Key Verb and Tenses Tips and Practice for Class 5 CBSE Exam Success
Today we will study an exciting topic “verb and tense”. A verb is a word or group of words that represents an action that has taken place might be in the past, present, or future. It refers to a fact that is referred to now, a recurring event, a state or a condition or a planned future action. For good understanding and idea clarity, practice questions and solved examples are provided throughout the article. Let's start our journey on this interesting topic.
The Verb
Common Verbs used Daily
Types of the Verbs with Examples
Action Verb: describes an action that someone can do or demonstrate.
For example: We baked a carrot cake.
Stative Verb: describes a position or state of being that you can't see but exists anyway.
For example: You deserve a prize.
Regular Verb: regular verbs are those which only add “d” or “ed” in the past tense form.
For example: we walked to the concert (walk).
Irregular Verb: these are the verbs that only changes the form in the past tense.
For example: I spoke to my neighbour (speak).
Transitive Verbs: these are expressed by action and are followed by a direct subject.
For example: Oliver sends his love.
Intransitive Verb: it expresses action and is not followed by a direct object, it may be followed by a phrase.
For example: We sat on the stone wall.
Linking Verb: linking verb connects the subject to detail about the subject.
For example: You seem like a thoughtful person.
Auxiliary Verb: auxiliary verb helps the main verb of the sentence by extending its meaning.
For example: I have been there before.
The Rabbit
Some more examples of verbs in three different forms.
The Simple Tenses Verb
Past: It used for simple in the past tenses which has already happened or occurred.
In this, the main verb changes from past to present.
For example, I cycled to work.
Present: It is used for simple sentences in the present tense, which are happening now or have happened in recent times. It always has a subject and a verb even if the subject is only implied.
For example, I go to work.
Future: It is used for simple sentences in the future tenses which have not yet happened.
For example, shall cycle to work.
Difficult Word Meanings
Practice Questions
1. Identify the tense of the underlined verb phrase in a sentence.
Many citizens are correcting their work.
John shall celebrate his birthday.
No lady would cross this line.
We were feeding on rice.
Teachers are teaching students.
Prises were rising steadily.
Ripe mangoes fell from trees.
The police have been protecting good people.
Their house did not burn before the five services attended it.
Answer
“Are correcting” it is a present continuous.
It is future continuous.
It is a simple future.
The underlined sentence is a past continuous.
It is present continuous.
It is past continuous.
It is a simple future.
It is past perfect continuous.
It is a negative sentence.
Importance of Class 5 English Chapter 6 - Verb and Tense
The English language has many verb tenses; some might express a connection between two time periods, and some might tell you the exact time of any activity.
We can express a plethora of things by just changing the tense.
Tenses are even part of many prestigious entrance exams like CAT, BBA, IIFT, etc., so a strong foundation in the concept of tenses is needed to crack these exams.
Verbs pave the way for language development in young kids as they let children start building early sentences. All sentences need a verb, and the word choice determines most of the grammatical forms in a sentence.
Children who learn verbs at a young age develop more advanced grammatical skills very fast.
By using verb tenses, children can form complex sentence structures and convey complex ideas and thoughts.
Learning the correct verb tense usage clarifies both written and spoken English.
Verb and Tense for Class 5 Examples
Simple present tense class 5
Write the correct form of the verb to make a sentence in the simple present tense:
__ you ____ in this company (working)
He ___ in Bangalore. (lived)
Mohan and I ____ to travel together. (liked)
She ____ thing quickly. (learn)
Present perfect tense for class 5
Use the verb given in the bracket to form a sentence in the present perfect tense:
He has ___ his best to win the match. (try)
My cousin has ___ me this book. (give)
She has ____ the best piano in the competition. (play)
Change the following sentences in their present perfect tense form:
She goes to the gym.
He eats dinner.
Harish plays the drums.
My parents think I am a bit shy.
Present continuous tense for class 5
Answer the following questions by using the present continuous tense form:
Is your mom cooking today?
Are you playing cricket today?
Is your father speaking at the moment?
Are you carrying a lot of weight?
Fill in the blanks with the present continuous tense form of the word
He is ____ on stage (dance)
She is ____ water. (drink)
I am ____ about the book. (think)
The kids are ____ over the wall. (jump)
Mention the present, past, and present perfect tense forms of the following words: creep, deal, bring, buy, bleed, bet, cut.
Important Topics Learnt in Tenses for Class 5
Learn the definition of verbs and tenses.
Learn different forms of tenses; present indefinite tense, past indefinite tense, future indefinite tense, present continuous tense, past continuous tense, future continuous tense, present perfect tense, past perfect tense, future perfect tense, present perfect continuous tense, past perfect continuous tense, future and perfect continuous tense.
Learn how to join sentences by using different forms of tenses.
You are given a list of verbs with their tense chart for class 5, which you must memorize by heart.
You Can Get Your Copy of Free Verbs and Tenses for Class 5 PDF Now
The subject matter experts of Vedantu have designed a clear and concise explanation of class 5 English chapter 6 (verbs and tenses), which will be an invaluable resource for students during their English exams.
The PDF contains explanations of all the concepts and rules of verb and tense for class 5 in an easily understandable language that is apt for young minds.
The PDF also has many examples and practice worksheets for students to grasp all the forms of tenses at the root level.
The PDF can be downloaded on your devices, providing easy access to the entire content from anywhere.
If you like to revise chapters right before exams, then taking a printout of the PDF is also possible, which comes in handy during exam times.
If you want to have a command of all the verbs and tenses of Class 5 English Chapter 6, get your free copy of Vedantu's accurate and concise solutions on this topic. Going through our experts’ explanations of verbs and tenses for class 5, you will not need to look elsewhere to master all the basics of this topic.
Summary
Basically verb refers to the state of acting, a planned future action, an activity that took place in the past, a prediction about a future event, a decision at the time of speaking, hence the combination of all these is termed as a verb. The verb contains all three tenses that are present tense, past tense, and future tense. Hence, verbs are also called helping verb because it helps the subject.
FAQs on Mastering Verb and Tenses: English Grammar Guide for Class 5 (2025-26)
1. What types of questions on Verbs and Tenses are considered most important for the Class 5 English exam (CBSE 2025-26)?
For the Class 5 English exam, the most important question types for Verbs and Tenses typically include:
Filling in the blanks with the correct form of the verb.
Identifying the tense in a given sentence.
Converting sentences from one tense to another (e.g., Present to Past).
Choosing the correct verb that agrees with the subject.
2. What is the key difference between the Simple Past and the Present Perfect tense that is important for exams?
The key difference is that the Simple Past tense is used for actions that happened and finished at a specific time in the past (e.g., "I visited the zoo last Sunday."). The Present Perfect tense is used for actions that happened in the past but have a connection to the present, or when the time is not specified (e.g., "I have visited the zoo."). Using a specific past time marker with the Present Perfect tense is a common error to avoid in exams.
3. How can a student quickly identify the tense of a sentence to answer 1-mark questions correctly?
To quickly identify the tense, look for two main clues:
The Helping Verb: Words like 'is, am, are' (Present), 'was, were' (Past), 'has, have' (Perfect), or 'will, shall' (Future) are strong indicators.
The Main Verb's Form: Check if the verb ends in '-ing' (Continuous), '-ed' (Past), or is in its base form. For example, in "He is playing," the 'is' and '-ing' together indicate the Present Continuous tense.
4. Why is understanding subject-verb agreement essential for scoring full marks in questions about tenses?
Subject-verb agreement is essential because even if you choose the correct tense, using the wrong verb form for the subject will result in an incorrect answer. For example, in the Simple Present tense, a singular subject needs a verb with an '-s' (She writes), while a plural subject does not (They write). Examiners check for both correct tense and correct agreement, making this a critical area for scoring marks.
5. How does changing a sentence from Simple Present to Past Continuous affect its meaning? Provide an example.
Changing the tense from Simple Present to Past Continuous completely alters the context of the action.
Simple Present: "Ria plays chess." This states a fact or a hobby.
Past Continuous: "Ria was playing chess." This describes an action that was in progress for some duration in the past, often implying it was interrupted or happened at the same time as something else. It changes the meaning from a general habit to a specific, ongoing past event.
6. What is a common mistake students make with verb forms in the Past Continuous tense?
A very common mistake is forgetting to use the correct helping verb ('was' or 'were') before the '-ing' form of the main verb. Students might incorrectly write "He playing cricket" instead of the correct form, "He was playing cricket." For plural subjects, 'were' must be used, as in "They were playing cricket." Always check for the helping verb to avoid losing marks.
7. What is the expected structure for forming a sentence in the Simple Future Tense as per the Class 5 syllabus?
According to the CBSE syllabus for Class 5, the Simple Future tense is formed using the structure: Subject + will/shall + the base form of the verb. For example, in the sentence "She will bake a cake tomorrow," 'She' is the subject, 'will' is the helping verb, and 'bake' is the base form of the main verb.
8. For a question asking you to 'Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb', what is the best strategy to arrive at the correct answer?
A reliable three-step strategy is:
Step 1: Read the full sentence to find any time-based keywords like 'every day', 'now', 'yesterday', or 'tomorrow'.
Step 2: Identify the subject (e.g., 'He', 'The children') to determine if it is singular or plural.
Step 3: Choose a verb form that agrees with both the tense and the subject. This ensures your answer is grammatically correct in every aspect.
