Verbs6th Grade |
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Georgia Math and ELA Standards: 6.L.GC.1.43 |
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Grammar: Form and use the progressive, perfect, and perfect progressive verb aspects. (Master) |
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Georgia Math and ELA Standards: 6.L.GC.2.c |
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Identify and use active voice in sentences, revising for subject-verb agreement. (C) |
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6th Grade Writing - Verbs LessonVerbs show actions, occurrences, or states of being.
When writing, it is important to use the appropriate verb tenses to convey information.
| There are many different tenses of verbs - including simple present, past, and future. Verbs sometimes change form based on the tense and the subject of a given sentence. |
| Example: |
PRESENT: I jump. You jump. He jumps. We jump. They jump.
PAST: I jumped. You jumped. He jumped. We jumped. They jumped.
FUTURE: I will jump. You will jump. He will jump. We will jump.
They will jump.
They will jump.
| There are more tenses than simple PRESENT, PAST, and FUTURE. Verbs can also be in the PERFECT TENSES. These tenses indicate actions that are, were, or will be already completed at the time being discussed. |
| Example: |
This sentence is somewhat in the present, as indicated by the present tense of the verb, to have. However, the jumping that is presently being discussed has already been completed in the past.
The present perfect is very similar to the simple past.
I jumped over that hurdle many times.
I have jumped over that hurdle many times.
However, the present perfect tense indicates a connection of the past action to a present condition. The speaker probably still jumps over hurdles in the present perfect sentence. In the simple past sentence, the jumping of hurdles may be only in the past.
| Example: |
Everything in this sentence occurred in the past. The writer “was shocked” that he missed the hurdle last night. However, the main verb, “had jumped,” is in the past perfect tense. It indicates an action that was already completed before the writer was shocked last night.
| Example: |
This overall sentence is looking into the future, but the action will have been already completed by that time in the future — after tomorrow’s race.
Notice that all the perfect tenses use a past, present, or future form of the helping verb to have.
They also use a form of the verb called the past participle.
Because the verb jump is a regular verb, the past participle is the same as the simple past tense. However, irregular verbs often have different forms for their past participles.
| Example: |
PRESENT: I speak. You speak. He speaks. We speak. they speak.
PAST: I spoke. You spoke. He spoke. We spoke. They spoke.
FUTURE: I will speak. You will speak. He will speak. We will speak.
They will speak.
They will speak.
Notice that the past tense of the verb speak is not formed by adding
-ed to the end of the base verb. Instead, speak becomes spoke in the past tense.
-ed to the end of the base verb. Instead, speak becomes spoke in the past tense.
| Example: |
PAST PERFECT: We had spoken.
FUTURE PERFECT: They will have spoken.
The past participle used with the appropriate tenses of the helping verb to have is not the same as the simple past tense of the irregular verb to speak. It has a different form: spoken.
| Sometimes, a past participle is the same as the simple past tense of an irregular verb. Other times, it has a different form. |
| Example: |
I fought the urge to respond with a sarcastic comment. (simple past)
I had fought against such urges successfully in the past. (past perfect)
| Example: |
She grew vegetables in her garden. (simple past)
She has grown vegetables in her garden for decades. (present perfect)
the correct past tense and past participle forms of these verbs.* |
| Aside from the simple and perfect tenses, verbs can also be in the PROGRESSIVE TENSES. These tenses indicate ongoing or continuing action that occurs at some point in time. |
The progressive tenses use a past, present, or future form of the helping verb to be + a present participle.
| Example: |
This sentence is in the present and indicates an action that is currently ongoing. Barking is an action that the dogs are doing in the immediate, present moment.
| Example: |
The action in this sentence took place in the past. It shows a continuous action that was happening at a specific point in the past ("last night").
| Example: |
This sentence talks about actions that have yet to occur. The dogs are not barking now, but when the mail carrier comes (future event), they will be.
| Go to the next page to learn about using verb tenses consistently. |
When writing, verb tenses should be appropriately consistent.
Writers may sometimes intentionally shift verb tenses when they want to convey a specific order of events or a specific time frame that actions take place in. However, if the tense changes are inappropriate, then it only makes the writing unclear and confusing.
| Example: |
| Example: |
In contrast, sudden, inappropriate shifts in verb tenses only make writing unclear and confusing. This should be avoided.
The novel Hatchet by Gary Paulsen follows a thirteen-year-old boy named Brian after the plane he is on crashes in the Canadian wilderness. All that Brian has with him is a hatchet, a gift given to him by his mother. Over the course of two months, Brian learned to survive on his own in the wild. He created a shelter from a rocky overhang and eats whatever he can find in the area, including berries, fish, and rabbits.
The novel Hatchet by Gary Paulsen follows a thirteen-year-old boy named Brian after the plane he is on crashes in the Canadian wilderness. All that Brian has with him is a hatchet, a gift given to him by his mother. Over the course of two months, Brian learned to survive on his own in the wild. He created a shelter from a rocky overhang and eats whatever he can find in the area, including berries, fish, and rabbits.
The novel Hatchet by Gary Paulsen follows a thirteen-year-old boy named Brian after the plane he is on crashes in the Canadian wilderness. All that Brian has with him is a hatchet, a gift given to him by his mother. Over the course of two months, Brian learns to survive on his own in the wild. He creates a shelter from a rocky overhang and eats whatever he can find in the area, including berries, fish, and rabbits.
| Go to the next page to learn about the active and passive voice. |
| ACTIVE VOICE vs. PASSIVE VOICE |
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- Active Voice
Active voice sentences are those in which the doer of the sentence's action is the subject of the sentence.
- Passive Voice
Passive voice sentences are those in which the doer of the sentence’s action is not the subject of the sentence. Instead, the receiver of the action is the subject of the sentence. The doer of the action is either understood or the object of the preposition by.
| Example: |
PASSIVE VOICE: The tree was climbed by Lily.
Notice that the verb changed form when the active voice sentence was converted into the passive voice sentence —
The verb in the passive voice is the appropriate form of the helping verb to be + the past participle of the verb: was climbed.
| Example: |
PASSIVE VOICE: The car was driven by Andrew.
Sentences in the passive voice have more words than their active-voice counterparts. The passive voice is a more roundabout way of saying things. Generally, it is better to use sentences in the active voice for the most clear and concise writing.
However, there are some situations when the passive voice may be very useful and appropriate:
| 1. When emphasizing the object or action, rather than the doer of the action. |
| Example: |
The emphasis is on the letter, not on the person who delivered it.
| 2. When the doer of the action is unknown or irrelevant to the main point. |
| Example: |
The recorder of the survivors' stories in not relevant to the main point of the sentence. In fact, the recorder is probably unknown, and is not even included in the sentence.
| 3. When adding sentence variety to one’s writing. |
Writing that has sentences of varying lengths and structures is more interesting to read. Therefore, the occasional sentence in the passive voice may enhance the reader’s experience of a piece of writing.
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