Tutorial of Verb Tenses
Verb tenses help readers understand the time of an action—in other words, when it occurred or will occur. There are three simple forms of verb tenses—past, present and future. For example, here are the three simple forms for the verb run:
Present tense—I run. Past tense—I ran. Future tense—I will run.
EXERCISE
Take the italicized verb listed before each sentence and insert the proper verb form in the blank:
1. Vote. During the 2012 election, my neighbor ______ for President Obama.
2. Campaign. In the next election, I ________ for the best candidate.
3. Believe. To this day, I _______ that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone when he assassinated President Kennedy.
4. Launch. After the 2001 terrorist attacks, the U.S. ______ the War On Terror.
5. Be. The environment _______ an important issue for future generations.
6. Name. When her first son was born, my sister ______ him for our father.
7. Smack. Reggie Jackson ______ three home runs in one game in the 1977 World Series.
8. Require. My current professor ______ us to be on time this semester.
9. Receive. The next award winner ______ a cash prize.
10. Break. Roger Bannister _____ the four-minute-mile barrier in 1952.
11. Ban. Eventually, lawmakers ______ texting while driving in every state.
12. Hope. I ______ you have a better grasp of verb tenses now.