Verb Tense Sort — Past Present Future
Sort sentences by verb tense.
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0/9 sorted
How to run it
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.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentPresent the item and wait 5 seconds of quiet before helping.Log as correct
- HintStress the part of the sentence that changes, or point to the word ending.Log as cued
- Sentence starterSay the first half of the sentence and let the student finish it.Log as cued
- ModelSay the correct form in the whole sentence; the student repeats it.Log as cued
Adjust it
Give a sentence starter every time, and do fewer cards.
Ask for a new sentence of the student's own with the same form, with no card to lean on.
Matching IEP goal
Given sentence cards, Student will produce past, present and future verb forms in sentences in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than an indirect cue.
Send it home through the parent portal →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.
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.
What's in this activity
- past
- present
- future
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.
Use this board with your caseload
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.
Track progress freeFree for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.