Verb Tenses

Present Tense
This form of a verb is used by itself for present tense or with the helping word WILL to make it future tense.
Ex. I talk.
Talk is the present tense of the verb. It shows I talk now.
I will talk tomorrow.
Will talk is the future tense of the verb. It shows I will talk in the future.

Past Tense
This form of a verb is written with the -ed ending to show the action happened in the past.
Ex. I talked yesterday.
Talked shows the action happened in the past. It is the past tense of the verb to talk.

Perfect Tenses
Now add the word perfect behind each tense:
Present perfect
Past perfect
Future perfect
They are almost like the other three tenses, but the perfect tenses use a helping verb along with the main verb.

Present Perfect Tense
Let’s look at some examples:
I have talked all morning.
BIG CLUE: Present Perfect Tense Verbs have the helping verb HAVE or HAS plus a past tense verb.
This shows the present perfect tense.
The action started in the past but is still going on now or has recently been finished.

Past Perfect Tense
I had talked all morning.
BIG CLUE: Past Perfect Tense Verbs have the helping verb HAD plus a past tense verb.
This shows the past perfect tense.
The action started in the past and was finished in the past.
It’s over!
It’s past!

Future Perfect Tense
By noon, I will have talked all morning.
BIG CLUE: Future Perfect Tense Verbs have the helping verb WILL HAVE plus a past tense verb.
This shows the future perfect tense.
The action will start soon and continue into the future.
It will stop at a specific time.

Present Perfect Tenses
Let’s look at it again.
If you use the helping verbs Has or Have, you are using the present perfect tense of the verb.
John has started first grade today.
John started first grade already (in the past) and is still in first grade.
We have worked on the fence for three days.
We started working on the fence (in the past) and are still working on it.

Past Perfect Tenses
Let’s look at it again.
If you use the helping verb Had, you are using the past perfect tense of the verb. The action started in the past and was finished in the past.
John had gone to the grocery store.
John went to the grocery store and is not there anymore.
They had worked on the fence for three days.
They worked on the fence for three days and are finished.

Future Perfect Tenses
Let’s look at it again.
If you use the helping verb Will Have, you are using the future perfect tense of the verb. The action will start soon and continue into the future.
John will have gone to the grocery store this afternoon.
John will go to the grocery store soon. (not yet)
They will have worked on the fence for three days.
They will work on the fence for three days. (not yet)

Practice
Decide which is past, present, or future perfect.
The joke had made everyone laugh.
The cat will have run under the car’s tire.
I have jumped over the puddle.

Practice
Write past, present, or future perfect for each with your partner.
Emily will have played the piano for Grandma all morning.
My class had painted our murals.
Rosemary will have walked past my house going to school.
I had learned to fish by watching Uncle Dan.

Practice
Write past, present, or future perfect for each on your own.
You will have jumped off the diving board.
The parrot has chirped to tell me a story.
Jacob and Sue had skipped the bus stop.
Mrs. Zeller’s classes have bounced on the moon bounce today.