3.1 Verb Tenses
Master the main English tenses: present, past, and future.
50 min
4 oppgaver
Present simplePresent continuousPast simpleFuture
Din fremgang i kapitlet
0 / 4 oppgaver
Verb Tenses
Verb tenses tell us WHEN something happens. English has many tenses, but we'll
focus on the most important ones: present, past, and future.
Present Simple
Use present simple for:
- Facts and general truths: "Water boils at 100 degrees C."
- Habits and routines: "I wake up at 7 every day."
- Permanent situations: "She lives in Oslo."
Form: I/you/we/they + verb | he/she/it + verb + s
- "I play football." / "She plays football."
Present Continuous
Use present continuous for:
- Actions happening right now: "I am reading a book."
- Temporary situations: "He is staying with friends this week."
- Future arrangements: "We are meeting tomorrow."
Form: am/is/are + verb + ing
- "She is watching TV."
Past Simple
Use past simple for:
- Completed actions in the past: "I visited Paris last year."
- A series of past events: "She woke up, ate breakfast, and left."
Form: verb + ed (regular) or irregular form
- Regular: "I walked, talked, played"
- Irregular: "went, saw, ate, took"
Common Irregular Verbs
These verbs don't follow the -ed pattern:
| Base | Past | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| go | went | gone |
| see | saw | seen |
| take | took | taken |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| write | wrote | written |
| give | gave | given |
Future Tenses
Will + verb - predictions and spontaneous decisions:
- "It will rain tomorrow."
- "I'll help you with that."
- "It will rain tomorrow."
- "I'll help you with that."
Going to + verb - plans and intentions:
- "I'm going to study medicine."
- "Look at those clouds - it's going to rain."
Use will when you decide at the moment of speaking:
"The phone is ringing. I'll answer it."
Use going to for plans you made earlier:
"I'm going to visit my grandmother this weekend." (planned before)
📝Oppgave 1
Which sentence is in present simple?
a
Identify the sentence written in present simple tense.
📝Oppgave 2
📝Oppgave 3
"Look at those dark clouds! It ___ rain." Which form is best?
a
Choose the correct future form based on present evidence.
📝Oppgave 4
Complete the sentences with the correct tense.
a
Right now, I ___ (write) my homework.
b
Yesterday, we ___ (go) to the cinema.
c
She ___ (play) tennis every Saturday.