English Grammar (Verbs)

Present Subjunctive of the Verb To Be

For the verb to be, you will use the base to form the subjunctive, just as you would with any other verb. However, unlike other verbs, to be will look completely different in the present indicative and present subjunctive. (This is because the base, be, is never used in the present indicative.) First person singular (I) They suggest that I be here on time. It's great that I am here on time. First person plural (we) They suggest that we be here on time. It's great that we are here on time. Second person singular or plural (you) They suggest that you be here on time. It's great that you are here on time. Third person singular (he, she, it) They suggest that she be here on time. It's great that she is here on time. Third person plural (they) They suggest that they be here on time. It's great that they are here on time.

Verb Phrases

Helping verbs and main verbs combine to form verb phrases. The main verb is always the last verb in the phrase. Helping Verb + Main Verb = Verb Phrase

Ends in a vowel + l

In American English, do not double the l even though l is a consonant. travel + -s = travels travel + -ing = traveling travel + -ed = traveled Note: In British English, you do double the l before the -ing and -ed endings (travelling, travelled).

Present and Past Tense Negative Statements

In negative present and past statements, you use different forms of the helping verb to do to indicate tense instead of changing the main verb. Just add do, does, or did plus not before the base of the main verb. Present (do/does + not + base) My brothers do not fight much. Elizabeth does not sleep well. Past (did + not + base) My brothers did not fight at all yesterday. Elizabeth did not sleep well last night. It's easy to make mistakes when forming negative statements. A common error is to change both the helping verb to do and the main verb. Always remember that you only need to change the helping verb to indicate tense.

irregular verb ex

Base-Reg.Present Participle-Past-Past Participle drive driving drove driven begin beginning began begun sleep* sleeping slept slept run running ran run freeze* freezing froze frozen eat* eating ate eaten

Some Verbs Can Be Transitive or Intransitive

Certain verbs can be either transitive or intransitive depending on how they're used. We ate pizza for dinner. In this sentence, ate is transitive because it is followed by a direct object. What did we eat for dinner? We ate pizza. We already ate. Ate is intransitive in this sentence because it has no direct object. There's no mention of what we ate.

Ends in a consonant + y

Change y to ie when adding -s. clarify + -s = clarifies Change y to i when adding -ed. clarify + -ed = clarified

Ends with a double vowel before a consonant

Do not double the consonant. (Contrast the verbs cheat and retreat with shop and refer in the previous table.) cheat + -s = cheats cheat + -ing = cheating cheat + -ed = cheated retreat + -s = retreats retreat + -ing = retreating retreat + -ed = retreated

Ends in a vowel + y

Don't change y to ie. (Contrast enjoy with the verb clarify in the previous table.) enjoy + -s = enjoys enjoy + -ing = enjoying enjoy + -ed = enjoyed

Ends with a single vowel before a consonant, but the stress is not on the last syllable

Don't double the consonant. An example is the verb wander, which has the stress on the a, not the e. (Contrast wander with the verb refer in the previous table.) wander + -s = wanders wander + -ing = wandering wander + -ed = wandered

Ends in a consonant + y (-ing)

Don't make any spelling changes when adding the -ing ending. clarify + -ing = clarifying (vs. clarifies and clarified)

Ends in a single vowel plus a consonant and carries the stress3 on the last syllable

Double the consonant when adding an -ing or -ed ending. refer + -ing = referring refer + -ed = referred

Single syllable1 verb ending in a consonant2

Double the consonant when adding an -ing or -ed ending. shop + -ing = shopping shop + -ed = shopped

Ends in a silent -e

Drop the silent -e before adding -ing. amaze + -ing = amazing Just add a -d instead of -ed. amaze + -ed = amazed

Emphasis

Finally, you can use to do as an emphatic verb to help clarify or add intensity to the main verb. Yes, I do know your Uncle Joe. There may have been confusion about whether you know Uncle Joe or not. The helping verb do is used to make it crystal clear that you know him. I did buy milk yesterday. Here, to do is in the past tense. The person making the statement is clarifying that he or she already bought milk.

Negative Statements in Tenses with Helping Verbs

In tenses with helping verbs, add the word not after the helping verb. If there are two helping verbs, place not after the first one. Negative statements in the simple future tense don't always refer to the future. Often, they mean that someone refuses to do something. Let's revisit one of the examples above. My little brother will not eat fish. This statement doesn't mean that my little brother won't eat fish tomorrow, next week, or next month; it really means he refuses to eat fish anytime. Using the future tense is a stronger way to say that someone doesn't do something.

Inseparable Phrasal Verbs: Transitive or Intransitive

Inseparable phrasal verbs can be either transitive or intransitive. With transitive inseparable phrasal verbs, the direct object must always follow the preposition. Correct: We went over the answers. Incorrect: We went the answers over. With intransitive phrasal verbs, it's common to try to separate the verb and the preposition, but this is not correct. Because intransitive verbs don't have direct objects, there's nothing you can put between the verb and the preposition. Correct: You will have to catch up on your homework. Incorrect: You will have to catch your homework up. Your homework is not the direct object of the verb catch up, so it can't go between the verb and the preposition. Note: The preposition on in the example above isn't part of the phrasal verb catch up.

Mandative Subjunctive with the Verb To Be

Just like other verbs, to be can be used to express recommendations, demands, requests, suggestions, and advice. The lawyer requested that the comment be stricken from the record. requested = indicative be = subjunctive I demand that you be quiet during the movie. demand = indicative be = subjunctive It is essential that they be on their guard tonight. is = indicative be = subjunctive

Past Participles(Irregular)

Just like the irregular past tense, irregular past participles can be formed by changing a vowel, adding a new ending, or doing both. However, the vowel or ending is often (but not always) different from the past tense form. For example, many irregular past participles require you to add an -en, -n, or -ne ending (drive → driven). Many irregular past participles end in -en, but, similarly to the past tense, they can also end in -t, -ck, -d, -e, -g, or -ght.

Past Participial Adjectives vs. Passive Voice

Linking (Adjective ending in -ed, -en, -t, etc.) Lucy and Olivia are excited to have a new puppy (Excited describes how the girls feel.) I am interested in remodeling the kitchen. (Interested describes my state of mind.) Helping (Action verb ending in -ed, -en, -t, etc.) Lucy and Olivia's shoes were destroyed by their new puppy. (Destroyed is an action. It tells us what the puppy did.) I was startled by a loud noise in the kitchen. (Startled is an action. It tells us what the loud noise did to me.)

Present Participial Adjectives vs. Progressive Tenses

Linking (Adjective ending in -ing) The teacher's voice was soothing. (Soothing describes the teacher's voice.) My brother's new novel is fascinating. (Fascinating describes the novel.) Helping (Main action verb ending in -ing) Irena is listening to the teacher. (Listening is an action, not a description.) My brother has been writing a novel. (Writing is an action, not a description.)

Misconception #1: It's Never OK to Use Passive Voice

Many teachers discourage their students from ever using the passive voice, but sometimes it's actually the better choice. It can be useful when you're not sure who did the action or when you want to emphasize the object instead of the subject. It can also be effective if you want to slow down the action of your writing and focus on a scene. Occasionally you can use the passive voice to vary sentence structure in your writing, but don't rely too heavily on this technique. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. In this sentence, the emphasis is on the president's assassination instead of the person who assassinated him.

Most base forms, except those ending in consonant + y

Most of the time, spelling changes are not necessary when adding the -s ending to the base form of the verb (i.e. in the third person singular form of the present tense). This is true even for verbs that do require a spelling change for the -ing or -ed ending. shop + -s = shops (vs. shopping and shopped) refer + -s = refers (vs. referring and referred) amaze + -s = amazes (vs. amazing) frolic + -s = frolics (vs. frolicking and frolicked) Verbs ending in a consonant + y are the only exception.

Irregular verbs

Most of the time, verbs are irregular only in their past tense and past participle forms, but there are a handful of verbs that have one or more irregular present tense forms.

Emphatic Forms

Not a tense, but logically included in this section is the emphatic form. The emphatic form emphasizes that an action happened. It is also used in questions and in negative statements. The emphatic form uses the verb do with the present form of the verb. -There is no future emphatic because you can't emphasize something that hasn't happened yet

Past Participles

Past participles are formed the same way as the past tense—by adding -ed to the base (or just -d if the base ends in a silent -e). Past participles are used in the perfect tenses, which combine a form of to have (have, has, had) with a past participle.

Perfect Progressive Tenses

Perfect progressive tenses are a combination of perfect (completed before) and progressive (ongoing) tenses, which show that something began, continued, and ended before another action. The perfect progressive tenses combine the perfect (have, has, had, will have), the progressive (been) and the present participle of the main verb. Present Per Pro - Past Per Pro - Future Per Pro have been walking had been walking will have been walking

Perfect Tenses

Perfect tenses show when an action happened in relation to another action. To form the perfect tenses, use a form of the helping verb have (have, has, had, will have) plus the past participle of the main verb. The verb have changes to show the tense. Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect have walked had walked will have walked

Misconception #2: Using To Be Always Means You Are Using Passive Voice

Please don't make the mistake of confusing the passive voice with other uses of the verb to be. As you learned earlier, to be can also be a helping verb in the progressive tenses or a linking verb.

Progressive Tenses (A.K.A. the Continuous Tenses)

Progressive tenses are used to discuss ongoing or continuing actions. They can also be used to talk about an action that is, was, or will be occurring at the same time as another action. The progressive tenses use a form of the verb to be plus the present participle of the verb.

Separable Phrasal Verbs: Transitive

Separable phrasal verbs are always transitive, which means they always have a direct object. If the direct object is a noun or a noun phrase,1 you can choose to put it after the preposition or between the verb and the preposition. However, if the object is a pronoun, it must go between the verb and the preposition. Correct: You will need to work out the problem on your own. Correct: You have worked the problem out. Correct: You have worked it out. Incorrect: You have worked out it. Because it is a pronoun, you have to put it between the verb and the preposition, not after the preposition. Hint: Just because all separable phrasal verbs are transitive does not mean that all transitive phrasal verbs are separable.

Common Patterns(irregular)

Sometimes the past tense and past participle are the same. All the verbs in this category have at least one of the following characteristics: The most common past tense and past participle endings you will add to these verbs are -t, -ght, and -d (sweep/swept/swept; catch/caught/caught; sell/sold/sold). You will never add an -en, -n, or -ne ending to these verbs. The only time the past forms end in -n or -ne is when that ending is already part of the base form (shine/shone/shone). Sometimes the base, past, and past participle endings are all the same. This happens most often when the base ends in -ck, -g, -ght, or -ne. It is common to form the past participle by adding -en, -n, or -ne to the end of the base or past tense form. For some verbs, the base, past tense, and past participle are all the same. The base form of these verbs almost always ends in -t (a couple of them end in -d, but that's very unusual). Keep in mind that this pattern does not apply to all verbs ending in the letter -t—there are quite a few, such as connect, visit, and lift, that are regular verbs. Also, verbs with a base form ending in -ght never follow this pattern. Sometimes, the final vowel changes from i in the base to a in the past, and then to u in the past participle.

Simple Present Tense

Talking about actions that occur repeatedly These are actions that happen on a regular basis, such as habits or routines. They can have a specific or general time frame. I brush my teeth every morning and every night. Discussing current facts, basic truths, or widely accepted beliefs The sky is blue, and the grass is green. Describing people or things Use the present tense to describe physical characteristics, personality traits, feelings, abilities, and likes and dislikes that are true in the present. Her brothers are both over six feet tall.

Present Tense

The base alone is used for most forms of the present tense, including the first person (I and we), second person (you), and third person plural (they). The only time the base changes is in the third person singular (he, she, it). To form the third person singular, just add the letter -s to the end of the base.

Future Progressive

The future progressive is usually used to describe an action that will occur at the same time as another future action. To form the future progressive tense, use this formula: will be + present participle. Tomorrow I will be walking to school when you see me. Notice how the verb see is in the present tense, not the future tense. When people talk about future simultaneous actions, usually one verb is in the future progressive and the other is in the simple present.

Future Tense

The future tense is one of the easiest tenses to learn because it has no irregular forms. Just as its name suggests, it's used to describe actions that will happen in the future. It is formed by combining the helping verb will with the base form of the main verb. Tomorrow I will walk home from school.

To Be and the Passive Voice

The passive voice is formed with the verb to be plus a past participle. People use passive voice when they want to put emphasis on the action instead of the subject, or when they're not sure who's doing the action. President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. The focus of this sentence is on the president's assassination, not on the person who assassinated him. My wallet and phone were stolen at the beach. We don't know who stole the wallet and phone, and we want to emphasize the action of stealing instead of the person who did the stealing.

Past Progressive

The past progressive is used to describe an action that was occurring at the same time as another past action. Yesterday I was walking to school when you saw me.

Simple Past Tense

The past tense is more straightforward than the present tense—you only use it to talk about actions, events, or feelings that happened at an earlier point in time.

Present Subjunctive (Mandative Subjunctive)

The present form of the subjunctive is most often used to talk about recommendations, suggestions, advice, requests, and demands, and it often (but not always) follows the word that.

Present Progressive

The present progressive tense is typically used to talk about something that is happening right now. It can also be used to talk about a future action or an action that is occurring at the same time as another one. It is formed by using a present tense form of the verb to be plus the present participle of the main verb. I am walking to school right now. (current action) He is walking to school tomorrow. (future action) Most days we are walking to school when you see us. (simultaneous actions: are walking and see)

Simple Tenses

The present, past, and future tenses are called simple tenses. walk(s) walked will walk

Sometimes the Subjunctive Just Doesn't Sound Right

The subjunctive mood often sounds funny because it isn't used very often in informal English and is being used less and less in formal English. We tend to use the conditional mood with the helping verbs could and would instead. As you saw above, it's also common to use for + infinitive instead of the subjunctive. If you study foreign languages, though, you will encounter the subjunctive much more frequently.

Passive Voice

The verb to be is also used in the passive voice, which combines the forms of to be with verbs ending in -ed or -en. These verbs are called participles. Make sure all your assignments are completed by Thursday. are + completed = verb phrase This sentence was written. was + written = verb phrase

To Be and the Progressive Tenses

The verb to be is often used together with a present participle (verb ending in -ing) to express an ongoing action Irena is listening to the teacher. Is helps show that listening is an ongoing action happening in the present. The squirrels were scampering across the lawn. Were helps show that scampering was an ongoing action that occurred in the past. My older brother has been writing a novel for the past five years. Been helps to show that writing is an ongoing action. (Has is also a helping verb in this sentence, but it's helping the verb to be.)

Perfect Tenses(general)

The verb to have combines with verbs ending in -ed and -en to form the perfect tenses. (They're not really "perfect" tenses; that's just their name.) Present Perfect: It has rained so many days in a row that I can't remember the last time the sun was out! has + rained = verb phrase Past Perfect: We didn't realize the pickpocket had stolen our wallets until she was already long gone. had + stolen = verb phrase

Difference Between an Action Verb and a Linking Verb

The verbs appear, become, feel, get, grow, look, remain, seem, smell, sound, stay, taste, and turn can act either as action verbs or linking verbs. In order to tell the difference, you have to pay attention to how each type of verb is used in a sentence—linking verbs are used for descriptions, whereas action verbs tell you what someone (or something) is doing.

Irregular verb (root)

There are certain verbs that have do, go, or have as their root.1 These verbs will have the same irregular forms as the root verb. The verb forgo, which has the root go, has an irregular past tense form and past participle (forwent, forgone). The verb undo, which has the root do, is irregular in the third person singular form of the present tense and has an irregular past tense and past participle (undoes, undid, undone).

Irregular Past Tense and Past Participles

They all have one important characteristic in common: they never end in -ed. Some examples are ate, fought, swam, and given. It's very common for a vowel (or pair of vowels) to be different from the base form. Began (base form, begin) and froze (base form, freeze) are a two good examples. Most irregular verbs follow a specific pattern. You'll learn more about this concept later in this lesson.

Present Perfect Progressive

This tense is used for recent past actions that happened repeatedly. I have been walking to school on sunny days. He has been finishing his homework by 7 p.m. every day this week. It is also used for continuous past actions that are affecting the present in some way. I have been walking to school a lot, so I'm in much better shape than I was before. He has been finishing all his homework, and his grades have improved a lot.

Future Perfect Progressive

This tense is used when you are anticipating a time in the future when a continuous action will be finished. By tomorrow I will have been walking to school for six weeks straight

To Be As a Linking Verb

To be is considered a linking verb when it's used to describe traits, characteristics, emotions, and states of being. It connects the main noun (or subject) to a describing word, such as an adjective or another noun. -Daphne is very kind. Is links the noun Daphne and the adjective kind. -My grandfather was a doctor. Was links the noun grandfather and the describing noun doctor. -Lucy and Olivia are excited because their parents bought them a puppy for Christmas. Are links Lucy and Olivia to the adjective excited. If the word that follows to be answers the questions when or where, it's describing a state of being. Wendell is here today. Is links Wendell to a state of being (here). The party was at 7 o'clock. In this example, was links party to the time. Hint: When you ask a question, to be comes at the beginning of the sentence and is separated from the describing word. Is Wendell here today? Hint: Normally, words and phrases that answer questions like when and where are considered adverbs, but when used with linking verbs, they act like adjectives. These words and phrases are often referred to as locatives or adverbial complements.

Negative Statements

To do also helps to form not statements, which are called negative statements. In this type of sentence, the word not splits the verb phrase. I do not know what time it is because I lost my cell phone. do + know = verb phrase not = adverb

Present Participles

To form a present participle, take the base form of the verb and add -ing. If the verb ends in a silent -e, drop the -e and add -ing. Present participles are used in the progressive tenses, which combine a form of to be (am, is, was, etc.) with a present participle.

Past Tense

To form the past tense, take the base form and add -ed. If the base ends in a silent e, just add -d, not -ed. Unlike the present tense, the past tense always uses the same form regardless of person or number.

Questions

Unlike to be and to have, to do isn't used as part of any particular verb tense—but it still has several important jobs. One of them is to form questions. You'll notice that in questions, a noun or pronoun splits the verb phrase. Do you know what time it is? do + know = verb phrase you = pronoun

Past Perfect Progressive

Use the past perfect tense to express actions that happened in the more distant past that happened repeatedly. This tense is frequently used in relation to another past action that occurred at a later time. I had been walking to school every day, but then the weather turned cold. Isabella had been finishing her homework on time all month, but then she caught a cold and missed school.

Present Tense: Irregular Third Person Singular

Verbs that are irregular in the present tense are almost always irregular only in the third person singular form (he, she, it). There are very few verbs that fall into this category; they are to have, to do, and to go. These verbs also have an irregular past tense and past participle.

to be

am are is was were be being been

Phrasal verbs

are made up of a verb and one or more prepositions. They are called phrasal verbs because it takes two words or more (a phrase) to complete their meaning. The verb and preposition work together to form a new verb whose meaning is different from those of the individual words. Please fill out these forms so I can find out more about you. If you fall behind in your homework, your parents will hear from your teacher. If you blow up at your friends, it makes it harder to get along with them. Many phrasal verbs are idiomatic, which means that you can't interpret them literally. The original meanings of the verb and preposition are often altered. For example, if you tell someone to shut up (which we know is rude), what up are they supposed to shut? Native speakers of any language understand phrasal verbs because they use them all the time, but it can be challenging for non-native speakers to understand and learn these verbs.

a helping verb (also called an auxiliary verb)

assists the main verb to form a complete thought. Without helping verbs, certain ideas would be impossible to express, and our speech and writing would be dull and incomplete. Remove the helping verb, and you might end up sounding like a caveman (or woman)

Modals

can could may might shall will would should must

Modals (also called modal auxiliaries)

can, could, may, might, shall, will, would, should, must. These verbs express ability, possibility, permission, intention, obligation, and necessity.

to do

do does did

Intransitive Verbs

do not require a direct object. Their meaning is complete without one. Hint: Often, an intransitive verb is followed by a word or phrase that looks like a direct object, and this can trick you into thinking the verb is transitive. However, remember that direct objects can only answer the questions what and whom. If what follows the verb answers questions like where, when, or how, the verb is intransitive. Christopher Columbus sailed the Atlantic. Columbus sailed a ship across the Atlantic. The Atlantic is where he sailed, not what he sailed. We hiked five miles along the mountain ridge. We hiked the trail for five miles. Five miles is how long we hiked, not what we hiked.

linking verbs

show a relationship between the main noun (also called the subject) and another word that describes that noun. The describing word can be an adjective or another noun. The most common verb is to be and its forms am, is, are, was, were, be, being, and been. Other common verbs include appear, become, feel, grow, look, remain, seem, smell, sound, stay, taste, and turn.

Conditional Mood

shows under what conditions something could happen. It uses modal verbs such as might, could, and would and is often set off by the words if or when. I might be able to reach him if I call his cell phone. We could see a different movie if you'd like. What's the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? We will leave when Dad gets home.

mood

tells us how the action is viewed or perceived by the speaker. It indicates whether something is a fact, opinion, command, suggestion, request, wish, hypothetical (imaginary) situation, or uncertainty. Moods are as important in writing as they are in our lives because they provide perspective. In English the three primary moods are indicative, imperative, and subjunctive.

Action verbs, also called dynamic verbs.

tells you what's happening or what someone is doing. Some describe physical actions, and they are easy to spot because you can observe them with at least one of your five senses. On the other hand, some are more abstract, and they're easy to miss sometimes because you can't always observe them with your five senses.

four principal parts (also called forms)

the base verb form, the present and past tenses, and present and past participles.

Subjunctive or Indicative?

the present form of the subjunctive mood, which is simply the base form of any verb. This makes the subjunctive look almost identical to the present indicative—in fact, you'll only be able to tell the difference between the two moods in the third person singular form. Subjunctive I recommend that he arrive at school on time every day. Indicative It's wonderful that he arrives at school on time every day.

Irregular verbs(Note)

the present participle is still formed by adding -ing to the end of the base—no exceptions. Yes, you read that correctly: there are no irregular present participles in the English language. Sometimes you may have to tweak the spelling a little, but the ending will always be -ing.

passive voice

the subject is having the action done to it by something else. To form the passive voice, use a form of the helping verb to be plus the past participle of the main verb. The verb to be can be in just about any tense. The piano is played by the lady. (is + played) The car was driven by the driver. (was + driven)

active voice

the subject of the sentence is doing the verb. Hint:You're using active voice whenever you use any of the tenses you learned about in this module.

Progressive Tenses

to be is a linking verb, but in many situations, it's a helping verb. For example, it's used in the progressive tenses, which combine the forms of to be with verbs ending in -ing. Present Progressive: I am writing this sentence. am + writing = verb phrase Past Progressive: It was raining, so we couldn't play outside. was + raining = verb phrase

Infinitive Mood

uses infinitives to express action. An infinitive is simply the word to plus the base form of the verb. to eat to sleep to run to think Although they express action, infinitives don't act like verbs; they actually mimic other parts of speech, such as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Be careful when using infinitives—they often lead to sentence fragments. To receive a compliment graciously, just say "thank you." Wendall loves to read mystery novels. Note: Infinitives are considered verbals, not verbs.

transitive verbs

require a direct object. Without a direct object, a transitive verb's meaning is incomplete.

Ends in a -c

Add a k before an -ing or -ed ending. frolic + -ing = frolicking frolic + -ed = frolicked

Future Perfect

An action in the future perfect tense will be finished by a particular time in the future. To form this tense, use this formula: will + have + past participle. By the time I arrive at school tomorrow, I will have walked to school 100 days in a row. By 8 p.m. I will have finished my homework.

Past Perfect

An action in the past perfect began and ended before another past event. To form the past perfect, use the past tense of the verb to have plus the past participle of the main verb. Yesterday I rode the bus to school, but the day before I had walked to school. I was watching TV because I had finished my homework already.

Present Perfect

An action in the present perfect began in the past and continues in the present or has ended by the present. It can also be used to talk about past actions that happened multiple times. To form the present perfect, use the present tense of the verb to have plus the past participle of the main verb. Most days I take the bus to school, but for the last two weeks I have walked to school. I have finished my homework already.

Misconception #3: The Perfect Tenses Are Passive Voice

Another common misconception is that the present perfect and past perfect tenses are forms of passive voice because they use past participles. Similarly to the passive voice, overusing these two tenses can weaken your writing. However, when used correctly, these tenses can actually strengthen your writing. There are also times when the perfect tenses are the only correct choice.

Knowing When to Use the Mandative Subjunctive

Any sentence that starts with one of the verbs on the list below requires the subjunctive after that. Just remember that the verbs listed here will be in the indicative; only verbs following that will be in the subjunctive. ask insist advise prefer propose recommend pray urge demand request suggest Hint: The first verb in a mandative subjunctive sentence can take any form of the indicative. This means that you can use any of the tenses you learned about earlier in this module. Some sentences that follow the formula It is + adjective + that require the subjunctive, but this rule only applies for certain adjectives: best better essential important vital crucial imperative necessary Hint: In sentences following the above structure, it is common to use the word for plus the infinitive instead of the subjunctive mood. (The infinitive just adds the word to in front of the base, for example, to eat or to sleep.)

Using Were for Wishes, Desires, Hypotheticals, and Nonfactual Statements

When talking about wishes, desires, and hypothetical (imaginary) situations, you'll often use the subjunctive were. Up until now, you've been using the indicative were to talk about the past. We were at the park all day yesterday. However, subjunctive statements that use were do not refer to the past. Instead, they are statements you would make while daydreaming or imagining something. Were is the only form of to be that you can use for hypotheticals and nonfactual statements—it's used for the first, second, and third person, singular or plural. In the chart below, you'll notice that you can only tell the difference between the subjunctive were and the indicative were in the first and third person singular forms. Hint:Hypothetical subjunctive statements often start with if or I wish. If today were Saturday, I would sleep in. This is an example of a hypothetical or nonfactual situation. It's not Saturday; the speaker is just imagining something she might do on a Saturday. I wish today were Saturday so that I could sleep in. Here, the speaker is using the subjunctive were to express a wish or desire. This statement can also be considered hypothetical or nonfactual because it's not actually Saturday. I wouldn't go any closer to that tiger cage if I were you. This is an example of a nonfactual statement. I am not you, but I'm imagining what I would—or wouldn't—do if I were in your place. Hint: In the examples above, would represents the conditional mood, which you'll learn about later in this lesson. Note: In British English the indicative is preferred for hypotheticals. If today was Saturday, I would sleep in.

Choose Active Voice Wherever You Can

When you write sentences in active voice, your writing is more engaging and moves more quickly. The children climbed all over the jungle gym. Then they threw several balls in the air and dodged them. Notice how your attention is on the actions of the children. Take a look at the same sentences in passive voice: The jungle gym was climbed by the children. Then several balls were thrown in the air and were dodged by the children. Now your attention is on the objects, not the children. Notice how the structure of these sentences is awkward and clunky. When one of your sentences sounds awkward, check to see if you're using passive voice. If you are, an easy fix is to use active voice instead.

Past Tense(Irregular)

With the irregular past tense, it is common for a vowel in the middle of the verb to change instead of the verb's ending. The verb drive, for example, changes to drove in the past tense. Other verbs require you to change a vowel and add a new ending. Eat, for example, turns into ate in the past tense. One of the most common irregular past tense endings is -t (sweep → swept). Sometimes you'll add -d (sell → sold) or -ght (catch → caught) instead. Often, when the base ends in -ck, -e, -g, -ght, or -n, the past tense will keep that final letter or set of letters. stick → stuck drive → drove ring → rang fight → fought run → ran

The Exception: Negative Present and Past Tense Statements with To Be

With the verb to be, you don't use the helping verb to do. Just use the same present and past tense forms you normally do, and add the word not. I am not at school today. Alyssa is not in school today. The twins are not in school today. Alyssa was not in school today. The twins were not in school yesterday.

Rare Patterns and Stand-Alone Irregulars

With the verbs run, come, become, and overcome, the base and past participle are the same. These are the only four verbs that follow this pattern, so keep an eye out for them—people often make the mistake of thinking that the past tense and past participle forms are the same. The base, past tense, and past participle are all completely different. This doesn't happen very often. The verb fly is a good a example. With the verb beat - and only the verb beat - the base and the past tense are the same, but the past participle is different. Keep in mind that any other verb that has the same base and past tense will also have the same exact past participle (for example, put/put/put).

Participles vs. Participial Adjectives

You already know that to be often acts as a helping verb before a present or past participle. However, some participles can also be used as adjectives (describing words). When to be is used with these adjectives, it is a linking verb, not a helping verb. If you're not sure if to be is a linking or helping verb in a particular sentence, just think about whether the participle is a description or an action. Let's take a look at some examples, starting with present participial adjectives versus present participles in the progressive tenses.

The Verb To Be

[To Be: Present and Past Tenses] Person and Number Present Past First person singular (I) am was First person plural (we) are were Second person singulal or plural (you) are were Third person singular (he, she, it) is was Third person plural (they) are were [To Be: Present and Past Participles] Present Past being been

Tense shifts

happen when writers accidentally switch from one tense to another in the same sentence, paragraph, story, or essay. Sometimes a shift is necessary, but accidental shifts happens when writers become distracted. Writers may begin their story in the past, as if they are watching it from the outside—but then, as they become absorbed in the story, they may switch to the present tense. Some writers continue shifting back and forth throughout their pieces. It's important to choose a tense and stick to it. When you begin a piece, decide whether you want to use past or present tense. Most narratives or stories about events that have already happened are written in the past tense. Some authors use the present tense to pull the reader into the story. This can be very effective, but only if done carefully. Note:Even if a story is told in the past tense, dialogue and quotations can be in a different tense (usually the present). This is because dialogue and quotations repeat exactly what people say from their time frame and their perspective.

to have

have has had having

To Be As a Helping Verb

helping verbs are used with main verbs to help complete the main verb's meaning. To be is a helping verb when used in the progressive tenses or the passive voice

Imperative Mood

is "bossy" mood—it's used to give commands or to advise or beg someone to do something. Commands can be affirmative (tell someone what to do) or negative (tell someone what not to do). Affirmative commands use the base form of the verb. Negative commands follow this formula: do + not + base. The subject of all imperative sentences is the unstated you.

Indicative Mood

is fact mood, and it's the one we use most often. It states, asks, or denies a fact. However, it can also express an opinion because opinions are often stated as facts; when you have an opinion about something, you usually view it as a fact. Almost all the verbs you've studied so far have been in the indicative mood, so you're already familiar with it. The simple, progressive, and perfect tenses all express indicative mood.

More on the Mandative Subjunctive

is used for recommendations, demands, suggestions, requests, and advice. This type of sentence always has at least two verbs, but only the one after the word that is subjunctive; the first verb is always indicative. We demanded that he stop setting off the fire alarm at school. demanded = indicative stop = subjunctive It is imperative that she leave right away. is = indicative leave = subjunctive Hint: It is usually acceptable to omit the word that in both spoken and written English. We demanded ____ he stop setting off the fire alarm at school. Note: In British English the modal should is used to express the mandative subjunctive. They recommend that he should arrive on time every day

Subjunctive Mood

is used to express suggestions, recommendations, advice, demands, wishes, and doubts. It is also used to talk about hypothetical (imaginary) situations or something that is contrary to fact.