Verbs: Tense, Mood, and Voice

Use the following list of key terms to help you answer the questions that follow.

 

Term	Definition
Irregular Verb	A verb that does not follow conventional verb tense changes to express time. Some common irregular verbs include be, begin, break, bring, choose, come, do, give, and go.

 

Verb Tense

 

Verb tense refers to the way a verb is written in order to express time, whether it is an action or a state of being in the past, present, or future. When you arbitrarily switch back and forth between tenses or use the wrong form of an irregular verb, readers become confused.

 

In workplace situations, using the correct verb tense helps build your professional credibility. As you review and revise messages you've written, make certain that your verbs maintain the same tense and form. Also, make sure to use the correct verb form to express time when using irregular verbs.

 

Example	Explanation
Sharie exited the parking garage and then turned left.	Both verbs in this sentence take the same tense and form—the past tense. Both verbs show the past tense conventionally by adding -ed.
I have chosen to take the next week off.	Chosen is the past participle for the irregular verb to choose. Many irregular verbs have different forms in both the past tense and the past participle.

 

Following is a list of common irregular verbs. Familiarize yourself with these irregular verb forms in order to avoid mistakes.

 

Present (Today I _____.)	Past (Yesterday I _____.)	Past Participle (I have _____.)
am	was	been
begin	began	begun
break	broke	broken
bring	brought	brought
choose	chose	chosen
come	came	come
do	did	done
give	gave	given
go	went	gone
know	knew	known
pay	paid	paid
see	saw	seen
steal	stole	stolen
take	took	taken
write	wrote	written

 

 

Checkpoint

 

 

Identify the sentences with correct verb tense usage. Check all that apply.

 

A- The HR department has known about the insurance premium increase for six weeks.

B- The board of directors chose the CFO to represent the company on a trip to Japan, and he accepts.

C- The new e-mail policy begun yesterday.

D- She gave me the Lincoln Laser billing records before she left on vacation.

 

 

Verb Mood

 

The subjunctive mood is expressed by changing the verb to show doubts, wishes, possibility, or hypothetical situations. The most frequent misuse of the subjunctive mood involves using was instead of were in hypothetical statements.

 

If the statement is hypothetical, figurative, or counterfactual, use were, not was. If the statement might be true, use was, not were.

 

The following examples are hypothetical situations; therefore, use were instead of was:

 

Example 1

 

If Sandy were the CEO of Microsoft, she would improve the Visio interface. (Note: This is a hypothetical situation; therefore, use were instead of was.)

 

Example 2

 

Although the announcement had been made public, Jim acted as though Jane were the only one who knew he had resigned. (Note: This is a hypothetical situation; therefore, use were instead of was.)

 

 

Checkpoint

 

Consider the following scenarios.

 

It is 9:00 on Monday morning, and you have just arrived at work. You have a big presentation to give this afternoon but don't feel prepared. You wish you had one more day to prepare.

 

 

 

What should you say?

 

A- I wish it were still Sunday.

B- I wish it was still Sunday.

 

 

Your work group is holding a farewell party for Kate, who is transferring to Ontario. Kate's best friend received an invitation, but he is not at the party.

 

 

 

What should you say?

 

Though he was invited, he was unable to attend.

Though he were invited, he was unable to attend.

 

 

Verb Voice

 

Voice refers to the form of the verb indicating the relationship between subject and verb. In English, the two types of voice are the active voice and the passive voice. In the active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action of the verb; in the passive voice, the action of the verb is done by someone or something other than the subject. Use the active voice in workplace writing unless you wish to say something indirectly or to highlight an action itself instead of the agent of that action.

 

Example	Explanation
Janice filed the report.	The active voice occurs when the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed in the verb. Using the active voice for the majority of your sentences improves clarity and conciseness. This sentence is active because the subject of the sentence, Janice, is performing the action.
The report was filed by Janice.	The passive voice occurs when the subject receives the action expressed by the verb. Use the passive voice when you wish to say something indirectly or to highlight an action instead of the agent of that action. Passive-voice sentences usually include a to be helping verb, such as is, are, was, were, being, or been. This sentence is passive because the subject of the sentence, the report, is being acted upon by the agent, Janice.

 

 

Checkpoint

 

 

Which of the following sentences uses the active voice?

 

A- The Panasonic home theater system is not covered by this warranty.

B- The CEO did not inform the employees of the merger.

C- The call was placed by our sales representative.

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

Answer Checkpoint Identify the sentences with correct verb tense usage Check all that apply A The HR department has known about the insurance premium ... View the full answer