Verbs

Verb Functions
Verbs are words that name an action or describe

a state of being Verbs also convey information through changes in their form. Here are the five different things we find out from a verb:
Tense (when the action takes place: past, present,

or future) Person (who or what experiences the action) Number (how many subjects act or receive the action) Mood (the attitude expressed toward the action) Voice (whether the subject acts or is acted upon: the active or passive voice)

Regular & Irregular Verbs

These classifications come from the way the verb

forms its past tense and past participles.

Regular verbs: The past tense and past participle

forms are created by adding -d, -ed, or t to the present form, but the vowel doesnt change; for example, walk, walked, walked. Irregular verbs: No pattern is followed when the past and past participle are formed. Instead, there are many different forms. For example, with some irregular verbs the vowel changes and an -n or -e is added, as in begin, began, begun. With other verbs, the vowel changes and a -d or -t is added, as in lose, lost, lost.

The Verb Tenses

The tense of a verb shows its time. English has

six verb tenses Each of the six tenses has 2 forms: basic and progressive (also known as perfect). The basic form shows action, occurrence, or state of being that is taking place right here and now. The basic form also is the base for the future form (i.e., I will sleep; they will sleep).

The Verb Tenses

The Verb Tenses

The Verb Tenses

Use the two present forms (simple present,

present progressive) to show events that take place now. Use the six past forms (simple past, present perfect, past perfect, past progressive, present perfect progressive, past perfect progressive) to show events that took place before the present. Use the four future forms (simple future, future perfect, future progressive, future perfect progressive) to show events that take place in the future.

Simple Present Tense

Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb

There are three important exceptions:

For positive sentences, we do not normally use

the auxiliary. For the 3rd person singular (he, she, it), we add s to the main verb or es to the auxiliary. For the verb to be, we do not use an auxiliary, even for questions and negatives.

Simple Present Tense

Simple Present Tense

Simple Present Tense

We use the present simple tense when:
describe the present activities or to talk

about routines or habits. the action is general the action happens all the time, or habitually, in the past, present and future the action is not only happening now the statement is always true

Simple Present Tense

Examples:
I live in New York. I drink milk everyday. The Moon goes round the Earth. John drives a taxi.

He does not drive a bus.

We meet every Thursday. We do not work at night. Do you play football?

Present Continuous Tense

Present Continuous Tense

for action happening exactly now
The kids are watching TV. I am sitting down, because I am tired. Who are you writing to?

for action happening around now

Muriel is learning to drive. I am living with my sister until I find an apartment.

Present Continuous Tense

to talk about the future - if we add a future

word!! We must add (or understand from the context) a future word. "Future words" include, for example,tomorrow, next year, in June, at Christmas etc. We only use the present continuous tense to talk about the future when we have planned to do something before we speak. We have already made a decision and a plan before speaking.

Present Continuous Tense

Examples:
We're eating in a restaurant tonight. We've already

booked the table.. They can play tennis with you tomorrow. They're not working. When are you starting your new job?
In these examples, we have a firm plan or

programme before speaking. The decision and plan were made before speaking.

Present Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Tense

Present perfect tense for experience
We often use the present perfect tense to talk

about experience from the past. We are not interested in when you did something. We only want to know if you did it:
He has lived in Bangkok. We have never eaten caviar.

Present Perfect Tense

Present perfect tense for change
We also use the present perfect tense to talk about

a change or new information:

I have bought a car. John has broken his leg.

Present perfect tense for continuing situation

This is a state that started in the past and continues

in the present (and will probably continue into the future). This is a state (not an action). We usually use for or since with this structure.
I have worked here since June. He has been ill for 2 days.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

An action that has just stopped or recently

stopped. There is usually a result now.

I'm tired

because I've been running. Why is the grass wet [now]? Has it been raining? You don't understand [now] because you haven't been listening.

[now]

An action continuing up to now

an action that started in the past and is

continuing now. This is often used with for or since.

I have been reading for 2 hours. [I am still reading now.] We've been studying since 9 o'clock. [We're still studying

now.] How long have you been learning English? [You are still

Past Tense

Past Tense

Past Tense
Exception! The verb to be is different. We conjugate the verb to

be (I was, you were, he/she/it was, we were, they were); and we do not use an auxiliary for negative and question sentences. To make a question, we exchange the subject and verb. Look at these examples:

Past Tense
We use the past simple tense to talk about an

action or a situation - an event - in the past. The event can be short or long.
The car exploded at 9.30 am yesterday. The Jurassic period lasted about 62 million years.

Did you see that car?

Past Continuous Tense

Past Continuous Tense

The past continuous tense expresses action at

a particular moment (or certain time) in the past. The action started before that moment but has not finished at that moment.
I was working at 10pm last night.

She was cooking when I telephoned her.

We were having dinner when it started to rain. What were you doing when he arrived?

Past Perfect Tense

Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense expresses action in

the past before another action in the past. This is the past in the past. For example:
The train left at 9am. We arrived at 9.15am

When we arrived, the train had left. They were hungry. They had not eaten for five hours. I didn't know who he was. I had never seen him before.

Past Perfect Tense

We often use the past perfect tense in reported

speech after verbs like said, told, asked, thought, wondered.

He told us that the train had left. I thought I had met her before, but I was wrong.

He explained that he had closed the window

because of the rain. I wondered if I had been there before. I asked them why they had not finished.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

The past perfect continuous tense is like the past

perfect tense, but it expresses longer actions in the past before another action in the past. For example:
Ram started waiting at 9am. I arrived at 11am.

When I arrived, Ram had been waiting for two hours. John was very tired. He had been running. I could smell cigarettes. Somebody had been smoking. Had the pilot been drinking before the crash?

Future Tense

Future Tense
No Plan
We use the future simple tense when there is no plan or

decision to do something before we speak. We make the decision spontaneously at the time of speaking. Look at these examples:
Hold on. I'll get a pen. We will see what we can do to help you. Maybe we'll stay in and watch television tonight.

In these examples, we had no firm plan before speaking. The decision is made at the time of speaking. We often use the future simple tense with the verb to think before it:
I think I'll go to the gym tomorrow. I think I will have a holiday next year. I don't think I'll buy that car.

Future Tense
Prediction
We often use the future simple tense to make a

prediction about the future. Again, there is no firm plan. We are saying what we think will happen. Here are some examples:
It will rain tomorrow. People won't go to Jupiter before the 22nd century. Who do you think will get the job?

Be
When the main verb is be, we can use the future simple

tense even if we have a firm plan or decision before speaking. Examples:

I'll be in London tomorrow. I'm going shopping. I won't be very long. Will you be at work tomorrow?

Future Tense
What will you do tonight?

What will you eat for dinner tonight?

What movie will you watch this weekend?

Future Tense
when we have a plan or intention to do something

in the future, we usually use other tenses or expressions, such as the present continuous tense or going to.

Future Continuous Tense

Future Continuous Tense

The future continuous tense expresses action at

a particular moment in the future. The action will start before that moment but it will not have finished at that moment.
I will be playing tennis at 10am tomorrow.

They won't be watching TV at 9 pm tonight.

We'll be having dinner when the film starts.

Future Perfect Tense

Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense expresses action in the

future before another action in the future. This is the past in the future.
You can call me at work at 8am. I will have

arrived at the office by 8. They will be tired when they arrive. They will not have slept for a long time. "Mary won't be at home when you arrive."

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

We use the future perfect continuous tense to talk

about a long action before some point in the future.

I will have been working here for ten years next

week. He will be tired when he arrives. He will have been travelling for 24 hours.

Active and Passive Voice

In addition to showing time through tense, action verbs

also show whether the subject performs the action or receives the action. This is called a verbs voice. English verbs have two voices: active and passive. 1. A verb is active when the subject performs the action.
We took the package home. (We are doing the action.) I served a delicious meal. (I am doing the serving.)

* Notice that in the active voice, the sentence starts with the subject.
2.

A verb is passive when its action is performed upon the subject.

A package was taken home. (The speaker is not indicated.) A delicious meal was served by me.

* Notice that in the passive voice, the sentence does not start with the subject.

Active and Passive Voice

In general, use the active voice whenever possible

because it is more direct and forceful using the active voice makes your writing crisp and powerful. There is no need for a prepositional phrase beginning with by if you use the active voice. Using the passive voice is preferable over the active voice under two conditions:
You dont want to assign blame. A mistake occurred with the filing system. *Not surprisingly, the passive voice is very often found in business writing and speech. This helps the writer or speaker avoid finger pointing. You dont know who did the action. A prank phone call was made at 2:00 A.M.