Printable Grade 1 Verb Tense Worksheet: Past, Present, Future

This printable Grade 1 English Language Arts worksheet helps young learners master verb tenses by identifying when actions occur. Students read ten distinct sentences and determine if the action happened in the past, is happening in the present, or will happen in the future. It provides clear, focused practice to build foundational grammar skills.

At a Glance

At a Glance

• Grade: 1 · Subject: English Language Arts
• Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1.E — Use verbs to convey a sense of past, present, and future actions
• Skill Focus: Verb Tense Identification (Past, Present, Future)
• Format: 5 pages · 10 problems · Answer key included · PDF
• Best For: Independent grammar practice or quick formative assessment
• Time: 15–20 minutes

What's Inside

The resource features ten multiple-choice problems spread across three practice pages, ensuring plenty of space for first-grade handwriting and visual clarity. Each item includes a complete sentence, a choice of three tenses (Past, Present, Future), and a dedicated answer line for writing out the word if desired by the teacher. A comprehensive two-page answer key follows for immediate reference or student self-correction.

Zero-Prep Workflow

Implementing this activity requires zero teacher preparation time. Simply print the three practice pages and distribute them to students; the instructions are self-explanatory and designed for independent work in the classroom. Reviewing student answers takes less than two minutes using the included “Correct Tense” key. This streamlined process makes it an ideal resource for emergency sub plans or morning work stations.

Standards Alignment

This worksheet is directly aligned to CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1.E, which requires students to use verbs to convey a sense of past, present, and future. By discriminating between temporal markers like “yesterday,” “will,” and “often,” students demonstrate mastery of standard English conventions. This standard code can be copied directly into lesson plans, IEP goals, or district curriculum mapping tools.

How to Use It

Use this worksheet as a post-instructional check after a lesson on verb endings and auxiliary verbs. Alternatively, assign it as a Ticket out the Door to observe which students struggle with the future tense marker “will” versus past tense “-ed” endings. Students typically complete all ten items within 15 to 20 minutes, making it a flexible addition to any literacy block.

Who It's For

This resource is designed for first-grade students but serves as an excellent intervention tool for second graders needing a grammar refresher. It pairs naturally with short reading passages or anchor charts that list common tense indicators. The simple layout and large font support emerging readers and students with visual processing needs during independent practice.

The systematic identification of verb tenses is a critical milestone in early literacy development, as noted in the RAND AIRS 2024 report on foundational writing skills. This worksheet targets the CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1.E standard, ensuring students can accurately differentiate between past, present, and future actions within structured sentences. Research from Fisher & Frey (2014) emphasizes that gradual release of responsibility begins with high-quality, focused practice like these ten targeted problems. By isolating the tense identification task, teachers can pinpoint specific misconceptions about temporal grammar before moving to more complex narrative writing. This resource provides the necessary scaffolding for Grade 1 learners to internalize standard conventions, supporting long-term reading comprehension and expressive language goals. Educators can use this data-backed tool to satisfy district requirements for standards-aligned assessment while providing students with a clear, achievable path toward mastery of English verb structures and time-based communication.