Verbs

Verbs
a) Strong and weak verbs
English verbs are divided in two classes - weak and strong. For weak verbs you make the forms by adding regular endings. In strong verbs one changes the wovel of the verb stem. Strong verbs are irregular, and must be learned separately.

b) Infinitive (inf) and the imperative - simple form
The infinitive has no ending. The word "to" is often used before the infinitive. "to" is not used when the infinitive follows the verbs "can-could, will-would, must, shall-should"
The imperative is equal to the infinitive, ex. Go home!

c) Present (prs) - simple form
If the subject is 3. person singular, you add -s, ex: The boy throws the ball out.
If the infinitive ends in s, sh or ch, you add -es (pronounced -is), ex latches, rises.
Elsewhere the regular present has no ending and is equal to the infinitive.

d) Preterite (prt) or simple past - simple form
You make the preterite of weak verbs by adding -ed (pronounced d after voiced consonants and vowel, id after t or d, and t elsewhere), ex: robed, jumped, looked, carryed
When the verb stem ends in e or d, you add -d, Ex: piled.
The preterite of strong verbs changes the vowel of the verb, ex: rise - rose, throw - threw
You use the preterite when you just tell about some action in the past that do not have a direct impact upon the present situation, ex: Last year I bought a new car.

e) Perfect participle (pfp)
The perfect participle of weak verbs are equal to the preterite.
You make the perfect participle of weak verbs by adding -ed (pronounced d after voiced consonants and vowel, id after t or d, and t elsewhere), ex: robed, jumped, looked, carryed
When the verb stem ends in e or d, you add -d, Ex: piled.
The preterite of strong verbs changes the vowel of the verb, and is not allways equal to the preterite, ex: inf rise - prt rose - pfp isen, inf throw - prt threw - pfp thrown.
The perfect participle may be used as an adjective, and denotes that an object has been subjected to an action or a change, ex: I want a roasted beef. He has a blue painted house.
It is further used in grammatical constructions as the perfect and passive.

f) The Present participle (prp) and verbal noun
The present participle has the ending -ing, ex: going, painting, meeting.
When the verb stem has one syllable and has a short vowel, the last consonant is dobbled, ex: beg - begging.
If the verb ends in e, the e is dropped, ex: make - making.
The present participle is used as an adjective, ex: running water. It is also used in grammatical constructions, ex. continous forms.
The same form in -ing is also used as a verbal noun, ex: Skiing is funny.

g) to be, to have and other important irregular /strong verbs
These verbs are used in many important grammatical constructions:
Infinitive Present Preterite Perfect participle Present participle
To be I: am
You,we,they: are
he,she,it: is I, he,she it: was
You,we,they: were been being
To have He,she,it: has
Elsewhere: have
had had having
To do He,she,it: does
Elsewhere: do
did done doing
No inf must must No prp No pfp
No inf can could No prp No pfp
No inf will would No prp No pfp
No inf shall should No prp No pfp
To go He,she,it: goes
Elsewhere: go went gone going
to keep He,she,it: keeps
Elsewhere: keep
kept kept keeping
to come He,she,it: comes
Elsewhere: come
came come comming
to get He,she,it: gets
Elsewhere: get
got got getting
to make He,she,it: makes
Elsewhere: make
made made making
to become He,she,it: becomes
Elsewhere: become
became become becomming


h) perfect (prf) - simple form
The perfect denotes an action in the past that still has an actual effect in the present, or is still going on.
The perfect is made by combining the present form of to have with the perfect participle of the main verb. ex: I have done my school work. He has worked as a teacher in two years.

i) Pluperfect (ppf) - simple form
The pluperfect is used to tell about something that was done before some other action.
The pluperfect is made by combining the preterite form of to have with the perfect participle of the main verb. ex: I had done my school work, when he came inn.

j) First. Future (ff) - simple form
When the subject is first person (I, we) the future is formed by combining the auxiliary verb form "shall" with the infinitive of the main verb, ex. I shall buy a new car tomorrow.
When the subject is 2. or 3. person (you,he,she,it,they) the future is formed by combining the auxiliary verb form "will" with the infinitive of the main verb. He will buy a new car tomorrow.
It is also possible to make future tense by combing the words "am/is/are going to" with the infinitive of the main verb, ex: I am going to wash the car soon.

k) Second Future (sf) - simple form
The second future is used when something happens before some other thing in the future.
When the subject is first person (I, we) the 2. future is formed by combining the auxiliry verb forms "shall have" with the perfect participle of the main verb, ex: I shall have learnt to drive before buying a new car.
When the subject is 2. or 3. person (you,he,she,it,they) the 2. future is formed by combining the auxiliry verb form "will have" with the perfect participle of the main verb, you will have learnt to drive before buying a new car.

l) First conditional (fc) - simple form
The frist conditional is used when something is expected to happen in the present or future, but you do not know yet if it really will happen or you doubt if it will happen.
It is formed by combining the auxiliry verb form "should" with the infinitive of the main verb, ex: I should wash my apartment today.

m) Second conditional (sc) - simple form
The second conditional is used when some thing is expected to have happend in the past, but it did not happen or you do not know yet if it have happened.
It is formed by combining the auxiliry verb forms "should have" with the perfect participle of the main verb. ex: My son should have done his lessons by now.

n) Continous forms (cf)
Continous forms are made by combining the right tense of "to be" with the present participle of the main verb, ex: My wife is painting our house this week.

o) When to use simple and continous forms
Right use of simple and continous forms are tricky, and only learnt by experience. Here are some rules that work im most instances:
Use simple form when:
Something happens one time and is done completely, ex: I washed the car yesterday.
Something is repeted or done habitually, ex: I go to town to shop each wednesday.
Use continous form when:
Someting happens one time, and you are talking only about a part of the act, not the whole, completed act ex: He is washing the car now.
You tell about something happening, but do not want to mark that this act completes and gives a result.
The continuos form is often used to tell that something is/was going on, when some other thing happen/happened, ex: When I was washing my car, a bird shit on the car front.
If you are in doubt, use the simple form.

p) The passive forms (pf)
The passive is made by combining the right tense of "to be" with the perfect participle of the main verb, ex: The car was washed yesterday. The house is being painted now.
In the continous forms the passive is made by using the right tense of "to be", then the word "being" and then the perfect participle of the main verb, ex: The car is being washed now. The house was being painted, when he came home.