity 1
1. rains 7. work
2.Writes 8. closes
3.Passes 9. tries
4.Fly 10. fries
5.Lives
6.Watch

74. Activity 1- part 2
1. play 9. circle 17. is
2. does 10. does 18. is
3. does 11. likes
4. leaves 12. do
5. does 13. do
6. Does 14. is
7. Forgets 15. is
8. Cares 16. is

75. Activity 2
1. lived 8. ripped
2. raised 9. escaped
3. looked 10. sailed
4. studied 11. married
5. played 12. wanted
6. tried 13. died
7. ended

76. Activity 2- part 2
1. Saw
2. Did
3. Traveled
4. Did
5. Washed
6. bought

77. Activity 3
1. Will you help
2. Will come, will we need
3. Will you get
4. Will run
5. Don’t think
6. Will walk
7. Will see

78. Activity 3- Future
1. Will not do
2. Won’t
3. Will be
4. Is going to be
5. Will be
6. Is going to be
7. Will
8. Is going to win

79. Activity 4
1. Had 9. sold
2. Began 10 forgets
3. Drunk
4. Trimmed
5. Will finish
6. Coughed
7. Sing
8. noticed

80. Activity 4- Part 2
1. bit
2. Could not
3. Would help
4. No change is necessary
5. Have

81. Activity 5
1. present 8. past
2. future 9. future
3. sweeps 10. present
4. touched
5. will blaze
6. settled
7. future

82. Activity 6
1. b 8. a
2. b 9. c
3. a 10. b
4. b
5. b
6. b
7. b

83. Activity7 & 8
1. call 1. saw 8. said
2. always 2. said
3. draw 3. saw
4. cry 4. seemed
5. round 5. threw
6. please 6. jumped
7. pass 7. wet