UU.7 Identify the past, present, and future tense
What is verb tense?
Verb tense tells when an action happens. A verb can show whether something happened in the past, is happening now, or will happen in the future.
- I walk to school. (present)
- I walked to school. (past)
- I will walk to school. (future)
Always look at the verb to figure out when the action happens.
Present tense
The present tense shows an action that is happening now or happens regularly.
- She reads every night.
- We play outside after school.
- The dog runs fast.
Some present tense verbs change slightly, like adding -s when talking about one person or thing.
Past tense
The past tense shows an action that has already happened.
- Yesterday, I jumped over the puddle.
- She watched a movie last night.
- They played a game after school.
Many past tense verbs end in -ed, but some verbs change in different ways, such as go → went.
Future tense
The future tense shows an action that has not happened yet.
- I will finish my homework later.
- We will visit the park tomorrow.
- She will help her friend.
Future tense verbs often use the word will to show that the action is coming later.
Using verb tense correctly in sentences
Good writers keep the same verb tense in a sentence unless the time changes.
- Today, I eat lunch at school. (present)
- Last week, we visited the library. (past)
- Tomorrow, they will start a new book. (future)
Clue words like yesterday, today, and tomorrow can help you choose the correct verb tense.