Verb Tenses and Verb Forms
Pick the tense from the time signal, build it with the right helping verb, and use the right verb form after has, did, was and modals.
What it is
A verb shows an action (file, sign) or a state (is, seems). Verbs change form to show time: I file (present), I filed (past), I will file (future). Each change is called a tense.
Verbs also team up with helping verbs (be, have, do) and modals (can, must, should). Each helper decides the form of the verb after it: has gone, did go, must go, is going.
Why it matters on the exam
Wrong tense and wrong verb form are among the most common errors in the exam's error-identification and sentence-correction items: has went, did brought, was broke, has arrested ... last night, since five years. These errors follow fixed rules, so they are easy points once you know the rules.
At work, the right tense tells the reader exactly when something happened: the report was sent versus the report will be sent.
By the time the inspector arrived, the staff ______ all the files in alphabetical order.
- arrange
- have arranged
- had arranged
- will arrange
- are arranging
The rest of this lesson, and every other lesson, is part of ReviewTayo.
Read moreIn the full lesson
- How to recognize it on the test
- What to look for (5 checks)
- All 10 rules and tools
- 3 worked examples, every step explained
- 7 common mistakes and how to fix them
- 3 exam techniques
- Remember: 5 key points
- Practice questions with explanations, and your progress saved
More Verbal Ability lessons
ReviewTayo has 47 lessons that follow the official scope of the exam, each with rules, worked examples, common mistakes and practice. Open one and read the first part.