Keep it consistent throughout your story!

Written well: I ambled into the house and looked in
the kitchen; he was nowhere to be found.

Not well written: I ambled into the house and look in
the kitchen; he is nowhere to be found.

Written well: I saw the spider, and I jerked my hand
away.

Not well written: I see the spider, and I jerked my
hand away.
 Practice:
 From
Active Verb list, LA folder
 Choose any three active verbs.
 On your paper, write a three-sentence
paragraph using the three active verbs
you chose, one per sentence.
 When you’re done, underline all the verbs
in your sentences (was, is etc)– make sure
they all match the active voice!
I
assess the situation in every
difficult and fearful instance.
I determine the area is full of
spiders and they need to
extracted. I construct an
exit plan for myself while the
insect is alive in the room.
 Copy
the following paragraph onto your paper.
 Underline all the verbs.
 Edit to ensure that verb tense matches.
She was eating quickly, and I watch
her. She chokes and I ran to get my
phone. I dialed 911 and she turns
blue. A man began the Heimlich
maneuver; she is saved!
 Copy
the following paragraph onto your paper.
 Underline all the verbs.
 Edit to ensure that verb tense matches.
She was eating quickly, and I watched
her. She choked and I ran to get my
phone. I dialed 911 and she turned
blue. A man began the Heimlich
maneuver; she was saved!
Should your verb
tense match?
The horse galloped.
The horse gallops.
The horse will
gallop.
Why it’s important
• Verbs are different from most other parts
of speech because they change their form.
Verbs must match the PERSON or subject
of the sentence and the time of the action
or state of being. We learned about person
in the first lesson on verbs. The time part
of the form a verb takes is called its
TENSE.
Three main verb tenses
PastPresent
Future
the paint fell
- the paint falls
- the paint will fall
Present Tense
Verbs in sentences about things that are
happening now, continually, or regularly
are in the PRESENT TENSE.
Example – Pick 2 verbs from list and write 2
sentences for each verb in present tense.
Follow pattern below:
I watch videos after school.
I run in the park.
Mary watches videos after school.
Mary runs in the park.
Present Perfect Tense
• A verb is in the present perfect tense when
it expresses action which began in the
past but continues or is completed in the
present. To form the present perfect tense,
you will add HAS or HAVE to the past
participle. Pick a verb from list and
practice the present perfect tense.
• Example…
She has screamed at her friends many
times but they have ignored it.
Past tense
• Verbs in sentences about an action or
existence that already happened are in the
PAST TENSE. Verbs known as regular
verbs have “ed” endings in the past tense.
A verb changes to indicate past tense
• Mary walked her dog yesterday
• Johnny jumped up and down in the gym
• We won our game.
Pick 2 different verbs from list and use them
in the past tense.
Past Perfect Tense
• A verb is in the past perfect tense when it
expresses action that began in the past
and was completed in the past. To form
the past perfect tense, add had to the past
participle.
• Example: Pick another verb from list and
write a sentence in the past perfect tense.
Then, last Friday at the Pizza Hut, they had
eaten more than their share of the pizza,
when she called them “greedy pigs.”
Future Tense
• Verbs in sentences about action/existence
that will happen are future tense verbs.
They often start with the helping verb
“will.” Pick two different verbs from list
write a sentence for each in future tense.
• She will be late for class.
• My mom will make me eat my dinner.
• Susie will run home after school to make it
to her piano lesson.
Future Perfect Tense
• A verb is in the future perfect tense when it
expresses action or existence which will
begin in the future and will be completed
by a specific time in the future. To form the
future perfect tense, add shall have or will
have to the past participle.
• Example: Pick two brand new verbs to
practice future perfect tense.
By next Friday, she will have forgotten the
pizza, but they will have remembered the
name calling.
Progressive Tense
• The progressive tense uses the present
participle form of “to be” (remember that to be verbs are
from the helping verb song) . It is the “to be” verb
(infinitive) + present participle.
• Example:
Practice progressive below:
To grow= I am growing To hate = hating
To yell= He was yelling To drive = driving
To eat= We were eating To shop = shopping
Progressive Present/Past
Future
PRESENT
PROGRESSIVE
PAST
PROGRESSIVE
FUTURE
PROGRESSIVE
To watch
am watching
is watching
are watching
was watching
were watching
will be watching
shall be watching
To eat
am eating
is eating
are eating
was eating
were eating
will be eating
shall be eating
So, what’s the point?
• In all your writing your verb tenses
must match. IF they don’t your
writing will seem choppy and not
fluent. Decide when you embark on a
new piece of writing if you will tell the
story from the present, past, or future
perspective.
Let’s practice and make these verbs
all agree in the present tense!
Re write paragraph correctly.
The dog saw the cat, and he will
bark. Down the driveway he runs and
jumped on the cat’s back. The cat
howled and slapped at the dog. Poor
old dog! He had gotten a big scratch
on his nose and will race back home.
Correct yours
The dog saw the cat, and he
barked. Down the driveway he runs
and jumps on the cat’s back. The cat
howls and slaps at the dog. Poor old
dog! He gets a big scratch on his nose
and is racing back home.
Let’s practice and make these verbs all
agree in the past tense!
Re write paragraph correctly.
• Samantha will come home last night
and is watching her favorite show on
tv. When she was coming home she
will see that her tv is actually broken.
She cry. She was so upset that she
would call her best friend Tiffany to
see if she goed to her house to watch
tv instead.
Correct yours
Samantha came home last
night and watched her favorite
show on tv. When she came home
she saw that her tv was actually
broken. She cried. She was so
upset that she called her best
friend Tiffany to see if she could go
to her house to watch tv instead.
Those NAUGHTY
“BE” VERBS
How to get rid of them…
WHY? Because they are
BORING!
What are they?
• Is
• Am
• Were
• Been
Are
Was
Be
Being
GET RID OF THEM
• The sun was hot.
• The sun, hot as fire,
burned into my scalp.
Your turn to practice.
• I’ve been gone a long
time.
• The pool was
refreshing.
• The water embraced
me, cooling my core
after a hot day on the
job.
Your turn to practice.
• The cat was hungry.
• Every effort was made to
make us comfortable.
• Comfort seemed our
host’s primary concern.
Your turn to practice.
• I am being picked to play
first in the game.
• The deer was standing
in my sight.
• The deer stood, stone
still, unaware of my
barrel pointed at his
heart.
Your turn to practice.
• The car was going
down the hill fast.
• I am slight for my
age.
• Compared to my
classmates, I
appear smaller and
younger.
Your turn to practice.
• I was shorter than
my teammate.
• We were riding down
the bumpy road.
• The bumpy road jolted
every one of our bones,
as we headed to our
destination.
Your turn to practice.
• Are you going to ride
In my car to the movie?
Try a sentence of your own!
• The soccer players are playing
on the field.
Rewrite without the
To be verb.
Try Another!
• I like being in 8th grade.
Rewrite without the
To be verb.
One More!
• Waterskiing is fun.
Rewrite without the
To be verb.