In English, we usually write in the simple past tense, for example, I have learned how to write. But there are times when we want to write in the present tense, such as I am learning or I will learn. How do we do that?
In this guide, we’ll discuss how to form verbs in English and how to conjugate them. We’ll also cover the appropriate uses of the simple past tense, the present tense, and the future tense.
Forming the Verb
To form a verb in English, you need to take your infinitive verb (the verb in its verb form — I love hiking, therefore, I hike) and drop the -ing form and add -ing form endings. For example, to form the verb to hike, you take I love hiking and drop the -ing form, resulting in the verb hike.
You do this by repeatedly adding one -ing form ending to your infinitive verb until you reach the present tense. Once you’ve learned to add -ing form endings to your verbs, you can form the perfect continuous tense by simply adding the appropriate ending to the infinitive verb.
Verb Tense Diagram
If we want to know the appropriate forms of a verb, we can use a verb tense diagram. A verb tense diagram for the verb to hike is shown below.
Here, you’ll notice that I have learned how to write. The -ed form of write is used because it’s the past tense of write, and we’re using it here. In most situations, you’ll want to use the -ed form of a verb, as it is the past tense of the verb. However, in some cases, you might want to use the -ing form of a verb, as it is the present tense of the verb.
Practical Tips For Learning To Write In English
Here are some tips for those who want to learn to write in English.