Essential Rules of Using the Right Form of Verb

Hey there! Some links on this page are affiliate links which means that, if you choose to make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I greatly appreciate your support!

This article covers the following areas –

Verbs are the mandatory element of any English sentence; we cannot even imagine a single sentence without a verb. More interestingly, every sentence element is closely related to that particular sentence’s verb.

In this post, I will discuss how different forms of verbs in relation to time and subject. I’ll also explain the different rules of using the right verb forms with various examples.

There are six forms for each verb: base/root/present (V1), past (V2), past participle (V3), present participle, gerund, and infinitive. Any subject (Mostly noun or pronoun) in a sentence takes the necessary form of the verb based on tense, mood, number, voice, narration, etc.

Try The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation: An Easy-to-Use Guide with Clear Rules, Real-World Examples, and Reproducible Quizzes (Amazon Link) to understand the major rules and subtle guidelines of English grammar and usage. This best-seller includes easy-to-understand rules, abundant examples, dozens of reproducible quizzes, and pre and post tests for middle and high schoolers, college students, ESL students, homeschoolers, and more.

right forms of verbs
Different Forms of Verbs

#1 Base Form of Verb

The base form of verbs is the form that we find in the dictionary. Naturally, they have anything like “s,” “es,” “ed,” etc., before or after them. They are also called the root of verbs. 

Examples:

Go, teach, imagine, like, cut, etc. 

  • I go for a walk every day. 

#2 Past Form of Verb

The past form of a verb is used to refer to any action that happened in the past. Sometimes they are regular verbs taking the suffixes like “d” or “ed” or irregular verbs changing their spelling to show the past tense.

In exception, there are some irregular verbs that remain the same in terms of their spelling in both base and past form.

Examples:

Went, taught, imagined, liked, cut, etc.

  • I went to my college yesterday.

#3 Past Participle Form of Verb

A past participle is a form that is used to express anything in the perfect tense and passive voice. They typically end with “ed.” Sometimes past form and past participle form also remain the same as we find in words teach-taught-taught. “Teach” is the base form here, and the past and past participle form is taught.

In the case of some irregular verbs like “Go,” the forms are like go-went-gone. “Go” is the base form here, and “Went” and “Gone” are past and past participle forms, respectively. Though this is a verb form, this is also used as an adjective.    

Examples:

Gone, taught, imagined, liked, cut, etc.

  • He has gone so far in his career. (used as a verb)
  • He is very interested in cooking. (used as an adjective)

#4 Present Participle Form of Verb

The present participle form of a verb is formed with an “ing” after the base form. Besides continuous verb form, it is also used as an adjective in sentences.    

Examples:

Going, teaching, imagining, liking, cutting, etc.

  • Kevin is doing his homework.

#5 Gerund (Verb+ing)

Like the present participle, a gerund is also a form of a verb that is formed with “ing” as a suffix with the base form. But, the difference between a gerund and the present participle is in terms of their role in a sentence.

A gerund acts as a noun in a sentence, but a present participle acts as a continuous verb form or an adjective.   

Examples:

Going, teaching, imagining, liking, cutting, etc.

  • Going to the office every day is boring.

#6 Infinitive (To+verb)

The infinitive form of a verb is the dictionary or base form of a verb preceded by “to.” However, most infinitives take a “to” before the base form; sometimes, the “to” is dropped. We call them bare infinitives.

In most cases, when infinitives follow any modal verb like “can,” “may,’ “should,” “would,” etc., they are called bare infinitives. 

Remember! An infinitive cannot be a main/finite verb in a sentence. It only can be used as a non-finite verb, an adjective, or an adverb. 

Examples:

To go, to teach, to imagine, to like, to cut, etc. 

  • I want to go home now. (Infinitive)
  • Give him a dish to wash. (Infinitive as adjective)
  • He will do this to set an example. (Infinitive as an adverb)
  • You should go home now. (Bare Infinitive) 

Now, let’s discuss some essential rules for using the right form of verbs in sentences. To talk about the right forms of verbs, it’s very crucial to discuss them in relation to person and number. However, there are some other factors that you must also take into consideration while using verb forms.

How to Use the Right Form of Verb for Present Simple Affirmative

Sentences that talk about anything positive or neutral that happens in the present time or regularly are called present simple affirmative sentences.

In present simple affirmative sentences, if the subject is a third-person singular number, “s” or “es” has to be added after the verb.

Examples:

  • He plays cricket every day.
  • She teaches us English.
  • James plays cricket with his son every weekend.

In the case of first-person singular and plural, second-person singular and plural, and third-person plural subjects, the verb will remain as same as the base form.

Examples:

  • I play cricket every weekend.
  • We play cricket every afternoon.
  • You play cricket very well.
  • You all play cricket very well.
  • They play cricket in their free time.
right forms of verbs
Person and Number

Guide to Using the Right Form of Verb for Present Simple Negative

Sentences that talk about denial of any event that happens in the present time or regularly are called present simple negative sentences.

In the case of present simple/indefinite negative sentences, if the subject is a third-person singular number, we use “does not” (“doesn’t” in contraction) before the verb to express negation.

Examples:

  • He does not/doesn’t call me.
  • She does not/doesn’t teach us mathematics.
  • James does not/ doesn’t go for a walk with his son.

In contrast, if the subject is third person plural or first and second person singular or plural, “do not” (“don’t” in contraction) is used. And in negative sentences, the verb will always remain as same as the base form.

Examples:

  • I do not/don’t like shopping.
  • We do not/don’t play baseball.
  • You do not/don’t write poetry well.
  • You all do not/don’t attend classes regularly.
  • They do not/don’t play cricket in their free time.

How to Use the Right Form of Verb for Present Simple Interrogative

Sentences that are used to ask queries about any event that happens in the present time or regularly are called present simple interrogative sentences.

If the subject of a present simple/indefinite interrogative sentence is third-person singular, we use “Does” before the subject to express questions. And in this type of interrogative sentence, the verb always remains as same as the base form, and they end with a question mark (?).

Examples:

  • Does he go shopping every day?
  • Does James play cricket with his son every weekend?

In contrast, if the subject is third person plural or first and second person singular or plural, “Do” is used.

Examples:

  • Do I need to go there?
  • Do we need to buy some clothes?
  • Do you want to have your breakfast now?
  • Do you people like to stay here tonight?
  • Do they clean the house in their free time?

Guide to Using the Right Form of Verb for Past Simple Affirmative

Sentences that talk about anything positive or neutral that happened before or in the past are called past simple affirmative sentences.

Past simple affirmative sentences do not have anything to do with person or number. It merely depends on the verb form. No matter what person the subject is, the verb should be in the past form.

Some verbs take the suffixes like “d” or “ed” when they are in past form, and we call them regular verbs. There are some irregular verbs too, and those change their spelling to form past form.

In exception, some irregular verbs remain the same in terms of their spelling in both base and past form.  

Examples:

  • I played cricket last week.  
  • He went to school yesterday.
  • They joined the last meeting.
  • He put me in the same situation last month.

How to Use the Right Form of Verb for Past Simple Negative

Sentences that talk about denial of any event that happened before or in the past are called past simple negative sentences.

In past simple negative sentences, “did not” (didn’t in contraction) is used before the verb to express negation, and the verb remains as same as the base form. 

Examples:

  • I did not attend the last class. 
  • He didn’t inform me about the situation.
  • They didn’t get my point.

Guide to Using the Right Form of Verb for Past Simple Interrogative

Sentences that help to ask queries about any event that happened in a time before now or in the past are past simple interrogative sentences.

In past simple interrogative sentences, “Did” is used before the subject to express questions, and the verb remains the same as the base form.

Like any other interrogative sentence, past simple interrogative sentences also end with a question mark (?).

Examples:

  • Did I tell you to come here? 
  • Did he call you?
  • Did they send you the parcel?

How to Use the Right Form of Verb for Future Simple Affirmative

Sentences that talk about anything positive or neutral that is yet to happen or will happen in the near or far future are called future simple affirmative sentences.

The future simple affirmative sentences take “will” between the subject and the main verb in base form.

These sentences do not have anything to do with numbers; in both singular and plural numbers, “will” is used. Even there is no strict variation in terms of person too.

Examples:

  • I will go abroad for my study next year. 
  • He will bring my books tomorrow.
  • They will come next week.

Guide to Using the Right Form of Verb for Future Simple Negative

Sentences that talk about denial of any event that is yet to happen or will happen in the near or far future are future simple negative sentences.

In future simple negative sentences, “will not” is used between the subject and the main verb to express negation, and the verb remains the same as the base form.

Examples:

  • I will not go to work tomorrow. 
  • He will not call me.
  • They will not come on Tuesday.

How to Use the Right Form of Verb for Future Simple Interrogative

Sentences that help to ask queries about any event that is yet to happen or will happen in the near or far future are called future simple negative sentences.

In future simple interrogative sentences, “Will” is used before the subject to express questions, and the verb remains the same as the base form.

Like any other interrogative sentence, future simple interrogative sentences also end with a question mark (?).

Examples:

  • Will I call you before he comes? 
  • Will he come to your place?
  • Will they give you the money back?

Guide to Using the Right Form of Verb with Modals in Affirmative Sentences

Modal auxiliary verbs are helping verbs such as can, could, may, might, etc., used in combination with main verbs to express possibility, probability, duties, or obligations.

Modal verbs always come before the main verb, and the base form of the main verb is used.

Examples:

  • He could do it differently.
  • You can take a lot of pressure.
  • They should reach before the chief guest arrives.

How to Use the Right Form of Verb with Modals in Questions

To transform a sentence with a modal auxiliary into an interrogative sentence, just taking the modal to the beginning of the sentence would do.

And, like any other interrogative sentence, it should end with a question mark (?).

Examples:

  • Could he do it differently?
  • Can you take a lot of pressure?
  • Should they reach before the chief guest arrives?

Guide to Using the Right Form of Verb with Modals in Negative Sentences

To transform a sentence with a modal auxiliary into a negative sentence, simply adding “not” in between the modal and main verb would do.

Examples:

  • He could not do it in a different way.
  • You cannot take a lot of pressure.
  • They should not reach before the chief guest arrives.

How to Use the Right Form of Verb with Modals in Passive Sentences

In the case of passive voice, the modal auxiliary takes the past participle form of the main verb and follows the usual structure of passive sentences.

Examples:

  • It could be done in a different way.
  • The problem can be solved together.
  • It should be written with a pen instead of a pencil.
Can, could, may, might, should, would, shall, will, must, need, must, used to, ought to, had better, had rather, would better, would rather, dare, etc.

Guide to Using the Right Form of Verb for Universal Truths

In the case of universal truth, the verb should always be in base form. And obviously, if the subject is third-person singular, the verb needs “s” or “es” as a suffix.

Examples:

  • The earth moves around the sun.
  • Ice melts due to heat.
  • Sun gives us light.

How to Use the Right Form of Verb for Subject Verb Agreement

Verb and subject are the mandatory elements of any English sentence. Therefore, a proper agreement between the subject and the main verb of a sentence is a must.

in this part of the post, I’ll discuss the essential rules of subject-verb agreement.

1. The basic rule is that a singular subject (he, James, bus) takes a singular verb (is, goes, takes), whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb.

Example: The chart of items is/are on the south door.

If you know that “chart” is the subject, you will choose “is” for the verb.

2. If the subject in a sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns linked by “and,” the verb must be plural.

Example: He and his cousins are at the fair.

3. If more than one singular noun or pronoun is connected by “or” or “nor,” the verb must be plural.

Example: The mouse or the keyboard is in the drawer.

4. When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun joined by “or” or “nor,” the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is nearer the verb.

Examples:

  • The girl or her friends run every day.
  • Her friends or the girl runs every day.

5. “Does not” (doesn’t in contraction) is used when the noun is a third-person singular number.

Example: He doesn’t like it.

6. “Do not” (don’t in contraction) is used when the noun is plural. 

Example: They don’t like it.

Remember! There is an exception. If the subject is “I” and “You,” the contraction “don’t” should be used.

Examples:

  • I don’t like it.
  • You don’t go there.

7. Don’t be misguided by phrases that come between the subject and the verb. The verb only agrees with the subject, not with a noun or pronoun in the phrase.

Examples:

  • One of the boxes is open.
  • The people who listen to that music are few.
  • The team captain, as well as his players, is anxious.
  • The book, including all the chapters in the first section, is boring.
  • The woman with all the dogs walks down my street.

8. There are some words that are always singular and necessarily take a singular verb. Each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, and no one are such words.

Examples:

  • Each of these hot dogs is juicy.
  • Everybody knows Mr. Jones.
  • Either is correct.

9. Civics, mathematics, dollars, measles, and news are always singular; thus, they take a singular verb.

Example: The news is on at six.

Note: The word “dollars” is an exception. When we talk about an amount of money, it is considered a singular noun, thus requiring a singular verb. But when we refer to the dollars themselves, it is considered a plural noun, thus requiring a plural verb.

Examples:

  • Five dollars is a lot of money.
  • Dollars are often used instead of rubles in Russia.

10. Scissors, tweezers, trousers, and shears (There are two parts to these things.) are always plural, thus taking a plural verb.

Examples:

  • These scissors are dull.
  • Those trousers are made of wool.

11. The subject of the sentences having “there is” or “there are” at the beginning follows the verb. In this type of sentence, “there” is not the subject; the verb agrees with what follows.

Examples:

  • There are many questions.
  • There is a question.

12. Any noun that refers to any group, team, committee, class, or family takes a singular verb.

Examples:

  • The team runs during practice.
  • The committee decides how to proceed.
  • The family has a long history.
  • My family has never been able to agree.

13. Expressions or phrases like “With,” “together with,” “including,” “accompanied by,” “in addition to,” or “as well” do not change the number of the subject. If it’s a singular subject, the verb must be singular.

Examples:

  • The President, accompanied by his wife, is traveling to India.
  • All of the books, including yours, are in that box.

Guide to Using the Right Form of Verb for Conditional Sentences

right forms of verbs
Conditional Sentences

“Conditional Sentences” or “If clauses” or “Conditional Clauses” are composed of two clauses used to express hypothetical situations and their consequences.

The main clause’s (without if) action will occur or fully depends on a certain condition found in the conditional clause (if clause).

Examples:

  • If you heat iron, it melts.
  • If you study, you will pass the exam.
  • If you studied, you would pass the exam.
  • If you had studied, you would have passed the exam.

There are four conditional sentences: Zero, First, Second, and Third.

The Zero Conditional

“If Clauses” that refer to any universal truth having an “if clause” in the present simple tense is called Zero Conditional sentences.

Structure: (if + present simple, … present simple)

In Zero Conditionals, the “if clause” and the “main clause” are always in the present simple tense and the main clause. The verb has to be in its base form.

Example: If you heat any metal, it melts.

The First Conditional

“If Clauses” that are used to talk about things that might happen in the future are called First Conditional Sentences. Since we don’t know about the future, they always refer to the possibility of easily coming true.

Structure: (if + present simple, … will + infinitive)

In First Conditionals, the “if clause” is always in the present simple tense, and the main clause takes “will” before the verb. The verb has to be in its base form.

Example:

If it rains today, we will go to the theatre.

The Second Conditional

“If Clauses” that are used to talk about things that happened in the past are called Second Conditional Sentences. 

Structure: (if + past simple, … would + infinitive)

In the Second Conditionals, the “if clause” is always in the simple past tense, and the main clause takes “would” before the verb. The verb has to be in its base form.

Example: If I had a bike, I would have a ride now.

The Third Conditional

“If Clauses” that are in the past perfect tense are called Second Conditional Sentences. 

Structure: (if + past perfect, … would + have + past participle)

In Third Conditionals, the “if clause” is always in the past perfect tense, and the main clause takes “would have” before the verb. The verb is always in its past participle form.

Example: If he had gone to bed early, he would have attended the class.

How to Use the Right Form of Verb in Relation to Prepositions

Prepositions are parts of speech that are usually placed before nouns or pronouns to create a relationship between the noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence.

Words like “in,” “on,” “by,” “without,” etc., are prepositions. They play an important role in showing the position of something, when something happens, and the ways in which something is done in a sentence.  

right forms of verbs
List of common prepositions

Interestingly, prepositions are sometimes also placed in front of verbs. In such situations, “ing” is added to the base form of the verb.  

“For,” “of,” “in,” “without,” “with,” “before,” and “after” are the most common prepositions that we find placed before verbs.

Examples:

  • You cannot succeed without working hard.
  • Before writing a paper, you should research a lot.
  • After checking every room, I asked for your help to find the book.

Final Thoughts

So, that’s all about different forms of verbs. If you want to write or speak correct English, you must follow these rules to use the right verb forms.

Thanks for reading.

Happy learning!

Niaj A A Khan is an ESL Instructor with over 8 years of experience in teaching & developing resources at different universities and institutes. Mr. Khan is also a passionate writer working on his first book, "Learn English at Ease."

1 thought on “Essential Rules of Using the Right Form of Verb”

  1. Pingback: How to Ask for Permission Politely in English – ESL Advice

Leave a Comment