• 3rd Grade
  • Writing
  • About 10 minutes

Past, Present or Future?

Read each sentence. Is the verb in the past, present or future? Circle one.

How much on the page?

Fresh sheet anytime. Tap New sheet or reload for a different one. Tap + for up to 10.

This is sheet #83724601.

How to do it

  1. Read the sentence.
  2. Find the verb.
  3. Circle past, present or future.

Teaching tip

Look for will. It means the sentence is in the future. This sheet is aligned with Common Core L.3.1e.

Past, Present or Future? worksheet for 3rd grade (verb tenses), free printable
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About this worksheet

Sentences to sort by tense, like "We played soccer yesterday."

What kids practice

A verb's tense tells when something happens. Past tense already happened (walked), present tense is happening now (walks) and future tense will happen (will walk). Most past tense verbs end in -ed, but irregular verbs change in other ways, like go and went, or catch and caught. Third graders form and use all three tenses.

Watch for

  • Adding -ed to irregular verbs, like runned or bringed.
  • Switching tenses in the middle of a story.
  • Spelling mistakes with -ed, like bakeed instead of baked.

It's free to print, with Fewer, Standard or More on the page and an answer key. See the full verb tenses guide for 3rd grade.

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