You will learn
- Say what a verb is.
- Use present tense.
- Use past tense, regular and irregular.
- Use future tense.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- A verb is an action or state word.
- Present: happening now.
- Past: already happened (-ed or irregular).
- Future: will happen (will + verb).
Words to know
a word that shows action or a state
when something happens
happened before
will happen later
1. Discover: Yesterday, today and tomorrow
Yesterday Ayo walked to the market. Today he walks to school. Tomorrow he will walk to the park. Yesterday he ate rice. Today he eats bread. Tomorrow he will eat fruit.
Think: How do the verbs change?
2. Understand: Verbs and tenses
Idea 1: Action words
A verb shows action (run, jump) or being (is, was).
Idea 2: Past, present, future
Present: he walks. Past: he walked. Future: he will walk. This is the tense.
Idea 3: Irregular verbs
Some past tenses do not use -ed: eat, ate; go, went; see, saw; run, ran.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Past
Past tense of walk?
- Add ed.
Answer: walked
Example 2 (We do it together): Irregular
Past tense of go?
- Irregular.
Answer: went
Example 3 (You try): Future
Future of play?
Show the steps and answer
- will + verb.
Answer: will play
Did you know?
English has about 200 irregular verbs, and many are very common.
Why this matters
Using the right tense shows when things happen.
4. Explore: Tense changer
Change tenses.
- Write a sentence.
- Change to past.
- Change to future.
- Read all three.
Think about it: what did you notice?
You can change tenses.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Today I ___.
- Yesterday I ___.
- Tomorrow I ___.
- The verb is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. Past of jump?
jumped
Question 2. Past of eat?
ate
Question 3. Future of read?
will read
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- An action word is a ___.
- When something happens is the ___.
- Happened before is ___ tense.
- Will happen later is ___ tense.
- Past of go is ___.
Level 2: Grow
- Past of walk.
- Past of see.
- Future of jump.
Level 3: Stretch
- Why use tenses?
- Is eated correct?
- What helps for future?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: English in everyday life
Write about yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Show a sample answer
three sentences
Another one. Write 3 sentences in past tense.
Show a sample answer
I walked. I ate. I saw.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: went
Fix: Keep the same tense.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say what a verb is.
- I can use present tense.
- I can use past tense.
- I can use future tense.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Verbs show action.
- Tenses show time.
- Past, present, future.
- Learn irregular verbs.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Adjectives. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What is a verb? [1 mark]
- Give past tense: walk, go. [2 marks]
- Give future tense of play. [1 mark]
- What does tense show? [1 mark]
- Explain past, present, future. [3 marks]
Total: 8 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- a word that shows action [1]
- walked [1]; went [1]
- will play [1]
- when something happens [1]
- past before [1]; present now [1]; future later with will [1]
Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- An action word is a ___.
- Tense shows ___.
- Past of walk:
- Past of go:
- Past of eat:
- Future of play:
- True or false: goed is correct.
- True or false: will shows future.
- Write a past sentence.
- Write a future sentence.
Homework
Write about yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. An action word is a ___. | verb | 1 |
| 2. Tense shows ___. | when | 1 |
| 3. Past of walk: | walked | 1 |
| 4. Past of go: | went | 1 |
| 5. Past of eat: | ate | 1 |
| 6. Future of play: | will play | 1 |
| 7. True or false: goed is correct. | false | 1 |
| 8. True or false: will shows future. | true | 1 |
| 9. Write a past sentence. | I walked. | 1 |
| 10. Write a future sentence. | I will play. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 verb; 2 tense; 3 past; 4 future; 5 went. Level 2: 1 walked; 2 saw; 3 will jump. Level 3: 1 show time; 2 no, ate; 3 will.
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Say what a verb is | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Use present tense | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Use past tense, regular and irregular | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Use future tense | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: Saying goed. went
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use verb cards.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns verbs and tenses. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Talk about yesterday and tomorrow.
- Correct gently.
- Praise correct tense.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: say what a verb is; use present tense; use past tense, regular and irregular; use future tense.
Prerequisite knowledge. Pronouns.
Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Review verbs.
Explanation (10 min). Teach tenses.
Guided activity (10 min). Practise.
Independent activity (10 min). Check.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. When does it happen? Which tense?
Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures. Extension. Find more irregular verbs.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. Saying goed. went
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use verb cards. Enrichment. Find more irregular verbs. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 2 » Language. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core L.2.1d (form and use the past tense of frequently occurring irregular verbs); Cambridge Primary English Stage 2 (grammar and punctuation). These sources informed the lesson.