Mastering the Verb “Lack” in English Tenses: A Comprehensive Guide

The verb “to lack” is a regular verb in English, and its conjugation follows a standard pattern. This comprehensive guide will delve into the intricate details of using “lack” in various tenses, providing you with a thorough understanding of its grammatical nuances.

Present Tense

Indicative

• I lack
• You lack
• He/She/It lacks
• We lack
• You lack
• They lack

Present Continuous

• I am lacking
• You are lacking
• He/She/It is lacking
• We are lacking
• You are lacking
• They are lacking

Past Tense

Indicative

• I lacked
• You lacked
• He/She/It lacked
• We lacked
• You lacked
• They lacked

Past Continuous

• I was lacking
• You were lacking
• He/She/It was lacking
• We were lacking
• You were lacking
• They were lacking

Past Participle

Indicative

• I have lacked
• You have lacked
• He/She/It has lacked
• We have lacked
• You have lacked
• They have lacked

Past Perfect Continuous

• I had been lacking
• You had been lacking
• He/She/It had been lacking
• We had been lacking
• You had been lacking
• They had been lacking

Future Tense

Indicative

• I will lack
• You will lack
• He/She/It will lack
• We will lack
• You will lack
• They will lack

Future Continuous

• I will be lacking
• You will be lacking
• He/She/It will be lacking
• We will be lacking
• You will be lacking
• They will be lacking

Future Perfect

• I will have lacked
• You will have lacked
• He/She/It will have lacked
• We will have lacked
• You will have lacked
• They will have lacked

Future Perfect Continuous

• I will have been lacking
• You will have been lacking
• He/She/It will have been lacking
• We will have been lacking
• You will have been lacking
• They will have been lacking

Examples

Present Tense

• I lack the skills to complete this task. (Indicative)
• She is lacking confidence in her abilities. (Present Continuous)

Past Tense

• They lacked the resources to finish the project. (Indicative)
• We were lacking the necessary information. (Past Continuous)

Past Participle

• I have lacked the motivation to continue. (Indicative)
• They had been lacking the support they needed. (Past Perfect Continuous)

Future Tense

• We will lack the funding for the new project. (Indicative)
• He will be lacking the experience for the job. (Future Continuous)

Theoretical Explanation

The verb “to lack” follows the standard pattern of regular verbs in English. The present tense is formed by adding -s to the third-person singular form (he/she/it lacks). The past tense and past participle are formed by adding -ed to the base form (lacked). The present participle is formed by adding -ing to the base form (lacking).

Advanced Details

Modal Verbs

• Can lack
• Could lack
• May lack
• Might lack
• Must lack
• Ought to lack
• Shall lack
• Should lack
• Will lack
• Would lack

Negative Forms

• Do not lack
• Did not lack
• Does not lack
• Will not lack

Reference Links

1. Conjugation of “lack” in English
2. Past Tense of “lack”
3. Wiktionary Entry for “lacked”