Regular and Irregular Verbs & Tenses

Flashcards covering the definitions of regular and irregular verbs, their principal parts, and the various simple and perfect tenses in English grammar.

Principal Parts of Verbs

The four basic forms that all verbs have: Present, Present Participle, Past, and Past Participle.

Helping Verbs

Words used with the present participle and past participle to complete the verb phrase (e.g., am, is, are, was, were for present participle; has, have, had for past participle).

Regular Verbs

Most English verbs that form the past and past participle by adding -d or -ed to the present form, and the present participle by adding -ing to the present.

Irregular Verbs

Verbs that do not form the past and past participle by adding -d or -ed; their forms vary and may or may not be spelled the same for both past forms.

Tense (of a verb)

Shows the time of an action, a condition, or a state of being.

Simple Tenses

English verb tenses that include Present, Past, and Future, indicating basic time frames for actions.

Present Tense

Shows an action happening now or an action that happens repeatedly.

Past Tense

Shows an action completed in the past.

Future Tense

Shows an action that will happen in the future.

Perfect Tenses

English verb tenses that include Present Perfect, Past Perfect, and Future Perfect, indicating actions completed in relation to another point in time.

Present Perfect Tense

Shows an action completed recently or in the indefinite past.

Past Perfect Tense

Shows an action that happened before another past action.

Future Perfect Tense

Shows an action that will happen before a future time or action.

Progressive Form of a Tense

To show an ongoing action or state of being, it consists of a form of the verb 'be' plus the present participle (-ing) form.