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Grammatik
Verbs and tense A1 A2 B1

Verb forms and auxiliaries

Recognize main verbs, auxiliaries, and the base, -s, -ing, past, and past participle forms.

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Visuelle Übersicht

The helper controls the main verb

THE VERB-SHAPE RULE

No helper:
  person/thing + MAIN VERB carries the grammar

  She works from home.
        └─ main verb gets -s

With a helper (auxiliary = helping verb):
  person/thing + HELPER + main verb shape
                 │
                 ├─ be  → -ing
                 │   They are working today.
                 │
                 ├─ have → past participle
                 │   We have worked together before.
                 │
                 └─ do / does / did / modal → base verb
                     Does he drive?
                     He can drive.

Do not mark twice:
  She doesn't likes coffee.  ✗
  She doesn't like coffee.   ✓

When a helper is present, put the grammar on the helper and use the form it asks for on the main verb.

Introduction

Main verbs and helping verbs

English verbs have jobs and shapes. The main verb names the action or state. An auxiliary verb helps the main verb show time, question, negative meaning, possibility, or completion. Most tense problems are really form-choice problems: choose the helper, then choose the verb form after it. Learn five useful forms: base, -s, -ing, past, and past participle. Regular verbs may look simple: work, works, working, worked, worked. Some common verbs change: go, goes, going, went, gone.
Core Grammatik A1 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

I work from home.

The main verb carries the sentence meaning without an auxiliary.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

I
subject
the person doing the action
work from home
main_verb_phrase
base-form main verb with a useful place phrase
Als Einheit lernen
Core Grammatik A1 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

They are working today.

Auxiliary be controls the -ing form.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

They
subject
the people doing the action
are working
auxiliary_plus_ing
be + -ing for an action in progress
Als Einheit lernen
today
time
when the action happens
Core Grammatik A1 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

She works from home.

The -s form appears in the present simple after she, he, or it.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

She
subject
third-person singular subject
works from home
main_verb_phrase
present simple with -s after she
Als Einheit lernen
Core Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

We have worked together before.

Auxiliary have takes the past participle worked.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

We
subject
the people with the experience
have worked together
have_plus_participle
have + past participle for experience before now
Als Einheit lernen
before
time
at some earlier time
Core logic

The helper controls the form

The main verb carries meaning; the auxiliary carries grammar. With no visible auxiliary, the main verb often carries the tense marking itself. With an auxiliary, the auxiliary usually takes the grammar job, and the following verb takes the form required by that auxiliary. Be usually points to an -ing form for continuous meaning. Have points to a past participle for perfect meaning. Do helps make present and past simple questions and negatives; after do, does, or did, the main verb goes back to the base form.
Core Grammatik A1 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

Maya cooks dinner.

With no visible auxiliary, the main verb carries the present-tense marking.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

Maya
subject
the person doing the action
cooks
main_verb
present simple main verb with -s
Als Einheit lernen
dinner
object
what Maya makes
Core Grammatik A1 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

Maya is cooking dinner.

Auxiliary be takes the -ing form of the main verb.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

Maya
subject
the person doing the action
is cooking
auxiliary_plus_ing
is + -ing for an action in progress
Als Einheit lernen
dinner
object
what Maya is making
Core Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

Maya has cooked dinner.

Auxiliary have takes a past participle.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

Maya
subject
the person with the completed action
has cooked
have_plus_participle
has + past participle for a completed action connected to now
Als Einheit lernen
dinner
object
what Maya has made
Negative Grammatik A1 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

Maya did not cook dinner.

Did carries past time, so the main verb stays in the base form cook.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

Maya
subject
the person in the sentence
did not cook
do_negative_base
did not + base verb for a past negative
Als Einheit lernen
dinner
object
the action that did not happen
Form variations

The five practical verb forms

Use names for forms, not only “present” and “past.” The base form is the dictionary form: be, have, do, go, play. The -s form is for present simple with he, she, or it: is, has, does, goes, plays. The -ing form follows be in continuous forms: being, having, doing, going, playing. The past form is used for finished past time: was or were, had, did, went, played. The past participle follows have in perfect forms and be in passive forms: been, had, done, gone, played. Regular verbs use -ed for both past and past participle. Many frequent verbs are irregular, so learn them in families: go, went, gone; see, saw, seen; take, took, taken.
Core pattern

Core auxiliary patterns

Verb patterns are predictable. Simple present or past can use the main verb alone. Auxiliaries create frames: modal + base, do + base, be + -ing, have + past participle, and be + past participle for passive meaning. A modal such as can, will, should, or must is followed by the base form. Do, does, and did are also followed by the base form when they work as auxiliaries. Be selects -ing for continuous action, while have selects the past participle for perfect meaning. Be plus a past participle can show that the subject receives the action.
Core Grammatik A1 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

He can drive.

After a modal auxiliary, use the base form of the main verb.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

He
subject
the person with the ability
can drive
modal_plus_base
modal can + base verb
Als Einheit lernen
Question Grammatik A1 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

Does he drive?

Does carries the present-question grammar, so drive stays base.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

Does
question_auxiliary
present simple question auxiliary for he
he
subject
the person asked about
drive
base_main_verb
base verb after does
Als Einheit lernen
Core Grammatik A1 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

He is driving home.

Be + -ing forms a continuous verb phrase.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

He
subject
the person doing the action
is driving
auxiliary_plus_ing
is + -ing for an action in progress
Als Einheit lernen
home
direction
where he is going
Core Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

He has driven home.

Driven is the past participle used after has.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

He
subject
the person who completed the trip
has driven
have_plus_participle
has + irregular past participle
Als Einheit lernen
home
direction
where he went
Core Grammatik B1 Wortschatz A2 Neutral

The car was driven carefully.

Be + past participle can make a passive verb phrase.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

The car
receiver
the thing that receives the action
was driven
be_plus_participle
be + past participle for passive meaning
Als Einheit lernen
carefully
manner
how the action happened
Sentence xray

X-ray: auxiliary do and main do

X-ray one sentence: the same word can have two jobs. In a question like Do you do yoga?, the first do is an auxiliary. It starts a present simple question and carries the grammar. The second do is the main verb; it means “practice” or “perform.” Because the auxiliary already carries the question job, the main verb stays in the base form. In a short answer, the auxiliary can stand for the whole verb phrase. That is why Yes, I do is complete and natural. The word do does not always mean an action; sometimes it is only a grammar helper.
Question Grammatik A1 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

Do you do yoga?

The first do is an auxiliary; the second do is the main verb.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

Do
question_auxiliary
auxiliary for a present simple question
you
subject
the person asked
do yoga
main_verb_phrase
main verb do meaning practice or perform
Als Einheit lernen
Spoken Grammatik A1 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

Yes, I do.

In a short answer, do stands for the whole verb phrase.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

Yes, I do
short_answer
short answer using auxiliary do to replace the verb phrase
Als Einheit lernen
Danger zone

Do not mark the verb twice

Common errors come from giving tense to two verbs at once. After do, does, or did, use the base form of the main verb. The auxiliary already carries present or past grammar, so the main verb does not need -s or -ed. The same idea works with modals: after can, will, should, and must, use the base form, not an -s form, an -ed form, or to + verb. Another danger is an -ing form without be when you need a continuous verb. Use be for the grammar and -ing for the main action. Also remember that have needs a past participle, not always the simple past form.
Mistake Grammatik A1 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

She doesn't likes coffee.

After doesn't, the main verb should not take -s.

Corrected Grammatik A1 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

She doesn't like coffee.

Doesn't carries the present negative grammar, so like stays base.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

She
subject
third-person singular subject
doesn't like
do_negative_base
doesn't + base verb
Als Einheit lernen
coffee
object
what she does not like
Contrast

Past form or past participle?

The closest common confusion is past form versus past participle, especially with irregular verbs. A past form can stand as the main verb in a simple past sentence. A past participle usually needs an auxiliary. Do not choose a participle just because the time is past; choose it because a perfect or passive frame requires a participle. Regular verbs hide this contrast because the two forms look the same: worked and worked. Irregular verbs make the contrast visible: went and gone, saw and seen, wrote and written. A practical test: if have, has, or had is directly before the verb, check for the past participle.
Contrast Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

I saw that film last night.

Saw is the simple past form and can stand as the main verb.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

I
subject
the person who had the experience
saw
past_main_verb
simple past form used as the main verb
Als Einheit lernen
that film
object
the thing seen
last night
finished_time
a finished past time
Contrast Grammatik A2 Wortschatz A1 Neutral

I have seen that film before.

Seen is the past participle and normally needs an auxiliary such as have.

Satzbausteine

Lies den Satz in Sinneinheiten, nicht Wort für Wort.

I
subject
the person with the experience
have seen
have_plus_participle
have + past participle
Als Einheit lernen
that film
object
the thing seen
before
time_experience
at some earlier time
Summary

The practical check

English verb logic is mostly helper plus form. First find the main verb: the action or state. Then look left for an auxiliary: be, have, do, or a modal such as can, will, should, or must. The auxiliary tells you what form the next verb needs: base after do and modals, -ing after be for continuous meaning, past participle after have for perfect meaning, and past participle after be for passive meaning. If there is no auxiliary, the main verb itself carries present or past marking. This simple check prevents most verb-form mistakes.
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