We usually make the past tense by adding "d" or "ed" to the verb root word. For example, Hannah talked to her friend.
Some verbs have irregular past tenses. For example, Hannah told him about her holiday. We do not add "d" or "ed" to the irregular past tense verb, but change the spelling. Tell becomes told not telled.
We also make the past tense by using the verb "to be" and add "ing" word.
| Root word | Present tense | Past tense | Future tense |
|---|---|---|---|
| To be | is/ am/ are | was/ were | will/shall |
| Past Tense; She was talking to her friends. | Was is the verb "to be". Talking is the verb root word. |
| Root word | Past tense |
|---|---|
| Walk | I walked. |
| Walk plus to be | I was walking. |
| Help | I helped. |
| Learn | I learned. |
| Learn plus to be | I was learning. |
Irregular verbs do not follow the spelling pattern of regular Verbs and some irregular verbs do not change their spelling at all.
| Root word | Past tense |
|---|---|
| Write | I wrote. |
| Write plus to be | They were writing. |
| Grow | It grew. |
| Teach | She taught. |
| Teach plus to be | We were teaching. |
| Think | He thought. |
| Root word | Past tense |
|---|---|
| cost | I cost |
| hit | They were hitting. |
| read | It read. |
| let | She let. |
| put | We were putting. |
| shut | He shut. |
Time words tell us when an action happened in the past.
| yesterday | yesterday evening | yesterday morning | yesterday |
|---|---|---|---|
| yesterday afternoon | the day before yesterday | ||
| last | last night | last Summer | last Monday |
| last week | last Autumn | last Tuesday | |
| last month | last Winter | last weekend | |
| last year | last Spring | last Friday | |
| ago | a few minutes ago | two days ago | a month ago |
| an hour ago | a week ago | five years ago | |
| in | in 1961 | in the 1920's | in the 16th century |
Lessons on the basic rules of English Language Arts verb tenses will better equip your child to express their ideas in writing. The lessons provide models and valuable suggestions. Worksheets are structured as stepping stones to build your child's fundamental English Grammar skills.
Writing Tip: The verb is the word that indicates the time that the event is occurring. It may be happening in the present tense, past tense or future tense.