Action or Linking With Sense Verbs

Start with the sense verb sheet, then teach the perfect tenses in the order future, past and present. Use the timeline on the past perfect sheet and the time words on the last sheet as reference while students work.

Tell action verbs from linking verbs when tasted, smelled, felt and looked change meaning. Feel, smell, taste, look and sound are linking verbs when you can swap in seemed or seems and the sentence still makes sense. Otherwise, they show action. The directions on the page read: Write A on the line if the verb is an action verb or L if it is a linking verb. If it is linking, circle the word after the verb that describes the subject. An answer key is included.

Yes, both. We made it for 7th grade verbs, and it works the same at home or at school. At home, a student can work through it alone and then go over it with you, which shows quickly what is solid and what needs another look. In class it works as independent practice, homework or a warm-up, and you can print one copy or a full set.

Try swapping in seemed or seems. If the sentence still makes sense, the verb is linking, as in The soup tasted salty. If not, it shows action, as in Chef Laurent tasted the sauce. Action or Linking With Sense Verbs has students label sentences this way.

Use will have plus a past participle to show an action that will be finished by a stated time, usually after the word by. Future Perfect by a Deadline gives eight deadline sentences, such as By sunrise, the bakers will have baked three hundred loaves.

Use had plus a past participle for the event that happened first when two events are both in the past. Past Perfect for Earlier Events shows this on a timeline with Mina had eaten lunch before she went outside.

Use the simple past with a finished time such as yesterday or in 1998. Use the present perfect with time that reaches the present, such as since, for, so far or already. Present Perfect or Simple Past? has students circle the form in each sentence.