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
The lesson
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.'
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.
Watch it
Where it sits
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Where this leads
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8 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.