The Verb

What is a verb? According to Google, a verb is “a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence, and forming the main part of the predicate of a sentence, such as hear, become, happen.”

In other words, a verb is a word that is used to describe an action. Verbs are very important to sentences. In fact, you can’t have a sentence without a verb, and some sentences consist of just a verb. For example, “Stop!” So remember, every sentence must have a verb. Because they’re so important to a sentence, using them correctly will really improve your use of English.

Types of Verbs: There are different types of verbs in English. Knowing how different types of verbs work can help you use them more easily.

Transitive Verbs: According to Google, “A transitive verb is a verb that takes on or more objects.” This means that a transitive verb can be followed by an object. See the following sentence:

Jennifer bought a new car.

In the previous example, bought is the transitive verb. The object, a new car, follows the verb telling what Jennifer bought. Because they can have objects, transitive verbs can be used in the passive voice. Below are some common transitive verbs.

bring buy cost get give

leave lend make offer owe

pass pay play promise read

refuse send show sing take

teach tell write

Intransitive Verbs: Intransitive verbs are verbs that do not have objects. See the

following sentence:

The boys talked a lot.

This previous sentence has the verb talk, but it is not followed by an object.

Because they do not have an object, intransitive verbs cannot be used in the

passive voice. Below is a list of intransitive verbs.

cry work laugh talk lie

go die sit arrive

Some verbs can be both transitive and intransitive. This means that you can use

them with an object, or you could choose to use them without an object. Below

are some verbs that can be both.

move start change close open stop do set run live wash write

Linking Verbs: According to softschools.com, “Linking Verbs are verbs that express

a state of being. They are called ‘linking verbs because they link the subject of the

sentence to a word or phrase in the predicate that renames or describes the

subject (tells us more about the subject’s ‘state of being.’” Instead of expressing

an action, the linking verb connects that subject to more information about that

same subject. See the example:

Jessica is a teacher.

In the previous example, the be verb (is) connects the subject Jessica to the

information that she is a teacher. Below is a list of common linking verbs:

be become seem

Other verbs that can also act as a main verb can also be used as a linking verb.

Below are some verbs that can be both action verbs and linking verbs.

grow look prove remain

smell sound taste turn

stay get appear feel

Auxiliary Verb or Helping Verb: English has four auxiliary verbs. They are the verbs

be, do, have, and will when they are followed by another verb that is serving as

the main verb of the sentence. Auxiliary verbs are used in forming questions as

well as certain verb tenses such as the perfect tenses and the progressive tenses.

Modal Verbs: a modal verb is a type of verb that are used along with a main verb

to express ideas of likelihood, ability, permission, and obligation. The verbs

following modal verbs are always in the base form. Below is a list of the modal

verbs in English:

can could may might must

should would will shall ought to

Regular and Irregular Verbs in English: Some verbs are regular. This means that

their forms follow predictable patterns. Other verbs are irregular. This means you

must memorize their forms. On the following pages is a list of regular verbs

followed by irregular verbs in English in their different forms.

Regular English Verbs

A accept add admire admit advise

afford agree alert allow amuse analyze

announce annoy answer apologize appear applaud appreciate

approve argue arrange arrest arrive ask

attach attack attempt attend attract avoid

B back bake balance ban bang bare bat bathe

battle beam beg behave belong bleach bless blind blink

blot blush boast boil bolt bomb book bore borrow

bounce bow box brake branch breathe bruise brush bubble

bump burn bury buzz

C calculate call camp care carry carve cause challenge change charge chase

cheat check cheer chew choke chop claim clap clean clear close coach clip

coil collect color comb command communicate compare compete complain complete concentrate concern confess confuse

connect consider consist contain continue copy correct cough count cover crack crash

crawl cross crush cry cure curl curve cycle

D dam damage dance dare decay deceive decide decorate delay

delight deliver depend describe desert deserve destroy detect develop

disagree disappear disapprove disarm discover dislike divide double doubt

drag drain dream discover dislike divide double doubt drag

drain dream dress drip drop drown drum dry dust

E earn educate embarrass

employ empty encourage end

enjoy enter entertain escape

examine excite excuse exercise exist

expand expect explain explode extend

F face fade fail fancy fasten

fax fear fence fetch file fill

film fire fit fix flap flash

float flood flow flower fold follow

fool force form found frame frighten fry

G gather gaze glow

glue grab grate

grease greet grin

grip groan guarantee

guard guess guide

H hammer hand handle hang

happen harass harm hate

haunt head heal heap

heat help hook hop hope

hover hug hum hunt hurry

I identify ignore imagine impress

improve include increase influence inform

inject injure instruct intend

interest interfere interrupt introduce

invent invite irritate itch

J jail

jam jog

join joke

judge juggle

Jump

K kick

kill kiss

kneel knit

Knock Knot

L

label land last laugh

launch learn level license

lick lie lighten like

list listen live load

lock long look love

M man manage march mark marry

match mate matter measure meddle melt

memorize mend mess up milk mine

miss mix moan moor mourn

move muddle mug multiply murder

N Nail

name need

nest nod

note notice

number

O obey object

observe obtain occur

offend offer open

order overflow

owe own

P pack paddle paint park part pass paste pat pause peck pedal

peel peep perform permit phone pick pinch pine place plan plant play

please plug point poke polish pop possess post pour practice pray preach

precede prefer prepare present preserve press pretend prevent prick print produce

program promise protect provide pull pump punch puncture punish push

Q question

queue

R race radiate rain raise reach realize receive recognize

record reduce reflect refuse regret reign reject rejoice relax

release rely remain remember remind remove repair repeat replace

reply report reproduce request rescue retire return rhyme rinse

risk rob rock roll rot rub ruin rule rush

S sack sail satisfy save saw scare scatter scold scorch scrape scratch scream

screw scribble scrub seal search separate serve settle shade share shave shelter shiver

shock shop shrug sigh sign signal sin sip ski skip slap slip slow smash

smell smile smoke snatch sneeze sniff snore snow soak soothe sound spare spark sparkle

spell spill spoil spot spray sprout squash squeak squeal squeeze stain stamp stare start

S stay steer step stir stitch

stop store strap strengthen stretch strip

stroke stuff subtract succeed suck suffer

suggest suit supply support suppose

surprise surround suspect suspend switch

T talk tame tap taste tease telephone tempt

terrify test thank thaw tick tickle tie time

tip tire touch tour tow trace trade train

transport trap travel treat tremble trick trip trot

trouble trust try tug tumble turn twist type

U undress unfasten

untie unlock unpack

untidy use

V vanish

visit

W wail wait walk wander want warm

warn wash waste watch water wave

weigh welcome whine whip whirl whisper

whistle wink wipe wish wobble wonder

work worry wrap wreck wrestle wriggle

X x-ray

Y yawn

yell

Z zip

zoom

Irregular Verb Chart

Base form Simple Past Past Participle Present Participle

arise arose arisen arising

awake awoke awoken awakening

be was/were been being

bear bore born bearing

beat beat beaten beating

become became become becoming

begin began begun beginning

behold beheld beheld beholding

bend bent bent bending

bet bet bet betting

bid bade bidden bidding

bind bound bound binding

bite bit bitten biting

bleed bled bled bleeding

blow blew blown blowing

break broke broken breaking

breed bred bred breeding

bring brought brought bringing

broadcast broadcast/broadcasted broadcast/broadcasted broadcasting

build built built building

burn burnt/burned burnt/burned burning

burst burst burst busting

bust bust bust busting

buy bought bought buying

cast cast cast casting

catch caught caught catching

choose chose chosen choosing

clap clapped/clapt clapped/clapt clapping

cling clung clung clinging

clothe clad/clothed clad/clothed clothing

come came come coming

cost cost cost costing

creep crept crept creeping

cut cut cut cutting

Base Form Simple Past Past Participle Present Participle

dare dared dared daring

deal dealt dealt dealing

dig dug dug digging

dive dived/dove dived diving

do did done doing

draw drew drawn drawing

dream dreamt/dreamed dreamt/dreamed dreaming

drink drank drunk drinking

drive drove driven driving

dwell dwelt dwelt dwelling

eat ate eaten eating

fall fell fallen falling

feed fed fed feeding

feel felt felt feeling

fight fought fought fighting

find found found finding

fit fit /fitted fit/fitted fitting

flee fled fled fleeing

fling flung flung flinging

fly flew flown flying

forbid forbade/forbad forbidden forbidding

forecast forecast/forecasted forecast/forecasted forecasting

foresee foresaw foreseen foreseeing

foretell foretold foretold foretelling

forget forgot forgotten forgetting

forgive forgave forgiven forgiving

forsake forsook forsaken forsaking

freeze froze frozen freezing

frostbite frostbit frostbitten frostbiting

get got got/gotten getting

give gave given giving

go went gone going

grind ground ground grinding

grow grew grown growing

handwrite handwrote handwritten handwriting

hang hung/hanged hung/hanged hanging

Base Form Simple Past Past Participle Present Participle

have had had having

hear heard heard hearing

hide hid hidden hiding

hit hit hit hitting

hold held held holding

hurt hurt hurt hurting

inlay inlaid inlaid inlaying

input input/inputted input/inputted inputting

interlay interlaid interlaid interlaying

keep kept kept keeping

kneel knelt/kneeled knelt/kneeled kneeling

knit knit/knitted knit/knitted knitting

know knew known knowing

lay laid laid laying

lead led led leading

lean leant/leaned leant/leaned leaning

leapt leapt/leaped leapt/leaped leaping

learn learnt/learned learnt/learned learning

leave left left leaving

lend lent lent lending

let let let letting

lie lay lain lying

light lit lit lighting

lose lost lost losing

make made made making

mean meant meant meaning

meet met met meeting

melt melted molten/melted melting

mislead misled misled misleading

mistake mistook mistaken mistaking

misunderstand misunderstood misunderstood misunderstanding

mow mowed mown mowing

overdraw overdrew overdrawn overdrawing

overhear overheard overheard overhearing

overtake overtook overtaken overtaking

pay paid paid paying

Base Form Simple Past Past Participle Present Participle

prove proved proven/proved proving

put put put putting

quit quit quit quitting

read read read reading

rid rid/ridded rid/ridded ridding

ride rode ridden riding

ring rang rung ringing

rise rose risen rising

run ran run running

saw sawed sawn/sawed sawing

say said said saying

see saw seen seeing

seek sought sought seeking

sell sold sold selling

send sent sent sending

set set set setting

sew sewed sewn/sewed sewing

shake shook shaken shaking

shave shaved shaven/shaved shaving

shear shore/sheared shorn/sheared shearing

shed shed shed shedding

shine shone shone shining

shoe shod shod shoeing

shoot shot shot shooting

show showed shown showing

shrink shrank shrunk shrinking

shut shut shut shutting

sing sang sung singing

sink sank sunk sinking

sit sat sat sitting

slay slew slain slaying

sleep slept slept sleeping

slide slide slid/slidden sliding

sling slung slung slinging

slink slunk slunk slinking

slit slit slit slitting

Base Form Simple Past Past Participle Present Participle

smell smelt/smelled smelt/smelled smelling

sneak sneaked/snuck sneaked/snuck sneaking

sow sowed sown sowing

speak spoke spoken speaking

speed sped/speeded sped/speeded speeding

spell spelt/spelled spelt/spelled spelling

spend spent spent spending

spill spilt/spilled spilt/spilled spilling

spin span/spun spun spinning

spit spat/spit spat/spit spitting

split split split splitting

spoil spoilt/spoiled spoilt/spoiled spoiling

spread spread spread spreading

spring sprang sprung springing

stand stood stood standing

steal stole stolen stealing

stick stuck stuck sticking

sting stung stung stinging

stride strode/strided stridden striding

strike struck struck/stricken striking

string strung strung stringing

strip stripped stripped stripping

strive strove striven striving

sunburn sunburned/sunburnt sunburned/sunburnt sunburning

swear swore sworn swearing

sweat sweat/sweated sweat/sweated sweating

sweep swept swept sweeping

swing swung swung swinging

take took taken taking

teach taught taught teaching

tear tore torn tearing

tell told told telling

think thought thought thinking

thrive thrived/throve thrived/thriven thriving

throw threw thrown throwing

thrust thrust thrust thrusting

Base Form Simple Past Past Participle Present Participle

tread trod trodden treading

undergo underwent undergone undergoing

understand understood understood understanding

undertake undertook undertaken undertaking

upset upset upset upsetting

vex vext/vexed vext/vexed vexing

wake woke woken waking

wear wore worn wearing

weave wove woven weaving

wed wed/wedded wed/wedded wedding

weep wept wept weeping

wend wended/went wended/went wending

wet wet/wetted wet/wetted wetting

win won won winning

wind wound wound winding

withdraw withdrew withdrawn withdrawing

withhold withheld withheld withholding

withstand withstood withstood withstanding

wring wrung wrung wringing

write wrote written writing

Phrasal Verbs: According to Google, a phrasal verb is “an idiomatic phrase consisting of a

verb and another element, typically either an adverb, as in break down, or a preposition, for

example see to, or a combination of both, such as look down on.” By adding extra elements to a

verb, you change the meaning. You may know what the verb put means, but do you know what

put up with means? Learning phrasal verbs is very important to improving your English skills.

Below is a list of phrasal verbs taken from gingersoftware.com.

Verb Meaning Example

abide by To respect or obey a decision, a law or a rule

If you want to keep your job here, you must abide by our rules.

account for To explain, give a reason I hope you can account for the time you were out!

add up To make sense, seem reasonable

The facts in the case just don’t add up.

advise against To recommend not doing something

I advise against walking alone in this neighborhood.

agree with To have the same opinion as someone else.

I agree with you. I think you should go as well.

allow for To take into consideration We need to allow for unexpected charges along the way.

appeal to 1. To plead or make a request

2. To be attractive or interesting

1. He appealed to the court to change its decision.

2. A vacation of sunbathing doesn’t appeal to me.

apply for To make a formal request for something (job, permit, loan etc.)

He applied for a scholarship for next semester.

back away To move backwards, in fear or dislike

When he saw the bear, he backed away in fright.

back down To withdraw, concede defeat Local authorities backed down on their threats to build on that part of the beach.

back up 1. To give support or encouragement

2. To make a copy of (file, program, etc.)

1. I’m going to be very strict with him. I hope you’ll back me up on this?

2. You should back up all your computer files in a secure location.

bank on To base your hopes on something / someone

I’m banking on you to help with the charity event.

black out To faint, lose consciousness Jenna fell in the parking lot and blacked out.

block off To separate using a barrier. The police blocked off the street after the explosion.

blow up 1. To explode 2. To get angry

1. Tommy blew up the red balloon. 2. Don’t blow up at me. It’s not my fault.

boil down to To be summarized as It all boils down to who has more power.

boot up To start a computer by loading an operating system or program

You need to boot up your computer before you begin to work.

break away To separate from a crowd One of the wolves broke away from his pack.

break down 1. To go out of order, cease to function

2. To lose control of one’s emotions

1. The washing machine broke down so we had to call in the repair technician.

2. John broke down when he heard the news.

break into To enter by force Burglars broke into my car last night.

break out To start suddenly Rioting broke out after the government raised the fuel prices again.

break out of To escape from a place by force

Several prisoners broke out of jail.

break up To come to an end (marriage, relationship)

She broke up with Daniel after dating him for five years.

bring up To raise (a child) Sara is bringing up her children by herself.

brush up on To improve, refresh one’s knowledge of something

I must brush up on my French before going to Paris next month.

bump into To meet by chance or unexpectedly

I bumped into Adam at the bank. He says “hello”.

burn out 1. stop (something) working 2. become exhausted from

over-working

1. The light bulb burnt out. Please change it.

2. She needs to work fewer hours. Otherwise she will burn out.

call back To return a phone call Could please call back in ten minutes? call off To cancel The game was called off because of bad

weather. calm down To become more relaxed, less

angry or upset It took Kylie several hours to calm down after she saw the accident.

carry on To continue The soldiers carried on walking in order to get to their post before dark.

carry out 1. To do something as specified (a plan, an order, a threat)

2. To perform or conduct (test, experiment)

1. His orders were carried out to the letter. 2. That company does not carry out tests

on animals.

check in To register at a hotel or airport They said I must check in at least three hours before my flight.

check out 1. To pay one’s bill and leave (a hotel)

2. To investigate

1. Donna checked out of the hotel this morning.

2. I don’t know if this price is correct. I’ll check it out online.

clam up To refuse to speak When the police started asking questions, the suspect clammed up.

clamp down on To act strictly to prevent something

The local authorities have decided to clamp down on illegal parking in handicapped parking places.

come across 1. To find by chance 2. To appear, seem, make an

impression

1. I was cleaning up and came across some old photos of you.

2. The politician came across as a complete fool during the TV interview.

come forward To present oneself Has the owner of the winning lotto ticket come forward?

count on To rely or depend on (for help) You can count on me to keep your secret. cut down on To reduce in number or size I’ve decided to cut down on the amount of

sweets I eat.

cut out 1. To remove using scissors 2. To stop doing something

1. She cut out a coupon from the newspaper.

2. You need to cut out all red meat from your diet.

deal with To handle, take care of (problem, situation)

Catherine is not good at dealing with stress.

die down To calm down, become less strong

After the storm died down, we went outside to see the damage it had caused.

do without To manage without She didn’t get a salary this month, so she’ll have to do without extra treats.

drag on To last longer than expected The suspect’s trial dragged on longer than we had expected!

draw up To write (contract, agreement, document)

They drew up a contract and had me sign it.

dress up wear elegant clothes Their wedding gave us a chance to dress up and get out of the house.

drop in To visit, usually on the way somewhere

Why don’t you drop in to see us on your way home?

drop off 1. To deliver someone or something

2. To fall asleep

1. I’ll drop off the papers later today. 2. I often drop off in front of the TV.

drop out To leave school without finishing

Zack dropped out of college and joined the army.

ease off To reduce, become less severe or slow down (pain, traffic, work)

Traffic usually eases off about 7pm

end in To finish in a certain way; result in

Her marriage ended in divorce.

end up To finally reach a state, place or action

If you don’t improve your work habits, you’ll end up being fired.

fall through To fail; doesn’t happen His plans to trek through South America fell through when he got sick.

figure out To understand, find the answer

He’s trying to figure out how to earn enough money to go on the trip to Spain.

fill out To complete (a form/an application)

Please fill out the enclosed form and return it as soon as possible.

find out To discover or obtain information

I’m going to find out who’s responsible for the power cut.

focus on To concentrate on something Tom had difficulty focusing on work the day before his holiday started.

get along (with) To be on good terms; work well with

It’s important to get along with your team

supervisor. get at To imply What are you getting at? Do you think I’m

to blame? get away To escape I think we should get away for the weekend.

get by To manage to cope or to survive

Students without jobs have a hard time getting by.

get in To enter When did you get in last night?

get into (+noun) To enter How did you get into your car without the keys?

get off 1. To leave (bus, train, plane) 2. To remove

1. You should get off the train in Kings Heath.

2. I can’t get the ink stain off my shirt. get on To board (bus, train, plane) I’m trying to get on the flight to Brussels.

get on with (something)

To continue to do; make progress

After they split up, she had a hard time getting on with her life.

get on (well) with (somebody)

To have a good relationship with

He doesn’t get on very well with the other members of the committee.

get out To leave He had a hard time getting out of Newark because of the snow?

get out of To avoid doing something Edna’s trying to get out of working the night shift.

get over To recover from (illness, disappointment)

Has she gotten over the flu?

get over To recover from (illness, disappointment)

Mary had the chickenpox last week but she got over it.

get rid of To eliminate Please get rid of that old t-shirt. It’s so ragged.

get together To meet each other Let’s get together for your birthday on Saturday.

get up To rise, leave bed Will you please get up? You’ve got a class in 20 minutes.

give in 1. To cease opposition; yield 2. To To hand in; submit

1. We will never give in to the terrorists’ demands.

2. I’ll give in my paper tomorrow. give up To stop doing something Morris gave up drinking 10 years ago.

go through To experience Andy went through a lot of pain after his mother died.

grow up To spend one’s childhood; develop; become an adult

He’s like Peter Pan. He never really grew up at all.

hand in To submit (report, homework) Please hand in your papers before Friday.

hand out To distribute Susan volunteered at the shelter where she handed out warm clothes.

hang out To spend time in a particular place or with a group of friends

Which pub does the team hang out at after the game?

hang up To end a phone conversation If you hang up now, I’ll never speak to you again.

hold on 1. To wait 2. To grip tightly

1. Please hold on and a representative will answer your call.

2. She was so scared on the rollercoaster ride that she held on for dear life.

hurry up To be quick, act speedily Hurry up and finish your lunch or we’ll miss

the train. iron out To resolve by discussion,

eliminate differences The two countries met at the conference to iron out their differences.

join in To participate Yes David, you can join in the discussion any time you like.

join up 1. To engage in, become a member of

2. To meet and unite with

1. There was a war on, so some kids were only sixteen when they joined up.

2. Let’s separate now and join up later at the restaurant.

keep on To continue doing something If you keep on making that noise I will get annoyed.

keep up with To stay at the same level as someone or something

I read the paper every day to keep up with the news.

kick off To begin, start The rugby match kicked off at 3 o’clock.

leave out To omit, not mention Please check your form again and make sure nothing is left out.

let down To disappoint I feel so let down because they promised me a puppy but all I got was a doll.

look after To take care of Andy can you look after your sister until I get back?

look down on To consider as inferior She’s such a snob. She always looks down on anyone who is poor.

look on To be a spectator at an event If you don’t want to take part in the game you can look on for now.

look for To try to find something Harry went to the shop to look for a new computer.

look forward to To await or anticipate with pleasure

I’m looking forward to my birthday. It’s in two days’ time.

look up to To admire I always looked up to my father. He was a great man.

make fun of To laugh at/ make jokes about It’s not nice to make fun of people in wheelchairs.

make up To invent (excuse, story) That’s a good excuse. Did you make up it up yourself?

mix up To mistake one thing or person for another

She had so many cats that she kept mixing up their names.

move in To arrive in a new home or office

Did you hear? Our new neighbors are moving in this afternoon.

move out To leave your home/office for another one.

When are you moving out? We need your office for the new guy.

nod off To fall asleep You were so tired after the game that you nodded off on the couch.

own up To admit or confess something Come on. Own up. We know you did it!

pass away To die Your grandfather passed away peacefully in his sleep last night.

pass out To faint He didn’t drink enough water so he passed out at the end of the race.

pay back To reimburse I’ll pay you back as soon as I get the loan.

put off To postpone, arrange a later date

Don’t put off until tomorrow, what you can do today.

put on To turn on, switch on It’s very dark in here. Please put on the light on.

put out To extinguish The fire fighters were able to put out fire in ten minutes.

put up To accommodate, give somebody a bed

I can put you up until the weekend but then I’m going away.

pick up To collect somebody I’ll pick you up at around 7:00 to take you to the airport.

point out To indicate/direct attention to something

As I already pointed out, there was a mistake in your calculation.

rely on To count on, depend on, trust You can rely on me. I always arrive on time. rule out To eliminate Since he had a sound alibi, the police ruled

him out as a suspect.

run away To escape from a place or suddenly leave

He ran away from home and joined the circus.

run into To meet by accident or unexpectedly (also: bump into)

I’m so glad I ran into you. I need to ask you something.

run out of To have no more of something.

We’ve run out of milk. I’ll just pop next door to borrow some.

set off To start a journey; Let’s set off early to miss the rush hour traffic.

set up To start a business They set up their own company when they were still in high school.

shop around To compare prices Don’t buy that. Let’s shop around and see if we can find something cheaper.

show off To brag or want to be admired He’s such a show off. He has to tell everybody about his new computer.

show up To appear/arrive I don’t think she’ll show up tonight. Her daughter is sick.

shut up (impolite)

To be silent, stop talking Shut up, you’re spoiling the movie!

sit down To take a seat I think you should sit down. It’s bad news.

stand up To rise from a sitting position The whole stadium stood up for the national anthem.

stick up for To defend My big brother always stuck up for me when I got into a fight.

take after To resemble, in appearance or character

Angie really takes after her grandmother.

take care of To look after Please take care of my cat when I’m away.

take off To leave the ground The plane will take off as soon as the fog lifts.

take on To hire or engage staff I hear they’re taking on extra staff for this event.

take out To remove; extract Please take out your mobile phones and turn them off.

tell off To reprimand/criticize severely The coach told her off for not trying hard enough.

think over To consider Take your time and think it over before you decide.

try on To wear something to see if it suits or fits

Go ahead, try it on and see if it fits?

turn down To refuse I asked her out but she turned me down flat.

use up To finish a product (so that there’s none left)

Your parents used up all the coffee!

watch out To be careful Watch out! There’s a dog in the road.

wear out 1. To become unusable 2. To become very tired

1. Julie wore out her shoes running the marathons.

2. Julie was worn out after all that running.

work out 1. To do physical exercise 2. To find a solution or

calculate something

1. You should work out twice a week at the gym.

2. Can you work this out? I’m no good at math.

wipe off To clean (board, table). I’ll wash up if you wipe off the table

Verb Tenses

Tense Use Example Simple Present Describes habits and things

that are always true. I brush my teeth in the morning. Jenny always eats breakfast.

Simple Past Describes a completed action in the past. The action is finished.

I went to school yesterday. She bought a house last year.

Simple Future Describes future events I will eat dinner tonight. I am going to visit the store.

Present Continuous Describes an even that is happening right now.

I am reading this page. We are learning English.

Past Continuous Describes a continuous action in the past that was interrupted (by the simple past)

I was running down the road when I tripped and fell.

Future Continuous Describes a continuous even in the future that is interrupted by another even.

Are you going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight? Tonight we will still be driving through the desert.

Present Perfect Describes unfinished time I have seen that movie twenty times I have never been to France. I have been a student for five years.

Past Perfect Describes a completed action or a duration of time before something in the past.

I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I went to Kauai. Had Susan ever studied Thai before she moved to Thailand?

Future Perfect Describes a completed action or a duration of time before something in the future.

I will have been in London for six months by the time I leave. By the time I finish this class, I will have taken ten tests.

Present Perfect Continuous Describes a continuous action that started in the past and continues still.

We have been waiting here for over two hours. Mary has been feeling a little depressed.

Past Perfect Continuous Describes duration before something in the past and can show cause.

She had been working at that company for three years when it went out of business. Jason was tired because he had been jogging.

Future Perfect Continuous Describes duration before something in the future and can show cause.

They will have been talking for over an hour by the time Thomas arrives. Jason will be tired when he gets home because he will have been jogging for over an hour.

Verb Conjugations Positive Indicative

eat ate eaten eating

Tense Singular Plural Simple Present I eat

You eat He eats She eats It eats

We eat You eat They eat

Simple Past I ate You ate He ate She ate It ate

We ate You ate They ate

Simple Future I will eat You will eat He will eat She will eat It will eat

We will eat You will eat They will eat

Present Continuous I am eating You are eating He is eating She is eating It is eating

We are eating You are eating They are eating

Past Continuous I was eating You were eating He was eating She was eating It was eating

We were eating You were eating They were eating

Future Continuous I will be eating You will be eating He will be eating She will be eating It will be eating

We will be eating You will be eating They will be eating

Present Perfect I have eaten You have eaten He has eaten She has eaten It has eaten

We have eaten You have eaten They have eaten

Past Perfect I had eaten You had eaten He had eaten She had eaten It had eaten

We had eaten You had eaten They had eaten

Future Perfect I will have eaten You will have eaten He will have eaten She will have eaten It will have eaten

We will have eaten You will have eaten They will have eaten

Present Perfect Continuous I have been eating You have been eating He has been eating She has been eating It has been eating

We have been eating You have been eating They have been eating

Past Perfect Continuous I had been eating You had been eating He had been eating She had been eating

We had been eating You had been eating They had been eating

Future Perfect Continuous I will have been eating You will have been eating He will have been eating She will have been eating

We will have been eating You will have been eating They will have been eating

Verb Conjugations Negative Indicative eat ate eaten eating

Tense Singular Plural Simple Present I don’t eat

You don’t eat He doesn’t eat She doesn’t eat It doesn’t eat

We don’t eat You don’t eat They don’t eat

Simple Past I didn’t eat You didn’t eat He didn’t eat She didn’t eat It didn’t eat

We didn’t eat You didn’t eat They didn’t eat

Simple Future I will not eat You will not eat He will not eat She will not eat It will not eat

We will not eat You will not eat They will not eat

Present Continuous I am not eating You are not eating He is not eating She is not eating It is not eating

We are not eating You are not eating They are not eating

Past Continuous I was not eating You were not eating He was not eating She was not eating It was not eating

We were not eating You were not eating They were not eating

Future Continuous I will not be eating You will not be eating He will not be eating She will not be eating It will not be eating

We will not be eating You will not be eating They will not be eating

Present Perfect I have not eaten You have not eaten He has not eaten She has not eaten It has not eaten

We have not eaten You have not eaten They have not eaten

Past Perfect I had not eaten You had not eaten He had not eaten She had not eaten It had not eaten

We had not eaten You had not eaten They had not eaten

Future Perfect I will not have eaten You will not have eaten He will not have eaten She will not have eaten It will not have eaten

We will not have eaten You will not have eaten They will not have eaten

Present Perfect Continuous I have not been eating You have not been eating He has not been eating She has not been eating It has not been eating

We have not been eating You have not been eating They have not been eating

Past Perfect Continuous I had not been eating You had not been eating He had not been eating She had not been eating

We had not been eating You had not been eating They had not been eating

Future Perfect Continuous I will not have been eating You will not have been eating He will not have been eating She will not have been eating

We will not have been eating You will not have been eating They will not have been eating

Pronunciation of the simple past:

For English past tense pronunciation of regular verbs, the “-ed” ending has the three following three distinct pronunciations: /id/ /t/ /d/.

➢ When a base verb ends in a /t/ or /d/ sound, the ending sounds as /id/.

add – added /id/ recommend – recommended /id/ alert – alerted /id/ wait – waited /id/ need – needed /id/

➢ When a verb ends in a voiceless sound (except for /t/), then the –ed ending sounds like /t/.

watch – watched /t/ talk – talked /t/ stop – stopped /t/ kiss – kissed /t/ mop – mopped /t/ ➢ When a verb ends in a voiced sound (except for /d/), then the –ed ending

sounds like /d/. answer – answered /d/ close – closed /d/ enjoy – enjoyed /d/ open – opened /d/ love – loved /d/

Practice: Decide what the pronunciation of the past tense –ed would be for each verb. Write /id/, /t/, or /d/ next to the verb.

rain ___ call ___ frost ___

invite ___ rinse ___ look ___

pull ___ snow ___ shoved ___

mop ___ bake ___ wade ___