Verb Tenses

The verb lie means to rest, to recline or to remain in a lying position. Lie does not take an object. The verb lay means to put or to place something somewhere. Lay generally takes an object.

Base Form~~~~ present participle~~~~ past~~~ past participle lie~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~is lying~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ lay ~~~~have lain lay~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ is laying~~~~~~~~~~~~ laid ~~~have laid Lambert lay on the lounge chair.

The verb sit means to rest in an upright position. Sit seldom takes an object. The verb set means to put or to place something somewhere, Set generally takes an object

Base form Present participle past past participle sit is sitting sat have sat set is setting set have set

The tense of a verb indicates the time of the action or of the state of being expressed by the verb. past perfect- existing or happening before a specific time in the past Past- existing or happening in the past present perfect- existing or happening sometime before now; may be continuing now Present- existing or happening now Future Perfect- existing or happening before a specific time in the future Future- existing or happening in the future

Max has worked(present perfect) all summer, and now he has(present) enough money to buy a bicycle. The chorus had practiced(past perfect) for weeks before they sang(past) in public last night. The surgeon will have reviewed(future perfect) the test results by next Friday, and she will decide(future) whether or not to operate then.

One common error in the use of the past and the past participle forms is to leave off the -d or -ed ending.

Nonstandard: She was suppose to come home early. Standard: She was supposed to come home early.

Each of the six tenses has an additional form called the progressive form, which expresses continuing action. It consists of a form of the verb be plus the present participle of a verb. The progressive is not a separate tense but an additional form of each of the six tenses.

Present Progressive: am, are, is giving Past Progressive: was, were giving Future Progressive: will (shall) be giving Present perfect progressive: has, have been crying Past perfect progressive: had been giving Future Perfect progressive: will (shall) have been giving

The present participle of most regular verbs ending in -e drops the -e before adding -ing.

Smile + ing = smiling

Each of the six tenses has its own special uses. Present tense is used mainly to express an action or a state of being that is occurring now. The past tense is used to express an action or state of being that occurred in the past but that is not occurring now. The future tense is used to express an action or state of being that will occur. It is formed with will or shall and the main verb's base form. The present perfect tense is used to express an action or a state of being that occurred at some indefinite time in the past. It is formed with the helping verb have or has. The past perfect tense is used to express an action or a state of being that was completed in the past before some other past action or event. It is formed with the helping verb had. The future perfect tense is used to express an action or a state of being that will be completed in the future before some other future occurrence. It is formed with the helping verbs will have or shall have.

The new jet had two engines. They looked for seashells. The new model cars will arrive soon. The Mendozas have invited us over for a cookout. Once the judge had viewed the paintings, they announced the winners. By the time Mom returns, I will have done my chores.

The verb rise means to go in an upward direction. Rise does not take an object. The verb raise means to move something in an upward direction. Raise generally takes an object.

base form present participle past past participle rise is rising rose have risen raise is raising raised have raised

An irregular verb forms its past and past participle in some other way than by adding -d or -ed. -an irregular verb forms its past and past participle in one of these ways: -Changing consonants -Changing vowels -Changing vowels and consonants -making no change at all

consonant change: bend-bent-bent Vowel change: sing-sang-sung Vowel and consonant: go-went-gone no change: set-set-set

The four principal parts of a verb are the base form, the present participle, the past, and the past participle.

ring-base form: The bells ring every day. ringing- present participle: The bells are ringing now. rang-past: The bells rang at noon. rung-past participle: The bells have rung already. -notice that the tenses made from the present participle and past participle contain helping verbs, such as am, is, are, has, and have.

A regular verb forms its past and past participle by adding -d or -ed to the base form.

use-used risk-risked

Mood is the form a verb takes to indicate the attitude of the person using the verb. 1. The indicative mood is used to express a fact, an opinion, or a question. 2. The imperative mood is used to express a direct command or request. 3. The subjunctive mood is used to express a suggestion, a necessity, a condition contrary to fact, or a wish.

1. Seamus Heaney is the irish poet who won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1995. 2. Please write your answers on a separate sheet of paper. 3. Gerald suggested that we be ready to board the train.

A verb in the active voice expresses an action done by its subject. A verb in the passive voice expresses an action done to its subject.

Active voice: The coach instructed us. Passive voice: We were instructed by the coach.

When the present participle and past participle forms are used as verbs in sentences,they require helping verbs.

helping verb + present participle = verb phrase forms of be + taking/walking/going = am taking/was walking/have been going helping verb + past participle = verb phrase forms of have + taken/walked/gone = have taken/ has walked/ had gone -sometimes a past participle is used with a form of be: was chosen, are known, is seen. This use of the verb is called passive voice.

The words is and have are included in the preceding chart because helping verbs are used with the present participle and past participle to form some tenses.

is risking have risked