About this activity
Nine verb forms sorted into three tenses: walked, ran and ate are past; running, eating and jumping are present; will fly, will swim and will read are future. Each tense is marked differently — an ending, a helping verb, or an irregular change — which is what makes tense a set of patterns rather than one rule.
How to use it in a session
Sort, then use each form in a sentence with a time word. Yesterday I walked, right now I am eating, tomorrow I will fly — the time word makes the tense meaningful rather than formal. Point out that ran and ate are past without an -ed, since a student sorting by ending alone will place them wrongly and be right about the meaning.
What to listen for
Watch how the student is sorting. A child using the -ed ending will put ran in the wrong pile while understanding the tense perfectly; one using the meaning will get it right. Which strategy they use matters more than the score. Notice the present forms, which are all -ing and technically need a helping verb — running on its own is not a complete tense.
Carrying it home
Time words make tense visible: yesterday, right now, tomorrow. Asking what happened yesterday and what will happen tomorrow, in full sentences, gives all three tenses in a minute.
Questions
- What grades is this for?
- First through fourth, and older students learning English as an additional language.
- Is it free?
- Yes, all nine items play with no account.
- My student puts 'ran' in the present pile. Why?
- They are probably sorting by the -ed ending, which ran does not have. Asking when it happened usually settles it immediately, and it shows the meaning is understood even when the pattern misleads.