Standard English Verbs
Use Standard English verb inflections in place of non-standard local forms
What a learner can do afterwards
- Correct 'we was playing' to 'we were playing' and explain why the standard form is needed in writing
- Choose the standard form in pairs such as 'I did / I done', 'she has / she have', 'they were / they was'
- Rewrite a short passage replacing three non-standard verb forms with their Standard English equivalents
1 · Read
You probably talk one way with friends and a different way in schoolwork, and that's normal. But written English has one standard set of verb forms everyone uses, like 'were' instead of 'was' with we, you, or they.
At home you might say 'We was playing tag.' In your writing, change it to 'We were playing tag,' because 'were' is the standard form that pairs with 'we.'
'I done it' becomes 'I did it' in your writing. 'She have a bike' becomes 'She has a bike,' just like 'he has' or 'it has.'
The pairing works both ways. 'Was' still belongs with I, he, she, and it, so 'I was' and 'she was' are standard. And 'have' belongs with I, you, we, and they, while 'has' stays with he, she, and it. One more helper: 'done' never stands alone, but 'I have done it' is standard.
Try swapping in 'he' to check: 'he have' sounds odd, but 'he has' sounds right. That trick also works for 'was' and 'were.'
In your writing, use 'were' with we/they, 'did' instead of 'done' alone, and 'has' with she/he.
2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
24 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.