By the use of verbs and verb phrases we can express at least six different ideas in regard to time; thus, I praise, I praised, I shall praise, I have praised, I had praised, and I shall have praised.

For this reason we say that English verbs and verb phrases have six tenses - present, past, future, present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect. Verbs, as has been seen, have but two tenses, present and past.

Exercise 276

Copy this table and fill blanks with sentences containing the kinds of verbs and verb phrases indicated. Let each sentence have a pronoun for a subject and assert happiness of the subject of thought.

Indicative Mode

Present Tense

SINGULAR NUMBER

PLURAL NUMBER

First Person

Second Person

Third Person

Past Tense

First Person

Second Person

Third Person

Future Tense

First Person

Second Person

Third Person

Present Perfect Tense

SINGULAR NUMBER

PLURAL NUMBER

First Person

Second Person

Third Person

Past Perfect Tense

First Person

Second Person

Third Person

Future Perfect Tense

First Person

Second Person

Third Person

Draw lines through the subjects and predicate attributes, and you will have left the conjugation of the verb be in the indicative mode.