VERB TENSES

12 Verb Tenses in English Explained - Grammar

1. Verb to be (am / is / are – was / were)

Use: to describe people, things, places, time, emotions.

Examples:

  • I’m tired today.
  • She was at the gym yesterday.
  • They are friends.

✏️ Exercises:

  1. Complete with am, is, are, was or were:
    a) I ___ at home right now.
    b) She ___ a teacher.
    c) We ___ in Paris last summer.
    d) You ___ very kind!
    e) It ___ rainy yesterday.
  2. Make the sentences negative:
    a) He is my brother. →
    b) They were late. →
    c) I’m happy. →
  3. Make questions:
    a) She is from Brazil. →
    b) You were at the party. →

2. Simple Present

Use: habits, routines, general truths.
Structure: subject + base verb (+s/es in 3rd person)

Examples:

  • I study English every day.
  • She goes to the gym on Mondays.
  • The sun rises in the east.

✏️ Exercises:

  1. Complete:
    a) He ___ (play) soccer every weekend.
    b) I ___ (not like) coffee.
    c) ___ you ___ (work) on Saturdays?
  2. Write/say 3 sentences about your daily routine.
  3. Correct the mistakes:
    a) She go to school by bus.
    b) Do he like pizza?
    c) They doesn’t live here.

3. Simple Past

Use: finished actions in the past.
Structure: subject + past form of verb (regular: +ed / irregular: 2nd column)

Examples:

  • I visited my grandparents yesterday.
  • They went to the beach last weekend.

✏️ Exercises:

  1. Complete:
    a) We ___ (watch) a movie last night.
    b) She ___ (go) to bed late.
    c) I ___ (not see) him yesterday.
    d) ___ you ___ (study) for the test?
  2. Transform to negative:
    a) He worked on Sunday. →
    b) They met their friends. →
  3. Write 3 sentences about what you did last weekend.

4. Present Perfect

Use: experiences, recent events, unfinished time.
Structure: have/has + past participle

Examples:

  • I have been to London.
  • She has finished her homework.
  • We haven’t seen that movie yet.

✏️ Exercises:

  1. Complete:
    a) I ___ (never / eat) sushi.
    b) She ___ (just / call) you.
    c) They ___ (not / visit) New York.
    d) ___ you ever ___ (try) surfing?
  2. Rewrite in present perfect:
    a) I saw this movie. →
    b) She finished her project. →

5. Present Continuous

Use: actions happening now or around now.
Structure: am/is/are + verb + ing

Examples:

  • I’m studying English.
  • She is cooking dinner.
  • They are not working today.

✏️ Exercises:

  1. Complete:
    a) I ___ (read) a book now.
    b) She ___ (not / sleep).
    c) ___ they ___ (watch) TV?
  2. Choose the correct option:
    a) Listen! The birds (sing / are singing).
    b) We (study / are studying) for the test now.
  3. Write 3 sentences about what people in your family are doing right now.

6. Going to – future plans and intentions

Use: plans already decided or clear intentions.
Structure: am/is/are + going to + verb

Examples:

  • I’m going to travel next month.
  • They’re going to buy a new car.

✏️ Exercises:

  1. Complete:
    a) We ___ (visit) Grandma tomorrow.
    b) She ___ (not / study) tonight.
    c) ___ you ___ (take) the test again?
  2. Write 3 sentences about what you’re going to do this weekend.

7. Will – predictions, promises, spontaneous decisions

Use:

  • Predictions: It will rain tomorrow.
  • Promises: I’ll help you.
  • Instant decisions: I’ll call her now!

✏️ Exercises:

  1. Complete:
    a) I think it ___ (rain) tonight.
    b) Don’t worry, I ___ (help) you.
    c) She ___ (not / be) late.
  2. Make sentences using “will” for:
    a) a promise
    b) a prediction
    c) a quick decision

✏️ 8. Mixed Practice

Complete with the correct tense of the verb in parentheses:

  1. I ___ (be) very tired yesterday.
  2. She ___ (study) English every day.
  3. They ___ (just / arrive).
  4. We ___ (go) to the park tomorrow.
  5. Look! It ___ (rain)!
  6. I ___ (not see) him since last year.
  7. He ___ (be) a teacher for 10 years.
  8. Don’t worry — I ___ (help) you with your homework.
  9. She ___ (watch) TV now.
  10. ___ you ___ (ever / travel) abroad?

🗣️ 9. Personal Practice (Speaking or Writing)

Answer in complete sentences:

  1. Where are you from?
  2. What do you usually do on Sundays?
  3. What did you do yesterday?
  4. Have you ever eaten something exotic?
  5. What are you doing right now?
  6. What are you going to do next weekend?
  7. What will you do if it rains tomorrow?

🌀 Mixed Practice – Level up!

A. Complete the sentences with the correct verb form.

  1. I ______ (be) tired yesterday, but I ______ (feel) great today.
  2. She ______ (not / see) that movie yet.
  3. Look! It ______ (snow)!
  4. We ______ (go) to the beach every summer.
  5. They ______ (not / be) at school last Friday.
  6. I think it ______ (rain) tonight.
  7. He ______ (study) English for three years.
  8. We ______ (go) to travel to Canada next year.
  9. I ______ (not / have) breakfast this morning.
  10. Where ______ you (be) at 9 a.m.?

B. Rewrite the sentences as requested.

  1. She goes to work by bus. (make negative) →
  2. They watched a movie last night. (make a question) →
  3. I’ve been to Italy. (make negative) →
  4. He’s cooking dinner. (change to simple present) →
  5. I’m going to call my friend. (change to will) →

C. Choose the correct answer.

  1. I ____ my keys. Can you help me find them?
    a) lost b) have lost c) lose
  2. She ____ TV when the phone rang.
    a) watches b) was watching c) has watched
  3. We ____ in this city since 2010.
    a) live b) lived c) have lived
  4. Don’t worry! I ____ you with that.
    a) help b) am helping c) will help
  5. What ____ you ____ tonight?
    a) do / do b) are / doing c) did / do

D. Fill in with your own ideas (personal answers).

  1. I’m really happy because I’m ______.
  2. Yesterday I ______.
  3. I have never ______.
  4. Next weekend I’m going to ______.
  5. I think I will ______ in the future.

E. Translate into English.

  1. Eu estava cansado, mas feliz.
  2. Ela nunca visitou Nova York.
  3. Está chovendo muito agora.
  4. Eles vão comprar um carro novo.
  5. Acho que vou dormir cedo hoje.

F. Challenge: Combine the tenses!

Write a short paragraph (5–6 sentences) that includes at least four different tenses.
Example:

I’m studying English because I’ve always loved languages. I started when I was ten. My teacher is amazing! Next year, I’m going to take an exam, and I’m sure I’ll pass it.

Simple Present

Os verbos em inglês possuem três tempos verbais principais: passado, presente e futuro.

  • O passado é usado para descrever ações que já aconteceram
    (ex.: yesterday = ontem, last week = semana passada, three years ago = há três anos).
  • O futuro descreve ações que ainda vão acontecer
    (ex.: later = mais tarde, tomorrow = amanhã, next week = semana que vem).
  • O presente simples é usado para falar de coisas em geral — ações que acontecem com frequência ou situações que são geralmente verdadeiras.

Doctors work in hospitals.
(Os médicos trabalham em hospitais.) — Verdade geral.

The doctor starts work at 9:00.
(O médico começa a trabalhar às 9h.) — Acontece sempre.


Conjugação: muito mais simples que em português!

Conjugar os verbos em inglês é bem mais simples do que em português.
Enquanto em português dizemos:

eu trabalho, você trabalha, ele trabalha, nós trabalhamos, vocês trabalham, eles trabalham,

em inglês, a conjugação no presente muda somente para he, she, it.

Vejam:

PessoaVerbo “work” (trabalhar)
Iwork
Youwork
He / She / Itworks
Wework
Youwork
Theywork

Como formar o presente simples

Usamos o infinitivo sem “to” (forma base do verbo) quando o sujeito é:
I (eu), you (você / vocês), we (nós) ou they (eles / elas).

Exemplos:

  • I work as a shop assistant. → Eu trabalho como atendente de loja.
  • You work as a cashier. → Você trabalha como caixa.
  • We work at weekends. → Nós trabalhamos nos fins de semana.
  • They work together. → Eles trabalham juntos.

Para a 3ª pessoa do singularhe (ele), she (ela), it (ele/ela para coisas ou animais)acrescentamos “s” ou “es” ao verbo:

  • He works at a school. → Ele trabalha em uma escola.
  • He teaches English. → Ele ensina inglês.

Formas negativas e interrogativas

Nas frases negativas e interrogativas, usamos o verbo “do” como verbo auxiliar, junto com o verbo principal.

Quando o sujeito é he, she ou it, “do” muda para “does.”

Forma negativa

A estrutura é:
👉 Sujeito + do/does + not + verbo principal.
(Do/does not também pode ser abreviado para don’t/doesn’t.)

Exemplos:

  • We do not work at a school. → Nós não trabalhamos em uma escola.
    (ou We don’t work at a school.)
  • He does not speak English. → Ele não fala inglês.
    (ou He doesn’t speak English.)

Forma interrogativa

Na pergunta, a ordem das palavras muda:
👉 Do/Does + sujeito + verbo principal + ?

Exemplos:

  • Do you work here? → Você trabalha aqui?
    Yes, we do. → Sim, trabalhamos.
  • Does he speak English? → Ele fala inglês?
    No, he doesn’t. → Não, ele não fala.

🟡 Atenção: Não usamos “do/does” em perguntas com o verbo to be (am, is, are) ou com verbos modais (can, might, must, etc.).


Verbo irregular “to have”

O verbo to have (ter) é irregular e muda na 3ª pessoa do singular:
👉 he / she / it has (em vez de have).

Este é um verbo muito comum e importante — fácil de aprender e fundamental para o uso do presente simples.


Agora, assista aos vídeo e pratique o que aprendeu! 🎬✨

Prática extra

Complete as frases com o verbo entre parênteses:

  1. My dad doesn’t work, but my mom ___________ a lot. (to work)
  2. He _________ to stay here. (to have)
  3. Carol _______________ to the gym every single day. (to go)
  4. I’m not OK with that, but my husband ____________ the idea. (to like)
  5. He ___________ his homework in the morning. (to do)
  6. She _____________ to read a book. (to prefer)
  7. The baby ___________ to eat. (to need)
  8. She ____________ to travel abroad. (to want)
  9. My son ______________ in the morning. (to study)
  10. Her daughter ______________ professionally. (to sing)
  11. His kid _____________ TV all day long! (to watch)
  12. She always _____________ to music. (to listen)

✅ Respostas:

1 – works
2 – has
3 – goes
4 – likes
5 – does
6 – prefers
7 – needs
8 – wants
9 – studies
10 – sings
11 – watches
12 – listens

Noun + Noun Combinations

What are they?

In English, we often use two nouns together to name something.
The first noun describes or gives more information about the second noun — it works like an adjective.

Example:

  • chocolate cake = a cake made with chocolate
  • car key = a key for a car

Word Order Difference

In Portuguese, we usually say:

X de Ybolo de chocolate

In English, we flip the order:

Y + Xchocolate cake

Think of it as “turning the phrase around.”


Examples by Category

TypePortugueseEnglishExplanation
Materialsapato de couroleather shoesshoes made of leather
Ingredientbolo de chocolatechocolate cakecake made with chocolate
Purposeescova de cabelohairbrusha brush used for hair
Contentcopo de vinhowine glassglass for wine
Placefazenda de cafécoffee farmfarm that produces coffee
Timereunião de domingoSunday meetingmeeting that happens on Sunday

Important Notes

✅ The first noun is usually singular, even when it refers to something plural:

  • a shoe store (not shoes store)

✅ If we use nouns that are always used in plural forms (such as shoes, glasses, gloves, etc.) as a modifier for another noun, we have to use them in the singular form:

  • His shoe size is 44.

Shoe is a singular form of the normally plural word shoes used to modify the noun size.

✅ Sometimes two nouns become a compound noun — a single concept that can be written as:

  • one word (toothbrush, toothpaste, bedroom, policeman)
  • two separate words (coffee cup, police station)
  • or hyphenated (mother-in-law, check-in, 15-year-old boy)

There’s no fixed rule for which form to use — it’s based on common usage.
👉 When in doubt, check a dictionary to see if it’s one word, two words, or hyphenated.


Common Mistakes for Portuguese Speakers

salad potato
potato salad

cup wine
wine cup or wine glass

The first noun always comes before the main noun and without “of”.
We only use “of” for possession or abstract ideas (the color of the sky, a friend of mine).


Press play and reinforce your learning!

Practice Time ✏️

A. Flip it!
Change from Portuguese-style order to English-style order:

  1. copo de água → ___________
  2. sapato de couro → ___________
  3. bolo de cenoura → ___________
  4. reunião de equipe → ___________
  5. história de amor → ___________

Answers:

  1. water glass
  2. leather shoes
  3. carrot cake
  4. team meeting
  5. love story

B. Complete the sentences:

  1. I need my ________ keys. (car)
  2. She’s wearing a beautiful ________ dress. (summer)
  3. We stayed in a small ________ house. (beach)
  4. This is my favorite ________ shop. (coffee)
  5. He bought a new ________ phone. (cell)

Answers:

  1. car keys
  2. summer dress
  3. beach house
  4. coffee shop
  5. cell phone

Quick Recap

👉 First noun = description (acts like an adjective)
👉 Second noun = main idea
👉 Formula: noun + noun → one concept
👉 In Portuguese: X de Y → In English: Y + X


💡 Tip for Learners

Try noticing these combinations when reading or listening to English — they’re everywhere!
Example: bus stop, flower shop, baby food, school bag, mountain view, etc.

Phrasal Verbs

What Are Phrasal Verbs?

Phrasal verbs are a verb + one or more particles (prepositions or adverbs) that create a new meaning.
Example: get over = recover or overcome (not “get” + “over” literally).

They are very common in spoken English and often unpredictable.

Types of Phrasal Verbs

1. Two-Part Verbs

Verb + one particle

Examples:

  • grow upThe children are growing up.
  • take afterShe takes after her mother. (= She looks like her mother or she behaves like her mother.)
  • count onI can count on you. (= I know I can trust you or I know I can believe you.)

a) Inseparable

Verb and particle cannot be split.

She takes after her mother.

b) Separable

With a noun object, you may place the particle before or after the object:

She gave back the money. / She gave the money back.

But with a pronoun, separation is required:

She gave it back.
She gave back it.

Common separable particles: apart, around, away, back, behind, down, out, over, together, off, up.


2. Three-Part Verbs

Verb + two particles, always inseparable:

  • walk out onHis girlfriend walked out on him.
  • catch up withShe caught up with the runners.
  • look up toChildren should look up to their parents.

Grammar & Tenses

Only the verb changes form; the particles stay the same.

  • Past: I got over the flu.
  • Infinitive: I need to get over this cold.
  • Gerund: I’m getting over the flu.

Key takeaway:
A phrasal verb acts as one unit of meaning, so learn them as phrases, not word by word.

Practice

Test your knowledge of phrasal verbs with these online exercises.

Keep Learning

Want more? Watch the video for more phrasal verbs.

“More Five Minutes?” Not Quite! Learn the Right Word Order in English

“Teacher, I need more five minutes.”

A lot of English learners say that to me.

I get it — they’re thinking in Portuguese, where we say “mais cinco minutos.”
But in English, the word order is different.

Let’s fix it:
more five minutes → ❌ wrong
five more minutes → ✅ right!

📚 Why?

Because “more” is a modifier — a word that gives additional information about another word.
In this case, it modifies the noun (minutes), and it must come after the number.

➡️ In English, the correct structure is:

👉 number + more + noun

  • I need ten more minutes.
  • She bought two more books.
  • We’ll wait five more days.

🆚 “Five more minutes” or “Five minutes more”?

Both are grammatically correct, but there’s a difference in tone. Let’s compare:

Five more minutes (most common, especially in conversation)

– Most common – standard form for everyday English
– Natural in everyday conversation
– Neutral tone

Example:
Can I have five more minutes, please?

Five minutes more (less common, more literary or dramatic)

– Less common
– More poetic, dramatic, or old-fashioned
– Often used in songs or literature

Example:
Just five minutes more — let the world wait while I gather my thoughts.


🎧 Practice Time!

1. Complete with the correct word order:

a) I need ______ to finish this book.
(more / five / minutes)

b) She bought ______ for the trip.
(bottles / more / two)

c) We waited ______, but he never came.
(more / ten / minutes)

d) He asked for ______ to explain.
(one / more / chance)

e) And then she whispered: “Give me ______, just to say goodbye.”
(more / five / minutes)


2. Identify the correct sentence:

a)
( ) I’ll need more five hours.
( ) I’ll need five more hours.

b)
( ) She read two more pages.
( ) She read more two pages.

c)
( ) We’ll stay more three days.
( ) We’ll stay three more days.

d)
( )Five minutes more, and he would’ve seen the sunrise.
( ) More five minutes, and he would’ve seen the sunrise.


3. Translate to English using the correct structure:

a) Eu preciso de mais cinco minutos.

b) Ele ficou mais três dias no hotel.

c) Podemos esperar mais dois minutos?

d) Ela pediu apenas mais um minuto de silêncio.

e) Mais cinco minutos e tudo teria sido diferente.


4. Fix the sentence (rewrite it correctly):

a) I want more ten minutes.

b) She needs more two books.

c) Can I have more one chance?

d) Just more five seconds and we would have kissed.


5. Creative Writing Prompt ✍️

Complete the sentence using your imagination and the structure “___ more ” or “ minutes more”:

a) Five minutes more and…
(Exemplo: Five minutes more and the storm would’ve passed.)

b) One more chance to…

c) He needed just a few more…

d) Ten more steps and…

Answers:

Exercise 1: a. five more minutes; b. two more bottles; c. ten more minutes; d. ten more minutes; e. five more minutes

Exercise 2: a. (✔) I’ll need five more hours./ b. (✔) She read two more pages. / c. (✔) We’ll stay three more days. / d. (✔) Five minutes more, and he would’ve seen the sunrise.

Exercise 3: a. I need five more minutes. / b. He stayed three more days at the hotel. / c. Can we wait two more minutes? / d. She asked for just one more minute of silence. / e. Five minutes more and everything would have been different.

Exercise 4: a. I want ten more minutes. / b. She needs two more books. / c. Can I have one more chance? / 4. Just five more seconds and we would have kissed.

🎧 Now Fun Time!

Listen carefully to this classic Phil Collins song from 1984
and work on the lyrics by playing this fun game: https://lyricstraining.com/play/phil-collins/one-more-night