Verb Forms and Tenses
Keep tense consistent unless the time really changes, and use the right form after helping verbs.
The rules
- Use the simple past for finished actions, the present perfect (has/have + past participle) for actions that continue to now, and the past perfect (had + participle) for an earlier past action.
- Match the tense of nearby verbs unless there is a time word that signals a shift.
- After has, have or had, use the past participle: has gone, had written, have begun.
- After would, could, should and must, use the base verb: would go, not would went.
Watch out: Mixing past and present in the same story. Look for the time clues, and keep one tense unless the time changes.
Worked example
By the time we arrived, the movie _____ already started. (has / had)
- "By the time we arrived" sets a past moment.
- The movie started before that, so use the past perfect.
- The answer is "had."
Answer: had
Try it yourself
Practice questions for this skill are for signed-in students. A free account is all you need.