Grammar Guide: Verbs

Using verb forms, tense, agreement, and voice correctly

A verb tells what the subject does or what the subject is. Some verbs show action: vote, decide, write, and run. Other verbs show being or condition: is, are, was, were, and seems.

Verbs help readers understand what is happening, when it is happening, and who or what is responsible for the action.

Making subjects and verbs agree

A verb should agree with its subject. That is, the verb form should match whether the subject is singular or plural. A singular subject usually takes a singular verb. A plural subject usually takes a plural verb.

Problem:
The list of changes are long.
Better:
The list of changes is long.

The subject is list, not changes.

Problem:
The effects of the new rule is unclear.
Better:
The effects of the new rule are unclear.

The subject is effects, not rule.

Hint: Words between the subject and verb can distract writers. Find the subject first, then choose the verb.

Understanding verb tense

Verb tense tells readers when something happens.

Common verb tenses include:

Present: The committee meets today.
Past: The committee met yesterday.
Future: The committee will meet tomorrow.

Those basic tenses are enough for most sentences. The main goal is to clarify the timing.

Keeping verb tense consistent

Verb tense tells readers when something happens. Do not shift from one tense to another unless the time changes.

Problem:
The report described the problem and recommends a solution.
Better:
The report describes the problem and recommends a solution.
The report described the problem and recommended a solution.

Use the same tense when the actions happen in the same time frame.

Using the correct verb form

Some verbs have irregular forms. They do not follow the usual pattern of adding -ed for the past tense.

Common irregular forms include am/is/are, was/were, be/been, do/did/done, go/went/gone, see/saw/seen, come/came/come, take/took/taken, write/wrote/written, speak/spoke/spoken, and begin/began/begun.

Problem:
The committee has went into executive session.
Correct:
The committee has gone into executive session.

Problem:
She seen the notice before the meeting.
Correct:
She saw the notice before the meeting.
She has seen the notice before.

Some verb forms need a helping verb such as has, have, or had. Others do not.

Using were for hypothetical statements

Use were, not was, for many unreal or hypothetical statements. This use of were is sometimes called the subjunctive.

Problem:
If I was mayor, I would change the policy.
Correct:
If I were mayor, I would change the policy.

Other examples:
If she were available, she could attend the meeting.
If this were true, the policy would need review.

These sentences are not reporting what is real. They are imagining what would be true under different circumstances.

Using helping verbs correctly

Helping verbs work with main verbs to show time, possibility, obligation, or condition. Common helping verbs include is, are, was, were, has, have, had, do, does, did, can, could, may, might, must, should, and will.

Some verb forms use helping verbs such as has, have, or had to show how one action relates to another time or event.

Correct:
The committee has met three times.
The committee had met before the vote.

Choose the helping verb that matches the subject. For example, use has with most singular subjects. Use have with plural subjects and with I and you.

Problem:
The agency have approved the permit.
Correct:
The agency has approved the permit.

Problem:
The members has approved the permit.
Correct:
The members have approved the permit.

In grammar terms, the helping verb must agree with the subject.

Using active and passive voice clearly

In active voice, the subject does the action.

Active:
The council approved the budget.

In passive voice, the sentence is built around the person or thing affected by the action, not the person or thing doing it.

Passive:
The budget was approved by the council.

Passive voice is not always wrong. It can be useful when the action matters more than the actor, when the actor is unknown, or when naming the actor would distract from the point.

Useful passive voice:
The road was closed after the storm.

But passive voice can weaken a sentence when it hides who is responsible.

Problem:
Mistakes were made in the report.
Better:
The agency made mistakes in the report.
The report included mistakes.

Hint: Use active voice when readers need to know who did what. Use passive voice only when it serves the sentence.

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