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Grammar: Verb Tenses

Most common verb tenses in academic writing.

According to corpus research, in academic writing, the three tenses used the most often are the simple present , the simple past , and the present perfect (Biber et al., 1999; Caplan, 2012). The next most common tense for capstone writers is the future ; the doctoral study/dissertation proposal at Walden is written in this tense for a study that will be conducted in the future.

Biber, D., Johansson, S., Leech, G., Conrad, S., & Finegan, E. (1999). Longman grammar of written and spoken English . Pearson. https://doi.org/10.1162/089120101300346831

Caplan, N. A. (2012). Grammar choices for graduate and professional writers . University of Michigan Press.

Simple present: Use the simple present to describe a general truth or a habitual action. This tense indicates that the statement is generally true in the past, present, and future.

Example: The hospital admits patients whether or not they have proof of insurance.

Simple past : Use the simple past tense to describe a completed action that took place at a specific point in the past (e.g., last year, 1 hour ago, last Sunday). In the example below, the specific point of time in the past is 1998.

Example: Zimbardo (1998) researched many aspects of social psychology.

Present perfect: Use the present perfect to indicate an action that occurred at a nonspecific time in the past. This action has relevance in the present. The present perfect is also sometimes used to introduce background information in a paragraph. After the first sentence, the tense shifts to the simple past.

Example: Numerous researchers have used this method.
Example: Many researchers have studied how small business owners can be successful beyond the initial few years in business. They found common themes among the small business owners.

Future: Use the future to describe an action that will take place at a particular point in the future (at Walden, this is used especially when writing a proposal for a doctoral capstone study).

Example: I will conduct semistructured interviews.

Keep in mind that verb tenses should be adjusted after the proposal after the research has been completed. See this blog post about Revising the Proposal for the Final Capstone Document for more information.

APA Style Guidelines on Verb Tense

APA calls for consistency and accuracy in verb tense usage (see APA 7, Section 4.12 and Table 4.1). In other words, avoid unnecessary shifts in verb tense within a paragraph or in adjacent paragraphs to help ensure smooth expression.

Use the past tense (e.g., researchers presented ) or the present perfect (e.g., researchers have presented ) for the literature review and the description of the procedure if discussing past events.
Use the past tense to describe the results (e.g., test scores improved significantly).
Use the present tense to discuss implications of the results and present conclusions (e.g., the results of the study show …).

When explaining what an author or researcher wrote or did, use the past tense.

Patterson (2012) presented, found, stated, discovered…

However, there can be a shift to the present tense if the research findings still hold true:

King (2010) found that revising a document three times improves the final grade.
Smith (2016) discovered that the treatment is effective.

Verb Tense Guidelines When Referring to the Document Itself

To preview what is coming in the document or to explain what is happening at that moment in the document, use the present or future tense:

In this study, I will describe …
In this study, I describe …
In the next chapter, I will discuss …
In the next chapter, I discuss …

To refer back to information already covered, such as summaries of discussions that have already taken place or conclusions to chapters/sections, use the past tense:

Chapter 1 contained my original discussion of the research questions.
In summary, in this section, I presented information on…

Simple Past Versus the Present Perfect

Rules for the use of the present perfect differ slightly in British and American English. Researchers have also found that among American English writers, sometimes individual preferences dictate whether the simple past or the present perfect is used. In other words, one American English writer may choose the simple past in a place where another American English writer may choose the present perfect.

Keep in mind, however, that the simple past is used for a completed action. It often is used with signal words or phrases such as "yesterday," "last week," "1 year ago," or "in 2015" to indicate the specific time in the past when the action took place.

I went to China in 2010 .
He completed the employee performance reviews last month .

The present perfect focuses more on an action that occurred without focusing on the specific time it happened. Note that the specific time is not given, just that the action has occurred.

I have travelled to China.

The present perfect focuses more on the result of the action.

He has completed the employee performance reviews.

The present perfect is often used with signal words such as "since," "already," "just," "until now," "(not) yet," "so far," "ever," "lately," or "recently."

I have already travelled to China.
He has recently completed the employee performance reviews.
Researchers have used this method since it was developed.

Summary of English Verb Tenses

The 12 main tenses:

Simple present : She writes every day.
Present progressive: She is writing right now.
Simple past : She wrote last night.
Past progressive: She was writing when he called.
Simple future : She will write tomorrow.
Future progressive: She will be writing when you arrive.
Present perfect : She has written Chapter 1.
Present perfect progressive: She has been writing for 2 hours.
Past perfect: She had written Chapter 3 before she started Chapter 4.
Past perfect progressive: She had been writing for 2 hours before her friends arrived.
Future perfect: She will have written Chapter 4 before she writes Chapter 5.
Future perfect progressive: She will have been writing for 2 hours by the time her friends come over.

Conditionals:

Zero conditional (general truths/general habits).

Example: If I have time, I write every day.

First conditional (possible or likely things in the future).

Example: If I have time, I will write every day.

Second conditional (impossible things in the present/unlikely in the future).

Example : If I had time, I would write every day.

Third conditional (things that did not happen in the past and their imaginary results)

Example : If I had had time, I would have written every day.

Subjunctive : This form is sometimes used in that -clauses that are the object of certain verbs or follow certain adjectives. The form of the subjective is the simple form of the verb. It is the same for all persons and number.

Example : I recommend that he study every day.
Example: It is important that everyone set a writing schedule.

Verbs Video Playlist

Note that these videos were created while APA 6 was the style guide edition in use. There may be some examples of writing that have not been updated to APA 7 guidelines.

Grammar for Academic Writers: Common Verb Tenses in Academic Writing (video transcript)
Grammar for Academic Writers: Verb Tense Consistency (video transcript)
Grammar for Academic Writers: Advanced Subject–Verb Agreement (video transcript)
Mastering the Mechanics: Helping Verbs (video transcript)
Mastering the Mechanics: Past Tense (video transcript)
Mastering the Mechanics: Present Tense (video transcript)
Mastering the Mechanics: Future Tense (video transcript)

Related Resources

Knowledge Check: Verb Tenses

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Part Three Editing / Grammar Skills

Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing

Learning Objectives

To understand what a verb is and why it is important
To differentiate between “Be” verbs and “Do” verbs, action verbs and non-action verbs, helping verbs and main verbs, with their various uses though multiple examples and exercises
To be aware of the twelve verb tenses and five basic verb forms

The following ten sentences are about pets. Some verbs are bold-faced. Identify what type of verb each one is by selecting one of the two choices. After you finish one sentence, you will get instant feedback on your answer before the next sentence. If you make mistakes, you can retry all the questions or see all the answers at the end of the pre-test.

II. Definition of a Verb and Its Importance

Each sentence in English must have a verb. A verb expresses an action or shows a state of existence [1] .

Why are verbs important? There are two reasons:

They appear in every sentence in English.
Errors in verbs cause serious misunderstanding [2] .

In order to express ideas clearly and accurately, you need to make sure:

You have a basic understanding of different types of verbs. This is the purpose of this unit.
A subject and its verb must match each other. For detailed information and practice, please refer to Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement. ( Open Unit 10 here. )
A verb tense and its verb form must match each other. There are detailed explanations and practice in verb tenses and forms from Unit 11 through Unit 14 in this book. (Open Unit 11 Present Tenses , Unit 12 Past Tenses , Unit 13 Future Tenses , Unit 14 Mixed Tenses here.)

For detailed explanations and practice in sentence structure and punctuation, open Unit 7 here.

Exercise 1. Highlight the verbs in the following short paragraph about pet dogs. (To highlight, you position your computer curser on the verbs and right click.)

III. “Be” Verbs and “Do” Verbs

“Be” verbs: They look different depending on the subjects and the verb tenses. The most common ones are “am, is, are, was, were”. A “Be” verb is often followed by a noun, a pronoun, an adjective, a prepositional phrase, or an expression of age.

My neighbor’s pet is a rabbit. Her name is Bonny. (followed by nouns)
Bonny is not mine. (a pronoun)
Bonny’s tail is short and cute. (adjectives)
Bonny is in a cage when my neighbor is at work. (prepositional phrases)
Bonny was two months old when I first met her. (an age)

“Do” verbs: There are many “Do” verbs: study, get, sleep, wear, have, like, think…

Their forms also change based on the subjects and the verb tenses.

Bonny stays indoors most days.
My neighbor prepares special food for her.
Sometimes I see Bonnie in my neighbor’s backyard.
I played with her yesterday.
I hope that I can play with her again soon.
A “Be” verb is NEVER followed by the base form of a “Do” verb.
Bonny is stay indoors most days. X
Bonny stays indoors most days. √
Most rabbits are stay in a cage. X
Most rabbits stay in a cage. √
I was meet my neighbor’s pet rabbit for the first time last week. X
I met my neighbor’s pet rabbit for the first time last week. √

IV. Action and Non-Action Verbs

Action verbs: They show the action of the subject. All action verbs are “Do” verbs.

In the U.S., many pet owners treat their pets as part of the family.
Those pets get special food and even regular medical checkups.
Some of them sleep in their owner’s bed.
They receive toys and often wear festive [3] outfits [4] during holidays.
Most pets enjoy their good lives.

Non-action verbs: They do not show actions; instead, they show emotional or mental states, five senses, possessions, and others. Non-action verbs are also called stative verbs or non-progressive verbs. “Be” verbs are non-action verbs in most cases.

Pets love their owners.
Pets understand how much they are loved.
Some pets can weigh over fifty pounds.
Most pets have animal doctors called vets.
Pets are our good friends.

Sometimes, the same verb can be both an action verb and a non-action verb, with different meanings and grammatical structures. Discuss the difference between the underlined verbs below.

What do you think of my kitten? It seems that she is always thinking about playing hide and seek with me. (non-action, action)
Feel the fur of my kitten. It feels so soft. (action, non-action)
My kitten measures twelve inches in length [5] . I measure her every month to see how much she has grown. (non-action, action)
I see some red pots on the kitten’s skin. I am taking her to her vet. We are seeing the vet at 3 pm this afternoon. (non-action, action)

Non-action verbs can be used in different verb tenses except progressive tenses, but action verbs can be used in all tenses.

The kitten has been napping for a long time. He looks ( is looking ) content [6] in his sleep.
Samantha likes ( is liking ) kittens. She has ( is having ) two. Right now she is preparing their favorite snacks.

Exercise 2. The following sentences are about color-blindness [7] of dogs. Some verbs are bold-faced. Highlight if each bold-faced verb is an action verb or a non-action verb. The first one is an example. When you finish the exercise, you can retry or see all the answers. (To highlight, you position your computer curser on the verbs and right click.)

a black dog with a yellow tennis ball in mouth

V. Helping Verbs and Main Verbs

Helping verbs: They are also called auxiliary verbs . These verbs “help” the main verbs to

show verb tense
make a negative sentence
ask a question
change the meaning or tone
change the voice (from active to passive or passive to active, not addressed in this course)

Helping verbs must work with main verbs to form complete verbs. Common helping verbs include “do, does, did, have, had, had, will”.

helping verb + main verb = complete verb

Mohamod has always wanted to get his driver’s license. (helping verb “has” + main verb “wanted”)
He has prepared for this driver’s test for several months. (helping verb “has” + main verb “prepared”)
He does not want to carpool with his friend every day. (helping verb “does” + main verb “want”)
He hopes that he will pass the road test. (helping verb “will” + main verb “pass”)
Should he celebrate if he passes? (helping verb “should” + main verb “celebrate”)

Modals: Modals are a special type of helping verbs. They mainly show ability, possibility, obligation, advice, and many others. They are followed by the base form of the main verb.

Every driver in the U.S. must have a driver’s license. (modal/helping verb “must” + main verb “have”)
Should he or she buy car insurance, too? (modal/helping verb “should” + main verb “buy”)
Maintaining a car can be expensive. (modal/helping verb “can” + main verb “be”)
Life could become difficult without a car. (modal/helping verb “could” + main verb “become”)

For detailed explanations and examples of modals, please refer to Unit 15 Modals. ( Open Unit 15 here. )

Exercise 3. The following is a brief account of Jose and his car. Type the helping verb in each sentence in the appropriate boxe. The first sentence is an example. When you finish the entire exercise, you can retry or see all the answers.

VI. Twelve Verb Tenses

While verbs show actions or states of being, verb tenses indicate the time of those actions or states of being:

in the past, in the present, in the future, or from past to present
happened just once, happened repeatedly, or is still happening.

There are twelve tenses in English:

In this course, you will be focusing on using eight of the above tenses in writing: simple present, present progressive, present perfect, present perfect progressive, simple past, past progressive, past perfect, and simple future tenses. You will learn the rest of the tenses in future courses.

VII. Five Basic Verb Forms

In the above chart, the verb “study” appears in different forms – study, studies, am studying, had been studying, will be studying, and some others. These are called verb forms. Verbs have five basic forms:

Always remember that a verb tense and its verb forms must match each other. There are detailed explanations and practice in verb tenses and forms from Unit 11 through Unit 14 in this book. (Open Unit 11 Present Tenses , Unit 12 Past Tenses , Unit 13 Future Tenses , Unit 14 Mixed Tenses here.)

VIII. Unit Review Practice

Exercise 4. The following paragraph about leashing the dog is from a previous unit. Highlight “Be” for “Be verbs” and “Do” for “Do verbs”. The first one is an example. When you finish the exercise, you can retry or see all the answers. (To highlight, you position your computer curser on the verbs and right click.)

Exercise 5. The following is a story about two puppies in love. Some verbs are bold-faced. Select what the type of verb each one is. You will get instant feedback after each sentence. If you make a mistake, you may also retry or see the answer.

Exercise 6. Take a paragraph you have written in this course. Exchange it with your partner’s.

In your partner’s paragraph,

single underline all the “Be” verbs.
double underline all the helping verbs.
circle all the non-action verbs.

When you finish, return the paragraph to your partner. Discuss if you agree with each other on all the verbs.

NSNT Practice

Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts for Writing in Appendix A. ( Open Appendix A here. ) Choose two topics to write a paragraph each. You may start with the NSNT approach and then rewrite it. Pay attention to the use of verbs. Be mindful of the verbs you are using: Are they main verbs or helping verbs? Action verbs or non-action verbs? “Be” verbs or “do” verbs? You are encouraged to share your writing with your partner and help each other improve.

Vocabulary Review

The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

A verb shows an action or a state of being and usually comes after the subject in a sentence.
“Be” verbs include “am, is, are, was, were” and some others.
There are many “Do” verbs such as “swim, study, eat, drive”.
An action verb shows the action of the subject.
A non-action verb shows the state, condition, or possession of the subject. A non-action verb cannot be used in a progressive verb tense.
Some verbs can be both action and non-action verbs, with a different meaning.
A helping verb must be accompanied by a main verb in a sentence.
There are twelve verb tenses and five basic verb forms. Each verb tense has its own verb forms. Verb tenses and verb forms must match each other in sentences.

Media Attributions

a cat and a dog © Photo by Anusha Barwa on Unsplash
a black dog with a yellow tennis ball in mouth © Photo by Tadeusz Lakota on Unsplash
two people in a car © Photo by Orkun Azap on Unsplash
two dogs on leash © Photo by Bundo Kim on Unsplash
a dog swimming © Photo by Marcia Soligo on Unsplash
a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
a page in a dictionary © Pixabay
existence: noun, being there, being this way ↵
misunderstanding: noun, understand something in the wrong way ↵
festive: adjective, joyful, about holidays or festivals ↵
outfit: noun, clothing ↵
length: noun, the noun form of the adjective "long" ↵
content: adjective, happy and satisfied ↵
color-blindness: noun, not able to see the differences in colors ↵

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Grammar Guide

Power Verbs for Essays (With Examples)

The ProWritingAid Team

Adding power verbs to your academic paper will improve your reader’s experience and bring more impact to the arguments you make.

While the arguments themselves are the most important elements of any successful academic paper, the structure of those arguments and the language that is used influence how the paper is received.

Academic papers have strict formal rules, but as long as these are followed, there is still plenty of scope to make the key points of the paper stand out through effective use of language and more specifically, the effective use of power verbs.

Power verbs are verbs that indicate action and have a more positive and confident tone. Using them brings strength and confidence to the arguments you are making, while also bringing variation to your sentences and making your writing more interesting to the reader.

The best academic papers will use such verbs to support their arguments or concepts, so it is important that your paper contains at least three power verbs.

ProWritingAid will check your writing for power verbs and will notify you if you have less than three throughout your whole academic paper.

Power Verbs Boost Ideas

Examples of power verbs.

Academic papers of all disciplines are often filled with overlong and complicated sentences that are attempting to convey specific ideas and concepts. Active and powerful verbs are useful both to the reader and the author of the paper.

For the reader who is trying to tackle these ideas and concepts, the power verbs provide clarity and purpose. Compare the following sentences:

This paper will say that there were two reasons for the start of the civil war.
This paper asserts that there were two reasons for the start of the civil war.

Clearly the second sentence is more confident, direct, and authoritative because it has replaced the dull ‘says’ with ‘asserts.’ For the writer, the power verb expresses confidence in the idea being presented.

The following are examples of power verbs that are useful in academic writing, both for supporting an argument and for allowing you to vary the language you use.

Power Verbs for Analysis: appraise, define, diagnose, examine, explore, identify, interpret, investigate, observe.

Power Verbs to Introduce a Topic: investigate, outline, survey, question, feature.

Power Verbs to Agree with Existing Studies: indicate, suggest, confirm, corroborate, underline, identify, impart, maintain, substantiate, support, validate, acknowledge, affirm, assert.

Power Verbs to Disagree with Existing Studies: reject, disprove, debunk, question, challenge, invalidate, refute, deny, dismiss, disregard, object to, oppose.

Power Verbs to Infer: extract, approximate, surmise, deduce.

Power Verbs for Cause and Effect : impacts, compels, generates, incites, influences, initiates, prompts, stimulates, provokes, launches, introduces, advances.

Legal Power Verbs: sanctions, consents, endorses, disallows, outlaws, prohibits, precludes, protects, bans, licenses, authorizes.

Power Verbs that Say: convey, comment, state, establish, elaborate, identify, propose.

Power Verbs that Show: reveal, display, highlight, depict, portray, illustrate.

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

The most successful people in the world have coaches. Whatever your level of writing, ProWritingAid will help you achieve new heights. Exceptional writing depends on much more than just correct grammar. You need an editing tool that also highlights style issues and compares your writing to the best writers in your genre. ProWritingAid helps you find the best way to express your ideas.

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Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Verbs: basic forms

Verbs: the three basic forms.

Main verbs have three basic forms: the base form, the past form and the -ed form (sometimes called the ‘ -ed participle’):

base form : used as the infinitive form, with to or without to ( Do you want to come with us? I can’t leave now .) and for the present simple ( I always read before I go to sleep every night .) except third person singular, which uses the - s form ( She works at the university .)

past form : used for the past simple ( He opened the door and went out .)

-ed form : used after auxiliary have and be ( I ’ve always wanted a piano and I was given one last week .).

How dictionaries show the forms

The base form is normally the form used as a heading in a dictionary. Here is a typical dictionary entry for a verb. The base form is sing , the past form is sang and the -ed form is sung :

Examples of the three basic forms

When you look up a verb in the dictionary, you will often find the three forms listed together, especially for irregular verbs. Here are some examples (regular verbs are printed in blue; irregular verbs are printed in black).

Pronunciation and meaning

Some verbs have a similar pronunciation but a different meaning:

We love to just lie on the beach.

Not: We love to just lay on the beach .

Lie/lay/lain is used without an object. Lay/laid/laid must have an object: e.g. I’ll lay the table then we can eat .

Other verbs like this are: affect/effect, bare/bear, fine/find, note/notice , raise/rise .

Sometimes a verb is confused with another word which sounds similar but is from a different word class:

I don’t want to lose contact with my school friends.

Not: I don’t want to loose contact with my school friends .

( Lose is a verb. Loose is an adjective, e.g. These shoes are too loose ; I need a smaller size .)

Other pairs like this are: advise (verb)/ advice (noun), practise (verb)/ practice (noun).

Regular verbs

Most verbs in English are regular. Regular verbs add -ing to the base form to make the - ing form, and -ed to the base form to make the past simple and the -ed form.

Base forms which end in - e

If the base form already ends in -e (e.g. move, face, like ), then -d is added to make the past form and the -ed form. The final - e is not used in the -ing form.

Base forms which end in a consonant plus -y

If the base form ends in a consonant plus -y (e.g. carry, hurry, study, try, worry ), then -y changes to -ied to make the past form and the -ed form. The - y ending does not change in the -ing form.

Base forms which end in vowel + single consonant

If the base form ends in a vowel followed by a single consonant and if the last syllable is stressed (e.g. begin , drop, occur, refer, run, shop, stop, transfer ), then the consonant is doubled. If the last syllable is not stressed (e.g. benefit, happen, open, order, profit ), then the consonant is not doubled. (Stressed syllables are underlined in the table.)

The consonant is doubled if the base form ends in a vowel + l , whether the last syllable is stressed or not.

Person, number and tense

Regular verbs all use the same endings to indicate person (first, second or third), number (singular or plural) and tense (present simple or past simple).

Person (first/second/third)

Person relates to the type of subject. I and we indicate the first person, you (singular and plural) indicates the second person and he, she, it, they and noun subjects indicate the third person. Regular verbs have the same form for all persons, but third person singular present simple ends in -s :

I love Japanese food.

My sister live s with two other students.

They worked for a French company based in London.

She arrived at the office around nine o’clock most days.

Number (singular/plural)

Number indicates whether the subject is singular or plural. Regular verbs have the same form for singular and plural, but third person singular present simple ends in -s :

We love historical dramas on TV.

They lived in a huge house in the country somewhere.

He work s terribly hard.

He always arrived late.

Tense (present/past)

Tense indicates whether the verb is present or past. The past simple of regular verbs ends in -ed for all persons and numbers:

They loved everything about Australia.

She lived in Spain for a couple of years.

I worked on Saturday so I stayed at home on Monday.

The police arrived within minutes.

We always need an e in the -ed form (past simple and -ed form) of regular verbs:

I don’t know what happened at the last meeting.

Not: I don’t know what happend at the last meeting .

Other verbs which are often misspelt in this way are: bother, complain, consider, join, recover, remain .

The - es ending

If the verb ends in -ch, -s, -ss , - sh, -x or -z , then -es is added to make the third person singular present simple.

Present simple ( I work )

Past simple ( I worked )

Subject–verb agreement

Irregular verbs

Irregular verbs follow the same rules as regular verbs for the present simple but have different forms for the past simple and the -ed form.

Some irregular verbs have the same form for the base, the past simple and the -ed form, e.g. hit, hit, hit; let, let, let; put, put, put .

Some irregular verbs share a form for the past simple and -ed form which is different from the base form, e.g. bring, brought, brought; feel, felt, felt; have, had, had .

Some irregular verbs have a base form which ends in -d and a past simple and -ed form which end in -t , e.g. bend, bent, bent; build, built, built; send, sent, sent; spend, spent, spent .

Some irregular verbs have a different form for the base form, the past simple and the -ed form, e.g. drink, drank, drunk; go, went, gone; take, took, taken .

The verb be has different forms for different persons in the present simple and past simple.

Word of the Day

gyroscopically

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with the use of a gyroscope (= a device containing a wheel that spins freely within a frame, used on aircraft, ships, etc. to help keep them horizontal)

Varied and diverse (Talking about differences, Part 1)

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Introduction to Verb Tenses

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Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Only two tenses are conveyed through the verb alone: present (“sing") and past (“sang"). Most English tenses, as many as thirty of them, are marked by other words called auxiliaries. Understanding the six basic tenses allows writers to re-create much of the reality of time in their writing.

Simple Present: They walk.

Present Perfect: They have walk ed .

Simple Past: They walk ed .

Past Perfect: They had walk ed .

Future: They will walk.

Future Perfect: They will have walk ed .

Usually, the perfect tenses are the hardest to remember. Here’s a useful tip: all of the perfect tenses are formed by adding an auxiliary or auxiliaries to the past participle, the third principal part.

1 st principal part (simple present): ring, walk

2 nd principal part (simple past): rang, walked

3 rd principal part (past participle): rung, walked

In the above examples, will or will have are the auxiliaries. The following are the most common auxiliaries: be, being, been, can, do, may, must, might, could, should, ought, shall, will, would, has, have, had.

Present Perfect

The present perfect consists of a past participle (the third principal part) with "has" or "have." It designates action which began in the past but which continues into the present or the effect of which still continues.

1. Simple Past : “Betty taught for ten years.” This means that Betty taught in the past; she is no longer teaching.

2. Present Perfect : “Betty has taught for ten years.” This means that Betty taught for ten years, and she still teaches today.

1. Simple Past : “John did his homework so he can go to the movies.” In this example, John has already completed his homework.

2. Present Perfect : “If John has done his homework, he can go to the movies.” In this case, John has not yet completed his homework, but he will most likely do so soon.

Present Perfect Infinitives

Infinitives also have perfect tense forms. These occur when the infinitive is combined with the word “have.” Sometimes, problems arise when infinitives are used with verbs of the future, such as “hope,” “plan,” “expect,” “intend,” or “want.”

I wanted to go to the movies.

Janet meant to see the doctor.

In both of these cases, the action happened in the past. Thus, these would both be simple past verb forms.

Present perfect infinitives, such as the examples below, set up a sequence of events. Usually the action that is represented by the present perfect tense was completed before the action of the main verb.

1. I am happy to have participated in this campaign! The current state of happiness is in the present: “I am happy.” Yet, this happiness comes from having participated in this campaign that most likely happened in the near past. Therefore, the person is saying that he or she is currently happy due to an event that happened in the near past.

2. John had hoped to have won the trophy. The past perfect verbal phrase, “had hoped,” indicates that John hoped in the past, and no longer does. “To have won the trophy” indicates a moment in the near past when the trophy was still able to be won. Thus, John, at the time of possibly winning the trophy, had hoped to do so, but never did.

Thus the action of the main verb points back in time; the action of the perfect infinitive has been completed.

Past Perfect

The past perfect tense designates action in the past just as simple past does, but the past perfect’s action has been completed before another action.

1. Simple Past : “John raised vegetables.” Here, John raised vegetables at an indeterminate time in the past.

2. Past Perfect : “John sold the vegetables that he had raised .” In this sentence, John raised the vegetables before he sold them.

1. Simple Past : “Renee washed the car when George arrived.” In this sentence, Renee waited to wash the car until after George arrived.

2. Past Perfect : “Renee had washed the car when George arrived.” Here, Renee had already finished washing the car by the time George arrived.

In sentences expressing condition and result, the past perfect tense is used in the part that states the condition.

1. If I had done my exercises, I would have passed the test.

2. I think Sven would have been elected if he hadn't sounded so pompous.

Further, in both cases, the word if starts the conditional part of the sentence. Usually, results are marked by an implied then . For example:

If I had done my exercises, then I would have passed the test.

If Sven hadn’t sounded so pompous, then he would have been elected.

Again, the word then is not required, but it is implied.

Future Perfect

The future perfect tense is used for an action that will be completed at a specific time in the future.

1. Simple Future : “On Saturday, I will finish my housework.” In this sentence, the person will finish his or her housework sometime on Saturday.

2. Future Perfect : “By noon on Saturday, I will have finished my housework.” By noon on Saturday, this person will have the housework already done even though right now it is in the future.

1. Simple Future : “You will work fifty hours.” In this example, you will work fifty hours in the future. The implication here is that you will not work more than fifty hours.

2. Future Perfect : “You will have worked fifty hours by the end of this pay period.” By the end of this pay period, you would have already worked fifty hours. However, as of right now, this situation is in the future. The implication here is that you could work more hours.

1. Judy saved thirty dollars. (past—the saving is completed)

2. Judy will save thirty dollars. (future—the saving has not happened yet)

3. Judy has saved thirty dollars. (present perfect—the saving has happened recently)

4. Judy had saved thirty dollars by the end of last month. (past perfect—the saving occurred in the recent past)

5. Judy will have saved thirty dollars by the end of this month. (future perfect—the saving will occur in the near future, by the end of this month)

50 Verbs of Analysis for English Academic Essays

Note: this list is for advanced English learners (CEFR level B2 or above). All definitions are from the Cambridge Dictionary online .

Definition: to have an influence on someone or something, or to cause a change in someone or something.

Example: Experts agree that coffee affects the body in ways we have not yet studied.

Definition: to increase the size or effect of something.

Example: It has been shown that this drug amplifies the side effects that were experienced by patients in previous trials.

Definition: to say that something is certainly true .

Example: Smith asserts that his findings are valid, despite criticism by colleagues.

Characterizes

Definition: Something that characterizes another thing is typical of it.

Example: His early paintings are characterized by a distinctive pattern of blue and yellow.

Definition: to say that something is true or is a fact , although you cannot prove it and other people might not believe it.

Example: Smith claims that the study is the first of its kind, and very different from the 2015 study he conducted.

Definition: to make something clear or easier to understand by giving more details or a simpler explanation .

Example: The professor clarified her statement with a later, more detailed, statement.

Definition: t o collect information from different places and arrange it in a book , report , or list .

Example: After compiling the data, the scientists authored a ten-page paper on their study and its findings.

Definition: to judge or decide something after thinking carefully about it.

Example: Doctor Jensen concluded that the drug wasn’t working, so he switched his patient to a new medicine.

Definition: to prove that a belief or an opinion that was previously not completely certain is true .

Example: This new data confirms the hypothesis many researchers had.

Definition: to join or be joined with something else .

Example: By including the criticisms of two researchers, Smith connects two seemingly different theories and illustrates a trend with writers of the Romanticism period.

Differentiates

Definition: to show or find the difference between things that are compared .

Example: Smith differentiates between the two theories in paragraph 4 of the second part of the study.

Definition: to reduce or be reduced in s i ze or importance .

Example: The new findings do not diminish the findings of previous research; rather, it builds on it to present a more complicated theory about the effects of global warming.

Definition: to cause people to stop respecting someone or believing in an idea or person .

Example: The details about the improper research done by the institution discredits the institution’s newest research.

Definition: to show.

Example: Smith’s findings display the effects of global warming that have not yet been considered by other scientists.

Definition: to prove that something is not true .

Example: Scientists hope that this new research will disprove the myth that vaccines are harmful to children.

Distinguishes

Definition: to notice or understand the difference between two things, or to make one person or thing seem different from another.

Example: Our study seems similar to another one by Duke University: how can we distinguish ourselves and our research from this study?

Definition: to add more information to or explain something that you have said.

Example: In this new paper, Smith elaborates on theories she discussed in her 2012 book.

Definition: to represent a quality or an idea exactly .

Example: Shakespeare embodies English theater, but few can understand the antiquated (old) form of English that is used in the plays.

Definition: to copy something achieved by someone else and try to do it as well as they have.

Example: Although the study emulates some of the scientific methods used in previous research, it also offers some inventive new research methods.

Definition: to improve the quality , amount , or strength of something.

Example: The pharmaceutical company is looking for ways to enhance the effectiveness of its current drug for depression.

Definition: to make something necessary , or to involve something.

Example: The scientist’s study entails several different stages, which are detailed in the report.

Definition: to consider one thing to be the same as or equal to another thing.

Example: Findings from both studies equate; therefore, we can conclude that they are both accurate.

Establishes

Definition: to discover or get proof of something.

Example: The award establishes the main causes of global warming.

Definition: to make someone remember something or feel an emotion .

Example: The artist’s painting evokes the work of some of the painters from the early 1800s.

Definition: to show something.

Example: Some of the research study participants exhibit similar symptoms while taking the medicine.

Facilitates

Definition: to make something possible or easier .

Example: The equipment that facilitates the study is expensive and of high-quality.

Definition: the main or central point of something, especially of attention or interest .

Example: The author focuses on World War II, which is an era she hasn’t written about before.

Foreshadows

Definition: to act as a warning or sign of a future event .

Example: The sick bird at the beginning of the novel foreshadows the illness the main character develops later in the book.

Definition: to develop all the details of a plan for doing something.

Example: Two teams of scientists formulated the research methods for the study.

Definition: to cause something to exist .

Example: The study’s findings have generated many questions about this new species of frog in South America.

Definition: to attract attention to or emphasize something important .

Example: The author, Dr. Smith, highlights the need for further studies on the possible causes of cancer among farm workers.

Definition: to recognize a problem , need, fact , etc. and to show that it exists .

Example: Through this study, scientists were able to identify three of the main factors causing global warming.

Illustrates

Definition: to show the meaning or truth of something more clearly , especially by giving examples .

Example: Dr. Robin’s study illustrates the need for more research on the effects of this experimental drug.

Definition: to communicate an idea or feeling without saying it directly .

Example: The study implies that there are many outside factors (other than diet and exercise) which determine a person’s tendency to gain weight.

Incorporates

Definition: to include something as part of something larger .

Example: Dr. Smith incorporates research findings from 15 other studies in her well-researched paper.

Definition: to show, point , or make clear in another way.

Example: Overall, the study indicates that there is no real danger (other than a lack of sleep) to drinking three cups of coffee per day.

Definition: to form an opinion or guess that something is true because of the information that you have.

Example: From this study about a new medicine, we can infer that it will work similarly to other drugs that are currently being sold.

Definition: to tell someone about parti c ular facts .

Example: Dr. Smith informs the reader that there are some issues with this study: the oddly rainy weather in 2017 made it difficult for them to record the movements of the birds they were studying.

Definition: to suggest , without being direct , that something unpleasant is true .

Example: In addition to the reported conclusions, the study insinuates that there are many hidden dangers to driving while texting.

Definition: to combine two or more things in order to become more effective .

Example: The study about the popularity of social media integrates Facebook and Instagram hashtag use.

Definition: to not have or not have enough of something that is needed or wanted .

Example: What the study lacks, I believe, is a clear outline of the future research that is needed.

Legitimizes

Definition: to make something legal or acceptable .

Example: Although the study legitimizes the existence of global warming, some will continue to think it is a hoax.

Definition: to make a problem bigger or more important .

Example: In conclusion, the scientists determined that the new pharmaceutical actually magnifies some of the symptoms of anxiety.

Definition: something that a copy can be based on because it is an extremely good example of its type .

Example: The study models a similar one from 1973, which needed to be redone with modern equipment.

Definition: to cause something to have no effect .

Example: This negates previous findings that say that sulphur in wine gives people headaches.

Definition: to not give enough c a re or attention to people or things that are your responsibility .

Example: The study neglects to mention another study in 2015 that had very different findings.

Definition: to make something difficult to discover and understand .

Example: The problems with the equipment obscures the study.

Definition: a description of the main facts about something.

Example: Before describing the research methods, the researchers outline the need for a study on the effects of anti-anxiety medication on children.

Definition: to fail to notice or consider something or someone.

Example: I personally feel that the study overlooks something very important: the participants might have answered some of the questions incorrectly.

Definition: to happen at the same time as something else , or be similar or equal to something else .

Example: Although the study parallels the procedures of a 2010 study, it has very different findings.

Converse International School of Languages offers an English for Academic Purposes course for students interested in improving their academic English skills. Students may take this course, which is offered in the afternoon for 12 weeks, at both CISL San Diego and CISL San Francisco . EAP course graduates can go on to CISL’s Aca demic Year Abroad program, where students attend one semester at a California Community College. Through CISL’s University Pathway program, EAP graduates may also attend college or university at one of CISL’s Pathway Partners. See the list of 25+ partners on the CISL website . Contact CISL for more information.

Simple Verb Tenses: Definition, Examples, & Exercises

The Albert Team
Last Updated On: September 28, 2023

Nouns and verbs can both express number, but only verbs can express tense, or when the action of the sentence is performed or a state of being is experienced.

Keeping tense clear and consistent throughout one’s writing is essential, but it is often overlooked by writers wanting to rush through their work. Getting in the habit of establishing your verb tense early on and sticking with it helps in two ways: first, your writing will flow more smoothly; second, you will avoid a large chunk of editing later on.

While there are several different types of verb tenses, the foundational tenses are past , present , and future . These are called simple verb tenses.

There are also perfect verb tenses , progressive verb tenses , and there are even some irregular verbs that do not follow the rules when changing tense. While this blog post focuses on simple verb tenses , these other verb tenses can be explored in other blog posts on Albert.

When you’re ready, test yourself with a quiz and practice with our high-quality, standards-aligned questions here .

What We Review

The Basics of Simple Verb Tenses

What is Simple Verb Tense?

Simple verb tense can be divided into three categories: past, present, and future .

Present Tense : He writes a letter today.
Past Tense : I wrote a letter yesterday.
Future Tense : I will write a letter tomorrow.

While some verb tenses , such as present tense and past tense , can be expressed by simply changing the form of the verb itself, other verbs need the help of an auxiliary verb to show tense, especially future tense .

In the examples above, the present tense verb, writes , looked only slightly different in past tense , wrote . However, this same verb needs the auxiliary verb, “ will ” joined with the present tense form of the verb, write to create future tense .

How is Simple Past Tense Used in Academic Writing?

Student writers use simple past tense verbs to describe something that happened prior to the current action in a narrative, an author’s ideas in a literary essay, or historical events in a research paper.

For example:

Narrative: The charred wallpaper peeling mournfully from the walls indicated that a fire had broken out sometime overnight.

In this example, the narrator makes an assumption about an event that occurred earlier in the story.

Literary Essay: Inspired by her own childhood, Harper Lee crafted Jean Louise “Scout” Finch in close resemblance to herself.

In this example, the student writer analyzes Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird , focusing on how this novel originated during the 1960’s.

Research Paper: When Disney World first opened in 1971, tickets were only $3.50.

In this example, the student writer uses simple past tense to share historical information.

How is Simple Present Tense Used in Academic Writing?

Student writers use present tense in narratives to describe what is happening in the current moment, in scientific papers to state facts, or in literary analyses to incorporate the writer’s own ideas.

Narratives: He steps through the open portal, and he finds himself in another dimension.
Scientific Writing: Many creatures in the natural world, such as frogs, still experience the stages of evolution.
Literary Analysis: I am proud of Harper Lee for using her skilled voice as a writer to speak out against racial injustice.

Simple Present Tense in Academic Writing

How is Simple Future Tense Used in Academic Writing?

Simple future verb tense is used less often in academic writing than simple present or simple past tense, but that does not mean it is any less important.

In narrative writing, students can take the role of an omniscient or all-knowing narrator that can share the future for his or her characters.

Narrative : He has no idea that his decision will lead to his tragic downfall.

How is Simple Verb Tense Different from Perfect Verb Tense?

While simple verb tense can express an action that did happen, is happening, or will happen, the perfect verb tense indicates an action that has already been completed or “perfected”. The perfect verb tense always appears with the auxiliary verb have or had . You can learn more about perfect verb tenses in this blog post .

For example:

Simple present: I eat my lunch.
Present perfect: I have eaten my lunch.
Simple past: I walked to school yesterday.
Past perfect: I had walked to school yesterday.
Simple future: I will finish my homework tomorrow.
Future perfect: I will have finished my homework by tomorrow.

How is Simple Verb Tense Different from Progressive Verb Tense?

While simple verb tense expresses an action that did happen, is happening, or will happen and perfect verb tense expresses an action that has already been completed, progressive verb tense expresses an ongoing action. Progressive verb tense always uses a form of the “ to-be ” verb and an -ing verb.

Simple present: I ate my lunch.
Present progressive: I am eating my lunch.
Past progressive: I was walking to school yesterday.
Future progressive: I will be finishing my homework by tomorrow.

Return to the Table of Contents

3 Tips for Understanding Simple Verb Tenses

Here are some important tips to help you understand simple verb tense :

Tip #1. Facts and current actions are always written in simple present tense

Many plants need sunlight and water to survive.

Tip #2. Historical events, events in the past, and author’s decisions are all written in simple past tense

Inspired by ancient Greek games, the international Olympics started in 1896.

Tip #3. Verb tense must stay consistent in your writing to avoid confusion

Tips for Understanding Simple Verb Tense

Incorrect : The hockey game last night was brutal; no one scores until the third period.

Because the initial verb in this sentence is in past tense, the second verb also must be in past tense. See the corrected sentence below:

Correct : The hockey game last night was brutal; no one scored until the third period.

Applying the Basics: Simple Verb Tenses Review & Practice

Now that you understand how simple verb tense functions in sentences, review the anchor chart below and complete the review to fully understand how to use and recognize simple verb tense as well as how to differentiate it from other verb tenses.

The Ultimate List of Verb Tenses

Refer to the graphic below to learn the different types of Verb Tenses :

This list, obviously, does not include all possible verbs and their tenses; however, it is meant to be used as a guide while identifying different types of verb tenses.

Simple Verb Tense Exercises and Review

Now that you understand simple verb tense, test your ability to recognize which verb tense in needed in the sentences below:

Select the correct verb tense in the sentences below. Remember, past verb tense describes events that happened in the past, present verb tense describes events that are happening currently, and future verb tense describes events that are yet to happen.

1. Before Elsa awoke the spirits of the forest, Anna was/is/will be confident that nothing in her life will change for the worse.

In this sentence, was is the correct verb tense to use. Since the context clues in the sentence reference something that happened earlier in the movie, a simple past tense verb is needed.

2. Throughout the movie, it is/was/will be clear that Elsa regretted ever trusting Prince Hans of the Southern Isles.

In this sentence, was is the correct verb to use. We know this because another simple past tense verb is used later in the sentence: regretted . In order to be consistent in our use of verb tense, both verbs must be in past tense.

3. Once she finds out what really happened between Arendelle and the Northuldra tribe, Elsa is/was/will be determined to make things right.

In this sentence, “ is” is the correct verb to use because it is in simple present tense , just like the other verb in the sentence, finds.

4. Olaf no longer needs his own snow flurry to stay frozen because last month, Elsa gives/gave/will give him permafrost.

In this sentence, gave, or the past tense form of the verb , is needed because the context clue, last month , implies that Elsa giving Olaf his permafrost happened in the past.

5. Grand Pabbie warns Elsa that bad things are happening/have happened/will happen if Elsa does not conquer the spirits of the forest.

In this sentence, will happen , or the future tense verb , is needed because the sentence sets up a contingent relationship. Because Grand Pabbie knows all, he can predict what will happen if Elsa is unsuccessful on her quest.

Pro tip : Simple verb tense can be narrowed down into three simple categories that show when an action occurred or when a state of being was experienced in a sentence. These three categories, past, present, and future , perform best when verbs of the same tense are used consistently within one piece of writing.

For additional practice, check out Simple Verb Tense content on Albert.

Try for Yourself: Simple Verb Tenses Quiz

Feeling confident in your understanding of Simple Verb Tense ?

Take this short six-question quiz to see what you’ve learned:

1. Which verb tense shows that the action in the sentence is ongoing: simple, perfect, or progressive?

Answer: Progressive
Correct Explanation: That’s right! Progressive verb tense shows action that is ongoing while simple verb tense can show action that already happened, is happening, or will happen.
Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right! Remember, progressive verb tense shows action that is ongoing while simple verb tense can show action that already happened, is happening, or will happen.

2. True or False: simple future verb tense can be expressed without the help of auxiliary verbs.

Answer: False
Correct Explanation: That’s right! Simple future verb tense , unlike simple present or simple past tense, must have an auxiliary verb attached to it in order to express future tense.
Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right! Remember, simple future verb tense , unlike simple present or simple past tense, must have an auxiliary verb attached to it in order to express future tense.

3. In this sentence, is the present tense verb, “have finished” simple, perfect, or progressive tense?

I have finished sewing a quilt for my baby nephew.

Answer: Perfect Verb Tense
Correct Explanation: That’s right! The verb have finished expresses an action that has already been completed, so it must be a perfect verb tense .
Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right! Remember, perfect verb tenses express actions that have already been completed, so have finished is perfect , not simple or progressive.

4. In this sentence, is the past tense verb, hiked , simple, perfect, or progressive tense?

We hiked a large section of the Smoky Mountain National Park yesterday.

Answer: Simple Verb Tense
Correct Explanation: That’s right! The past tense verb, hiked , expresses an action that was done on the previous day, or in the past. Since the action is not explicitly ongoing or completed (they may hike more today), the tense is simple past .
Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right! Remember, simple past tense expresses an action that happened in the past, not one that is ongoing or one that has been completed.

5. In this sentence, is the future tense verb, will be attending, simple, perfect, or progressive tense?

They will be attending the awards ceremony this evening.

Answer: Progressive verb tense
Correct Explanation: That’s right! In this sentence, the phrase will be attending implies an ongoing activity that will occur in the future; therefore, a future progressive verb is required.
Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right! Remember, future progressive verb tense implies an ongoing activity that will occur in the future, such as, will be attending.

6. In this sentence, is a simple past or simple present tense verb needed?

While we were trick-or-treating last night, I bump/bumped into someone that looked like Frankenstein’s monster.

Answer: bumped: simple past tense
Correct Explanation: That’s right! Since the tense of the first verb in the sentence is past ( were ), the tense of the second verb also needs to be past , which is bumped .
Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right! Remember, in order to be consistent in your writing, if another verb in the sentence is past tense, then any subsequent verbs must also be in past tense.

For additional practice with Simple Verb Tense , check out our practice on Albert: Simple Verb Tense .

Teacher’s Corner for Simple Verb Tenses

How many times have you read a student’s paper only to find that the verb tense changes nearly every sentence? Oftentimes students do not realize the importance of consistency when it comes to verb tense. Even though students may understand the fundamentals of subject and verb usage in a sentence, the Common Core English Language Progressive Skills Chart shows that there are always ways to build on students’ knowledge and create even stronger writers.

Albert provides several different verb tense practice activities, including Simple Verb Tense Practice . Albert has also created full-fledged assessments and quizzes on a range of grammatical topics.

Summary for Simple Verb Tenses

There are many verb tenses out there to choose from, but the most important thing is choosing the right tense for the type of writing you are doing and then sticking with it!

Be sure to check out our grammar course for more Simple Verb Tense practice.

You can also access over 3,400 high-quality questions that address nearly every grammatical concept.

Need help preparing for your Grammar exam?

Albert has hundreds of grammar practice questions with detailed explanations to help you master concepts.

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500+ English Verbs List (V1 V2 V3 Verb Forms) + PDF

Explore the world of verbs with our comprehensive list of over 500 English verbs in their V1, V2 and V3 forms. Whether you’re learning English or just want to expand your vocabulary, this comprehensive resource is here to help. Dive in and discover the different ways these verbs are used, and improve your language skills with this valuable collection.

Here you can learn V1, V2, V3 verb forms of most commonly used English verbs. Regular and irregular verbs are given together in this list.

You can also download V1, V2, V3 forms PDF here . Let’s go on this verb adventure together!

20 common English verbs as an example:

Check Also: Common English Verbs Forms (v1,v2,v3,v4,v5)+ PDF English Irregular Verbs List (Free PDF) 2000+ Common Phrasal Verbs List From A-Z (Free PDF)

Verbs List 1

Verbs list 2, verbs list 3, verbs list 4, verb forms pdf v1 v2 v3.

1000 English Verb Forms PDF – download

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Definition of essay

(Entry 1 of 2)

Definition of essay (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

composition

attempt , try , endeavor , essay , strive mean to make an effort to accomplish an end.

attempt stresses the initiation or beginning of an effort.

try is often close to attempt but may stress effort or experiment made in the hope of testing or proving something.

endeavor heightens the implications of exertion and difficulty.

essay implies difficulty but also suggests tentative trying or experimenting.

strive implies great exertion against great difficulty and specifically suggests persistent effort.

Examples of essay in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'essay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Middle French essai , ultimately from Late Latin exagium act of weighing, from Latin ex- + agere to drive — more at agent

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing essay

essay question
photo - essay

Articles Related to essay

To 'Essay' or 'Assay'?

You'll know the difference if you give it the old college essay

Dictionary Entries Near essay

Cite this entry.

“Essay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/essay. Accessed 12 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of essay.

Kids Definition of essay (Entry 2 of 2)

More from Merriam-Webster on essay

Nglish: Translation of essay for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of essay for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about essay

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Knowledge Base

What Is a Verb? | Definition, Types & Examples

A verb is a word that describes what the subject of a sentence is doing. Verbs can indicate (physical or mental) actions, occurrences, and states of being.

Anita is thinking about horses.

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Verb conjugation, regular vs irregular verbs, transitive and intransitive verbs, stative and dynamic verbs.

Linking verbs
Auxiliary verbs
Modal verbs
Phrasal verbs

Frequently asked questions about verbs

Verbs can change form depending on subject , tense , mood , and voice . This is called conjugation.

There are six subject forms in English:

Verbs and subjects must agree in number. If the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular. Similarly, if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. This is called subject-verb agreement .

She talks a lot .
She talk a lot.
We talk a lot.
We talks a lot.

Verbs are also conjugated based on tense . There are three main tenses in English:

Past (an action has taken place)
Present (an action is taking place)
Future (an action will take place)

Each tense has a simple , progressive , perfect , and perfect progressive aspect with its own rules for conjugation. The forms a verb takes in each aspect depend on the subject and on whether the verb is regular or irregular.

Below is a table illustrating the various forms the regular verb “look” takes in the first person singular when conjugated.

The mood of a verb indicates the tone and intention of a sentence. There are five grammatical moods in English:

Active and passive voice

Most sentences can use either the active or the passive voice . An active sentence is one in which the subject performs the action.

A passive sentence is one in which the subject is acted upon. Passive sentences are constructed using a form of the auxiliary verb ‘be’ (e.g., ‘was’, ‘is’, ‘were’) followed by the past participle of the main verb (e.g., ‘eaten’, ‘taken’).

Passive sentences are useful for emphasizing the outcome of an action rather than the action itself.

Participles

Participles are formed from verbs. There are two types of participles:

Past participles are typically used in combination with an auxiliary verb (e.g., ‘has’, ‘have’, ‘had’) for perfect tenses (connecting a past action or event to a later time). Past participles are typically formed by adding the suffix ‘-ed’ (e.g., ‘worked’).
Present participles are used for continuous tenses (describing an action that is ongoing). They are formed by adding the suffix ‘-ing’ (e.g., ‘reading’).

Participles are often used as adjectives (e.g., ‘running shoes’).

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Regular verbs follow the standard conjugation rules for English verbs – most verbs are regular. A verb is considered regular if its simple past and past participle are formed by adding the suffix ‘-ed’ (or ‘-d’ if the word already ends in the letter ‘e’).

Claude had finished his dinner when James called.

Jock has finished writing in his journal.

Irregular verbs form their simple past and past participles in some way other than by adding the suffix ‘-ed’.

I had swum almost a mile when the island came into view.

Melissa has swum every Saturday for the last three years.

A transitive verb is a verb that acts on someone or something and therefore takes a direct object (the thing being acted upon).

Intransitive verbs do not act on someone or something and therefore do not take a direct object. While an intransitive verb does not take a direct object, it can be used along with an adverb or prepositional phrase (as can a transitive verb).

Rita coughed loudly .

Some verbs are ditransitive , meaning they have two objects: a direct object and an indirect object (usually the person for whom the action is being performed).

Dynamic verbs (also called action verbs ) describe specific, temporary actions or events (e.g., ‘eat’, ‘sleep’, ‘write’).

Stative verbs describe a state of being or perception (e.g., ‘she is’, ‘it seems’, ‘they belong’). They can also be used to describe a mental, emotional, or physical state (e.g., ‘I believe’, ‘you hear’).

Stative verbs are typically used for a state of being that is general or unchanging, so they can’t be used in the progressive (continuous) tense.

Karl believes in himself.
Karl is believing in himself.

A linking verb (also called a copular verb ) connects the subject of a sentence with a ‘subject complement’ (i.e., a noun or adjective that describes it). Common linking verbs include the verbs ‘be’, ‘seem’, ‘become’, and ‘feel’.

Most linking verbs can also be used as action verbs, describing a specific action rather than a state (e.g., ‘Sofie feels the pillow’).

Auxiliary verbs (also called helping verbs ) include verbs such as ‘be’, ‘do’, and ‘have’. They’re used in combination with another (main) verb to modify its meaning. Auxiliary verbs can be used to indicate tense , mood , and voice . They’re also used to form negative statements when used with words such as ‘not’, and ‘never’.

Auxiliary verbs must be conjugated for tense and person (e.g., ‘I am’, ‘she was’).

Did you enjoy the meal?

The door was locked.

Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that are used along with another (main) verb to express ability, permission, possibility, necessity, or obligation. The main modal verbs are can , could , may , might , must , ought , shall , should , will , and would . Modal verbs do not change form.

Martin should speak a little louder.

A phrasal verb is a phrase made up of two or more words that acts as an individual verb. Phrasal verbs typically combine a verb with an adverb or preposition to create a meaning independent of the original words. For example, the verb ‘kick’ and the preposition ‘off’ combine to form the phrasal verb ‘kick off’, which means ‘begin’.

A gerund is a noun that takes the present participle (‘-ing’) form of a verb. Gerunds typically describe the same action as the verb from which they are formed.

A verb is a word that indicates a physical action (e.g., ‘drive’), a mental action (e.g., ‘think’) or a state of being (e.g., ‘exist’). Every sentence contains a verb.

Verbs are almost always used along with a noun or pronoun to describe what the noun or pronoun is doing.

There are many ways to categorize verbs into various types. A verb can fall into one or more of these categories depending on how it is used.

Some of the main types of verbs are:

Regular verbs
Irregular verbs
Transitive verbs
Intransitive verbs
Dynamic verbs
Stative verbs

Regular verbs are verbs whose simple past and past participle are formed by adding the suffix ‘-ed’ (e.g., ‘walked’).

Irregular verbs are verbs that form their simple past and past participles in some way other than by adding the suffix ‘-ed’ (e.g., ‘sat’).

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Verb Tenses in Academic Writing | Rules, Differences & Examples
Subject-Verb Agreement | Examples, Rules & Use
Phrasal Verbs | List, Definition, Examples & Tips

Subject Verb Agreement

Agreement maker.

There are many different sentence structures that people will use in their everyday conversations and writings. One of the most important sentence structures a person should understand is subject-verb agreement .

1. Subject Verb Agreement Template

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2. 13 Rules of Subject Verb Agreement

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3. Subject-Verb Agreement Example

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4. Microsoft Word Rules for Subject Verb Agreement

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5. Study of Subject-Verb Agreement

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6. Subject-Verb Agreement Worksheet

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7. Incorrect Subject-Verb Agreement

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8. Fixing Subject-Verb Agreement Errors

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9. Understanding Verb Subject Agreement

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10. Student Academic Learning Services Subject-Verb Agreement

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11. Subject-Verb & Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

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12. Making Subjects and Verbs Agreement

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13. Subject Verb Agreement Course

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14. Subject-Verb Agreement Study Skills

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15. Accessible Kenyon Subject Verb Agreement

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What Is the Subject-Verb Agreement

The subject-verb agreement is a basic sentence and grammatical structure that enforces the person to use the correct verb that agrees with the subject of the sentence or statement. This structure ensures that the sentence is clear and concise, which will leave little room for misunderstandings and misinterpretations.

How to Determine the Verb’s Form Based on the Subject

The subject and verb must agree if the writer or speaker wants to use a grammatically correct statement or sentence. If you need an example or a worksheet to help you further understand and practice one’s subject-verb agreement skills, then you may use any of the links above.

Step 1: Outline and Segment the Sentence

Begin by outlining and segmenting the sentence into various parts. This will help you easily dissect and identify the subject and the verb of the sentence, which is more effective the more complex the sentence structure will be.

Step 2: Identify the Subject/s of the Sentence

You will need to identify the subject/s of the sentence. This is very important as the form of the verb relies on the placement and format of the subject.

Step 3: Determine the Format of the Subjects Concerning the Verb

There are multiple ways a person can write the subject of a sentence or statement. Determine the format of the subject, the existence of the words “and” and “or”, the placement of the noun/s, and the overall context of the subject.

Step 4: Determine the Form of the Verb to Agree with the Subject

After you have isolated and determined the format of the subject, you must now determine what form the verb will take. If the subject is a plural noun, one must use the plural verb form, and vice versa.

What are some of the rules of subject-verb agreement?

The main rule of the subject-verb agreement states that a singular common noun or proper noun will have a singular verb, while a plural common noun or proper noun will have a plural verb. There are further iterations and exemptions of the main rule that will expound on various situations. When there are multiple subjects in a statement and is connected by the word “and” then the verb should be plural, but if the word “And” connects two subjects that refer to a single thing the verb is singular. For example, in the sentence “Alexa and Macoto love eating ice cream,” the verb is singular as there are two nouns that refer to different subjects. Another rule concerns the usage of the word “or” in the sentence; if two singular subjects are connected by the word “or” the verb should be singular, but if one of the subjects is plural then the noun closest to the verb will dictate its form. There are plenty of rules that will augment the main rule of subject-verb agreement and will help ensure the person’s ability to abide by the subject-verb agreement.

What are the five forms of verbs?

All verbs have five different forms wholly based on the context that the person will use the verb in. The first and most basic form of the verb is the simple present tense, which denotes that the verb is currently happening. The next form of the verb is the simple present participle, which is usually denoted by the -ing suffix. This form of the verb indicates the ongoing action of the verb that will span a specific time during the present. The third form of the verb is called the past tense, which is often denoted by a change in spelling or the -ed suffix. This form and the past participle refer to an action done in the past or a specific timeframe in the past. The fifth form of a verb is called an infinitive verb, which has the word “to” preceding the verb.

What is the importance of subject-verb agreement?

When writing a paper, remember that verbs must always agree with the subject in both quantity and perspective. Subjects and verbs must constantly agree with one another. The link between subjects and verbs is important to write in grammatically correct English. Subject-verb agreement unifies a statement and improves comprehension. This form of agreement ensures that your document is precise, clear, and aesthetically right.

The subject-verb agreement is a sentence structure that ensures the person determines the right form of the verb about the subject of the sentence or statement. When used properly, one’s sentence and statement will be full of clarity, which will leave little room for misinterpretation and misunderstanding. Therefore the person needs to know and understand subject-verb agreement.

Text prompt

Instructive
Professional

Formulate an agreement for student behavior in the school library

Create an agreement for participating in a school sports team.

I've been living in Spain for 12 years. I've stopped dating locals because too much gets lost in translation.

Nicola Prentis moved to Spain in 2012 but isn't fully fluent in Spanish.
Prentis is single and says that when she dates in Spanish, she never feels like herself.
She says she now prefers to date English speakers.

"Say something to me in Spanish," said my date in the small Catalan city where I've lived since 2016. But despite his great English and being interesting and attractive, his question immediately made me both self-conscious and irritated at what I knew was coming next. It's an inevitable part of the first-date scenario I've come to hate while dating in Spain.

Unlike in bigger cities such as Madrid or Barcelona, most of my local dating pool speaks only Spanish or Catalan, so I'm always grateful when I find someone who speaks English. Navigating the apps with my level of Spanish is easy, and I can even manage whole dates. But it's not just the language barrier that's the challenge

"No tengo nada para que decir," I replied, hoping to get his judgment on my Spanish over with as soon as possible. Plus, it's kind of true. I really don't have much to say in Spanish because I'm not yet (ever?) going to be at the level where my real personality comes through.

I'm overly compliant and naive in Spanish

It's not just unpleasant memories that are to blame for my unwillingness to date in Spanish. There's also research that suggests personalities can change when you're speaking another language. Nate Young , a former Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellow at the University of Oslo who worked on the study, told Business Insider: "Environmental cues, such as language use, can lead to adjustments in mood and demeanor. Multilinguals often use different languages for distinct purposes, and those purposes will influence your emotional states." Young holds a Ph.D. in linguistics from Queen Mary University of London.

So, as much of my experience in Spain involves frustration with my own language limits, it's shaped how I feel when speaking the language.

The result of this is what some refer to as "nodding-dog syndrome." If I'm tired or if the social situation means multiple people are in the conversation, I end up nodding along, "sí, sí" to everything. Debating something complex in Spanish is beyond my language level, but I also know I'll sound rude if I disagree using the blunt language tools I do have.

Added to that is the naivete that comes with dating outside your own cultural context . I can't tell whether that guy who said "joder" in front of an 80-year-old priest is crass and disrespectful. The swear word is much milder in Spanish than in English (it translates directly as "f**k), but is it mild enough to use in front of a priest? I also couldn't tell whether the guy who paid me a million compliments and texted me all the time was enthusiastically open or love bombing, something I'd be fully tuned into in my own culture.

I'm a terrible listener in Spanish

Listening intently in order to understand is tiring to do for a whole date, let alone a relationship. But sometimes I'm not paying attention at all whereas, in English, I have really good active listening skills .

In Spanish, I'll find myself using the break where the other person is speaking to go over whether I made a mistake in what I just said. Then, I'll ask them about the related grammar query instead of what they were just telling me. Even worse, because I'm either not truly listening or I'm focusing so hard on how to express myself, my memory of the actual content of these conversations is scant at best. Being more concerned about verb endings than how the date may end isn't exactly conducive to a great date.

I've come to prefer people who speak English and don't make fun of my Spanish, just so they get to know the real me and not this version of me who's sometimes bolshy, sometimes overly agreeable, and often inattentive. After all, I wouldn't date me in Spanish.

Got a personal essay about dating abroad that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor: [email protected] .

Watch: I went on a date with an AI chatbot, and it fell in love with me

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Jean Smart Is Having a Third Act for the Ages

Like her character on “Hacks,” she’s winning late-career success on her own exuberant terms.

Jean Smart. Credit... Sinna Nasseri for The New York Times

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By J Wortham

J Wortham is a staff writer for the magazine. They visited the set of “Hacks” in January in Los Angeles, and interviewed the cast and crew over the course of a few weeks.

May 12, 2024

Calling someone a “hack” is a particularly vicious insult. It implies that they have no talent or, worse, that they have wasted it. The slight is hurled early on in “Hacks,” the popular HBO series starring Jean Smart as Deborah Vance, a seasoned comedian who teams up with a younger one named Ava (Hannah Einbinder) to freshen up her act.

When they meet, Ava takes stock of Deborah — her glitzy mansion, her residency at a casino in Las Vegas, a hustle selling branded merchandise on cable TV — and sees her as the definition of a hack, a sellout cashing in on her former fame. Deborah is unfazed. Amused, even. What does this kid know about her career, about years of hard work, about the unfairness, sexism and disregard?

Deborah, meanwhile, sees Ava as a bit of a hack herself — an entitled and spoiled young internet persona who was canceled for posting a joke about a closeted senator. (“Sounds like a Tuesday for me,” Deborah retorts when Ava complains about it.) Deborah is a workaholic on the verge of bitter, someone who grew tired of being cut and so became a knife. She’s shameless, litigious, petty, vengeful, stubborn — qualities that become a comedic asset for the character and a narrative engine for the show. Just how far is Deborah Vance willing to go?

Throughout the first two seasons, much of the drama — and delight — is in seeing Ava puncture Deborah’s carefully lacquered facade with her Gen Z earnestness and sharp wit. In one of the show’s funniest moments, Deborah bluntly asks Ava, “You a lesbian?” Ava leans back in her chair while considering the question. She responds with a treatise reflecting the identity politics of a generation raised with nonexistent boundaries and zero sexual shame, ending with a graphic description of how she orgasms. Deborah doesn’t miss a beat. “Jesus Christ!” she exclaims. “I was just wondering why you were dressed like Rachel Maddow’s mechanic!” Deborah and Ava are mirrors for each other, gifted and perspicacious performers at opposite ends of their careers, both trying to be their most audacious selves in an industry that will dispose of them the moment they cross an invisible line.

Over the last three years, “Hacks” has earned its two Emmy nominations for outstanding comedy series by cultivating a polyphonic, fast-paced humor relentless as Deborah’s own quick mind. There are constant insult jokes about Ava’s appearance (“Your manicurist must use a paint roller!”); manic banter between Jimmy, Deborah’s beleaguered agent, and his delusional assistant (played brilliantly by the comedian Meg Stalter); antic bits like a seemingly poignant scene of Deborah’s daughter playing classical piano as a reflection of her gilded upbringing, before it devolves into absurdity when the music is revealed to be the theme song from “Jurassic Park.” And then there are the battles royale in which Ava and Deborah fire hilarious barbs back and forth until their frustration gives way to awe at each other’s cleverness and something like respect blooms. It’s weaponized therapy.

Jean Smart with Hannah Einbinder in a still from “Hacks.”

One day in January, Smart was filming an episode of the show’s third season at a private villa near Pasadena, Calif., kitted out to resemble a mansion in Bel-Air. She sat in a magisterial library on a caramel leather Chesterfield. Deborah is meeting with the network executive who canceled her show in the 1970s after she (allegedly) tried to set her former husband’s home on fire upon discovering that he was having an affair with her sister. The ensuing scandal banished her to the edges of the entertainment industry. She hopes the conversation will yield some clarity, perhaps even closure.

No one would mistake Deborah Vance for soft. And yet here she was, defanged — somewhat. She wore an expensive silk leopard blouse, a reminder of her latent ferocity. As Keith Sayer, who worked with Smart to craft the image of Deborah, remarked to me while observing the scene: “She went in thinking there might be a battle.”

In the scene, Deborah’s voice is low, pleading. “Before I do this all again,” she says, “I really need to know why it didn’t work the first time.” The executive is perplexed. To him, it’s obvious. He reminds her of the chaos that followed her very public meltdown with her husband. She is chastened by the memory but recovers. “I know,” she says. “I’ve just always thought if I’d been a little bit better, a little bit funnier, if I’d been undeniable, it could have happened.”

The entire crew seemed to collectively hold their breath as they watched Smart, as Deborah, waiting for the reply. From behind a cluster of monitors, the show’s creators, Jen Statsky, Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello, sat watching the process and whispering to one another. (Smart calls them “J.P.L.” for short, which she says stands for Jet Propulsion Laboratory.) At one point, Aniello asked Smart to do a take with her eyes not lowered, to add some of her potency back. “Less like a wounded deer,” she added. They wanted her to strike a delicate balance between humble and proud. They gave Smart a few pointed notes, which she metabolized quickly, speed-cycling through a spectrum of emotions on command. Smart is a maestro of microexpressions: She can adjust the lines on her forehead to convey pain or arrogance. Her voice is an ember that can smolder or burn red-hot; her laugh can sound coquettish or sharp, like the cries of an exotic bird.

At this point in the show, Deborah and her career are trending. After combing through Deborah’s extensive archive, Ava realized that her most powerful work could be drawn from her own history. They devise a new act that satirizes Deborah’s shadow selves: a jealous ex, a vain and self-involved mother, a bad feminist and a power-hungry entrepreneur. Self-aware and self-skewering, the act revives interest in Deborah and pushes her back into the spotlight, so much so that her team pitches a comedy special. Networks won’t touch it. Undeterred, Deborah decides to finance the special herself, and it goes viral.

“Hacks” is a similar turning point in Smart’s career. Despite working steadily in Hollywood for three decades, she has never played a lead character that has captivated audiences quite like this one. Casting her was a stroke of genius: There’s a relish to her performance, not only because she’s perfect in the role but also because she and Deborah would both delight in the idea of proving wrong anyone who overlooked or underestimated their gifts. Smart, as Deborah, gives the lie to the idea of the hack and repurposes it as a glorious wink.

In 2015, Downs, Aniello and Statsky were road-tripping to a monster-truck rally in Portland, Maine, where Downs would be filming a segment for a sketch-comedy special. The three met in 2009 while bumming around New York trying to get their comedy careers off the ground. Downs and Aniello began dating after they met in an Upright Citizens Brigade improv class, and Statsky and Aniello met in a sketch group. The three formed a tight-knit circle.

As tends to happen on long drives, the three found themselves deep in existential conversations. One turned to talented people who had fallen into obscurity. A theater actress with a vibrant and illustrious career had died recently, and articles about her life stunned them. “How come we are only learning about this woman and her work in her obituary?” Downs, who plays Jimmy, asked. “Why did we not see her in every guest role on TV?” It reminded Statsky of the improvisational-comedy duo Nichols and May — Mike Nichols, she said, “went on to have an incredible career, but you weren’t quite sure what happened to May.” (Elaine May did have a long career, directing films and writing screenplays, but she is not nearly as well known.) They thought about other great female performers who seemed to disappear — or worse, lost control of the joke and became the butt of it. They had just heard Kathy Griffin’s appearance on Marc Maron’s podcast , where she discussed how much easier it was to become a reality-TV star than to sustain the life of a comic. They had also watched “A Piece of Work,” the 2010 Joan Rivers documentary that highlighted the verdant years of her comedy career, before she became better known for body modifications and red-carpet cattiness.

These women were meteoric talents whose reputations eroded over time because of the industry’s exclusionary practices. Many became spectacles, cartoonifying themselves with antic behavior and plastic surgeries or tawdry television appearances. “It was really just a way to survive, a way to commodify their art,” Aniello said. “They weren’t being taken seriously as geniuses or auteurs, so they had to go into this other lane and create it for themselves. And sometimes we look down on that art form, and it’s unfair, because they were literally just trying to exist.”

Statsky reckoned with her own dismissal of those women and others like them. “Did I have some weird bias?” she said. “Thinking this person is hacky or writing them off in a way?” Why, they all wondered, was it easier to remember these women for their cheapest career moments than for their best work? And more to the point — what drove those comedians to devalue themselves in the first place?

The friends were juiced enough after the car ride to try to create a character, a woman in her third act who refused to accept the notion that she was past her prime. They also devised her foil, a younger comedian weaned on viral fame. They saw the narrative arc so clearly that they knew exactly where the series would end. They also knew that they wanted to staff the show with comedians and comic actors who they felt hadn’t been fully given the chance to showcase their talents. All three were admirers of Smart, and so they sent the pilot script to her agent; she was the only actor they met with. “When she walked into the room, you just felt Deborah was alive — she’s glamorous and dry and smart and blond — just a perfect fit,” the trio told me in an email. They pitched the show in 2019, and the first season aired in May 2021.

When Smart first read the script, she was enraptured by the depth of the writing for Deborah. “It ticked all the boxes,” she said. She recalled a scene in which Deborah has a liaison with a younger man. Rather than writing it as purely salacious, the creators infused it with real sensuality — and the encounter kindles a burst of creativity for Deborah. “She discovers something new in her work that just brings back some real joy to her,” Smart told me.

The character of Deborah is based on an amalgamation of female comedians, including Griffith, Rivers, Paula Poundstone and Betty White. There’s a little Lucille Bluth of “Arrested Development” in there, too. Phyllis Diller may be the most important model for Deborah — Smart once dressed like her as a girl — but while Diller leaned into the garish to the point of surrealism, Deborah is firmly established in the leisure class. As Kathleen Felix-Hager, the show’s costume designer, told me, “She has money.”

It was important to the show’s creators that Deborah’s difficulties are not financial. By many definitions, she has already made it. But her ambitions extend beyond her bank balance. She wants a certain stature, a reputation, a desire to be, as she tells the executive, undeniable . But “you can be undeniable, and you might still get denied,” Downs said. If Deborah is a hack, she was first made that way by a sexist and ageist industry that disposed of her as soon as she became inconvenient.

When Smart was done filming, she bundled us both into the back of her car, and a driver took us to a favorite Italian spot in Toluca Lake. In the back seat were a satin pillow (for napping) and sequin jackets (for a drag show later). She was energized by the day’s shoot, particularly by the verve of her co-star, Hal Linden of “Barney Miller” fame, now in his 90s. “I hope to keep working like that,” she marveled. As we walked into the restaurant, heads perked up as Smart waltzed past, and we found a roomy, private booth in the back.

Many people remember Smart from her role as Charlene on “Designing Women,” in which she played a version of herself as a teenager growing up in Seattle: the “blue-eyed, blond-haired, goody-two-shoes cheerleader,” as she described it to me. In person, Smart is as warm and loose. At lunch, she slapped the table to punctuate her sentences and unleashed her distinctive, bellowing laugh at high volume when she was pleased by a detail or an interaction. She straddles generations; she doesn’t do social media yet knew to ask me for my pronouns. Her knack for physical comedy seems second nature. When the waiter asked if she wanted a “baby” glass of wine or a big one, she shot me an impish glance and then used her thumb as an arrow to indicate that she would like the adult-size version. “I’m not driving,” she said slyly. After she served us both from a communal plate, she said: “I’m not your mother. Why am I cutting up your food?” and then continued doing it.

Smart described with glee how she leaned into the role of Deborah. She loves getting to be a demanding boss and a sexpot. “I’ve had more action on this show than my entire career put together,” she told me. She has a one-night stand with Devon Sawa, makes out with Tony Goldwyn and has an ongoing love-hate relationship with Marty (Christopher McDonald), who owns the Las Vegas casino where she performs. She was awarded two Emmys for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series in 2021 and 2022.

Smart wondered aloud where all this adulation was 20 years ago. By her own estimation, she has always been this dynamic, this charismatic, this compelling. But Smart talks about her career with oracular calm: She knows that her time is simply her time. Smart is 72, and for women of her generation, the range of archetypes available to them has always been narrow, and it dwindles even more over time. “At 40, you’re going, They definitely aren’t going to be calling me for that role,” she said. “Experience is hugely important. It’s going to trump brilliance every time.”

Smart’s easy grace is offset by a frenetic energy that makes her irresistible to watch but difficult to categorize. She’s 5-foot-9 and always felt that her height cut against her beauty-pageant looks, transforming them into something more formidable. Smart was never an ingénue. “I’ve always been part way to between leading lady and a character actress.” She worked consistently after leaving “Designing Women” in 1991, but it wasn’t until she was 53 that she began being cast in larger roles with more edge and gravitas. On “24,” she played Martha Logan, a mentally unstable but cunning first lady who managed to make being unhinged admirable. In “Fargo” (2015) and “Mare of Easttown” (2021), she played cunning and at times malevolent matriarchs. She had a powerful role on “Watchmen” (2019) as the retired vigilante turned F.B.I. agent Laurie Blake. (She got the role after Sigourney Weaver turned it down and told me that “if I’d won the Emmy for that, I was going to thank her.”)

Kate Winslet, who worked with Smart on “Mare of Easttown,” described how she combines intuition with exquisite control of the distinct regions of her face. Smart played Winslet’s mother, Helen, who is both all-seeing and self-absorbed. “Jean has the power to do a tiny thing and flip the energy of the scene,” Winslet told me — raising an eyebrow, say, or sharpening the edge of an inhale. “It’s fresh, because it means every time you walk into a scene, she’ll always do something that will surprise you.” Winslet recalled a moment while filming “Mare” after their characters attended a funeral. They were walking off the set when suddenly Smart turned to her: “Oh, shoot, I wanted them to paint my nails.” She knew that Helen was the kind of woman who would have gone to the beauty parlor to get her hair set and nails done. “It mattered to me that she cared in that way,” Winslet said.

Smart’s willingness to surrender vanity for her art impressed Winslet, but Smart has sometimes wondered if allowing herself to be styled as matronly or haggard hindered some of the momentum she was building. In “Fargo,” for example, she let them color her hair, and “all of a sudden I looked so much older.” It felt like being led out to pasture. “Casting directors have Rolodexes full of actors,” she said, “and if they can’t type you or pigeonhole you, it’s like, Is it really worth the time and effort to try to figure out what that person can do?” By the time she arrived on set at “Hacks,” she had acquired the ability to draw from her letdowns in Hollywood with enough distance to satirize them. On “Hacks,” Smart explained, Deborah represents someone who is pushing back and saying, I’ll decide when I’m done.

At lunch, Smart was open about the recent tragedies in her life. In 2021, Richard Gilliland, an actor she met on the set of “Designing Women” and married in 1987, died after a heart attack. Covid restrictions meant that she got to see him only twice in the hospital. There was still a week left of filming for the first season of “Hacks,” and Smart was asked if she wanted to take some time off. Her inclination was to keep working. “I figured, I’m still in shock,” Smart said. “Let’s just do it, you know?” In the episode they were filming, Ava’s father has suddenly died, and Deborah crashes the funeral and gives a speech that brings the house down. When the time came to get in front of the camera, Smart started shaking. It had been only a few days since her own husband’s death. She wasn’t sure she was going to make it. She recalled taking a deep breath (and an Ativan) and jumping into the scene. Deborah asks the mourners to share a memory of the deceased when he was drunk. Aghast — and titillated — they allow themselves to be goaded into unruly stories, which she tempers by sharing a rare gem of praise for her protégé. Smart remembers it as cathartic.

You can see, in that scene, how Smart excavates her own subterranean emotions in her performance. Occasionally, while talking about her life’s hardships, I got the impression of Smart as a large, silvery body of water and her difficulties as opaque shapes moving underneath. But they never fully surfaced unless she wanted them to. Smart is now raising her youngest son alone, something she never imagined doing at her age. (She has another son who is in his 30s; she and Gilliland adopted their second son 20 years later.) He is now a teenager, and she wants to be present for all the moments of wonder, anxiety and introspection. As our meal wound down, she began talking animatedly about picking him up from school. He was in rehearsals for his high school’s production of “The Pirates of Penzance,” and she was excited to hear about it while she made him dinner. She doesn’t go to bed before he does, even if he stays up until 10 p.m. and she has a 4 a.m. call time. Smart’s zest for her life — all of it, even the challenging parts — comes through clearly. She is determined to enjoy the pleasure of her children and her career as long as she can.

At the end of the previous season, after a tumultuous road trip, a lawsuit and the triumph of pulling off a comeback tour, Ava and Deborah part ways at Deborah’s insistence. She wants Ava to forge her own career. She is also pushing her away out of fear: The closeness has proved to be too much. Deborah is still working out her trust issues, believing that dependence on others has never served her.

When she finally gets what she craves — recognition and power — the axis of the show turns to wondering how this second wave of success will influence her. Will she operate like the ruthless executives she worked under, or will she create new ways of being? Can she? Can anyone? “Hacks” also asks the question of Hollywood itself: What would it be like with different people at the helm? It’s a fantasy of second chances, shifting hierarchies, upended power dynamics — but, appropriately for a moment when the gains of racial-justice movements, #MeToo and D.E.I. initiatives are being rolled back, if not eradicated, “Hacks” refuses to be rosy. Deborah Vance is no utopian leader. She is as flawed as anyone else, but through her, the show explores how people are shaped by systems that misuse them and the damage they can inflict, or undo, as a result.

Deborah’s relationship to biological motherhood is evidence of her priorities and ambivalences. DJ, Deborah’s daughter on the show (played by Kaitlin Olson), is a monument to Deborah’s narcissism. (DJ stands for Deborah Jr.) Their relationship is fraught, as DJ, who feels neglected, commits minor acts of sabotage toward her mother, including tipping off the paparazzi to photograph her in unglamorous moments. It’s later revealed that Deborah not only knows about this but lets DJ get away with it. “Makes her feel self-sufficient,” she tells Ava. It’s a clarifying moment: It is easier to let her daughter think that she’s exploiting her than to affirm or be affectionate toward her.

Deborah finds more kinship with Ava, recognizing herself in the younger comedian’s unabashed careerism and raw talent. Zero blood ties yield more honesty between them. The show understands that chosen family can come in many, sometimes demented and occasionally toxic forms, including work relationships that become stand-ins for our most intimate ones. “Mother” is a verb as well as a noun, and Deborah finds her footing nurturing the next generation of feminist performers and their outrage (on one thrilling episode, she pays an obnoxiously misogynistic male comedian $1.69 million to never perform publicly again). Ava also nurtures Deborah, teaching her how to embrace her vulnerability through comedy and invite people into an incisive and exploratory investigation of the self.

Later in the season, Deborah is being profiled by a magazine when some unsavory, racist material from her past resurfaces online. Ava pushes her to hold herself accountable for her offensive behavior, but the reckoning becomes deeper than that. She is asking Deborah to look hard at her own her complacency, her willingness to adopt the status-quo tendencies of exploiting others for her own gain. Deborah agrees to appear at a town hall, but she also insists on charming the students in her own way, crashing a frat party, doing keg stands and buying everyone pizza.

When the article comes out, Ava reads it aloud to Deborah. Ava is quoted in the piece, and she pauses as she recites her own words. “A hack is someone who does the same thing over and over,” she starts. “Deborah is the opposite. She keeps evolving and getting better.” It’s an apt description of the show, Deborah and anyone who faces their worst moment — and survives to joke about it.

Stylist: Micah Schifman

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What Is a Verb?
Verbs can indicate (physical or mental) actions, occurrences, and states of being. Examples: Verbs in a sentence. Jeffrey builds a house. Anita is thinking about horses. True love exists. Every sentence must have at least one verb. At the most basic level, a sentence can consist solely of a single verb in the imperative form (e.g., "Run.").
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Most Common Verb Tenses in Academic Writing. According to corpus research, in academic writing, the three tenses used the most often are the simple present, the simple past, and the present perfect (Biber et al., 1999; Caplan, 2012). The next most common tense for capstone writers is the future; the doctoral study/dissertation proposal at ...
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The three verb types are: Action verbs (such as run, jump, and dance) Modal or helping verbs (such as can, was, and has) Linking verbs (such as to look, to feel, and to taste) Whether you're writing fiction or non-fiction, specific verbs spark emotions in your readers and keep them engrossed in your writing.
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Exercise 1. Highlight the verbs in the following short paragraph about pet dogs. (To highlight, you position your computer curser on the verbs and right click.) III. "Be" Verbs and "Do" Verbs. "Be" verbs: They look different depending on the subjects and the verb tenses. The most common ones are "am, is, are, was, were".
Grammar guide: Verb forms (article)
Verb form errors in simple sentences tend to be pretty obvious. But as sentences get more complex, it becomes easier to miss those little context clues that tell us when and how the verb is taking place. ... and essays. Correct: Author and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston, whose active period spanned from 1925 to 1950, famously wrote many ...
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Examples of Power Verbs. The following are examples of power verbs that are useful in academic writing, both for supporting an argument and for allowing you to vary the language you use. Power Verbs for Analysis: appraise, define, diagnose, examine, explore, identify, interpret, investigate, observe.
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Verbs: basic forms - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary
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Introduction to Verb Tenses. Only two tenses are conveyed through the verb alone: present ("sing") and past ("sang"). Most English tenses, as many as thirty of them, are marked by other words called auxiliaries. Understanding the six basic tenses allows writers to re-create much of the reality of time in their writing. Simple Present: They ...
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Parallels. Definition: to happen at the same time as something else, or be similar or equal to something else. Example: Although the study parallels the procedures of a 2010 study, it has very different findings. Converse International School of Languages offers an English for Academic Purposes course for students interested in improving their ...
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While some verb tenses, such as present tense and past tense, can be expressed by simply changing the form of the verb itself, other verbs need the help of an auxiliary verb to show tense, especially future tense.. In the examples above, the present tense verb, writes, looked only slightly different in past tense, wrote.However, this same verb needs the auxiliary verb, " will " joined with ...
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Subject-Verb Agreement
Revised on April 18, 2023. Subject-verb agreement means that the subject of the sentence matches the verb describing its action. This helps your reader understand who or what is doing something and makes your writing easier to read. First, identify the subject (the person or thing doing the action) and the verb (the action word) in a sentence.
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For example, the verb 'kick' and the preposition 'off' combine to form the phrasal verb 'kick off', which means 'begin'. Example: Phrasal verb I'm going to move out next month. Gerunds. A gerund is a noun that takes the present participle ('-ing') form of a verb. Gerunds typically describe the same action as the verb from ...
Subject Verb Agreement
Step 3: Determine the Format of the Subjects Concerning the Verb. There are multiple ways a person can write the subject of a sentence or statement. Determine the format of the subject, the existence of the words "and" and "or", the placement of the noun/s, and the overall context of the subject.
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