The following table illustrates the proper use of verb tenses:

Simple Present Simple Past Simple Future

Last night, I read an entire I will read as much as I can
I read nearly every day.
novel. this year.
Present Continuous Past Continuous Future Continuous
I am reading Shakespeare I was reading Edgar Allan I will be reading Nathaniel
at the moment. Poe last night. Hawthorne soon.
Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect
I had read at least 100
I have read so many books I will have read at least 500
books by the time I was
I can’t keep count. books by the end of the year.
twelve.
Present Perfect
Past Perfect Continuous Future Perfect Continuous
Continuous
I had been reading for at I will have been reading for
I have been reading since
least a year before my at least two hours before
I was four years old.
sister learned to read. dinner tonight.

The simple present is a verb tense with two main uses. We use the simple present
tense when an action is happening right now, or when it happens regularly (or
unceasingly, which is why it’s sometimes called present indefinite). Depending on the
person, the simple present tense is formed by using the root form or by adding -s
or -es to the end.

I feel great! Pauline loves pie. I’m sorry to hear that you’re sick.

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The other is to talk about habitual actions or occurrences.

Pauline practices the piano every day. Ms. Jackson travels during the summer. Hamsters run all
night.
Typically, when we want to describe a temporary action that is currently in progress,
we use the present continuous: Pauline can’t come to the phone right now because
she is brushing her teeth.

How to Form the Simple Present

In the simple present, most regular verbs use the root form, except in the third-person
singular (which ends in -s).

First-person singular: I write

Second-person singular: You write

Third-person singular: He/she/it writes (note the -s)

First-person plural: We write

Second-person plural: You write

Third-person plural: They write

For a few verbs, the third-person singular ends with -es instead of -s. Typically, these
are verbs whose root form ends in o, ch, sh, th, ss, gh, or z.

First-person singular: I go

Second-person singular: You go

Third-person singular: He/she/it goes (note the -es)

First-person plural: We go
Second-person plural: You go

Third-person plural: They go

For most regular verbs, you put the negation of the verb before the verb, e.g. “She
won’t go” or “I don’t smell anything.”

The verb to be is irregular:

First-person singular: I am

Second-person singular: You are

Third-person singular: He/she/it is

First-person plural: We are

Second-person plural: You are

Third-person plural: They are

How to Make the Simple Present Negative

The formula for making a simple present verb negative is do/does + not + [root form
of verb]. You can also use the contraction don’t or doesn’t instead of do not or does
not.

Pauline does not want to share the pie. She doesn’t think there is enough to go around. Her
friends do not agree. I don’t want pie anyway.

To make the verb to be negative, the formula is [to be] + not.

I am not a pie lover, but Pauline sure is. You aren’t ready for such delicious pie.
How to Ask a Question

The formula for asking a question in the simple present is do/does + [subject] + [root
form of verb].

Do you know how to bake a pie? How much does Pauline love pie?

Common Verbs in the Simple Present

Infinitive I, You, We, They He, She, It
to ask ask / do not ask asks / does not ask
to work work / do not work works / does not work
to call call / do not call calls / does not call
to use use / do not use uses / does not use
to have have / do not have has / does not have

The Verb to Be in the Simple Present

Infinitive I You, We, They He, She, It
to be am / am not are / are not is / is not
 Uses of Verbs–Grammar

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BASICS

Verbs tell you what the subject of a sentence or clause is doing (or being). Verbs are
conjugated according to person, number, gender, tense, aspect, mood, or voice.

Verbs are at the heart of sentences and clauses; they are indispensable to the formation
of a complete thought. A verb can express a thought by itself (with the subject
implied) and be understood.

Run!

Believe!

Action vs. Nonaction Verbs

Action verbs simply indicate an action or occurrence.

Gloria walked across the room.

The shark swam menacingly close to the shore.

Even when used figuratively rather than literally, some verbs can still be considered
action verbs.

The singer broke with tradition by shaking hands with his fans.
In this example, the singer didn’t really break anything, but the verb is still an action
verb.

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Conversely, nonaction verbs can indicate a state of being, sense, emotion, desire,
possession, or opinion. The most common nonaction verb is to be.

I am a good person.

The baby felt cold without her blanket.

My mother loves me.

I have four tickets to the show.

Verb Tenses

Verbs change in form, or tense, to indicate whether the actions or states are occurring
in the present (or are happening continuously), occurred in the past, or will occur in
the future.

I take the bus.

I am taking the bus.

I took the bus.

I will take the bus.

These examples indicate the simple present, present continuous, simple past, and
simple future tenses respectively. Further possible tenses include present perfect (I
have taken the bus), present perfect continuous (I have been taking the bus), past
continuous (I was taking the bus), past perfect (I had taken the bus), past perfect
continuous (I had been taking the bus), future continuous (I will be taking the bus),
future perfect (I will have taken the bus), and future perfect continuous (I will have
been taking the bus). All the latter uses would require additional grammatical
elements to form complete thoughts. To ensure good writing, it is important for verbs
to be used consistently and in a logical sequence so that the time period being written
about is properly understood. Verbs can also have up to five different forms: root,
third-person singular, present participle, past, and past participle.

Verb Moods

Among a verb’s many properties is mood. A verb’s mood, sometimes referred to as a

mode, can be either indicative, imperative, or subjunctive. The most common of these
is the indicative mood. Indicative mood is used for statements of fact or opinion and
to pose questions.

Every rose has its thorn.

A cat has nine lives.

Is the moon made of cheese?

The imperative mood is used to express commands. Subjects are often implied rather
than expressed in sentences with imperative verbs. In the following examples, the
subject you is implied:

Put that down!

Please exit the building in single file.

The subjunctive mood is used to express a verb with an action or state that is doubtful,
imagined, conditional, desired, or hypothetical.

I wish you were here.

It is implied by this sentence that you are not actually here, but I wish that were not
so. Were is in the subjunctive mood. Conditional verbs (which often appear with
if/when statements) also receive a subjunctive treatment.

If I were a younger man, I would run three miles a day.

Were and would run indicate the subjunctive mood.

Of course, it is also important to follow the grammatical rules for conjugating verbs,
including all those pesky English irregular verbs.