Verb Tenses
Past vs PresentWhen did the action happen — now or before?
📖 What are Verb Tenses?
A verb tense tells us WHEN an action happens. If something happens now, we use the present tense (run, eat, play). If something happened before, in the past, we use the past tense (ran, ate, played).
Most verbs form the past tense by adding “-ed” at the end (play → played). But some tricky verbs change completely (eat → ate, go → went). These are called “irregular verbs” and you just have to memorize them!
💡 The Rule
Present tense: action happens NOW (I run today). Past tense: action happened BEFORE (I ran yesterday). For most verbs, add “-ed” for past tense.
🎯 Key Concept
⏰ Present: Today I play cricket.
📅 Past: Yesterday I played cricket.
📋 Past Tense Quick Guide
play → played, walk → walked
like → liked, live → lived
stop → stopped, hop → hopped
eat → ate, go → went, run → ran
⏱️ Examples & Usage
Learn with examples organized by type!
Regular: Add “-ed”
Irregular: Changes Completely
More Irregular Verbs
📢 Read & Say: Present → Past
Say the present form, then the past form!
✏️ Fill in the Past Tense
Choose the right answer!
1. Yesterday I ___ to school. (go)
2. She ___ the dishes. (wash)
3. We ___ rice for dinner. (eat)
4. He ___ very fast. (run)
🎯 Regular or Irregular?
Click each verb — does it add “-ed” (regular) or change completely (irregular)?
Click any word to check!
📝 Sentence Reading Practice
Read sentences — spot the past tense words!
Yesterday I played cricket.
Amma cooked dal and rice.
We went to the park and ran fast.
She ate an apple and drank milk.
I saw a beautiful bird and I had a great day.
Memory Trick
Remember: If you can put “yesterday” in front of the verb, it should be in past tense. “Yesterday I played” ✅ “Yesterday I play” ❌
🎮 Verb Tenses Quiz
Test what you’ve learned!
What is the past tense of “play”?
What is the past tense of “eat”?
What is the past tense of “go”?
“Yesterday I ___ to school.”
“Today I ___ cricket.” (present)
What is the past tense of “run”?
What is the past tense of “see”?
Which is a regular past tense?
🎉 Quiz Complete!
0/8Fun Facts
English has about 200 irregular verbs — they don’t follow the “+ed” rule! Words like eat → ate, go → went, see → saw just have to be memorized.
The word “yesterday” is a clue word for past tense. If you can put “yesterday” in front of the verb, it should be in past tense!
🧠 Tips for Parents
Today vs Yesterday
Ask “What did you do yesterday?” (past) and “What are you doing today?” (present). Daily practice.
Verb Pairs
Write pairs on flashcards: eat/ate, go/went, see/saw. Quiz for 5 minutes daily.
Story Retelling
After reading a story, ask your child to retell it in past tense: “The crow WAS thirsty. He FOUND a pot.”