Verb Conjugation

Advanced Grammar and Composition

JAYMAR B. MAGTIBAY
Master of Arts in English Education
VERB TENSES
- used to indicate when something happens
- form of a verb that show the time of an action or condition.
- tell if something: - is happening now
- was happening at some time in the past or
- will be happening at some time in the future
The time of action or condition can be expressed by six tenses, each of
which can be formed in at least two ways:
THE BASIC FORMS OF THE THE PROGRESSIVE FORMS OF THE
SIX TENSES SIX TENSES
Present Study/studies Present Progressive Am/Is/are studying

Past studied Past Progressive Was/were studying

Future Will study Future Progressive Will be studying
Present Perfect Has/have studied Present Perfect Progressive Has/have been studying
Past Perfect Had studied Past Perfect Progressive Had been studying
Future Perfect Will have studied Future Perfect Progressive Will have been studying
 SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
(action happening now, or which
happens regularly)
To express what is stated as always true, in the nature of
things. The earth revolves around the sun.
To express what is habitual or recurrent
The department store opens at ten
To express what is permanent
My house faces east.
To express what is present condition
She works as executive secretary.
 SIMPLE PAST TENSE
(action at indefinite time in the past)

To express an action completed in the past

Time expressions are:
last Sunday, yesterday, in 1990, a week ago
Example:
Judy finished her science project last night.
Magellan discovered the Philippines in 1521.
 SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE
(action in the future)
To express future time/action
We will submit our requirements next month.
We will race in the main event.
 PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
(a finished action, viewed from right now)
 Formed by using has/have plus the past participle of the verb.
 The adverbial indicators of time are:
already, just, yet, never, ever, since, for
 Used to denote a completed or finished action at an indefinite point of time in
the past. Time expressions are just, already, lately, yet, recently
He hasn’t written his friends yet.
 Used to denote an action which began in the past and has continued up to the
present.
They have worked in the field for three hours.
They haven’t had a break since seven o’clock.
 PAST PERFECT TENSE
(action that started and ended in the
past)
Formed by using had plus the past participle of the verb.
The adverbial indicators of time are:
by the time, when, before and after, etc.
Used to indicate a completed action in the past before another past
action.
She had gone by the time he called up.
He had praised automation until he realized its dangers.
(earlier) (later)
Often occurs in sentences containing adverbial clauses introduced by:
The papers were collected before I had finished the text.
My friend Paolo arrived after I had left.
Ana didn’t find her bag although she had reported her loss.
 Often occurs in sentences containing adjectival clauses introduced by:
The book that he had missed for a week was finally found.
The hero who had painted some of the best known Filipino paintings was Juan
Luna.
The house where Jose Rizal had lived as a child and later as an adult is in
Calamba.
The boy whom Carlo come with lives in his neighborhood.
The program which I had prepared was held last month.
I went to the library when the teacher had left the class.
 FUTURE PERFECT TENSE
(action that will start and finish in
the future)
Formed by using shall/will have plus the past participle form of
the verb.
The adverbial indicators of time are:
by the time, when, before
Used to express an action that will have been completed before a
point of time in the future.
I shall have graduated by March.
Used to express an action that will have been completed before
another future action.
I will have done my homework before you get back.
 PRESENT PROGRESSIVE TENSE
(action continuing now, or which takes
place on a regular basis)
• Formed by using am/is/are plus present participle of the
verb.
• Used to express an action that takes place now as the speaker
speaks.
Vehicles are rushing on the streets.
Keep taking, I am listening.
 PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE
(ongoing action sometime in the
past)
Formed by using was/were plus present participle of the verb.
Used to show:
Long continuing action in the past:
Last summer my brother was working in Florida.
Short continuing action in the past:
I was making omelets this morning.
Used to express an action that was going on in the past when
another past action occurred.
We were dancing when the teacher came.
 FUTURE PROGRESSIVE TENSE
(action that will start and continue in the
future)
• Formed by using will be plus present participle of the verb.
• Used to show continuing future action
The team will be practicing during July and August.
I will be composing a song for you one of these days.
 PRESENT PERFECT
PROGRESSIVE TENSE
(ongoing action)
Formed by using has/have plus been plus the present
participle of verb.
Used to express the idea of continuous activity.
Bob has been studying college catalogs.
He has been memorizing his speech since early this
morning.
 PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE TENSE
(ongoing action that started, continued,
and ended in the past)
Formed by using had plus been plus the present participle
of verb.
Used to show action interrupted by another.
The wheat crop had been thriving until it was attacked
by locusts.
Used to emphasize the continuous nature of the activity.
He had been working till late last night.
 FUTURE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE TENSE
(action that will start and continue in the
future, before a specific time)
• Formed by using will have plus been plus the present
participle of verb.
• Used to show continuing future action completed before
another.
By the time of our first game, I will have been practicing
for two months.

Let’s check your answers!

Definition of Terms
 Conjugation – complete list of the singular and plural forms of a verb
in a particular sense.
 To conjugate a verb, you need:
FORMS OF BE am, is, are, was, were, been
> helping verbs such as:
FORMS OF has, have, had
HAVE
AUXILIARY will
> principal parts:
PRESENT PRESENT PAST PAST
PARTICIPLE PARTICIPLE
take taking took taken

Singular and plural forms of a verb correspond to the singular and plural
forms of the personal pronouns: PERSON SINGULAR PLURAL
FIRST I WE
SECOND YOU YOU
THIRD HE, SHE, IT THEY
 Conjugation of Basic Forms of Take
TENSES PERSON SINGULAR PLURAL
S
I PRESENT FIRST I take We take
M
SECOND You take You take
P
L THIRD He, she, it takes They take
E PAST FIRST I took We took

T SECOND You took You took

E THIRD He, she, it took They took
N
S FUTURE FIRST I will take We will take
E SECOND You will take You will take
S
THIRD He, she, it will take They will take
 Conjugation of Basic Forms of Take
TENSES PERSON SINGULAR PLURAL
P
E PRESENT FIRST I have taken We have taken
R (has/have +
F past SECOND You have taken You have taken
E participle)
THIRD He, she, it has taken They have taken
C
PAST FIRST I had taken We had taken
T
(had + past
participle) SECOND You had taken You had taken
T
THIRD He, she, it had taken They had taken
E
N FUTURE FIRST I will have taken We will have taken
S (will have +
past SECOND You will have taken You will have taken
E participle)
S THIRD He, she, it will have They will have taken
taken
Conjugation of Progressive Forms of Take
TENSES PERSON SINGULAR PLURAL

P PRESENT FIRST I am taking We are taking

R (am/is/are +
present SECOND You are taking You are taking
O
T participle) THIRD He, she, it is taking They are taking
G
E
R PAST FIRST I was taking We were taking
N
E (was/were +
S present SECOND You were taking You were taking
S
E participle)
S THIRD He, she, it was taking They were taking
S
I FUTURE FIRST I will be taking We will be taking
V (will be +
E present SECOND You will be taking You will be taking
participle)
THIRD He, she, it will be They will be taking
taking
Conjugation of Progressive Forms of Take
TENSES PERSON SINGULAR PLURAL

PRESENT FIRST I have been taking We have been taking

P (has/have+
SECOND You have been taking You have been taking
R been+
P O present THIRD He, she, it has been They have been taking
participle) taking
E G
R R PAST FIRST I had been taking We had been taking
(had+ been SECOND You had been taking You had been taking
F E
+ present
E S participle) THIRD He, she, it had been They have been taking
C S taking
T I FUTURE FIRST I will have been taking We will have been taking
V (will have+ SECOND You will have been You will have been taking
E been + taking
present
participle) THIRD He, she, it will have They will have been
been taking taking
 PRESENT

PAST

FUTURE record/records
BASIC

PRESENT PERFECT has/have been recording

has/have recorded
PAST PERFECT
had recorded
FUTURE PERFECT will have been recording
PRESENT recorded
PROGRESSIVE am/is/are recording
PAST will record
PROGRESSIVE
PROGRESSIVE

was/were/recording
FUTURE
PROGRESSIVE will have recorded
PRESENT PERFECT will be recording
PROGRESSIVE had been recording
PAST PERFECT
PROGRESSIVE
FUTURE PERFECT
PROGRESSIVE
Thank you for listening!
1. I (submitted, have submitted) my term paper. Now I can relax.
2. Mrs. Prado (went, has gone) to visit her daughter in New York
last Christmas.
3. Father (worked, has worked) in the government service since
1998.
4. He (made, had made) up his mind to go into agriculture when
he went to see his father.
5. I’m afraid the mangoes (had spoiled, will have spoiled) when
they arrive in Japan.
6. When we drank the soda, we noticed it (has lost, had lost) its
fizz.
7. Mr. Suarez (was working, worked) when a thunderstorm
suddenly began.
8. He (will be leaving, will have left) by the time we get there.
ANSWERS
1. I (submitted, have submitted) my term paper. Now I can
relax.
2. Mrs. Prado (went, has gone) to visit her daughter in New York
last Christmas.
3. Father (worked, has worked) in the government service since
1998.
4. He (made, had made) up his mind to go into agriculture
when he went to see his father.
5. I’m afraid the mangoes (had spoiled, will have spoiled) when
they arrive in Japan.
6. When we drank the soda, we noticed it (has lost, had lost) its
fizz.
7. Mr. Suarez (was working, worked) when a thunderstorm
suddenly began.
8. He (will be leaving, will have left) by the time we get there.