To illuminate the meaning of a main verb tense we need to make sure that there is an understanding of each component involved. Sometimes breaking down a concept makes it easier to process.
What is a verb?
A Verb is a word that shows action or doing.
Examples: run, dream, smile, swim
What is a main verb?
Sentences may contain more than one verb. The main verb of a sentence is one which states the action of the subject.
Example: The dog is chewing on his toy.
In this sentence, dog is the subject.
Chewing is the main verb because it describes the action of the dog.
The word ,is, in this sentence serves as an auxiliary verb which will be discussed further.
What is tense?
Tense basically denotes past, present or future. Therefore the tense of the verb lets the reader know when something happened, is happening or is going to happen.
Example: The dog is chewing on his toy, informs us that he is currently chewing.
Putting it together:
The main verb tense tells us when the subject is doing whatever he or she is doing. Verbs have the ability to give us this information by a change of ending.
Certain letters at the end of a word serve to inform what tense the verb is in, some of those endings include: ing, ed, s, and es. Example: Chew, chews, chewed and chewing.
Sometimes a main verb does not have to change its ending to change its tense. In the English language we have what are called auxiliary verbs or helping verbs. The main auxiliary verbs are: to be, to have or to do. Other examples are: can, could, may, might, will, would, should, shall and must.
The first group can function as main verbs but the second group cannot.
Further examples of main verb tense:
#1) I was walking to school.
Subject: I, main verb: walking Tense: ing, tells us it is happening in the present.
#2) I walked to school.
In this sentence again the main verb is a form of the word walk but this time the ending, ed, means it has already happened it is past-tense.
Familiarizing yourself with action words is generally the first step in recognizing verbs. Practice changing the verb endings to see how it changes the time the action is taking place. Remember that the main verb may not be the only verb in a sentence but it is the one that tells you what the subject is doing. Practice worksheets can be found online. It is a great way to reinforce the concept of main verb tense. Simply type in main verb tense and you will be amazed at the amount of practice and added assistance you will find.