Verb Tenses — 3rd Grade Lesson
Students will identify past, present, and future verb tenses and change verbs from one tense to another.
3rd Grade · Verbs · ~20 min lesson
What is verb tense?
Tense tells you when an action happens. Verbs change their form to show past, present, or future.
- Past: I walked to school.
- Present: I walk to school.
- Future: I will walk to school.
The three tenses
| Tense | When | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Past | already happened | usually add -ed | played, walked |
| Present | happening now | base form (or -s) | play, plays |
| Future | will happen | use will + verb | will play |
Time words give clues
Watch for words that signal the tense:
- Past: yesterday, last week, ago, then
- Present: now, today, every day
- Future: tomorrow, next week, soon
“Yesterday I walked.” → yesterday signals past → walked is correct.
Irregular verbs: the rule-breakers
Some verbs don’t take -ed. Their past form is different and must be memorized:
| Present | Past |
|---|---|
| go | went |
| see | saw |
| eat | ate |
| take | took |
| run | ran |
| write | wrote |
Never say goed or eated — these are irregular verbs.
Keep your tense consistent
When you tell a story, pick a tense and stay in it. Don’t drift: “I walked to the park. I see my friend.” (see should be saw).
How to practice at home
- Time machine: say a verb in present tense, then change it to past and future.
- Spot the clue: read a sentence and name the time word that tells the tense.
- Irregular cards: quiz past forms of common irregular verbs.
Practice with the exercises above, then download these free printable worksheets:
Practice Exercises
Try these on your own, then reveal the answer to check.
Which tense is 'walked': past, present, or future?
💡 It already happened.
Change 'play' to past tense.
💡 Add -ed.
Change 'walk' to future tense.
💡 Use 'will'.
Which is the correct past tense of 'go': 'goed' or 'went'?
💡 Go is an irregular verb — no -ed.
Is this sentence past or present: 'She runs every day.'?
💡 It happens regularly now.
Fix the tense: 'Yesterday I walk to school.'
💡 Yesterday signals the past.
Printable Worksheets
Put this lesson into practice with free, printable worksheets — each with an answer key.
Before You Start
- Action verbs
- Writing complete sentences
Common Mistakes to Watch For
- Adding -ed to irregular verbs (saying 'goed' instead of 'went')
- Shifting tense in the middle of a story
What to Learn Next
Browse more Verbs worksheets or explore all 3rd Grade worksheets.
Related Worksheets
Verb Tenses: Past, Present, and Future Worksheet
Verbs change to show time. Choose the past, present, or future form that fits each sentence.
Irregular Past Tense Verbs Worksheet
Irregular verbs don't take -ed. Their past tense changes the whole word: go → went, see → saw. Choose the correct form.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the three basic verb tenses?
Past (already happened — walked), present (happening now — walks), and future (will happen — will walk).
What is an irregular verb?
A verb that doesn't follow the -ed rule — go/went, see/saw, eat/ate. These must be learned because there's no pattern to add.
Original & reviewed. Every worksheet is created in-house from a grade-level skill brief, checked for a correct answer key, and reviewed for grade-appropriateness. Our editorial policy.