9 STANDARD VERB FORMS

The twelve verb tenses explain when the action of a verb takes place. Verbs show time by changing form.
Example of three of the most common tense changes follow:

Present Tense: Today, I love you.

Past Tense: Yesterday, I loved you.
Present Perfect Tense: For many years, I have loved you.
When you look up a verb in the dictionary, you will find only one form (present
tense) of the verb listed if it is a regular verb.

Ex: talk
fool
jump
The past tense and past participles of regular verbs are formed by adding –d or –ed. The present participle is
formed by adding –ing.

I talk to my sister daily.

Present Past Past Participle Present Participle
I talked to her just last week
talk talked talked talking I have talked to her recently.
promise promised promised promising I am talking to her right now.

If the verb is irregular, you will find four forms listed: the present tense, past tense, and the present and past
participles; the forms will all be spelled differently.

Present Past Past Present I write for the Daily Journal.

Participle Participle
I wrote for the Sun for many years.
write wrote written writing I have written thousands of restaurant reviews.
swim swam swum swimming I am writing about the new seafood joint on Washington St.

rise rose risen rising

Note: Some irregular verbs do not change forms.

I often cut up potatoes to put in soup.
Present Past Past Participle Present
Yesterday, I cut my finger.
Participle I am cutting up the broccoli right now.
burst burst burst bursting I have cut the onions already.

cut cut cut cutting

If you are not sure whether a verb is regular or irregular, look it up in a dictionary and see which form is
presented.

IMPORTANT: Using a participial form of a verb requires that you use a helping verb such as has, have, had, is,
was, or were. Do not use a helping verb with the past tense.

Yes: Many times I have written you letters.

No: Many times I have wrote you letters.
Yes: The child has swum the length of the pool.
No: The child has swam the length of the pool.

NOTE: Never say “I seen…” It’s always either “I saw…” or “I have seen…”
SOME IRREGULAR VERBS
This list is far from comprehensive. Always consult a dictionary if you have questions

infinitive past past present infinitive past past present

participle participle participle participle
to be was, were been being to lend lent lent lending
to beat beat beaten beating to let let let letting
to become became become becoming to lose lost lost losing
to begin began begun beginning to make made made making
to bend bent bent bending to mean meant meant meaning
to bite bit bitten biting to meet met met meeting
to blow blew blown blowing to pay paid paid paying
to break broke broken breaking to put put put putting
to bring brought brought bringing to read read read reading
to burn burned burned burning to ride rode ridden riding
or burnt or burnt
to buy bought bought buying to ring rang rung ringing
to catch caught caught catching to run ran run running
to choose chose chosen choosing to say said said saying
to come came come coming to see saw seen seeing
to cut cut cut cutting to sell sold sold selling
to dig dug dug digging to send sent sent sending
to do did done doing to show showed showed showing
or shown
to draw drew drawn drawing to shut shut shut shutting
to dream dreamed dreamed dreaming to sing sang sung singing
or dreamt or dreamt
to drive drove driven driving to sleep slept slept sleeping
to drink drank drunk drinking to speak spoke spoken speaking
to eat ate eaten eating to spend spent spent spending
to fall fell fallen falling to stand stood stood standing
to feel felt felt feeling to swim swam swum swimming
to fight fought fought fighting to take took taken taking
to find found found finding to teach taught taught teaching
to fly flew flown flying to tear tore torn tearing
to forget forgot forgotten forgetting to tell told told telling
to get got got getting to think thought thought thinking
(or gotten)
to give gave given giving to throw threw thrown throwing
to go went gone going to wake woke woken waking
to grow grew grown growing to wear wore worn wearing
to hang hung hung hanging to win won won winning
to have had had having to write wrote written writing
to hear heard heard hearing
to hide hid hidden hiding
to hit hit hit hitting
to hold held held holding
to hurt hurt hurt hurting
to keep kept kept keeping
to know knew known knowing
to lead led led leading
to learn learned learned learning
to leave left left leaving
EASILY CONFUSED VERBS
Three irregular verbs pose special problems to students who are accustomed to hearing them used
incorrectly. You may want to memorize the following principal parts and to learn the difference in
usage between lie/lay, sit/set, and rise/raise.

LIE-LAY

LIE—to rest or recline. You lie with your own body. Lie does not take an object.

Present past past participle present participle

lie lay lain lying

I often lie down when my head hurts. (present)

She lay on the couch all day yesterday with a headache. (past)

LAY—to put or place. You lay something else. Lay always takes an object.

Present past past participle present participle

lay laid laid laying

Go lay this coat on the guest room bed. (present)

She laid the papers out in the correct order. (past)

SIT-SET

SIT—to be seated. You sit with your own body. Sit does not take an object.

Our dogs sit in the sunny spot by the

Present past past participle present participle
window. (present)
sit sat sat sitting We sat in the lobby of the doctor’s
office for two hours before giving up.
(past)
SET—to put or place. You set something else. Set always takes an
object.

Present past past participle present participle

set set set setting

Please set the table with the good dishes. (present)

I know I set my keys right here! (past)
RISE-RAISE

RISE—to stand or come up. You rise with your own body. Rise does not take an object.

Present past past participle present participle

rise rose risen rising

Doctors recommend that you rise at the same time every day. (present)
The sun rose at 7:13am yesterday. (past)

Raise—to elevate or grow. You raise something else. Raise always takes an object.

Present past past participle present participle

raise raised raised raising

Please raise the window shade about half way. (present)

He raised three kids by himself back in the 1970s. (past)

SPECIAL VERB FORMS

Sometimes writers fail to include the final –d of the verb in phrases such as used to, supposed to, and
accustomed to.

Ex: I used to hate asparagus until I had it fresh instead of from a can.
Ex: I’ve grown accustomed to her face.
Ex: You were supposed to pick up the tickets at the front window.

Avoid non-standard verb usage.

Yes: I could have danced all night.

No: I could of danced all night.
Yes: I ought to study for my finals.
No: I had ought to study for my finals.