Past and Present Tense Verbs Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: L.5.1.C

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

Verbs are the stars of the sentence, outside of the subject, of course. They make things move and zip along. We often need to express the timing of the action within the word itself by adding a tense. This gives the reader a reasonable sense of when the action has, had, or is taking place. This can be very salient information for the intended audience. The past tense is added to verbs that already took place. The present tense of a verb is used when a verb is actively taking place. These worksheets will help students understand how to place tenses on verbs that are currently active or have already taken place. We will also explore how to use this technique in your own writing.

Verb Tense Worksheets To Print:

Identifying Verbs in Context - Find some verbs and then classify them based on how they are used within the paragraph.

Matching Past Tense - The matching kind of is packed together. You will match up the word to the sentence that could use it.

Choose the Best Verb Tense - You will need to find the best verb in the context of what you read here. These are slightly longer sentences.

Past Perfect Progressive - Big words, but it's really not that complicated. You will state to use this word form in your sentences.

Simply Perfect! - Make all these verbs present tense please. You have two to choose from to complete it.

Verbs in Context - Write a short story in the lines below. Use at least 3 present form verbs and 3 past form verbs correctly, and circle or underline them.

Switch Up! - Write the verb form based on what is in the parentheses. You will complicate some words a bit.

Same Verb, Different Tense - For each verb, put it into past or present tense. In some cases, write both.

Read, Find & Identify - Read 10 pages of a book and write down ten of the most interesting verbs you find.

When Do You Think? - When did that happen? Bonus: see if you can find the tense of the verb that is not present, too!

What's the Story? - Find a passage from a story with at least 10 verbs. Find, circle, and number all the verbs in the story. On the lines below, write the terms and classify the state of the action.

Sentence Sampler - You are given sentences that you will need to breakdown and write a new form of the sentence.

Identifying Verb Tenses - Underline the verb or verb phrase in each sentence and write what tense the verb is in.

Switching the Timing - Rewrite each sentence, so that the timing of when things occurs changes and as a result the entire thought process changes.

Verb Tense Teamwork - Get into groups of 3. Individually, write a story with at least five verbs (including two different tenses) in the lines below.

Flavors of Present and Past Tenses


The present tense of a verb comes in three different flavors (if you would): Simple, perfect, and continuous. Each variety helps the reader understand the complete action of the verb. The simple form is used to express something that is actively taking place or when it is something that consistently and regularly occurs. If the event is regularly occurring it is sometimes referred to as indefinite form. The form perfect tense is used when an event occurred in the past and is still actively taking place. The form continuous tense is used for actions or events that are active, happen frequently, and will continue to do so.


The past tense of verbs has four layers to it: Simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous. The simple past is used for events that took place and completed before this time. Past perfect is used to mention events that took place before a currently active event or action. Past continuous tense is used when you have good information that an event will take place again. Past perfect continuous is a bit confusing because it is event that occurred and completed much earlier than the current time.


What Is the Present Perfect Verb Tense?


This is one of the forms of verb tenses that forms a relation between the past and present. The use of this form of verb tense to explain an action means that the action has either began in the past, but is still being continued in the present or that the action happened at some indefinite time in the past.


Present perfect tense consists of two main elements. One is a past participle and the other element is either the helping verb have or has. Statements using this verb tense use third form of verbs in them and there must not be use of any -s, -es, -ing, or any other element that is used in other present verb tenses.


Using Present Perfect Verb in Affirmative Sentences


In statement that is simply stating a fact or declaring something that has happened in an indefinite time in the past or started at an earlier time and is still continued in the present - this verb tense is used in a simpler manner. These sentences start with a mention to the subject, then there is a use of 'has' or 'have' depending on the subject's nature and past participle comes in the end of the sentence. e.g., "I have just played football.", "She has just eaten her food".


Using Present Perfect Verb in Negative Sentences


Sentences in present prefect tense that show a negation of an action or convey anything in negation follow a general pattern or structure.


This structure can simply be indicated as follows:


Subject + Have / Has Not + Past Participle


Using Present Perfect Verb in Interrogative Sentences


Statements asking questions in present perfect sentences follow a simple pattern as follows:


Have / Has + Subject + Past Participle

There is an addition of Not after have or has if the question is negative.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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