Separate the suffix, or ending, from the verb. English verbs in the simple past often end in "-ed." For example: "John called Thomas on the phone," or "Tim freed the bird from the cage."
Isolate the word preceding the verb. English verbs in the past-perfect often use the auxiliary verb "had." For example: "The student had not studied enough for the test."
Memorize irregular English verbs in the past tense. This is especially irksome in English, as Steven Pinker notes that "over 70 percent of the time we use a verb, it is an irregular verb." Some common examples, present tense coupled with past, are: "begin-began," "buy-bought," "eat-ate," "meet-met," "run-ran," or "take-took."
Review English verbs in their infinitive form, for instance, "to speak," "to fly" or "to hug."
Isolate the subject preceding the verb, then determine if it is singular or plural. Verbs in the simple present often use an "s" as a suffix with plural subjects, or remain in the infinitive form -- without the "to" -- with a singular subject. For instance, "The child plays," or "The children play."
Highlight the auxiliary verb "have," which often indicates the present-perfect tense in English. If "have" is not followed by "been" or preceded by "will," it likely indicates the present tense.
Memorize the auxiliary verbs "will" and "going to." All forms of the future tense in English require one of these words. For example: "I will visit Grandma Mabel on Friday," or "Tommy is going to finish his homework tomorrow."
Circle, or listen for all instances of "would," "could" or "should," as these indicate a conditional verb tense: past, present or future. For instance: "You should have purchased health insurance," or "You could walk with me, if you like."
Check for "-ing" endings to verbs, as this indicates an ongoing, or continuous action. For instance: "Yesterday, I saw you running the mile," "John is running a mile," or "Jack is going to be running the mile tomorrow."