Mr.
Schumacher 
The
Magic of Literature
and Composition
Big Stuff Calendar
Chiddix Junior High School
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It's Magic
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Verbs
Helping Linking Verbs are words that are used to express an action or explain what is going on. Every sentence must have a verb that shows what the subject is doing or explains what is going on.
Examples: The bear sleeps. Toronto is a city.The class will run.
Other Verb RulesSubject and Verb AgreementEach verb must agree with the subject in number. Check your sentences carefully to make sure your verbs agree with your nouns.
Examples: I study.He/She/It studies. You study.They study.
Incorrect:We studies at the university. Correct:We study at the university.
Verb TenseVerb tenses give information about when an action took place. Choose the right tense to indicate your meaning in your sentences. Change verb tenses only when there is a real change in time. When you are writing about an idea, stay with the same tense.
Examples: Incorrect:When I open the door, my dog greeted me.Correct:When I opened the door, my dog greeted me. (past tense) When I open the door, my dog greets me. (present tense)Types of Verb Tenses:
Present TenseThe present tense shows that an action is taking place in the present but does not indicate when the action will end.
Examples: We go to the store.They study at the university. Special uses of the present tense: Use the present tense to describe something that is universally true and not limited to a particular time.
Example: The boiling point of water is 100 degrees Celsius.Use the present tense to discuss the contents of a book, a poem, or an essay even though the work might be written in the past.
Example: Julius Caesar is murdered by Brutus in Shakespeare's play.
Present Continuous TenseThe present continuous tense shows that something is happening in the present and will have a definite end.
Examples: We are going to the store now.They are studying at the university. 
Past TenseThe past tense shows that something was completed in the past.
Examples: We went to the store yesterday.They studied at the university in 1980.
Past Participle TenseThe past participle tense shows that something was completed in the past before another action. Usually, the past participle and the past tense are used in the same sentence.
Examples: We had gone to the store when she arrived.They had studied at the university before they found jobs.
Future TenseThe future tense shows that something will happen in the future.
Examples: We will go to the store later today.They will study at the university in the coming September.
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