Grammar Quickies Verb Forms Jean Ghadiri Oakton Community College

Grammar Quickies

Verb Forms

Jean Ghadiri

Oakton Community College

Verbs have 5 basic forms.

Base form (simple form) Simple present Simple past Present participle Past participle

Base Form

Base form is the form of the verb in a dictionary. It has no endings or other words with it.

In a verb chart, it is in the first column.

Column 1 Column 2 Column 3

dogohaveletmakeputsaywrite

didwenthadletmadeputsaidwrote

donegonehadletmadeputsaidwritten

Simple Present

For simple present, the subject determines the form: Use base form for I, you, we, and they Add –s for he, she, and it

I eat sushi. You eat sushi. We eat sushi. They eat sushi.

She eats sushi. He eats sushi. It eats dog food.

Present Participle

The present participle is the base form + -ing.

Never use the present participle alone as a verb. (It can be a noun alone, but not a verb.)

Double the final consonant in words ending with CVC if the final syllable is stressed. (examples: stopping, patting, conferring)

Do not change y to i. (examples: studying, playing, enjoying, copying)

Simple Past

Simple past is the verb + -ed or the Column 2 form for an irregular verb.

Double the final consonant for CVC words with stressed final syllables. (stopped)

For consonant + y words, change y to i and add –ed. (cried, tried, copied)





Past Participle

The past participle is the Column 3 form of irregular verbs and the verb + -ed for regular verbs.

It sometimes looks like simple past. For regular verbs:

Double the final consonant for CVC words with stressed final syllables. (stopped)

For consonant + y words, change y to i and add –ed. (cried, tried, copied)





The helping verb determines the form of the main verb.

BE + verb-ing

HAVE + past participle (verb + -ed or Column 3 form)

MODAL + base form verb

The helping verb determines the form of the main verb. BE + verb-ing

I am taking three classes this semester.

I was taking a grammar class, but I dropped it.

I have been taking classes at Oakton for 3 semesters.

EXCEPTION: Passive Voice

In special cases, we use BE with the past participle. Our book was written by experts. Rosa’s necklace was made in Mexico. The Academy Awards are presented every year.


I have lived in Des Plaines all my life.

Joan has been here since 2005.

She hadn’t finished her homework, but she went to the dance anyway.

She has had a lot of fun this semester.

HAVE + past participle

(verb + -ed or Column 3 form)


I couldn’t wait to get home.

We might get to your house late.

Would you help me?

Are we supposed to study this?

Shouldn’t we stop now?

I can call you later.

MODAL + base form verb

Check verb forms carefully.

Check for final –s for he, she, and it.

Check for irregular past or past participle form.

Be sure that the verb form matches the helping verb.

Be sure to spell verb forms correctly. Double consonant? Change y to i?

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Grammar Quickies Verb Forms Jean Ghadiri Oakton Community College