Practice
Verbs exercises: find the verb and choose the right form
A verb tells the reader what happens, what someone does, or what a person or thing is. Find that word first, then use the subject and time words to choose its form.
Identify the main verb in a sentence and choose a present, past, or third-person singular form that fits its subject and time reference.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
choose the verb form /tʃuːz ðə vɜːb fɔːm/
The short answer
Find the subject and any time word before you choose a verb. Use the base form with I, you, we, and they in the present simple; add -s or -es with he, she, and it; and use the past form for a finished past time.
Mina checks the schedule every morning.
Why it works: Mina is one person, so the present-simple verb is checks, not check.
5 more examples
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I write a short note before each meeting.
I takes the base form write in the present simple.
Not this:My manager
writesa short note before each meeting. What changes: My manager is one person, so the present-simple verb needs -s. -
The bus arrives at eight every weekday.
The bus is singular, so arrive changes to arrives in the present simple.
Not this:The buses
arriveat eight every weekday. What changes: The plural subject buses uses the base form arrive. -
We watched the training video yesterday.
Yesterday points to a finished past action, so watched is the past form.
Not this:We
watchthe training video every Friday. What changes: Every Friday describes a routine, so use the present-simple base form. -
She is reading the instructions now.
Is reading shows an action in progress at the moment of speaking.
Not this:She
readsthe instructions before every task. What changes: Reads describes a usual habit, not an action happening now. -
Did your neighbor call you last night?
Did carries the past meaning in this question, so the main verb stays in the base form call.
Not this:Your neighbor
calledyou last night. What changes: Without did, the main verb itself carries the past form called.
Read the full guide
Do not choose a verb by looking only at the word beside it. First find who or what does the action. Then look for a time word such as every day, now, yesterday, or last week. Those two clues usually show the form you need.
Find the word that carries the action or state
Start by asking what happens in the sentence or what condition it describes. The answer points to the verb. An action verb can name something visible, such as cook, travel, or open. A state verb can name a situation, such as be, belong, or understand.
The children carry their bags to the bus.
Carry tells you what the children do. Children and bags are nouns, but carry is the main verb.
The keys belong to my sister.
Belong names a relationship. A verb does not always describe a physical action.
Which word is the main verb in The screen looks bright today?
Looks is the main verb. It describes the screen's appearance.
Match the present-simple verb to the subject
The present simple often describes routines, repeated facts, and regular schedules. With I, you, we, and they, use the base form: I work, you work, we work, they work. With one person or thing named by he, she, it, or a singular noun, add -s or -es: he works, she watches, it starts.
They catch the early train on Mondays.
They is plural, so use catch without -es.
Her brother catches the early train on Mondays.
Her brother is singular, so catch changes to catches.
For many verbs ending in -ch, -sh, -ss, -x, or -o, add -es with he, she, or it: watches, washes, passes, fixes, and goes.
Use time words to choose present or past
Time words help you decide whether an action is a routine, is happening now, or finished earlier. Every week, usually, and often commonly point to the present simple. Yesterday, last month, and two hours ago point to the past. Now and at the moment often point to an action in progress.
Ravi cleaned the kitchen after dinner last night.
Last night gives a finished past time, so cleaned is the right form.
Ravi cleans the kitchen after dinner on Saturdays.
On Saturdays describes a usual routine, so the sentence uses the present simple.
Which verb form fits a completed action with the time word yesterday: visit or visited?
Use visited. Yesterday refers to a finished past time.
Recognize a helping verb and a main verb
A verb phrase can contain more than one word. In is cooking, is is a helping verb and cooking is the main verb. In has finished, has helps show the time and finished names the completed action. Read both words together before you choose a form.
The mechanic is checking the engine now.
Is and checking work together. Is matches the singular subject mechanic, while checking shows the action in progress.
The mechanics are checking the engine now.
The plural subject mechanics needs are, while checking stays the same.
Do not add a second present-simple ending inside a verb phrase. Write She is working, not She is works. The helping verb already carries the agreement.
Keep the base form after do, does, and did
Questions and negatives often use do, does, or did. These helping verbs carry the tense and, in the present, the agreement. The main verb stays in the base form: Does he live here? Did they arrive on time? She does not need a ticket.
Does your aunt drive to work?
Does shows the third-person singular present form. Drive must stay in the base form.
Did you send the email this morning?
Did shows past time, so write send, not sent, after it.
Complete the question: Did she ___ the window? Open or opened?
Use open. Did already marks the question as past.
Check one clue at a time
When a sentence feels difficult, use a fixed order. First underline the subject. Next circle a time word. Then check for a helping verb. Finally, say the whole sentence quietly and listen for whether the verb form matches the clues. This method prevents common mistakes such as He go and Did she went.
My phone stops charging after an hour.
My phone is singular, and the sentence describes a repeated problem, so stops is the correct present-simple form.
My phone stopped charging after an hour yesterday.
Yesterday changes the time, so stopped is needed for the finished past event.
After you check the form, read for meaning too. Grammar patterns help, but the verb must still describe what the sentence says.
Before you go
Remember this
Find the subject, then check the time. In the present simple, use the base form with I, you, we, and they, and use -s or -es with he, she, and it. For a finished past action, choose a past form. After did, keep the main verb in its base form.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Verbs exercises: find the verb and choose the right form"
How can I find the verb in an English sentence?
Ask what happens or what state the sentence describes. In The children carry their bags, carry is the main verb because it names the action. In The keys belong to my sister, belong is the verb even though it describes a relationship rather than a visible action.
I write a short note before each meeting.
When do I add s to a verb in the present simple?
Add -s or -es when the subject is he, she, it, or one named person or thing. For example, My manager writes a note and The bus arrives at eight. Use the base form with I, you, we, they, and plural nouns, as in The buses arrive.
My manager writes a short note before each meeting.
How do time words help me choose a verb form?
Time words show whether an action is a routine, is happening now, or finished in the past. Every Friday supports a present-simple form in We watch the training video every Friday. Yesterday supports the past form in We watched the training video yesterday.
The bus arrives at eight every weekday.
Why do questions use did plus a base verb?
Did already marks the question as past, so the main verb stays in its base form. In a question about a neighbor, use Did your neighbor call you last night? In a statement without did, the main verb carries the past form: Your neighbor called you last night.
The buses arrive at eight every weekday.
What is the difference between is reading and reads?
Is reading describes an action happening now, while reads usually describes a habit or regular action. She is reading the instructions now focuses on the current moment. She reads the instructions before every task describes what she usually does.
We watched the training video yesterday.
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