WHY SO TENSE?

By

Ray Villareal

I never made a mistake in grammar but one in my life, and as soon as I done it I seen it.—Carl Sandburg

When a wide receiver was finally stopped after a long run, an ESPN sportscaster told the TV audience, “If the safety hadn’t tackled him, the receiver would’ve ran all the way for a touchdown.”

Most native English speakers don’t have a problem forming the past tense of regular verbs, especially when all they need to do is add -ed or -d.

PRESENT TENSE: walk, laugh, live, move

PAST TENSE: walked, laughed, lived, moved

Knowing the past tense of irregular verbs usually isn’t a problem, either.

PRESENT TENSE: give, come, run, go

PAST TENSE: gave, came, ran, went

What trips people up are the past participles of irregular verbs, which is why the sportscaster said the receiver would’ve ran, instead of would’ve run. The past tense of run is ran. The past participle of run is run. However, an auxiliary verb, such as have, has or had must be added to it.

• The girls have run on this track before.
• The dog has run away.
• I wish I had run for school president.

PRESENT TENSE:

give, go, come, swim, lend, show, beat, leap, break, do, see, fall

PAST TENSE:

gave, went, came, swam, lent, showed, beat, leaped/leapt, broke, did, saw, fell

PAST PARTICIPLE (with an auxiliary verb):

given, gone, come, swum, lent, showed/shown, beaten, leaped/leapt, broken, done, seen, fallen

Write the past tense or past participle form of the verb.

1. My phone was ____________________last night. (steal)
2. The song was ____________________by the choir. (sing)
3. He should’ve ____________________his homework last night. (do)
4. The company has always ____________________its employees on time. (pay)
5. Jesse has ____________________ to the airport. (go)
6. Miriam couldn’t have ____________________that fast. (run)
7. Pete’s mom ____________________cupcakes to the class party. (bring)
8. She has ____________________the bus to school all year. (ride)
9. The dog had ____________________all the water in the bowl. (drink)
10. The lettering has ____________________away in several places. (wear)
11. Jerry could’ve ____________________another twenty laps. (swim)
12. Has he ____________________anything lately? (write)
13. Mina was ____________________by a vampire. (bite)
14. The ship had ____________________in the middle of the ocean. (sink)
15. He ____________________me for my twin brother. (mistake)
16. The cat ____________________to the limb with its claws. (cling)
17. Have you ____________________to the teacher about the assignment? (speak)
18. Patty hasn’t ____________________to any of our meetings. (come)
19. She ____________________before the altar and prayed. (kneel)
20. Artie ____________________his hands nervously. (wring)
21. The burglar ____________________into the house. (sneak)
22. Have you ____________________ your work to anyone? (show)
23. The swimmers ____________________into the water. (dive)
24. Has she ever ____________________a car? (drive)
25. I’ve ____________________Brent to head the committee. (choose)

Answer Key

1. My phone was ____________________last night. (steal) stolen
2. The song was ____________________by the choir. (sing) sung
3. He should’ve ____________________his homework last night. (do) done
4. The company has always ____________________its employees on time. (pay) paid
5. Jesse has ____________________ to the airport. (go) gone
6. Miriam couldn’t have ____________________that fast. (run) run
7. Pete’s mom ____________________cupcakes to the class party. (bring) brought
8. She has ____________________the bus to school all year. (ride) ridden
9. The dog had ____________________all the water in the bowl. (drink) drunk
10. The lettering has ____________________away in several places. (wear) worn
11. Jerry could’ve ____________________another twenty laps. (swim) swum
12. Has he ____________________anything lately? (write) written
13. Mina was ____________________by a vampire. (bite) bitten
14. The ship had ____________________in the middle of the ocean. (sink) sunk
15. He ____________________me for my twin brother. (mistake) mistook
16. The cat ____________________to the limb with its claws. (cling) clung
17. Have you ____________________to the teacher about the assignment? (speak) spoken
18. Patty hasn’t ____________________to any of our meetings. (come) come
19. She ____________________before the altar and prayed. (kneel) knelt/kneeled
20. Artie ____________________his hands nervously. (wring) wrung
21. The burglar ____________________into the house. (sneak) sneaked/snuck
22. Have you ____________________ your work to anyone? (show) showed/shown
23. The swimmers ____________________into the water. (dive) dove
24. Has she ever ____________________a car? (drive) driven
25. I’ve ____________________Brent to head the committee. (choose) chosen