Understanding the Five Verb Forms

In English grammar, verbs change their form to convey different meanings, particularly related to time (tense). These variations are crucial for constructing clear and accurate sentences. We can categorize these changes into five primary forms, often labeled V1 through V5 for convenience.

• V1
  Base Form: This is the verb in its most basic, infinitive form (e.g., ‘go’, ‘eat’, ‘learn’). It’s the version you’d find in a dictionary.
• V2
  Simple Past Form: Used to describe actions that have already happened. For regular verbs, this is typically formed by adding ‘-ed’ (e.g., ‘went’, ‘ate’, ‘learned’).
• V3
  Past Participle Form: Used in perfect tenses (e.g., ‘have gone’) and passive voice (e.g., ‘was eaten’). It often looks like the V2 form but can differ for irregular verbs.
• V4
  Third-Person Singular Present Form: The form used with ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘it’, and singular nouns in the present tense, usually ending in ‘-s’ or ‘-es’ (e.g., ‘goes’, ‘eats’, ‘learns’).
• V5
  Present Participle / Gerund Form: Formed by adding ‘-ing’ (e.g., ‘going’, ‘eating’, ‘learning’). It’s used in continuous tenses and as a noun (gerund).