7 Verbs and Tenses

Most verbs are action words. They tell you what people,
animals or things are doing.

knock burst
climb

dig
read
Word File
act jump
bake move
bend pull
buy run
close shout
cook sing
cross sit
fall slide
fly stand
drop go start
grow swim
hop walk

79
The Simple Present Tense

The simple present tense expresses a general truth or

a customary action.

The sun rises in the east.

Uncle Joe wears glasses.

Ducks love water. The children go to school by bus.

Mary enjoys singing.

Peter sometimes lends me his bike.
Cows eat grass.
Monkeys like bananas.
Tom collects stamps.
The earth goes around the sun.
It often snows in winter.
We always wash our hands before meals.
We eat three meals a day.
Father takes the dog for a walk every morning.
80
Use the simple present tense to talk about things that are
planned for the future.

Melanie starts
school tomorrow. Next week I go to
summer camp.

The train departs

in five minutes.

We join the senior scout troop in July this year.

My big brother leaves school at 4 o’clock.
The new supermarket opens next Friday.
The new grammar book comes out in September.
Grandad retires next year.
We fly to London next Thursday.
The plane lands at 5:30 P.M.
We move to our new house in a month.
My big sister begins her summer job next week.

81
Exercise 1
Underline the verbs in the following sentences.
1 The children go to school by bus.
2 Bats sleep during the day.
3 These toys belong to Kathy.
4 Every pupil has a good dictionary.
5 Polar bears live at the North Pole.
6 Most children learn very fast.
7 Mr. Thomas teaches us science.
8 The earth goes around the sun.
9 We never cross the street without looking.
10 Many stores close on Sunday.

Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with the simple present tense of the
verbs in parentheses.
1 Winter ________ after autumn. (come)
2 A dog ________. (bark)
3 You ________ tired. (look)
4 Everyone ________ mistakes. (make)
5 Ali ________ in a department store. (work)
6 Judy ________ English very well. (speak)
7 Tim’s knee ________. (hurt)
8 Monkeys ________ bananas. (like)
9 Kate always ________ sandwiches for lunch. (eat)
10 He ________ very fast. (type)

82
Am, Is and Are

The words am, is, are are also verbs, but they are not
action words. They are the simple present tense of the
verb be.
Use am with the pronoun I, and is with the pronouns he,
she and it. Use are with the pronouns you, we and they.

It is a donkey.
It is not a horse.

It is very hot today.

It is not very comfortable.
the verb ‘be’

am is are
I am Peter. I am not Paul.
She is Miss Lee. She is a teacher.
He is my father. He is a doctor. He is not a lawyer.
You are a stranger. You are not my friend.
We are in the same class, but we are not on the same team.
They are good friends. They are not enemies.

83
 m ar H
am
Gr

elp
Here’s a table to help you remember how to
use am, is and are:

Singular Plural
First person I am we are
Second person you are you are
Third person he is they are
she is they are
it is they are

Learn these short forms called contractions:

I am = I’m they are = they’re
you are = you’re we are = we’re
he is = he’s
she is = she’s
it is = it’s
am not = aren’t (only in questions)
is not = isn’t
are not = aren’t

In questions, use aren’t as a contraction of am not. For

example, you can say:
I’m taller than you, aren’t I?
But in a statement you say:
I’m not as old as you.

84
Use the verb is with singular nouns and are with plural
nouns.

The camel is a desert animal. Vegetables and fruit

are healthy foods.

Lambs are baby sheep. is

Singular Plural are
nouns nouns
Kenneth is a lawyer.
Rex is a clever dog.
A duck is a kind of bird.
The playground is full of people today.
My house is near the school.
These questions are too difficult.
The balloons are very colorful.
Those people are very busy.
Dad and Mom are in the kitchen.
85
 Use is and are with the word there to say what you can
see and hear.

There is a castle on the hill. There is a wasps’ nest

There are some clouds in the sky. in the tree.

There is a fence around the school.

There are a lot of books in the library.
There are two guards at the gate.
Is there any food in the fridge?
Are there any apples left on the tree?
How much rice is there?
There are a few sharks in the bay.
There are enough candies for everyone, aren’t there?
There are two pigeons on the roof.

m ar H
am
Gr

elp

Learn this contraction:

there is = there’s

86
Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks with am, is or are.
1 They ________ my good friends.
2 He ________ a soldier.
3 You ________ taller than Charlie.
4 She ________ ill.
5 We ________ very hungry.
6 It ________ a sunny day.
7 I ________ angry with Joe.
8 You ________ all welcome to my house.

Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with is or are.
1 John’s dog ________ very friendly.
2 Robert ________ ten years old.
3 These flowers ________ very pretty.
4 The two schools ________ close to each other.
5 Math ________ not a very difficult subject.
6 ________ dinner ready?
7 This computer ________ very easy to use.
8 All the windows ________ open.
9 Sue and Jane ________ neighbors.
10 His hair ________ curly.

87
Exercise 3
Fill in the blanks with There is or There are.

1 ______________ a fence around the barn.

2 ______________ trees along the road.

3 ______________ a rainbow in the sky.

4 ______________ lots of parks in our town.

5 ______________ nothing in the cupboard.

6 ______________ not many bedrooms in the new house.

7 ______________ lots of mistakes on your test paper.

8 ______________ a wasps’ nest in the tree.

9 ______________ ants in the cookies.

10 ______________ many different kinds of animals

in the zoo.

11 ______________ plenty of food on the table.

12 ______________ a church on the hilltop.

13 ______________ no more water in the pool.

14 ______________ too many people on the beach.

15 ______________ only a few customers in the shop.

88
The Present Progressive Tense

When do you use the present progressive tense? To talk

about actions in the present, or things that are still going
on or happening now.

I am writing
a letter.
Mom is knitting
a sweater
for Sally.

The phone is ringing.

I’m playing chess with my friend.

She’s riding a horse.
He’s taking a walk in the park.
The man’s counting the money.
They are practicing tai chi.
We’re rushing to the airport to meet Mr. Smith.
They are still sleeping.
They are swimming in the sea.
What are they doing?
What’s happening?
Why aren’t you doing your homework?
Aren’t I sitting up straight?

89
 m ar H am +
am
is verb ing
Gr

elp
are

4 Form the present progressive tense like this:

am + present participle
is + present participle
are + present participle

4 The present participle is the form of a verb ending with

-ing. For example:
show + ing = showing
come + ing = coming

4 You have to double the last letter of some verbs before

you add -ing. For example:
get + ing = getting rob + ing = robbing
nod + ing = nodding stop + ing = stopping
jog + ing = jogging swim + ing = swimming

4 Notice that the verbs above are all short verbs of just
one syllable.
They all end with a consonant such as b, d, g, m, p, t
and have only one vowel before the consonant.
4 If a verb ends in e, you usually have to drop the e
before you add -ing. For example:
chase + ing = chasing
cycle + ing = cycling
drive + ing = driving
smile + ing = smiling

90
Use the present progressive tense to talk about things you
have planned to do, or things that are going to happen in
the future. To form the present progressive tense, use am,
is and are as helping verbs or auxiliary verbs.

When are you taking We are having a barbecue

me to the zoo? later this evening.

We are going camping tomorrow.

I’m starting piano lessons soon.
Jim’s parents are taking him to Texas next week.
My favorite TV program is starting in a minute.
All our friends are coming.
Who’s bringing salad for the barbecue? I am.
I am visiting Joe next week.
Where are you going for your vacation?
What are we eating for dinner?

91
Exercise 1
Write the present participle of these verbs on the
blanks.

1 come ____________ 7 go ____________

2 run ____________ 8 ask ____________
3 sleep ____________ 9 catch ____________
4 fall ____________ 10 write ____________
5 jump ____________ 11 drop ____________
6 climb ____________ 12 bring ____________

Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with the present progressive tense of the
verbs in parentheses.

1 They ________________ the roller-coaster ride. (enjoy)

2 Jill ________________ her hair. (wash)
3 It ________________ dark. (get)
4 The dentist ________________ Sue’s teeth. (examine)
5 The train ________________ through the tunnel. (pass)
6 The men _______________ very hard in the sun. (work)
7 What _________ the theater _________ today? (show)
8 We ________________ a snowman. (make)
9 The plane ________________ above the clouds. (fly)
10 The teachers ________________ a meeting. (have)

92
Have and Has

The verbs have and has are used to say what people own
or possess. They are also used to talk about things that
people do or get, such as illnesses. These words are the
simple present tense of the verb have.

Peter has a sore knee.

We have breakfast at 7:00 A.M.

He has a lot of stamps.

She has long hair.
Our house has large windows.
I have a younger brother. Monkeys have
We have art lessons on Mondays. long tails.
Have a cookie, if you like.
Dad has a cold.
Jenny often has sandwiches for lunch.

93
 m ar H
am
Gr

elp
Use has with he, she, it, and with singular nouns. Use
have with I, you, we, they, and with plural nouns.

Here is a table to help you remember the rules:

Singular Plural
First person I have we have
Second person you have you have
Third person he has they have
she has they have
it has they have

Learn these contractions:

I have = I’ve
you have = you’ve
he has = he’s
she has = she’s
it has = it’s
we have = we’ve
they have = they’ve

have not = haven’t

has not = hasn’t

94
Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks with have or has.

1 We ________ a new science teacher.

2 He ________ a bad temper.
3 I often ________ fruit for dessert.
4 You ________ a good chance of winning the prize.
5 She always ________ oatmeal for breakfast.
6 The broom ________ a blue handle.
7 They never ________ any problem with tests.

Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with have or has.

1 The girls ________ golden hair.

2 An insect ________ six legs.
3 Dad ________ his cell phone with him.
4 The children ________ a new swing set.
5 Many poor people ________ nothing to eat.
6 Chicago ________ a very big airport.
7 A triangle ________ three sides.
8 The man ________ two daughters.
9 James ________ a toothache.
10 All the passengers ________ their tickets.

95
 The Present Perfect Tense

Use the present perfect tense to talk about happenings

in the past that explain or affect the present. The verbs
have and has are used as “helping” or auxiliary verbs to
form the present perfect tense.

Sam has scored two goals.

I’ve just finished my shower.
Uncle Tom has lost his wallet.
It’s been very wet today.
John has gone out.
The Lees have moved to Ohio.
Kim’s cut It has not rained for months.
her finger. Have you found your keys yet?
Tim has made two spelling mistakes.
They have opened a new shop.

m ar H
am
Gr

elp

To form the present perfect tense join have or

has to the past participle of the verb:
have + past participle
has + past participle

The past participle of a regular verb usually ends in -ed,

just like the simple past tense. But the past participles of
irregular verbs don’t follow this rule.

96
Exercise 1
Write the past participle of these verbs on the
blanks.
1 break _______________ 6 buy _______________
2 drink _______________ 7 find _______________
3 cut _______________ 8 draw _______________
4 do _______________ 9 hear _______________
5 sing _______________ 10 know _______________

Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with the present perfect tense of the
verbs in parentheses.
1 Dad ______________ his car key. (lose)
2 All the guests ______________. (arrive)
3 Tony ______________ a goal. (score)
4 Peter _____________ in the tent several times. (sleep)
5 It ____________ not ____________ for two months. (rain)
6 Some prisoners ______________ from the prison. (escape)
7 The plane ______________ at the airport. (land)
8 John ______________ a puppet. (make)
9 Dad and I ______________ a big fish. (catch)
10 I ______________ this movie twice. (see)

97
The Simple Past Tense

Use the simple past tense to talk about things that

happened in the past. The simple past tense is also
used to talk about things that happened in stories.

The wicked Queen gave Pinocchio’s nose grew longer

Snow White a poisoned apple. every time he told a lie.

Dinosaurs lived
millions of years ago.

I bought a new camera last week.

Joe learned to play the guitar very quickly.
We drove to the safari park last weekend.
The giant panda gave birth to a cub last night.
Yesterday Dad took me to the carnival.
The plane landed a few minutes ago.
The children visited a farm during the holidays.
Who invented the computer?
Jack and Jill went up the hill.
Little Red Riding Hood decided to visit her grandmother.
The Three Bears found Goldilocks asleep in their house.
98
Regular and Irregular Verbs

The simple past tense of most verbs ends in -ed. These

verbs are called regular verbs.

Spelling File
Base Form Simple Past
aim aimed
bake baked
open opened
happen happened Who closed all
pull pulled the windows?
push pushed
scold scolded
shout shouted
visit visited
wait waited
walk walked
work worked It snowed last night.

Mom opened the door for us.

Sally petted the dog.
That event happened long ago.
We visited our uncle last week.
They walked to school together yesterday.
They worked until twelve last night.
Dad tried to fix the light.
William Tell aimed at the apple on his son’s head.

99
 m ar H
am
Gr

elp
4 The simple past tense is usually formed by adding -ed
to the verb. For example:
jump + ed = jumped lift + ed = lifted
laugh + ed = laughed look + ed = looked

4 If the verb ends with -e, just add -d. For example:
agree + d = agreed hate + d = hated
die +d = died live + d = lived

4 Remember these spelling rules:

You must double the last letter of some verbs before
adding -ed. For example:
fan + ed = fanned pat + ed = patted
grab + ed = grabbed rip + ed = ripped
nod + ed = nodded slam + ed = slammed

4 Notice that the verbs above are all short verbs of just
one syllable. They all end with a consonant such
as b, d, m, n, p, t, and have only a single vowel
before the consonant.

4 With verbs that end in -y, change the y to i before

adding -ed. For example:
bury + ed = buried fry + ed = fried
carry + ed = carried hurry + ed = hurried
cry + ed = cried try + ed = tried

100
 The simple past form of some verbs does not end in -ed.
Such verbs are called irregular verbs.
The simple past tense of some irregular verbs does not
change at all.

David hurt his foot when he The worker cut down the
jumped over the drain. tree this morning.

Spelling File
Base Form Simple Past
beat beat
burst burst
Her ring cost only 10 dollars. cost cost
cut cut
He hit the ball over the net. hit hit
hurt hurt
Dad read to us last night.
put put
He shut the door. read read
I put some sugar in my split split
coffee. shut shut
101
Most irregular verbs, however, take a different form in
the simple past tense.

Spelling File
Base Form Simple Past
bend bent
break broke
bring brought
buy bought
Sam bent the stick in two. fall fell
fly flew
get got
hear heard
keep kept
lose lost
sell sold
shoot shot
sleep slept

Tom shot and scored a goal.

I lost my pen on the bus.

We sold our car last week.
The baby slept right thought the night.
Peter got a watch for his birthday.
I heard a noise in the night.
He brought his pet mouse to school. A bird flew into
My book fell off the desk. the classroom.

102
Exercise 1
Write the simple past tense of these verbs on the
blanks.

1 take ____________ 7 tell ____________

2 walk ____________ 8 write ____________
3 rain ____________ 9 sit ____________
4 shut ____________ 10 read ____________
5 open ____________ 11 close ____________
6 cry ____________ 12 cook ____________

Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with the correct simple past tense of the
verbs in parentheses.

1 She ___________ home alone. (go)

2 The wind ___________ throughout the night. (blow)
3 An apple ___________ on his head. (drop)
4 The Princess’s ball ___________ into the well. (roll)
5 A frog __________ into the well and ___________ it
back to her. (jump/bring)
6 Jack ___________ the highest grade in his English
class. (get)
7 The party ___________ at 8:00 P.M. (begin)
8 He __________ his old car and __________ a new
one. (sell/buy)
9 Jack ___________ up the ladder carefully. (climb)
10 Who ___________ all the windows? (shut)

103