Tense Map
Meet five useful tense forms.
โ๏ธPresent tenseHappening now
I play.
โชPast tenseHappened before
I played.
๐
Past participleUsed with have
I have played.
๐ฌPast progressiveWas happening
I was playing.
โจPresent perfectHave / has + past participle
I have played.
Quick tip: Past tense tells us something happened before. Past participle usually works with have / has / had.
One verb, four forms
The same verb can change to show a different time:
playโplayedโhave playedโwas playing
Verb Guide
See how present verbs change.
Most verbs: add -ed
This is the most common regular change.
walkโwalkedโwalked
Words ending in e: add -d
The word already has an e.
liveโlived
Consonant + y: change y to i, then add -ed
Remember: y โ ied.
studyโstudied
Some short words double the last letter
For example, a short vowel plus one consonant.
stopโstopped
Irregular verbs: learn each special form
These verbs do not simply add -ed.
goโwentโgone
Some past and past participle forms match
Their grammar jobs can still be different.
buyโboughtโbought
Common verb list
Search by the first letter of the infinitive.
| Infinitive | Past simple | Past participle |
|---|
Match Quest
Match each present verb with its past forms!
โญ 0
Present tense
go
to move from one place to another
Step 1: Past tense
๐