Understanding verb tense and mood
What are verb tense and mood?
Verb tense
Special problems in the uses of tenses
Mood
Modals
Review A
Review B

What are verb tense and mood?
Verbs take different forms to do different jobs.
One job is to show when an action or state of being takes place. The form a verb takes to show time is called tense.
Early phones had round dials.
Cell phones will get even smaller.
Our phone is red.

What are verb tense and mood?
Verbs also take different forms to show the attitude of the person using the verb. These forms are called mood.
I polished this apple for you.
Polish those shoes, soldier!
I suggest that you polish your nails.

Verb tense
The tense of a verb indicates the time of the action or state of being expressed by the verb.
Perfect tenses indicate that something happened or existed before a specific point in time.
Past
Past
Past perfect
Present
Now
Present perfect
Future
Future
Future perfect
He Mark studied for two hours last night.

Verb tense
The tenses of verbs are formed from the four principal parts of verbs.
Base form print
Present participle [is] print ing
Past print ed
Past participle [have] print ed see
[is] see ing s aw
[have] see n

Verb tense
Each tense has a progressive form, which is used to express continuing action or state of being.
Present progressive am, are, is walking
Past progressive was, were walking
Future progressive will (shall) be walking
Present perfect progressive has, have been walking
Past perfect progressive had been walking
Future perfect progressive will (shall) have been walking

Verb tense
The present and past tenses have another form, the emphatic form, which shows emphasis.
In the present tense, the emphatic form of a verb consists of do or does plus the base form.
Present emphatic do walk, does walk
In the past tense the emphatic form consists of
did plus the base form.
Past emphatic did walk

Verb tense
Present and present perfect
The present tense expresses an action or a state of being that is occurring now, at the present time.
Martina and Jen race down the field.
The fans are cheering wildly.
(Progressive form)
The players do look confident.
(Emphatic form)

Verb tense
Present and present perfect
The present tense is also used in these ways: to show a customary or habitual action or state of being to express a general truth to discuss a literary work
(literary present) to make historical events seem current (historical present) to express future time
We go to the mall every
Saturday.
The sun sets in the west.
The Dark Child relates the experiences of a boy growing up in an African village.
In a surprise move the Greeks
construct a huge wooden horse and leave it outside Troy.
We drive to Maine tomorrow.

Verb tense
Present and present perfect
The present perfect tense
• expresses an action or a state of being that occurred at an indefinite time in the past
• is formed with the helping verb have or has
Tim and Mia have entered the data into the computer.
Who has been using this computer?
(Progressive form)

Verb tense
Present and present perfect
The present perfect tense is also used to express an action or state of being that began in the past and continues into the present.
Mr. Reyes has taught science for ten years.
(Progressive form)
Mr. Reed has been coaching soccer since 2003.

Verb tense
Past and past perfect
The past tense expresses an action or a state of being that occurred in the past and did not continue into the present.
In the last lap the runner fell.
The fall did cause a bad injury.
(Emphatic form)

Verb tense
Past and past perfect
The past perfect tense
• expresses an action or a state of being that ended before another past action or state of being occurred
• is formed with the helping verb had
Paul had traveled several miles before he realized his mistake.
He discovered that he had misread the road map.

Verb tense
Future and future perfect
The future tense
• expresses an action or a state of being that will occur
• is formed with the helping verb shall or will
Leah will attend a writers’ workshop this summer.
She will be writing poetry and fiction.
(Progressive form)

Verb tense
Future and future perfect
The future perfect tense
• expresses an action or a state of being that will end before some other future occurrence
• is formed with the helping verbs will have or shall have
You will have saved enough money for the car by the time you start back to school.
By then, you will have been working here a year.
(Progressive form)

Verb tense
On Your Own
Change the tense of the verb in each sentence, as indicated in parentheses.
1. Max has studied piano for one year. (Change to future.)
2. Ivy roots made their way into the bricks. (Change to present progressive.)
3. The smell of gas filled the air. (Change to past perfect.)
4. Ray runs every day. (Change to past perfect progressive.)
5. The picture has been needing a new frame. (Change to present emphatic.)
[End of Section]

Special problems in the use of tenses
Sequence of tenses
Use tense forms correctly to show relationships between verbs in a sentence.
To describe events that occur at the same time, use verbs in the same tense.
Present tense Present tense
The bell rings, and the classroom empties.
Past tense Past tense
The bell rang, and the classroom emptied.

Special problems in the use of tenses
Sequence of tenses
For events that occur at different times, use verbs of different tenses to show the order of events.
Present tense Past tense
She plays soccer now, but last year she swam on the swim team.
Her soccer playing is occurring now. Her swimming on the swim team occurred in the past and preceded her soccer playing.

Special problems in the use of tenses
Sequence of tenses
For events that occur at different times, use verbs of different tenses to show the order of events.
Past tense Past perfect tense
Serena told us that she had invited
Josh to the party.
The action of inviting was completed before the action of telling.

Special problems in the use of tenses
If clauses
In an if clause that expresses the earlier of two events, do not use would have. Instead, use the past perfect tense.
If he would have taken more time, he would have won.

Special problems in the use of tenses
On Your Own
Correct each error in the use of verb tenses. If a sentence is already correct, label it C.
1. After she graduated, Corrine joins the navy.
2. We would have walked there if the weather would have been nice.
3. She delivers the mail when the regular mail carrier is sick.
4. After Sam had answered, Mr. Cain says, “That is correct.”
5. If you had asked politely, I might have helped you.
[End of Section]

Mood
Mood is the form a verb takes to indicate the attitude of the person using the verb.
The indicative mood expresses a fact, an opinion, or a question.
Fact
Opinion
Question
Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace
Prize in 2002.
Isabel Allende is a gifted writer.
Can you explain the difference between a meteor and a meteorite?

Mood
The imperative mood expresses a direct command or a request.
Direct command
Explain the difference between a meteor and a meteorite.
Request Please pass me that astronomy book.

Mood
The present and past tenses have distinctive forms in the subjunctive mood.
• The present subjunctive expresses a suggestion or a necessity.
Suggestion
Necessity
We recommend that Mary Collins be invited to speak at the assembly.
It is required that you attend the special training session.

Mood
• The past subjunctive expresses a condition contrary to fact or expresses a wish.
Condition contrary to fact
Wish
If I were you, I’d check the oil level in the car.
Margaret wishes she were an auto mechanic.

Mood
On Your Own
For each sentence, identify the mood of the boldfaced verb as indicative, imperative, or subjunctive.
________ 1. Was your brother excited about the game?
_________ 2. Be a good dog and stay right there, Molly.
_________
_________
_________
3. Ms. Harper suggested that we volunteer.
4. Mr. Darwin said that he will lead a field trip to the animal sanctuary.
5. If I were as talented a singer as you, I would try out for the chorus.
[End of Section]

Modals
A modal is a helping verb that is joined with a main verb or an infinitive to express an attitude toward the action or state of being of the main verb.
Helping Verbs Used as Modals can could may ought shall might should will must would

Modals
The modals can and could are used to express ability.
Can you swim the freestyle?
I could have taken swimming lessons this spring.

Modals
The modal may is used to express permission or possibility.
Permission May I use your pencil?
Possibility You may want to add more garlic to the pasta sauce.
The modal might is also used to express possibility.
Janelle might get a new bicycle.

Modals
The modal must is used most often to express a requirement. Sometimes must is used to express an explanation.
Requirement You must take care of houseplants if you want them to live.
Explanation I must have watered this plant too much; some of its leaves have turned yellow.

Modals
The modal ought is used to express an obligation or a likelihood.
Obligation
Gary ought to send a thank-you note.
Likelihood The post office ought to be open by now.

Modals
The modals shall and will are used to express future time.
I shall graduate from high school this June.
Where will the ceremony be held ?

Modals
The modal should is used to express a recommendation, an obligation, or a possibility.
Recommendation
Doug should visit each campus before deciding on a college.
Obligation
You should have asked before borrowing the book.
Possibility
Should you decide to accept the other job offer, please let me know.

Modals
The modal would is used to express the conditional form of a verb.
If it had rained, we would have cancelled the hike.
I would have let you know about any changes.

Modals
Would can also be used to express future time in a subordinate clause when the main verb in the independent clause is in the past tense.
past tense verb modal expresses future time
Main clause Subordinate clause

Modals
Would is sometimes used to express
• an action that was repeated in the past
Every summer my family would travel to Colorado.
• a polite request
Would you please help him set the table?
• an invitation
Would you go to the folk festival with me?

Modals
On Your Own
Supply an appropriate modal for each sentence.
1. “I definitely _____ call you tomorrow,” Ellen promised.
2. Take your umbrella because it _____ rain.
3. Explain this math problem to me; I _____ not figure it out.
4. The committee _____ not have chosen anyone better than Esteban.
5. Now that I have read that book, I _____ highly recommend it to all my friends.
[End of Section]

Review A
Identify the tense or mood of each boldfaced verb, as indicated in parentheses. If the verb is in the progressive or emphatic form, also identify the form.
__________ 1. The band had finished the concert, but the audience called for another set. (tense)
__________ 2. The class will be reading a play. (tense)
__________ 3. If you were more patient, you would succeed. (mood)
__________ 4. I have been stung by a bee. (tense)
__________ 5.
Remember to remove your shoes in a
Japanese restaurant. (mood)

Review B
Supply an appropriate modal, helping verb, or main verb to complete each sentence correctly. The hints in parentheses will help you.
1. If Maya _____ listened more carefully, she would have known what to do. (correct if clause)
2. You _____ register by 8:00. (shows a requirement)
3. I suggest that you _____ on time. (subjunctive mood)
4. I _____ help you paint if I had time. (shows a condition)
5. As a witness to the accident, Pam told the police what
_____ happened. (correct sequence of tenses)
[End of Section]

The End