Basic Verb Tenses for Primary Students 

A simple guide and fun quiz to test yourself!

Hi there! 👋 Are you ready to learn about verb tenses? Don't worry; it's easier than you think! Verb tenses tell us when something happens. Today, we'll look at some basic verb tenses for primary students to understand what we need to know before taking the quiz.

Present Simple

When do we use it?

• We use the present simple tense to talk about things we do regularly or facts that are always true.

Examples:

• She goes to school every day. (This means she does this regularly, not just once.)
• We walk to school every morning. (This happens every morning.)

Helpful Tip:

• Use the base form of the verb (like "go" or "walk"). Just remember to add an "s" or "es" when talking about he, she, or it.

Past Simple

When do we use it?

• The past simple tense is used to talk about something that happened in the past and is finished.

Examples:

• They played football yesterday. (The action is complete; it happened yesterday.)
• He rode his bike yesterday afternoon. (This is also something that happened and finished in the past.)

Helpful Tip:

• For regular verbs, add "-ed" to the base form (like "play" becomes "played"). For irregular verbs (like "ride"), you'll need to remember their special past forms.

Present Continuous

When do we use it?

• We use the present continuous tense to talk about something happening right now.

Examples:

• I am reading a book right now. (This is happening at this moment.)
• They are playing in the park now. (This is happening right now.)

Helpful Tip:

• Use "am," "is," or "are" + the verb ending in "-ing" (like "playing" or "reading").

Past Continuous

When do we use it?

• The past continuous tense is for actions that were happening at a certain time in the past.

Examples:

• She was sleeping when the phone rang. (The sleeping was happening when something else happened.)
• We were doing our homework when you called. (This was happening when something else interrupted it.)

Helpful Tip:

• Use "was" or "were" + the verb ending in "-ing" (like "sleeping" or "doing").

Now try our Sporcle Quiz!

Now that we've revised these basic verb tenses for primary students, you’re ready to take the quiz! Have fun and see how much you remember! 🎉