{"id":366,"date":"2015-04-21T00:37:29","date_gmt":"2015-04-21T04:37:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/writingforpublicrelations\/chapter\/2-3-verb-tense\/"},"modified":"2021-02-28T14:52:29","modified_gmt":"2021-02-28T19:52:29","slug":"2-3-verb-tense","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/writingforpublicrelations\/chapter\/2-3-verb-tense\/","title":{"raw":"2.3 Verb Tense","rendered":"2.3 Verb Tense"},"content":{"raw":"<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_n01\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\r\n<h3 class=\"title\">Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\n<ol id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_l01\" class=\"orderedlist\">\r\n \t<li>Use the correct regular verb tense in basic sentences.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Use the correct irregular verb tense in basic sentences.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_p01\" class=\"para editable block\">Suppose you must give an oral presentation about a conference you attended last fall. How do you make it clear that you are talking about the past and not about the present or the future? Using the correct verb tense can help you do this.<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_p02\" class=\"para editable block\">It is important to use the proper verb tense. Mistakes in tense can leave a listener or reader confused, or with an impression that your writing is less professional.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s01\" class=\"section\">\r\n<h2>Regular Verbs<\/h2>\r\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s01_p01\" class=\"para editable block\">Verbs indicate actions or states of being in the past, present, or future using tenses. <span class=\"margin_term\"><a class=\"glossterm\">Regular verbs<\/a><\/span> follow regular patterns when shifting from the present to past tense. For example, to form a past-tense or past-participle verb form, add <em class=\"emphasis\">-ed<\/em> or <em class=\"emphasis\">-d<\/em> to the end of a verb. You can avoid mistakes by understanding this basic pattern.<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s01_p02\" class=\"para editable block\"><span class=\"margin_term\"><a class=\"glossterm\">Verb tense<\/a><\/span> identifies the time of action described in a sentence. Verbs take different forms to indicate different tenses. Verb tenses indicate<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s01_l01\" class=\"itemizedlist editable block\">\r\n \t<li>an action or state of being in the present,<\/li>\r\n \t<li>an action or state of being in the past,<\/li>\r\n \t<li>an action or state of being in the future.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s01_p03\" class=\"para editable block\">Helping verbs, such as <em class=\"emphasis\">be<\/em> and <em class=\"emphasis\">have,<\/em> also work to create verb tenses, such as the future tense.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\"><b>Present Tense:<\/b> <u>Tim<\/u>\u00a0<em>walks<\/em> to the store. (Singular subject)\r\n<b>Present Tense:<\/b> <u>Sue<\/u> and <u>Kimmy<\/u> <em>walk<\/em> to the store. (Plural subject)\r\n<b>Past Tense:<\/b> Yesterday, <u>they<\/u> <em>walked<\/em> to the store to buy some bread. (Singular or plural subject)\r\n<strong>Future tense:<\/strong> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Tim<\/span> <em>is going to walk<\/em> to the store. (Singular subject)<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s01_n01\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-info\">\r\n<h3 class=\"title\">Exercise 1<\/h3>\r\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s01_p04\" class=\"para\">Complete the following sentences by selecting the correct form of the verb in simple present, simple past, or simple future tenses. Write the corrected sentence on your own sheet of paper.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ol id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s01_l02\" class=\"orderedlist\">\r\n \t<li>The Dust Bowl (is, was, will be) a name given to a period of very destructive dust storms that occurred in the United States during the 1930s.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Historians today (consider, considered, will consider) The Dust Bowl to be one of the worst weather of events in American history.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The Dust Bowl mostly (affects, affected, will affect) the states of Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Dust storms (continue, continued, will continue) to occur in these dry regions, but not to the devastating degree of the 1930s.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The dust storms during The Dust Bowl (cause, caused, will cause) irreparable damage to farms and the environment for a period of several years.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>When early settlers (move, moved, will move) into this area, they (remove, removed, will remove) the natural prairie grasses in order to plant crops and graze their cattle.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>They did not (realize, realized, will realize) that the grasses kept the soil in place.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>There (is, was, will be) also a severe drought that (affects, affected, will affect) the region.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The worst dust storm (happens, happened, will happen) on April 14, 1935, a day called Black Sunday.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The Dust Bowl era finally came to end in 1939 when the rains (arrive, arrived, will arrive).<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Dust storms (continue, continued, will continue) to affect the region, but hopefully they will not be as destructive as the storms of the 1930s.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02\" class=\"section\">\r\n<h2>Irregular Verbs<\/h2>\r\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_p01\" class=\"para editable block\">The past tense of <span class=\"margin_term\"><a class=\"glossterm\">irregular verbs<\/a><\/span> is not formed using the patterns that regular verbs follow. Study <a class=\"xref\" href=\"#fresh-ch02_s03_s02_t01\">Table 2.1 \"Irregular Verbs\"<\/a>, which lists the most common irregular verbs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_n01\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\r\n<h4 class=\"title\">Tip<\/h4>\r\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_p02\" class=\"para\">The best way to learn irregular verbs is to memorize them. With the help of a classmate, create flashcards of irregular verbs and test yourselves until you master them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_t01\" class=\"table block caption\">\r\n<p class=\"title\"><span class=\"title-prefix\">Table 2.1<\/span> Irregular Verbs<\/p>\r\n\r\n<table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Simple Present<\/th>\r\n<th>Past<\/th>\r\n<th>Simple Present<\/th>\r\n<th>Past<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>be<\/td>\r\n<td>was, were<\/td>\r\n<td>lose<\/td>\r\n<td>lost<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>become<\/td>\r\n<td>became<\/td>\r\n<td>make<\/td>\r\n<td>made<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>begin<\/td>\r\n<td>began<\/td>\r\n<td>mean<\/td>\r\n<td>meant<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>blow<\/td>\r\n<td>blew<\/td>\r\n<td>meet<\/td>\r\n<td>met<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>break<\/td>\r\n<td>broke<\/td>\r\n<td>pay<\/td>\r\n<td>paid<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>bring<\/td>\r\n<td>brought<\/td>\r\n<td>put<\/td>\r\n<td>put<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>build<\/td>\r\n<td>built<\/td>\r\n<td>quit<\/td>\r\n<td>quit<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>burst<\/td>\r\n<td>burst<\/td>\r\n<td>read<\/td>\r\n<td>read<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>buy<\/td>\r\n<td>bought<\/td>\r\n<td>ride<\/td>\r\n<td>rode<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>catch<\/td>\r\n<td>caught<\/td>\r\n<td>ring<\/td>\r\n<td>rang<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>choose<\/td>\r\n<td>chose<\/td>\r\n<td>rise<\/td>\r\n<td>rose<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>come<\/td>\r\n<td>came<\/td>\r\n<td>run<\/td>\r\n<td>ran<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>cut<\/td>\r\n<td>cut<\/td>\r\n<td>say<\/td>\r\n<td>said<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>dive<\/td>\r\n<td>dove (dived)<\/td>\r\n<td>see<\/td>\r\n<td>saw<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>do<\/td>\r\n<td>did<\/td>\r\n<td>seek<\/td>\r\n<td>sought<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>draw<\/td>\r\n<td>drew<\/td>\r\n<td>sell<\/td>\r\n<td>sold<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>drink<\/td>\r\n<td>drank<\/td>\r\n<td>send<\/td>\r\n<td>sent<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>drive<\/td>\r\n<td>drove<\/td>\r\n<td>set<\/td>\r\n<td>set<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>eat<\/td>\r\n<td>ate<\/td>\r\n<td>shake<\/td>\r\n<td>shook<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>fall<\/td>\r\n<td>fell<\/td>\r\n<td>shine<\/td>\r\n<td>shone (shined)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>feed<\/td>\r\n<td>fed<\/td>\r\n<td>shrink<\/td>\r\n<td>shrank (shrunk)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>feel<\/td>\r\n<td>felt<\/td>\r\n<td>sing<\/td>\r\n<td>sang<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>fight<\/td>\r\n<td>fought<\/td>\r\n<td>sit<\/td>\r\n<td>sat<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>find<\/td>\r\n<td>found<\/td>\r\n<td>sleep<\/td>\r\n<td>slept<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>fly<\/td>\r\n<td>flew<\/td>\r\n<td>speak<\/td>\r\n<td>spoke<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>forget<\/td>\r\n<td>forgot<\/td>\r\n<td>spend<\/td>\r\n<td>spent<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>forgive<\/td>\r\n<td>forgave<\/td>\r\n<td>spring<\/td>\r\n<td>sprang<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>freeze<\/td>\r\n<td>froze<\/td>\r\n<td>stand<\/td>\r\n<td>stood<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>get<\/td>\r\n<td>got<\/td>\r\n<td>steal<\/td>\r\n<td>stole<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>give<\/td>\r\n<td>gave<\/td>\r\n<td>strike<\/td>\r\n<td>struck<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>go<\/td>\r\n<td>went<\/td>\r\n<td>swim<\/td>\r\n<td>swam<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>grow<\/td>\r\n<td>grew<\/td>\r\n<td>swing<\/td>\r\n<td>swung<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>have<\/td>\r\n<td>had<\/td>\r\n<td>take<\/td>\r\n<td>took<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>hear<\/td>\r\n<td>heard<\/td>\r\n<td>teach<\/td>\r\n<td>taught<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>hide<\/td>\r\n<td>hid<\/td>\r\n<td>tear<\/td>\r\n<td>tore<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>hold<\/td>\r\n<td>held<\/td>\r\n<td>tell<\/td>\r\n<td>told<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>hurt<\/td>\r\n<td>hurt<\/td>\r\n<td>think<\/td>\r\n<td>thought<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>keep<\/td>\r\n<td>kept<\/td>\r\n<td>throw<\/td>\r\n<td>threw<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>know<\/td>\r\n<td>knew<\/td>\r\n<td>understand<\/td>\r\n<td>understood<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>lay<\/td>\r\n<td>laid<\/td>\r\n<td>wake<\/td>\r\n<td>woke<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>lead<\/td>\r\n<td>led<\/td>\r\n<td>wear<\/td>\r\n<td>wore<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>leave<\/td>\r\n<td>left<\/td>\r\n<td>win<\/td>\r\n<td>won<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>let<\/td>\r\n<td>let<\/td>\r\n<td>wind<\/td>\r\n<td>wound<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_p03\" class=\"para editable block\">Here we consider using irregular verbs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\"><b>Present Tense:<\/b> Lauren <em>keeps<\/em> all her letters.\r\n<b>Past Tense:<\/b> Lauren <em>kept<\/em> all her letters.\r\n<b>Future Tense:<\/b> Lauren <em>will keep<\/em> all her letters.<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_n02\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-info\">\r\n<h3 class=\"title\">Exercise 2<\/h3>\r\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_p04\" class=\"para\">Complete the following sentences by selecting the correct form of the irregular verb in simple present, simple past, or simple future tense. Copy the corrected sentence onto your own sheet of paper.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ol id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_l01\" class=\"orderedlist\">\r\n \t<li>Marina finally (forgived, forgave, will forgive) her sister for snooping around her room.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The house (shook, shaked, shakes) as the airplane rumbled overhead.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>I (buyed, bought, buy) several items of clothing at the thrift store on Wednesday.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>She (put, putted, puts) the lotion in her shopping basket and proceeded to the checkout line.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The prized goose (layed, laid, lay) several golden eggs last night.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Mr. Batista (teached, taught, taughted) the class how to use correct punctuation.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>I (drink, drank, will drink) several glasses of sparkling cider instead of champagne on New Year\u2019s Eve next year.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Although Hector (growed, grew, grows) three inches in one year, we still called him \u201cLittle Hector.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Yesterday our tour guide (lead, led, will lead) us through the maze of people in Times Square.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The rock band (burst, bursted, bursts) onto the music scene with their catchy songs.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_n03\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-info\">\r\n<h3 class=\"title\">Exercise 3<\/h3>\r\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_p05\" class=\"para\">On your own sheet of paper, write a sentence using the correct form of the verb tense shown below.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ol id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_l02\" class=\"orderedlist\">\r\n \t<li>Throw (past)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Paint (simple present)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Smile (future)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Tell (past)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Share (simple present)<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03\" class=\"section\">\r\n<h2>Maintaining Consistent Verb Tense<\/h2>\r\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_p01\" class=\"para editable block\"><span class=\"margin_term\"><a class=\"glossterm\">Consistent verb tense<\/a><\/span> means the same verb tense is used throughout a sentence or a paragraph. As you write and revise, it is important to use the same verb tense consistently and to avoid shifting from one tense to another unless there is a good reason for the tense shift. In the following box, see whether you notice the difference between a sentence with consistent tense and one with inconsistent tense.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\"><b>Inconsistent tense:<\/b>\r\nThe crowd <em>starts<\/em> cheering as Melina <em>approached<\/em> the finish line.\r\n<b>Consistent tense:<\/b>\r\nThe crowd <em>started<\/em> cheering as Melina <em>approached<\/em> the finish line.\r\n<b>Consistent tense:<\/b>\r\nThe crowd <em>starts<\/em> cheering as Melina <em>approaches<\/em> the finish line.<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_n01\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\r\n<h4 class=\"title\">Tip<\/h4>\r\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_p02\" class=\"para\">In some cases, clear communication will call for different tenses. Look at the following example:<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">When I was a teenager, I <em>wanted<\/em> to be a fire fighter, but now I <em>am studying<\/em> computer science.<\/div>\r\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_p03\" class=\"para\">If the time frame for each action or state is different, a tense shift is appropriate.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_n02\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-info\">\r\n<h3 class=\"title\">Exercise 4<\/h3>\r\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_p04\" class=\"para\">Edit the following paragraph by correcting the inconsistent verb tense. Copy the corrected paragraph onto your own sheet of paper.<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_p05\" class=\"para\">In the Middle Ages, most people lived in villages and work as agricultural laborers, or peasants. Every village has a \u201clord,\u201d and the peasants worked on his land. Much of what they produce go to the lord and his family. What little food was leftover goes to support the peasants\u2019 families. In return for their labor, the lord offers them protection. A peasant\u2019s day usually began before sunrise and involves long hours of backbreaking work, which includes plowing the land, planting seeds, and cutting crops for harvesting. The working life of a peasant in the Middle Ages is usually demanding and exhausting.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_n03\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\r\n<h4 class=\"title\">Writing at Work<\/h4>\r\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_p06\" class=\"para\">Read the following excerpt from a work e-mail:<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"informalfigure large\"><a href=\"\/app\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2015\/04\/ae266054a48fe7eab52452a18573aa53.jpg\"><img style=\"max-width: 497px\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/writingforpublicrelations\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1233\/2015\/04\/ae266054a48fe7eab52452a18573aa53.jpg\" alt=\"I would like to highlight an important concern that comes up after our meeting last week. During the meeting, we agree to conduct a series of interviews over the next several months in which we hired new customer service representatives. Before we do that, however, I would like to review your experiences with the Customer Relationship Management Program. Please suggest a convenient time next week for us to meet so that we can discuss this important matter.\" \/><\/a><\/div>\r\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_p07\" class=\"para\">The inconsistent tense in the e-mail will very likely distract the reader from its overall point. Most likely, your coworkers will not correct your verb tenses or call attention to grammatical errors, but it is important to keep in mind that errors such as these can have a subtle negative impact on the perception of your professionalism in the workplace.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_n04\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-success\">\r\n<h3 class=\"title\">Key Takeaways<\/h3>\r\n<ul id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_l01\" class=\"itemizedlist\">\r\n \t<li>Verb tense helps you express when an event takes place.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Regular verbs follow regular patterns when shifting from present to past tense.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Irregular verbs do not follow regular, predictable patterns when shifting from present to past tense.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Using consistent verb tense is a key element to effective writing.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_n05\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\r\n<h4 class=\"title\">Writing Application<\/h4>\r\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_p08\" class=\"para\">Tell a family story. You likely have several family stories to choose from, but pick the one that you find most interesting to write about. Use as many details as you can in the telling. As you write and proofread, make sure all of your verbs are correct and the tenses are consistent.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_n01\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\n<h3 class=\"title\">Learning Objectives<\/h3>\n<ol id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_l01\" class=\"orderedlist\">\n<li>Use the correct regular verb tense in basic sentences.<\/li>\n<li>Use the correct irregular verb tense in basic sentences.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_p01\" class=\"para editable block\">Suppose you must give an oral presentation about a conference you attended last fall. How do you make it clear that you are talking about the past and not about the present or the future? Using the correct verb tense can help you do this.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_p02\" class=\"para editable block\">It is important to use the proper verb tense. Mistakes in tense can leave a listener or reader confused, or with an impression that your writing is less professional.<\/p>\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s01\" class=\"section\">\n<h2>Regular Verbs<\/h2>\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s01_p01\" class=\"para editable block\">Verbs indicate actions or states of being in the past, present, or future using tenses. <span class=\"margin_term\"><a class=\"glossterm\">Regular verbs<\/a><\/span> follow regular patterns when shifting from the present to past tense. For example, to form a past-tense or past-participle verb form, add <em class=\"emphasis\">-ed<\/em> or <em class=\"emphasis\">-d<\/em> to the end of a verb. You can avoid mistakes by understanding this basic pattern.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s01_p02\" class=\"para editable block\"><span class=\"margin_term\"><a class=\"glossterm\">Verb tense<\/a><\/span> identifies the time of action described in a sentence. Verbs take different forms to indicate different tenses. Verb tenses indicate<\/p>\n<ul id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s01_l01\" class=\"itemizedlist editable block\">\n<li>an action or state of being in the present,<\/li>\n<li>an action or state of being in the past,<\/li>\n<li>an action or state of being in the future.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s01_p03\" class=\"para editable block\">Helping verbs, such as <em class=\"emphasis\">be<\/em> and <em class=\"emphasis\">have,<\/em> also work to create verb tenses, such as the future tense.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\"><b>Present Tense:<\/b> <u>Tim<\/u>\u00a0<em>walks<\/em> to the store. (Singular subject)<br \/>\n<b>Present Tense:<\/b> <u>Sue<\/u> and <u>Kimmy<\/u> <em>walk<\/em> to the store. (Plural subject)<br \/>\n<b>Past Tense:<\/b> Yesterday, <u>they<\/u> <em>walked<\/em> to the store to buy some bread. (Singular or plural subject)<br \/>\n<strong>Future tense:<\/strong> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Tim<\/span> <em>is going to walk<\/em> to the store. (Singular subject)<\/div>\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s01_n01\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-info\">\n<h3 class=\"title\">Exercise 1<\/h3>\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s01_p04\" class=\"para\">Complete the following sentences by selecting the correct form of the verb in simple present, simple past, or simple future tenses. Write the corrected sentence on your own sheet of paper.<\/p>\n<ol id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s01_l02\" class=\"orderedlist\">\n<li>The Dust Bowl (is, was, will be) a name given to a period of very destructive dust storms that occurred in the United States during the 1930s.<\/li>\n<li>Historians today (consider, considered, will consider) The Dust Bowl to be one of the worst weather of events in American history.<\/li>\n<li>The Dust Bowl mostly (affects, affected, will affect) the states of Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico.<\/li>\n<li>Dust storms (continue, continued, will continue) to occur in these dry regions, but not to the devastating degree of the 1930s.<\/li>\n<li>The dust storms during The Dust Bowl (cause, caused, will cause) irreparable damage to farms and the environment for a period of several years.<\/li>\n<li>When early settlers (move, moved, will move) into this area, they (remove, removed, will remove) the natural prairie grasses in order to plant crops and graze their cattle.<\/li>\n<li>They did not (realize, realized, will realize) that the grasses kept the soil in place.<\/li>\n<li>There (is, was, will be) also a severe drought that (affects, affected, will affect) the region.<\/li>\n<li>The worst dust storm (happens, happened, will happen) on April 14, 1935, a day called Black Sunday.<\/li>\n<li>The Dust Bowl era finally came to end in 1939 when the rains (arrive, arrived, will arrive).<\/li>\n<li>Dust storms (continue, continued, will continue) to affect the region, but hopefully they will not be as destructive as the storms of the 1930s.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02\" class=\"section\">\n<h2>Irregular Verbs<\/h2>\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_p01\" class=\"para editable block\">The past tense of <span class=\"margin_term\"><a class=\"glossterm\">irregular verbs<\/a><\/span> is not formed using the patterns that regular verbs follow. Study <a class=\"xref\" href=\"#fresh-ch02_s03_s02_t01\">Table 2.1 &#8220;Irregular Verbs&#8221;<\/a>, which lists the most common irregular verbs.<\/p>\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_n01\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\n<h4 class=\"title\">Tip<\/h4>\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_p02\" class=\"para\">The best way to learn irregular verbs is to memorize them. With the help of a classmate, create flashcards of irregular verbs and test yourselves until you master them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_t01\" class=\"table block caption\">\n<p class=\"title\"><span class=\"title-prefix\">Table 2.1<\/span> Irregular Verbs<\/p>\n<table cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"border-spacing: 0px;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Simple Present<\/th>\n<th>Past<\/th>\n<th>Simple Present<\/th>\n<th>Past<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>be<\/td>\n<td>was, were<\/td>\n<td>lose<\/td>\n<td>lost<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>become<\/td>\n<td>became<\/td>\n<td>make<\/td>\n<td>made<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>begin<\/td>\n<td>began<\/td>\n<td>mean<\/td>\n<td>meant<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>blow<\/td>\n<td>blew<\/td>\n<td>meet<\/td>\n<td>met<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>break<\/td>\n<td>broke<\/td>\n<td>pay<\/td>\n<td>paid<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>bring<\/td>\n<td>brought<\/td>\n<td>put<\/td>\n<td>put<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>build<\/td>\n<td>built<\/td>\n<td>quit<\/td>\n<td>quit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>burst<\/td>\n<td>burst<\/td>\n<td>read<\/td>\n<td>read<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>buy<\/td>\n<td>bought<\/td>\n<td>ride<\/td>\n<td>rode<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>catch<\/td>\n<td>caught<\/td>\n<td>ring<\/td>\n<td>rang<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>choose<\/td>\n<td>chose<\/td>\n<td>rise<\/td>\n<td>rose<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>come<\/td>\n<td>came<\/td>\n<td>run<\/td>\n<td>ran<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>cut<\/td>\n<td>cut<\/td>\n<td>say<\/td>\n<td>said<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>dive<\/td>\n<td>dove (dived)<\/td>\n<td>see<\/td>\n<td>saw<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>do<\/td>\n<td>did<\/td>\n<td>seek<\/td>\n<td>sought<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>draw<\/td>\n<td>drew<\/td>\n<td>sell<\/td>\n<td>sold<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>drink<\/td>\n<td>drank<\/td>\n<td>send<\/td>\n<td>sent<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>drive<\/td>\n<td>drove<\/td>\n<td>set<\/td>\n<td>set<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>eat<\/td>\n<td>ate<\/td>\n<td>shake<\/td>\n<td>shook<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>fall<\/td>\n<td>fell<\/td>\n<td>shine<\/td>\n<td>shone (shined)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>feed<\/td>\n<td>fed<\/td>\n<td>shrink<\/td>\n<td>shrank (shrunk)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>feel<\/td>\n<td>felt<\/td>\n<td>sing<\/td>\n<td>sang<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>fight<\/td>\n<td>fought<\/td>\n<td>sit<\/td>\n<td>sat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>find<\/td>\n<td>found<\/td>\n<td>sleep<\/td>\n<td>slept<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>fly<\/td>\n<td>flew<\/td>\n<td>speak<\/td>\n<td>spoke<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>forget<\/td>\n<td>forgot<\/td>\n<td>spend<\/td>\n<td>spent<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>forgive<\/td>\n<td>forgave<\/td>\n<td>spring<\/td>\n<td>sprang<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>freeze<\/td>\n<td>froze<\/td>\n<td>stand<\/td>\n<td>stood<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>get<\/td>\n<td>got<\/td>\n<td>steal<\/td>\n<td>stole<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>give<\/td>\n<td>gave<\/td>\n<td>strike<\/td>\n<td>struck<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>go<\/td>\n<td>went<\/td>\n<td>swim<\/td>\n<td>swam<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>grow<\/td>\n<td>grew<\/td>\n<td>swing<\/td>\n<td>swung<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>have<\/td>\n<td>had<\/td>\n<td>take<\/td>\n<td>took<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>hear<\/td>\n<td>heard<\/td>\n<td>teach<\/td>\n<td>taught<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>hide<\/td>\n<td>hid<\/td>\n<td>tear<\/td>\n<td>tore<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>hold<\/td>\n<td>held<\/td>\n<td>tell<\/td>\n<td>told<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>hurt<\/td>\n<td>hurt<\/td>\n<td>think<\/td>\n<td>thought<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>keep<\/td>\n<td>kept<\/td>\n<td>throw<\/td>\n<td>threw<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>know<\/td>\n<td>knew<\/td>\n<td>understand<\/td>\n<td>understood<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>lay<\/td>\n<td>laid<\/td>\n<td>wake<\/td>\n<td>woke<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>lead<\/td>\n<td>led<\/td>\n<td>wear<\/td>\n<td>wore<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>leave<\/td>\n<td>left<\/td>\n<td>win<\/td>\n<td>won<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>let<\/td>\n<td>let<\/td>\n<td>wind<\/td>\n<td>wound<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_p03\" class=\"para editable block\">Here we consider using irregular verbs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\"><b>Present Tense:<\/b> Lauren <em>keeps<\/em> all her letters.<br \/>\n<b>Past Tense:<\/b> Lauren <em>kept<\/em> all her letters.<br \/>\n<b>Future Tense:<\/b> Lauren <em>will keep<\/em> all her letters.<\/div>\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_n02\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-info\">\n<h3 class=\"title\">Exercise 2<\/h3>\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_p04\" class=\"para\">Complete the following sentences by selecting the correct form of the irregular verb in simple present, simple past, or simple future tense. Copy the corrected sentence onto your own sheet of paper.<\/p>\n<ol id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_l01\" class=\"orderedlist\">\n<li>Marina finally (forgived, forgave, will forgive) her sister for snooping around her room.<\/li>\n<li>The house (shook, shaked, shakes) as the airplane rumbled overhead.<\/li>\n<li>I (buyed, bought, buy) several items of clothing at the thrift store on Wednesday.<\/li>\n<li>She (put, putted, puts) the lotion in her shopping basket and proceeded to the checkout line.<\/li>\n<li>The prized goose (layed, laid, lay) several golden eggs last night.<\/li>\n<li>Mr. Batista (teached, taught, taughted) the class how to use correct punctuation.<\/li>\n<li>I (drink, drank, will drink) several glasses of sparkling cider instead of champagne on New Year\u2019s Eve next year.<\/li>\n<li>Although Hector (growed, grew, grows) three inches in one year, we still called him \u201cLittle Hector.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Yesterday our tour guide (lead, led, will lead) us through the maze of people in Times Square.<\/li>\n<li>The rock band (burst, bursted, bursts) onto the music scene with their catchy songs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_n03\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-info\">\n<h3 class=\"title\">Exercise 3<\/h3>\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_p05\" class=\"para\">On your own sheet of paper, write a sentence using the correct form of the verb tense shown below.<\/p>\n<ol id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s02_l02\" class=\"orderedlist\">\n<li>Throw (past)<\/li>\n<li>Paint (simple present)<\/li>\n<li>Smile (future)<\/li>\n<li>Tell (past)<\/li>\n<li>Share (simple present)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03\" class=\"section\">\n<h2>Maintaining Consistent Verb Tense<\/h2>\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_p01\" class=\"para editable block\"><span class=\"margin_term\"><a class=\"glossterm\">Consistent verb tense<\/a><\/span> means the same verb tense is used throughout a sentence or a paragraph. As you write and revise, it is important to use the same verb tense consistently and to avoid shifting from one tense to another unless there is a good reason for the tense shift. In the following box, see whether you notice the difference between a sentence with consistent tense and one with inconsistent tense.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\"><b>Inconsistent tense:<\/b><br \/>\nThe crowd <em>starts<\/em> cheering as Melina <em>approached<\/em> the finish line.<br \/>\n<b>Consistent tense:<\/b><br \/>\nThe crowd <em>started<\/em> cheering as Melina <em>approached<\/em> the finish line.<br \/>\n<b>Consistent tense:<\/b><br \/>\nThe crowd <em>starts<\/em> cheering as Melina <em>approaches<\/em> the finish line.<\/div>\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_n01\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\n<h4 class=\"title\">Tip<\/h4>\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_p02\" class=\"para\">In some cases, clear communication will call for different tenses. Look at the following example:<\/p>\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">When I was a teenager, I <em>wanted<\/em> to be a fire fighter, but now I <em>am studying<\/em> computer science.<\/div>\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_p03\" class=\"para\">If the time frame for each action or state is different, a tense shift is appropriate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_n02\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-info\">\n<h3 class=\"title\">Exercise 4<\/h3>\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_p04\" class=\"para\">Edit the following paragraph by correcting the inconsistent verb tense. Copy the corrected paragraph onto your own sheet of paper.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_p05\" class=\"para\">In the Middle Ages, most people lived in villages and work as agricultural laborers, or peasants. Every village has a \u201clord,\u201d and the peasants worked on his land. Much of what they produce go to the lord and his family. What little food was leftover goes to support the peasants\u2019 families. In return for their labor, the lord offers them protection. A peasant\u2019s day usually began before sunrise and involves long hours of backbreaking work, which includes plowing the land, planting seeds, and cutting crops for harvesting. The working life of a peasant in the Middle Ages is usually demanding and exhausting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_n03\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\n<h4 class=\"title\">Writing at Work<\/h4>\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_p06\" class=\"para\">Read the following excerpt from a work e-mail:<\/p>\n<div class=\"informalfigure large\"><a href=\"\/app\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2015\/04\/ae266054a48fe7eab52452a18573aa53.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"max-width: 497px\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/writingforpublicrelations\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1233\/2015\/04\/ae266054a48fe7eab52452a18573aa53.jpg\" alt=\"I would like to highlight an important concern that comes up after our meeting last week. During the meeting, we agree to conduct a series of interviews over the next several months in which we hired new customer service representatives. Before we do that, however, I would like to review your experiences with the Customer Relationship Management Program. Please suggest a convenient time next week for us to meet so that we can discuss this important matter.\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_p07\" class=\"para\">The inconsistent tense in the e-mail will very likely distract the reader from its overall point. Most likely, your coworkers will not correct your verb tenses or call attention to grammatical errors, but it is important to keep in mind that errors such as these can have a subtle negative impact on the perception of your professionalism in the workplace.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_n04\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-success\">\n<h3 class=\"title\">Key Takeaways<\/h3>\n<ul id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_l01\" class=\"itemizedlist\">\n<li>Verb tense helps you express when an event takes place.<\/li>\n<li>Regular verbs follow regular patterns when shifting from present to past tense.<\/li>\n<li>Irregular verbs do not follow regular, predictable patterns when shifting from present to past tense.<\/li>\n<li>Using consistent verb tense is a key element to effective writing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_n05\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\n<h4 class=\"title\">Writing Application<\/h4>\n<p id=\"fresh-ch02_s03_s03_p08\" class=\"para\">Tell a family story. You likely have several family stories to choose from, but pick the one that you find most interesting to write about. Use as many details as you can in the telling. As you write and proofread, make sure all of your verbs are correct and the tenses are consistent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":515,"menu_order":3,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":"cc-by-nc-sa"},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[61],"license":[56],"class_list":["post-366","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","contributor-author-removed-at-request-of-original-publisher","license-cc-by-nc-sa"],"part":352,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/writingforpublicrelations\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/writingforpublicrelations\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/writingforpublicrelations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/writingforpublicrelations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/515"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/writingforpublicrelations\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/366\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":796,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/writingforpublicrelations\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/366\/revisions\/796"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/writingforpublicrelations\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/352"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/writingforpublicrelations\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/366\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/writingforpublicrelations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/writingforpublicrelations\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=366"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/writingforpublicrelations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=366"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/writingforpublicrelations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}