M9. Verb Tenses and Auxiliaries
M9. Verb Tenses and Auxiliaries
• When the verb is conjugated with a form of to be (am, is, are, was, were),
the verb will have an -ing ending. It means that the action is continuing
or not yet completed. For example: “We are speaking.”
• The third present tense form uses a conjugation of to do (do, does) with
the verb and has three uses: (1) It is used to ask a question with most
verbs except to be or certain auxiliaries (can, must, should, and so on).
(2) It is used as an emphatic response. (3) It is used to negate the verb
with not. Let’s look at some examples with the verb to speak:
Conjugating English verbs is not difficult. But choosing the correct tense
form from the three just described requires practice. The exercises that follow
will help you to use English verb forms and tenses with accuracy.
Verb Tenses
Study the following examples, which show how verbs change in the various
tenses. Some tenses require a form of to be and a present participle. Present par-
ticiples have an -ing ending: is going, were singing. Other tenses require a past
participle. Regular verbs form the past tense and past participle in the same
way—just add -ed: worked, have worked. Use Appendix A of irregular verbs in
the past tense and past participle to see how they are formed.
The perfect tenses of both regular and irregular verbs are a combination of
a form of to have plus a past participle: I have worked. She has seen. You had bro-
ken. Tom will have discovered.
In the exercises that follow you will be making similar tense changes.
(Because the perfect and future tenses in the preceding example have an auxil-
iary verb [have, had, will] in the question, a form of to do is not necessary.)
(Because the perfect and future tenses in the preceding example have an auxil-
iary verb [hasn’t, hadn’t, won’t] in the sentence, a form of to do is not necessary.)
4 Writing Better English
Exercise 1.1 Rewrite the following sentences in the tenses given. Use the exam-
ples given previously to help you maintain accuracy.
2. Present
Past Were you looking for your wallet?
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
3. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future Will she help Tom?
4. Present
Past
Present Perfect I haven’t filled out the application.
Past Perfect
Future
6. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future He will be making a good salary.
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7. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect Juan had visited his aunt and uncle.
Future
Future Perfect
8. Present
Past She carried the child to her bed.
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
10. Present
Past
Present Perfect They have hired him.
Past Perfect
Future
11. Present
Past How did they do that?
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
12. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future The boys will never eat broccoli.
6 Writing Better English
14. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect The manager had fired the entire staff.
Future
15. Present
Past She taught herself to play the guitar.
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
Exercise 1.2 Rewrite the following sentences in the tenses given. Use the exam-
ples to help you maintain accuracy.
2. Present
Past Were the children good?
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
3. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future Will she be ill?
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4. Present
Past
Present Perfect I have not been angry at all.
Past Perfect
Future
6. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future What will you do?
7. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect The girls had had a bad day.
Future
Future Perfect
8. Present
Past Maria had ten dollars.
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
10. Present
Past
Present Perfect They haven’t gone to the movies.
Past Perfect
Future
11. Present
Past We got a letter from a distant relative.
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
12. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect Hadn’t you expected that?
Future
14. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future Carmen won’t believe you.
15. Present
Past
Present Perfect Have you stopped for gas there?
Past Perfect
Future
Exercise 1.3 Rewrite the following sentences in the tenses given. Use the exam-
ples to help you maintain accuracy. Notice that you will be dealing with a wider
variety of verbs here.
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3. Present
Past The letter carriers went into the office.
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
Future Perfect
4. Present
Past Were you talking to Richard?
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
5. Present
Past
Present Perfect His son has broken a window.
Past Perfect
Future
6. Present
Past
Present Perfect The secretary has been writing letters.
Past Perfect
Future
7. Present
Past
Present Perfect
10 Writing Better English
Past Perfect
Future Won’t you sing, too?
8. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future They won’t be going shopping.
9. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
Future Perfect Carlos will have gotten up before dawn.
10. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
Future Perfect By seven-thirty he will have left for home.
12. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect He had done nothing.
Future
Future Perfect
13. Present
Past
Present Perfect
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Past Perfect
Future She will exercise before breakfast.
Future Perfect
14. Present
Past The chef roasted a turkey.
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
Future Perfect
15. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
Future Perfect Little Tommy will probably have broken it.
Exercise 1.4 Rewrite the following sentences in the tenses given, but change the
subject of each sentence to a different pronoun (I, you, he, she, it, we, they, or
who).
2. Present
Past Didn’t she like the book?
Past Perfect
Future
12 Writing Better English
3. Present
Past
Present Perfect I have been driving very slowly.
Past Perfect
Future
4. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect We had found him just in time.
Future
Future Perfect
5. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future They will arrange a party for her.
Future Perfect
6. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
Future Perfect He will have brought it home by noon.
8. Present
Past I put the tools back before lunch.
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
Future Perfect
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10. Present
Past
Past Perfect
Future
Future Perfect He will have stolen the money by midnight.
11. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future We will gain nothing by doing this.
Future Perfect
13. Present
Past
Present Perfect Who has won the contest?
Past Perfect
Future
Future Perfect
14. Present
Past You didn’t understand a thing he said.
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
Future Perfect
14 Writing Better English
15. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future I will depart before dawn.
Future Perfect
You have been forming the future tense by using will with a verb (I will go,
she will sing, they will be taking). The auxiliary shall is often used in the first
person singular and plural (I and we). But in casual English will is used nearly
all the time.
FORMAL CASUAL
I shall visit my uncle. I will visit my uncle.
We shall borrow some money. We will borrow some money.
The future tense meaning is also expressed with the phrase to be going to (I
am going to, you are going to, he is going to). It means the same thing as will
and can replace it.
WILL TO BE GOING TO
They will buy a new car. They are going to buy a new car.
Will you help me? Are you going to help me?
The phrase to be going to can be conjugated in the past tense. Then it means
that this was something that someone planned to do in the future.
Exercise 1.5 Rewrite the following future tense sentences by changing will to
to be going to.
Auxiliaries
It’s very common to use to have or to be as auxiliaries or helping verbs. For
example:
• Have you seen that film? (a form of to have plus a past participle)
• I haven’t had a chance to go to the store today. (a form of to have plus a
past participle)
• Are you learning a lot of new words? (a form of to be plus a present
participle)
• She isn’t studying for her exams. (a form of to be plus a present
participle)
But there are other auxiliary verbs that are used with infinitives (to go, to run,
to help, to find, and so on).
Note that many of these special verbs cannot be used in all tenses. And in
some cases, you have to change to a different verb to form a specific tense. The
examples that follow will be conjugated with the third person pronoun he.
TO BE ABLE TO TO BE SUPPOSED TO
Present is able to is supposed to
Past was able to was supposed to
Present Perfect has been able to has been supposed to
Past Perfect had been able to had been supposed to
Future will be able to will be supposed to
Future Perfect will have been able to will have been supposed to
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CAN TO HAVE TO
Present can has to
Past could or was able to had to
Present Perfect has been able to has had to
Past Perfect had been able to had had to
Future will be able to will have to
Future Perfect will have been able to will have had to
MAY MUST
Present may must
Past might had to
Present Perfect — has had to
Past Perfect — had had to
Future — will have to
Future Perfect — will have had to
OUGHT TO SHOULD
Present ought to should
Past — —
Present Perfect — —
Past Perfect — —
Future — —
Future Perfect — —
TO WANT TO NEED TO
Present wants needs to
Past wanted needed to
Present Perfect has wanted has needed to
Past Perfect had wanted had needed to
Future will want will need to
Future Perfect will have wanted will have needed to
Exercise 1.6 Rewrite the following sentences in the tenses given. Use the pre-
ceding examples to help you maintain accuracy. Notice that these sentences con-
tain auxiliaries, and remember that not all the tenses can be formed with some
of these verbs.
Past Perfect
Future
2. Present
Past Martin wanted to buy a car.
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
3. Present
Past I was supposed to go home by eight o’clock.
Past Perfect
6. Present
Past
Present Perfect Have you had to study before the test?
Past Perfect
Future
Future Perfect
Future
Future Perfect
10. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect She hadn’t needed to get there on time.
Future
11. Present
Past They couldn’t unlock the door.
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
12. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect I had never wanted to become a lawyer.
Future
14. Present
Past
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future Will you be able to stand up?
20 Writing Better English
Auxiliaries are followed by a verb in its infinitive form minus the particle
word to. Look at these examples with the infinitive to work.
When you use one of the auxiliaries with a verb, you tell to what degree of
obligation someone has to carry out the action of the verb. Look at the follow-
ing sentences. The first one shows the least degree of obligation. This is some-
thing someone doesn’t have to do. The last sentence shows the greatest degree
of obligation. This is something that someone absolutely must do.
When you add an auxiliary to a sentence, you should use the same tense as
the original verb. For example: “John found [past tense] a good book.” When
you add have to to that sentence, you say, “John had to [past tense] find a good
book.”
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Exercise 1.7 Rewrite the following sentences with the auxiliaries given. Be sure
to retain the same tense as in the original sentence.