Conjugating verbs in English may seem straightforward at first, but once you dive into tenses, aspects, and person-number agreement, things can get a little messy. Whether you’re writing an email, chatting with a friend, or describing your day, knowing how verb conjugation in English works will make your language sound smoother, more accurate, and confidently natural.
What Verb Conjugation Means
Verb conjugation refers to how a verb changes its form depending on tense (past, present, future), person (I, you, he/she/it, we, they), number (singular or plural), and aspect (simple, continuous, perfect). Grammarly+2EnglishClass101+2
For example:
• “I go to work” (present)
• “She went to work” (past)
• “They are going to work” (present continuous)
Each of those is a different conjugation of the verb “go”.
Why Understanding This Matters
• Accuracy: Use the right form and your meaning is clear.
• Fluency: Mistakes in conjugation can slow you down and distract the listener or reader.
• Professionalism: In writing — emails, reports, applications — correct verb forms boost credibility.
• Communication: Clear timing (past, present, future) helps people know what you mean and when things happened. Busuu+1
The Core Elements Of English Verb Conjugation
1. Tense
Tense tells us when something happens: past, present or future. EF English Live+1
Example:
• Past: I walked
• Present: I walk
• Future: I will walk
2. Person & Number
English verbs stay the same for most persons and numbers — but there is a special form for third-person singular (he, she, it) in present simple (e.g., he walks). Rosetta Stone+1
Example:
• I walk
• You walk
• He walks
• They walk
3. Aspect
Aspect adds detail about how the action happens:
• Simple (just a fact)
• Continuous/Progressive (ongoing)
• Perfect (completed)
• Perfect Continuous (ongoing & completed) Rosetta Stone+1
Examples:
• I eat (simple present)
• I am eating (present continuous)
• I have eaten (present perfect)
• I have been eating (present perfect continuous)
4. Regular vs Irregular Verbs
Most verbs follow predictable patterns (“walk → walked → walked”), but irregular verbs break the rules (“go → went → gone”). Wikipedia+1
You’ll need to memorise many irregular verbs — they are frequent and important.
A Simple Conjugation Chart To Get You Started
Here’s a basic example using a regular verb (“to play”) and an irregular verb (“to go”):
| Verb | Form | Regular Verb (“play”) | Irregular Verb (“go”) |
| Base (infinitive) | — | play | go |
| Present Simple (I/you/we/they) | — | play | go |
| Present Simple (he/she/it) | — | plays | goes |
| Past Simple | — | played | went |
| Past Participle | — | played | gone |
| Present Continuous | am/is/are + verb-ing | am playing / are playing | am going / are going |
| Present Perfect | have/has + past participle | have played | have gone |
Notice that in irregular verbs, the past form and past participle can differ significantly.
How To Conjugate Regular Verbs
For most regular verbs:
• Add -s or -es in the present tense for he/she/it. Rosetta Stone
• Add -ed in the past simple and past participle.
• Use “will + base verb” for future simple.
Example:
• I walk → He walks
• I walk → I walked → I have walked
• I will walk tomorrow
How To Conjugate Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs must be learned individually because they don’t follow one single pattern. Rosetta Stone+1
Here are typical irregular verb behaviours:
• Vowel change (“sing → sang → sung”)
• Same form (“cut → cut → cut”)
• Two acceptable forms (“got/gotten” in US English)
You’ll often see them among the most common verbs (go, have, do, make, etc.) so focus your memory here.
Key Tips For Using Conjugation Correctly
• Check the subject: singular vs plural, and pronoun (he/she/it requires extra care).
• Use context to choose tense and aspect: is it happening now? Did it finish? Will it happen?
• Remember the helping/auxiliary verbs: be, have, will, etc.
• When using continuous/progressive, the verb “be” must be conjugated (am/is/are; was/were) plus verb-ing.
• When using perfect tenses, the verb “have” must be conjugated (have/has/had) plus past participle.
• For irregular verbs, whenever you’re unsure, look up the past simple or past participle until you know it by heart.
Avoiding Common Errors
• Using the base verb for third-person singular present (He go → He goes).
• Using base verb instead of past form (I go yesterday → I went yesterday).
• Using past simple where present perfect is needed (I visited France last week → correct; I have visited France many times before → if experience continues to now).
• Ignoring helping verbs for continuous/perfect (She reading a book → She is reading a book).
• Mixing up irregular forms (I have went → I have gone).
Practice Exercises
Exercise A: Fill in the correct verb form
- She (to eat) dinner at 6pm every day.
- They (to go) to the cinema yesterday.
- I (to have) already (to finish) my homework.
- By this time tomorrow, we (to be) on the train.
- He often (to run) along the river.
Exercise B: Rewrite the sentences using a different tense/aspect
Original: “I work at the office.”
Rewrite in:
• Present continuous
• Past perfect
• Future simple
Exercise C: Irregular verb spotlight
Pick five irregular verbs you use frequently (e.g., go, take, make, bring, see). For each, write: base → past simple → past participle. Then use each form in a sentence.
Wrapping Up
Understanding verb conjugation in English — the relationship between subject, tense, aspect, and form — gives you a strong foundation to express yourself clearly, accurately and with confidence. Whether you’re talking about habits, actions in progress, completed experiences or future plans, getting your verb forms right lets your message shine.
Keep practising. Every time you pause to check: “Did I use the right form?” you’re improving. Soon it will feel natural.
Stay curious, keep at it, and your English will flow more freely.