Most languages use different forms - that is, different spellings or special endings -with their verbs to tell us whether the action took place in the past, is happening right now, is going to take place sometime in the future, happens often, or might not happen at all.  This is true of English.  Also, like other European languages with which we are familiar, many of the most commonly used verbs have the most irregular forms.  You can study several of these irregular verbs in Lesson 11 in the  Learn to Write English series.   

 Note: "ES" is added to verbs that end with S, SS, CH, SH, TCH, Z, or X.  (washes, passes, fishes, wishes, buzzes, fizzes, faxes, fixes, switches, latches, buses, gases, misses )  Verbs that end with a Consonant + Y  (study, carry, hurry, marry) must change the Y to I before adding ES.  (study = studies , carry = carries , hurry = hurries , marry = marries )  Most verbs follow the simple rule of adding S to form the Third Person Singular forms.

to park = I am parking.  You are parking.  He is parking.  She is parking.  It is parking.  We are parking. They are parking.  

to park = I was parking.  You were parking.  He was parking.  She was parking.  It was parking.  We were parking.  They were parking.

to watch = I am watching. You are watching.  He is watching.  She is watching.  It is watching.  We are watching.  They are watching.  

to watch = I was watching.  You were watching.  He was watching.  She was watching.  It was watching.  We were watching.  They were watching.

to call = I am calling.  You are calling.  He is calling.  She is calling.  It is calling.  We are calling.  They are calling.

to call = I was calling.  You were calling.  He was calling.  She was calling.  It was calling.  We were calling.  They were calling. 

to love = I am loving.  You are loving.  He is loving.  She is loving.  It is loving.  We are loving.  They are loving.  (Note: the E on LOVE is dropped before adding -ING)

to love = I was loving. You were loving.  He was loving.  She was loving.  It was loving.  We were loving.  They were loving.  (drop E, add -ING)

to use = I am using.  You are using.  He is using.  She is using.  It is using.  We are using.  They are using.  (Note: The E on USE is dropped before adding the -ING)

to use = I was using.  You were using.  He was using.  She was using.  It was using.  We were using.  They were using.  (drop E, add -ING) 

to sing = I am singing.  You are singing.  He is singing.  She is singing.  It is singing.  We are singing. They are singing.

to sing = I was singing.  You were singing.  He was singing.  She was singing.  It was singing.  We were singing.  They were singing. 

The Past Participle  of a verb must also be used with a helping verb.  The Past Participle with HAVE or HAS forms the Present Perfect Tense.  The Past Participle used with HAD forms the Past Perfect Tense.  It will be the helping verb which tells us when the action takes or took place.

There are several other combination verb forms, each with its own special purpose and an official grammar title, but we will not cover them in this lesson.  The main purpose for explaining what we have so far is to help you understand a chart like the one below, or to help you understand a listing for a verb in a dictionary where the principle parts of the verb are often given before the definition.  In fact, this is a good reason to look up a verb in a good dictionary - to find out if the verb is irregular and if so, what the irregular forms are.

  When using the English language you can choose to communicate additional data about the action. Specifically, is the action ongoing or finished?  

In the sentence "I am eating lunch right now", the verb indicates the action is still ongoing � it continues. I am in the middle of having lunch.

  In the sentence "I have eaten lunch already", the verb indicates the action is finished. I am no longer eating lunch.  Now let's dive a little deeper.

 PRESENT PROGRESSIVE is a form of the verb that shows the action is in progress.

  I am waiting for the bus right now. (The action is in progress at this moment.)

  I am writing my third book. (The action is in progress these days.)

PAST PROGRESSIVE is a form of the verb that shows the action was in progress.

  Yesterday at five o'clock I was waiting for the bus. (The action was in progress yesterday at five o'clock.)

  I was writing my third book the entire summer. (The action was in progress the whole summer.)

  FUTURE PROGRESSIVE is a form of the verb that shows the action will be in progress.

  Tomorrow at nine o'clock I will be waiting for the bus. (The action will be in progress tomorrow at nine o'clock.)

  I will be writing my third book the following winter. (The action will be in progress next winter.)

PAST PERFECT is a form of the verb that shows the action was finished already.

  I had written my homework before she came. (The action was already complete when she arrived.)

  I had watched that movie before she offered to rent it. (First I watched the movie: later, she offered to rent it.

FUTURE PERFECT is a form of the verb that shows the action will be finished.

  By the time she comes, I will have written my homework. (The action will be complete before she arrives.)

  We will have watched that movie by midnight. (We will watch the movie, and we will finish watching it before midnight.)

 Why do you need to worry about all the different forms?  The best reason is so you can be fairly sure that the person you are writing to will understand exactly what you mean.  If you use the wrong verb form, the reader of your words will not know for sure if something happened but is finished now, or if it is still going on, or if you are not positive that it happened at all.  It is all part of CLEAR, ACCURATE COMMUNICATION.  

1.  Mr. Jones had gone to the store to buy a loaf of bread.

2. I listen to the radio while I do my homework.

3. Steve was driving his new car to work.

4. Everybody in the office was working when the lights went out.

5. Sally said she will write me a letter when she gets to Miami.

6. Have you seen the new television show?

7. Many people drink coffee for breakfast, but others prefer to drink tea.

8. Anna, who sang in the musical stage play, had also sung in her church choir.

9. He is sick now, but he will  be better soon.

10. It has been difficult to learn English without a teacher, but you will succeed someday.

 Example  for Exercise B,  USE.  USE is in the Present Tense, so that is where we will write it in the chart.  Then we would add all the other forms of USE - Infinitive (TO USE),  Past (USED), Present Participle (USING), and Past Participle (USED).

1.   gone (past participle); had gone (past perfect tense);  to buy (infinitive)

6. seen (past participle); have seen (present perfect tense)

2.  listen (present);  do (present)

7. drink (present); prefer (present); to drink (infinitive)

3.  driving (present participle); was driving (past progressive tense)

8. sang (past); sung (past participle); had sung (past perfect tense)

4. working (present participle;  was working (past perfect tense)

9. is (present, third person singular); will be (future)

5. said (past); will write (future); gets (present, third person singular)

10. been (past participle; has been (present perfect); will succeed (future)