CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1e
The Standard
Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
What This Standard Means
Students need to form and use simple past, present, and future tense verbs in speaking and writing. They should know that past tells what already happened, present tells what happens now or regularly, and future tells what will happen later.
Mastery looks like choosing the right tense for a sentence and keeping it consistent in a short paragraph. Students often mix tenses, overuse “will” for every future sentence, or form irregular past verbs incorrectly, like “goed” instead of “went.”
Ways to Teach It
- Have students sort verb cards into past, present, and future columns, then write one sentence for each card.
- Ask students to write three sentences about yesterday, today, and tomorrow using the same verb.
- Give five sentences with missing verbs and have students fill in the correct simple tense.
- Use a class schedule and have students say what they did before school, do now, and will do after school.
Plan a Lesson for CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1e
Generate a complete lesson plan aligned to this standard, with objectives, activities, and materials. Free, no account needed.
Related Standards
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.1e
Use verbs to convey a sense of past, present, and future (e.g., Yesterday I walked home; Today I walk home; Tomorrow I will walk home).
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.1b
Form and use the progressive (e.g., I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking) verb tenses.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.1b
Form and use the perfect (e.g., I had walked; I have walked; I will have walked) verb tenses.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1d
Form and use regular and irregular verbs.