Tenses: Choosing and Using the Right Verb Form

British & IGCSE › Checkpoint 6 › Checkpoint 6 English (Cambridge Primary 0058)

1. What is a tense?

A tense is the form of a verb that shows when something happens: in the past, the present or the future. Choosing the right tense, and keeping it the same, is one of the easiest ways to make your writing clear and correct.

2. The main tenses

3. Past simple and past progressive together

In stories (Paper 2) you will use these two tenses all the time. The past progressive sets the scene or shows a longer action; the past simple shows the short action that happens in the middle of it.

• I was reading in bed when the lights went out. (long action + short interrupting action)
• While we were eating dinner, the phone rang.
• The sun was shining and the birds were singing. (setting the scene)

4. Present perfect or past simple?

5. The past perfect: the earlier past

When you are already writing in the past and you need to go further back, use had + past participle. It helps the reader understand the order of events, especially in stories with a flashback.

• When we reached the station, the train had already left. (the train left first)
• Sami was nervous because he had never flown before.
• By the time the firefighters arrived, the neighbours had put out the fire.

6. Spelling the -ed and -ing forms

7. Irregular verbs you must spell correctly

Irregular verbs do not take -ed. You have to learn them. These are the ones Year 6 students use (and misspell) most often.

8. Keep your tense consistent

Choose one main tense for your writing and stay in it. Changing tense by mistake is one of the most common errors in Year 6 writing.

9. Common mistakes

10. How Checkpoint asks about it

In the reading section, a question can point to a verb in the text and ask you to name its verb form, or ask you to find a verb in a certain form. You may also be asked why the writer chose a tense.

In the writing section, tenses are marked in Grammar and punctuation (7 marks). The examiner wants a consistent main tense and a range of verb forms used correctly. A story that mixes the past simple, past progressive and past perfect correctly shows you are working at a high level.

• Set the scene with the past progressive: Rain was falling and the wind was howling.
• Show an earlier event with the past perfect: Nobody had opened that door for years.
• In a letter or report, use the present perfect for recent news: The school has started a new reading club.

11. Practice

1. Complete: While I ______ (walk) home, I ______ (find) a wallet.

   Show answer

   While I was walking home, I found a wallet. (past progressive + past simple)

2. Complete: I ______ (never / see) snow.

   Show answer

   I have never seen snow. (present perfect: life experience)

3. Correct the mistake: We have gone to Alexandria last summer.

   Show answer

   We went to Alexandria last summer. (finished time → past simple)

4. Complete: By the time we arrived, the film ______ (start).

   Show answer

   the film had started. (past perfect: it happened before we arrived)

5. Which tense? They are planting trees in the park this week.

   Show answer

   Present progressive (am/is/are + -ing).

6. Correct the mistake: Did you brought your football?

   Show answer

   Did you bring your football? (base form after did)

7. Choose since or for: My grandparents have lived in Aswan ______ 1985.

   Show answer

   since (1985 is a starting point).

8. Write the past simple and past participle of choose and throw.

   Show answer

   choose → chose → chosen; throw → threw → thrown.

9. Find the tense mistake and correct it: The crowd cheered as the runners cross the finish line.

   Show answer

   cross → crossed. The sentence is in the past, so both verbs must be past.

10. Why might a story begin: The wind was howling and the waves were crashing against the rocks?

    Show answer

    The past progressive sets the scene: it shows what was already happening, which builds atmosphere before the main event.