Action Words (Verbs)

Grammatically, the verb is the most important

word in the sentence. If you can find the verb

and manage it properly, your grammar and usage

problems will be solved easily. Every sentence

must contain a word that tells what is happening.

That is the verb.

Most verbs change their forms to tell time of

an action, event, or condition. They are the only

part of speech that can do so. This fact can help

you decide which word in the sentence is the

verb.

Tense

Generally, verbs change their forms to indicate the present, past, and future time. Tense means “time”. There are three simple tenses and three perfect tenses for each verb. They are formed as follows:

1.) Simple Present Tense

The present tense is used under the following conditions:

a. To talk about something that exists at the

present moment

Examples:

The boxes are in the storage room.

This milk smells sour.

John loves reading.

b. To express something that is generally true or

true at all times

Examples:

All living things need oxygen

The earth moves around the sun.

Fruits and vegetables are good for the body.

c. To indicate repeated or regular and habitual

action

Examples:

We attend classes regularly.

Department stores usually open at 9:00 am.

I visit my doctor every month.

d. To describe some action or state of being in the

past as though it is occurring in the present.

Example:

The captain picks up the key and opens the

room while the masked intruder watches

anxiously in the dark.

2.) Simple Past Tense

The past tense is used to indicate an action which

happened in the past.

Examples:

I ate a heavy breakfast this morning.

Lucy came to my office last month.

We recorded this music last night.

John took them to the airport last night.

The guest arrived late.

3.) Simple Future Tense

The future tense is shown by using shall or will

with the base form of the verb. It is used to indicate

an action which to be done sometime in the future.

The future tense may also be illustrated by using

the verbs to be auxiliary or helping verb (am, is,

are) plus the present form of the verb, or the

phrase about to with the present form of the verb.

Examples:

Our guest speaker will arrive before the

program starts.

Grace is going to see her doctor next week.

We shall watch the school play on Sunday.

They are about to start the program.

4.) Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect tense is used under the following conditions:

a. To express an action or state of being at some

indefinite time in the past

Examples:

We have heard that story several times

already.

Luis has visited Japan many times.

b. To show action or state of being that began in

the past and continues into the present

Examples:

Mrs. Santos has lived in Manila for 15 years.

(She still lives there.)

The girls have started to practice since this

morning.

5.) Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense tells of an action or state

of being completed in the past before some other

action occurred. This is formed by using had with the

past participle of the verb.

Examples:

Earlier LaterWe had finished writing before the teacher came. Marie had taken the test before the letter arrived.

Mark had waited for an hour before the dean came.

6.) Future Perfect Tense

This is formed by using will have or shall have

with the past participle of the verb. This used to tell

an action to be completed in the future before

some other action or state of being takes place.

Examples:

By the time the sun sets, he will have written the

conclusion of his report.

Before the museum closes, the exhibit will have

had one hundred visitors.

* Students are always faced with this perennial

problem in verb usage: forming the past tense and

the past participle of the regular and the irregular

verbs.

Regular verbs

form the past and the past participle by adding

-d or -ed.

Present Past Past Participle

pray prayed prayed

change changed changed

cook cooked cooked

Irregular verbs

form their past and the past participle by changing the structure or spelling of the verb.

Present Past Past Participle

bear bore borne

beat beat beaten

begin began begun

bite bit bitten

blow blew blown

bring brought brought

catch caught caught

choose chose chosen

come came came

do did done

draw drew drawn

drink drank drunk

eat ate eaten

fall fell fallen

fight fought fought

flee fled fled

freeze froze frozen

get got gotten

grow grew grown

know knew known

lead led led

lend lent lent

lie ( to recline) lay lain

lay (to place) lay laid

lose lost lost

ride rode ridden

rise rose risen

say said said

see saw seen

shake shook shaken

shine shone shose

slay slew slain

speak spoke spoken

tear tore torn

This are verbs which do not change in their

present, past, and past participle forms.

Present Past Past Participle

burst burst burst

cost cost cost

hit hit hit

hurt hurt hurt

set set set

shut shut shut

spread spread spread

7.) Present Progressive Tense

The present progressive is used to indicate an

action that is currently in progress.

Examples:

Judith is delivering her speech now.

The basketball team is playing in the gym.

8.) Past Progressive Tense

The past progressive tense is used to indicate

past action in progress before another past action

occurred.

Examples:

The teacher was lecturing when the

communion took place.

They were walking when they saw a man hit

by a speeding car.

Modal Verbs

1. Can and could (negative: can’t and

couldn’t)

Can is used to express possibility and ability and

could is used as the simple past of could. They are

used under the following conditions:

A. To express ability

Examples:

Rachelle can speak French.

Mico can play the piano.

Justine can’t attend the party.

I could dance the Hawaiian when I was young.

B. To express possibility

Examples:

We know you can finish our report.

George play the role of Julius Caesar.

Josephine couldn’t come last night.

C. To give and deny permission

Examples:

You can sleep here if you want to.

She can’t come with us today.

When we were students, we couldn’t wear short

skirts and dresses.

D. To ask permission (politely)

Examples:

Can I offer you anything?

Could you please leave the room right away?

2. Should and ought

The use of should and ought is similar. Should,

however, is followed by the base form of the verb,

where ought is used with infinitive to.

They are used under the following conditions:

A. To give advice

Examples:

We should drink plenty of water.

Children ought to obey their parents.

B. To recommend, to anticipate, and to state a

present situation

Examples:

You should read Maya Angelou’s novels.

The guests ought to attend the morning mass.

This door shouldn’t be opened at anytime.

3. May and might

May and might are used for expressing

possibility, asking and giving permission, and

expressing wishes for the future.

Examples:

Roger might come after all.

Diana may use the computer anytime she wants to.

The students might not be allowed to attend the

concert.

May I use your phone?

4. Must

Must is used to express obligation, certainty,

probability, and necessity.

Examples:

We must eat fruits and vegetables all the time.

The team must practice more often.

You must always follow traffic rules.

I must not leave the house without asking my

parent’s permission.

Auxiliary Do, Does, and DidAnother problem that students encounter is the use of

do, does, and did.

These verbs are used under the following

conditions:

1. To indicate an action or situation true at the

present time and in the past.

Does is used in the third person singular, present

time.

Do is used in the first person, second person, and

third person plural.

Did is the past form of do and does.

Examples:

Mico does his work well.

Nicole and Justine do their project together.

Jaymah and Rachelle did not participate in

the game.

2. To frame question which requires either

the present or past action response

Examples:

Do you speak French?

Answer: Yes, I do/ I do.

No, I don’t.

Does your job require intensive writing?

Answer: Yes, it does.

No, it doesn’t.

Did you forget the key?

Answer: Yes, I did.

No, I didn’t.

Reference:

Sebastian, Evelyn L., Cayao, Erlinda A., Asuncion,

Risa P., Reyes, Shirly B., English Proficiency 1

Second Edition 2013, page.,87-95