Past and present tense

For grown-ups: this lesson in words

Year 2 · English

Past and present tense: I can use verbs for now and for the past.

1. Today, Mei plays the drum.

   Today and plays tell us it is happening now.

   Now is called the present tense.

   Picture: The sentence "Today, Mei plays the drum.", with "Today" and "plays" underlined.

2. Yesterday, Mei played the drum.

   Yesterday and played tell us it already happened.

   That is called the past tense.

   Picture: The sentence "Yesterday, Mei played the drum.", with "Yesterday" and "played" underlined.

3. Your turn: Yesterday, Sam jumped in a puddle. Is that now or in the past?

   Picture: The sentence "Yesterday, Sam jumped in a puddle."

   Choose one:

   • now
   • in the past

   Answer

   The answer: in the past

   In the past. Yesterday and jumped tell us it already happened.

   Picture: The sentence "Yesterday, Sam jumped in a puddle.", with "Yesterday" and "jumped" underlined.

Words to know

verb:

A doing word, like jump, play or run.

present tense:

Words that tell us something is happening now.

past tense:

Words that tell us something already happened.

yesterday:

The day before today.