A simple kinesthetic game will help students understand the difference between action verbs and linking verbs. Choose verbs that are sometimes linking verbs and sometimes action verbs such as "taste." Write various sentences on sentence strips; use the verb as an action verb in some sentences and a linking verb in other sentences. Students stand if the verb is an action verb and remain seated if the verb is a linking verb. Act out the use of the verb to illustrate the verb as an action verb.
Except for the past tense of "be," students need to consider only the present tense forms of verb when deciding whether a verb is singular or plural. Any verb that ends in "s" in the present tense is singular, and any verb that does not end in "s" in the present tense is plural. Give students a list of present tense verbs to classify as singular or plural. Students can work in pairs. The importance of singular and plural verbs for subject/verb agreement cannot be overemphasized. Students should keep a running list of singular and plural verbs as a reference for writing.
A scavenger hunt will teach students to use the dictionary to find the past and participle of verbs. After showing students how to locate the past and past participles of verbs in the dictionary, give students a list a verbs and have them locate the verbs in the dictionary and record the past and past participle of each verb.
Since "tense" means time, middle school students need to learn at least six tenses: present, past, future, present perfect, past perfect and future perfect. Divide students into groups and assign a different verb to each group. Groups write their six tenses of their verbs on the board or make a poster or a PowerPoint presentation for the class.