Present tense, past tense, and future tense are the three tenses that all verbs function under. Let us take a look at these with regard to a specific verb called “like”.
“Like” turns into “liked” in the past tense and “will like” in the future tense. The word can be described as the feeling of fondness or attraction toward a thing, person, or idea.
The verb can be branched out to represent its other conjugational forms. Let us explore “like” as a verb further into this article.
Like in present tense
Verbs tend to have their base forms in the present tense. Let us further. explore “like” in the present tense.
“Like” in the present tense is used as it is written here; which is, in its base form. This is also its present participle form. When a person expresses their own or someone else’s fondness or attraction towards a thing, idea, or another person during an ongoing time frame, it is regarded to be in the present tense.
‘Is’, ‘have’, ‘has’, ‘am’, ‘are’, etc. are some examples of auxiliary verbs, which when placed before a verb, indicate their form in the present tense.
When can “like” be used in the present tense?
| Different Forms of Present Tense | When can “like” be used in respective present tense forms? |
| 1. Simple Present Tense | The simple present tense version of “like” in its verb form is employed when someone expresses their fondness or attraction toward another person or object in a time that is simply taking place in the now. |
| 2. Present Continuous Tense | The present continuous tense version of “like” in its verb form is employed when someone expresses their fondness or attraction toward another person or object in a time that is progressively and continually taking place in the now. |
| 3. Present Perfect Tense | The present perfect tense version of “like” in its verb form is employed when someone expresses their fondness or attraction toward another person or object in a time-frame that signifies the completion of said action in the now. |
| 4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense | The present perfect continuous tense version of “like” in its verb form is employed when someone expresses their fondness or attraction toward another person or object in a time period wherein the said action began in the past but continues and completes in the now. |
Examples of “like” are used in different present-tense forms.
| Types of Present Tense | Example Sentences | Explanations |
| 1. Simple Present Tense | She likes the coffee I just made for her. | In this particularly given example, the verb “likes” is set in the simple present tense form. This can be seen through the use of its base form, which also puts the action of subject directly on the object of the sentence. |
| 2. Present Continuous Tense | She is liking the coffee I just made for her. | As one may be able to see here, the auxiliary verb ‘is’ placed before the word ‘liking’ lends it a quality of being in the present tense and the ‘-ing’ at the end of the verb showcases the continual nature of the action, thus making the conjugational form “is liking” the present continuous tense. |
| 3. Present Perfect Tense | She has liked the coffee I just made for her. | Over here, the term “has liked” can be considered to be the conjugational form of the present perfect tense due to it having a quality of completion to it. The ‘-ed’ suffix added to the verb makes it the past participle of the verb, however, the auxiliary verb ‘has’ clearly indicates its form in the present tense. |
| 4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense | She has been liking the coffee I just made for her. | The merging of the quality of completion and quality of progression makes “has been liking” a term that denotes the present perfect continuous tense. As mentioned above, the ‘-ing’ at the end of the verb makes it a continuous action, the modal verb ’been’ lends it a factor of completion and the auxiliary verb ‘has’ indicates its present tense form. |
Like in past tense
Almost all verbs have a different conjugational property in the past tense form, with only a few exceptions. Let us find out how “like” is conjugated in the past tense.
“Like” turns into “liked” in the past tense. When someone’s fondness or attraction toward another entity, be it an animate or inanimate object, is expressed in a time that has already gone by, it is regarded to be in its past tense form.
‘Has’, ‘were’, and ‘was’, are some of many examples of auxiliary verbs, which when placed before a verb, indicate their form in the past tense.
When can “like” be used in the past tense?
| Different Forms of Past Tense | When can “like” be used in respective past tense forms? |
| 1. Simple Past Tense | The simple past tense version of “like” in its verb form is employed when someone expresses their fondness or attraction toward another person or object in a time that has simply already taken place before. |
| 2. Past Continuous Tense | The past continuous tense version of “like” in its verb form is employed when someone expresses their fondness or attraction toward another person or object in a time that had already progressively and continually taken place in before. |
| 3. Past Perfect Tense | The past perfect tense version of “like” in its verb form is employed when someone expresses their fondness or attraction toward another person or object in a time-frame that signifies the completion of said action in a period that has already passed. |
| 4. Past Perfect Continuous Tense | The past perfect continuous tense version of “like” in its verb form is employed when someone expresses their fondness or attraction toward another person or object in a time period wherein the said action began in the past and continued and completed in the past itself. |
Examples of “like” are used in different past tense forms.
| Types of Past Tense | Example Sentences | Explanations |
| 1. Simple Past Tense | The chief guest liked the show that all the little kids put up for her. | In this particularly given example, the verb “liked” is set in the simple past tense form. This can be seen through the use of its past participle form, which also puts the action of subject directly on the object of the sentence. The ‘-ed’ suffix at the end is a clear giveaway of its past tense form. |
| 2. Past Continuous Tense | The chief guest was liking the show that all the little kids put up for her. | As one may be able to see here, the auxiliary verb ‘was’ placed before the word ‘liking’ lends it a quality of being in the past tense and the ‘-ing’ at the end of the verb showcases the continual nature of the action, thus making the conjugational form “was liking” the past continuous tense. |
| 3. Past Perfect Tense | The chief guest had liked the show that all the little kids put up for her. | Over here, the term “has liked” can be considered to be the conjugational form of the past perfect tense due to it having a quality of completion to it. The ‘-ed’ suffix added to the verb makes and the auxiliary verb ‘had’ before it clearly indicates its form in the past tense. |
| 4. Past Perfect Continuous Tense | The chief guest had been liking the show that all the little kids put up for her. | The merging of the quality of completion and quality of progression makes “had been liking” a term that denotes the past perfect continuous tense. As mentioned above, the ‘-ing’ at the end of the verb makes it a continuous action, the modal verb ’been’ lends it a factor of completion and the auxiliary verb ‘had’ indicates its past tense form. |
Like in future tense
Indications of “like” having been used in the future tense happens when certain conjugational criteria is followed. Let us have a look.
“Like” makes use of modal verbs such as ‘will’ and ‘shall’, just like most other verbs, to convey its conjugational form in the future tense. When a person showcases their attraction, fondness, or derived pleasure toward something or a person in a time that is yet to come by, it is regarded to be in the future tense.
When can “like” be used in the future tense?
| Different Forms of Future Tense | When can “like” be used in respective future tense forms? |
| 1. Simple Future Tense | The simple future tense version of “like” in its verb form is employed when someone expresses their fondness or attraction toward another person or object in a time that is simply going to take place after a short or long while. |
| 2. Future Continuous Tense | The future continuous tense version of “like” in its verb form is employed when someone expresses their fondness or attraction toward another person or object in a time that is going to progressively and continually taken place after a short or long while. |
| 3. Future Perfect Tense | The future perfect tense version of “like” in its verb form is employed when someone expresses their fondness or attraction toward another person or object in a time-frame that signifies the completion of said action in a period that is going to take place in a short or long while. |
| 4. Future Perfect Continuous Tense | The future perfect continuous tense version of “like” in its verb form is employed when someone expresses their fondness or attraction toward another person or object in a time period wherein the said action begins somewhere in the future and continues and completes in the future itself. |
Examples of “like” are used in different future tense forms.
| Types of Future Tense | Example Sentences | Explanations |
| 1. Simple Future Tense | I am sure he will like the movie we take him to watch. | In this particularly given example, the term “will like” is set in the simple future tense form. This can be seen through the use of the modal verb ‘will’ before the main verb, which also puts the action of subject directly on the object of the sentence. |
| 2. Future Continuous Tense | I am sure he will be liking the movie we take him to watch. | As one may be able to see here, the auxiliary verb ‘be’ placed before the word ‘liking’ lends it a quality of being in the future tense and the ‘-ing’ at the end of the verb showcases the continual nature of the action, and above all that the modal verb ‘will’ clearly demonstrates the future tense, thus making the conjugational form “will be liking” the future continuous tense. |
| 3. Future Perfect Tense | I am sure he will have liked the movie we take him to watch. | Over here, the term “will have liked” can be considered to be the conjugational form of the future perfect tense due to it having a quality of completion to it. The ‘-ed’ suffix added to the verb makes it the past participle of the verb, however, the auxiliary verb ‘had’ clearly indicates its form in the future tense and the modal verb ‘will’ obviously makes it to be in the future tense. |
| 4. Future Perfect Continuous Tense | I am sure he will have been liking the movie we take him to watch. | The merging of the quality of completion and quality of progression makes along with the ‘will’ in the beginning makes “will have been liking” a term that denotes the future perfect continuous tense. As mentioned above, the ‘-ing’ at the end of the verb makes it a continuous action, the modal verb ’been’ lends it a factor of completion and the auxiliary verb ‘have’ indicates its future tense form. |
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that the verb “like” works well in all tenses and sub-tenses and possesses particular conjugational characteristics that go along with each of those tenses and sub-tenses
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