After did, does, will and can, use the base form
The base form is the plain dictionary form of a verb: go, see, be. Always use it after do, does, did, will, can, could, should, must, may and might. These helper verbs already carry the tense, so the main verb stays plain: did not go, never did not went. In a passive sentence, where something is done to the subject, the base form is be: the forms must be returned.
- Right:Did you see the announcement?
- Right:She does not live on campus.
- Right:All the materials must be returned.
- Not:We did not went to class.Instead:We did not go to class.
- Not:She does not likes coffee.Instead:She does not like coffee.
- Not:He can speaks French.Instead:He can speak French.
- Not:All the forms must returned.Instead:All the forms must be returned.
Present simple for habits, present continuous for now
Use the present simple for habits, schedules and things that are generally true: she works on Saturdays. Use the present continuous, which is am, is or are plus the -ing verb, for something happening now or around now: she is working on a paper today. Verbs for thoughts and feelings, such as know, believe, understand, want and agree, normally stay in the present simple, even at this moment.
- Right:I usually walk to class.
- Right:Right now I am walking to class.
- Right:I understand the question.
- Not:Look, it snows outside.Instead:Look, it is snowing outside.
- Not:I am knowing the answer.Instead:I know the answer.
- Not:We are needing more time.Instead:We need more time.
Had shows the earlier of two past events
When you are already telling a story in the past and need to step back to something earlier, use the past perfect: had plus the third form of the verb. It shows which event came first. By the time, when and before are the usual signals. If you simply tell events in the order they happened, the past simple is enough, so do not add had to every past sentence.
- Right:When we reached the hall, the lecture had started.
- Right:By May, I had saved enough for the trip.
- Right:I read the notice and emailed my advisor.
- Not:When I arrived, the class has started.Instead:When I arrived, the class had started.
- Not:I was nervous because I have never spoken in public.Instead:I was nervous because I had never spoken in public.
Will, going to, and the present after when
Use will for a decision you make as you speak, and for offers and promises. Use going to for a plan you already have, or for something you can see coming. In many sentences either one is fine. The mistake that really matters is different: after when, if, after, before and until, English uses the present simple for the future. The will goes in the other half of the sentence. One exception: after know or ask, as in I do not know when she will arrive.
- Right:That box looks heavy. I will carry it.
- Right:I am going to apply for the internship.
- Right:I will call you when I get home.
- Not:When I will graduate, I will move to Austin.Instead:When I graduate, I will move to Austin.
- Not:I going to visit my cousin.Instead:I am going to visit my cousin.
- Not:If it will rain, we will stay inside.Instead:If it rains, we will stay inside.
Stay in one time, and change only when the time changes
Pick the time your paragraph is about and stay there. Many TOEFL writing answers need two settings: the past simple for a story, and the present simple for your opinion and for general facts. Changing tense is correct when the time really changes, as in last year I tried it, and now I think it works. Drifting from past to present in the middle of a story is the mistake.
- Right:Last spring I joined a choir, and I made new friends.
- Right:I took that class last year, and I believe it should stay.
- Not:Last week I went to the library and I meet my friend.Instead:Last week I went to the library and I met my friend.
- Not:When I was ten, I play soccer every day.Instead:When I was ten, I played soccer every day.
Where this costs you marks on the TOEFL
The TOEFL has no separate grammar section, so tenses are judged inside Writing and Speaking, and the danger is the switch between times. In the Academic Discussion, you often give an example from your own life in the past, then state your opinion in the present: last year my school tried this, and I think it works. In Write an Email, you explain what happened, where things stand now and what you would like next, which can take three tenses in a few lines. The Interview needs the same control out loud, with no time to reread. In the 10 sentence-building items, have or had and the verb form must fit the sentence exactly. When your time words and verbs disagree, your control of English looks weak, even if your ideas are strong.