English · Year 3

Active learning ideas

Verbs and Tenses: Past, Present, Future

Active learning helps Year 3 students grasp verb tenses because movement and visuals turn abstract time concepts into concrete experiences. Acting out verbs, sorting sentences on timelines, and playing games with tense markers let learners connect grammar to meaning in ways that worksheets alone cannot.

National Curriculum Attainment TargetsEN2/3g
20–35 minPairs → Whole Class4 activities

Activity 01

Placemat Activity30 min · Pairs

Timeline Sort: Tense Matching

Prepare cards with verbs in base form and sentences needing tenses. Students sort them onto a class timeline divided into past, present, future. Pairs discuss and justify choices, then share with the group. Extend by writing one new sentence per tense.

Explain how verb tense indicates when an action occurred.

Facilitation TipDuring Timeline Sort, ask students to explain why they placed each sentence on their timeline to reinforce the connection between tense and time.

What to look forProvide students with three sentences, each missing a verb. One sentence should require a past tense verb, one present, and one future. Ask students to fill in the blanks with appropriate verbs and identify the tense they used for each.

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Activity 02

Placemat Activity25 min · Small Groups

Verb Charades: Tense Acting

Students draw a verb card and act it out in a specified tense while others guess the verb and tense. Use props for irregular verbs like 'run' in past tense. Rotate roles so everyone performs and guesses.

Differentiate between regular and irregular verbs with examples.

Facilitation TipDuring Verb Charades, pause after each round to ask the class which tense the actor demonstrated and why.

What to look forWrite a list of verbs on the board (e.g., 'run', 'see', 'play', 'eat'). Ask students to write the past tense and future tense form for each, circling any irregular verbs they encounter. Review answers as a class.

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Activity 03

Placemat Activity35 min · Small Groups

Sentence Relay: Tense Builders

Divide class into teams. Each student adds a word to build a sentence in a called tense, passing a baton. Include regular and irregular verbs. Teams read finished sentences aloud for feedback.

Construct sentences that correctly use verbs in the past, present, and future tenses.

Facilitation TipDuring Sentence Relay, circulate and listen for tense errors, then pause the game to clarify as a group before continuing.

What to look forPose the question: 'How does changing the verb tense from 'I walk' to 'I walked' change the meaning of the sentence?' Facilitate a brief class discussion, encouraging students to explain that the tense tells us *when* the action happened.

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Activity 04

Placemat Activity20 min · Whole Class

Tense Hopscotch: Floor Game

Draw hopscotch grid labelled past, present, future. Call a verb; students hop to the tense and say a sentence using it. Adapt for irregulars by providing hints. Whole class observes and corrects.

Explain how verb tense indicates when an action occurred.

Facilitation TipDuring Tense Hopscotch, call out irregular verbs like 'go' or 'see' to ensure students practice both regular and irregular forms.

What to look forProvide students with three sentences, each missing a verb. One sentence should require a past tense verb, one present, and one future. Ask students to fill in the blanks with appropriate verbs and identify the tense they used for each.

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Templates

Templates that pair with these English activities

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A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model verb changes aloud, using think-alouds to show how they decide on tense based on meaning. Avoid drilling rules in isolation; instead, embed practice in meaningful contexts like storytelling or role-play. Research shows that frequent, low-stakes opportunities to use verbs in speech build automaticity before written tasks.

Students will confidently choose and use past, present, and future tense verbs in sentences and discussions. They will explain *when* an action happened and correct common tense errors with peers during collaborative tasks.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

  • During Timeline Sort, watch for students who group all verbs with -ed endings under 'past tense' without checking for irregular forms like 'saw' or 'went'.

    During Timeline Sort, provide a mix of regular and irregular verbs on cards and ask students to sort them into past, present, and future columns. When they encounter an irregular verb, have them pair it with its base form to reinforce memory.

  • During Verb Charades, watch for students who assume all future actions must be tomorrow and use 'going to' exclusively.

    During Verb Charades, include prompts for near future actions (e.g., 'I will eat lunch in 5 minutes') and distant future actions (e.g., 'I will travel to space one day') to show the range of future tense uses.

  • During Tense Hopscotch, watch for students who think present tense only describes actions happening right now.

    During Tense Hopscotch, include sentences with habitual actions (e.g., 'She walks to school every day') and facts (e.g., 'The sun rises in the east') to show that present tense covers more than just immediate actions.

Methods used in this brief

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