IEP goals for verb tense and irregular past tense

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A past tense IEP goal names the verb type, the task and a criterion counted in obligatory contexts. Example: after acting out 10 actions, Marcus will tell what he did using regular past tense -ed in 9 of 10, up from 3 of 10. Target regular -ed and irregular verbs in separate goals, and probe with verbs you never taught.

Tense errors cluster. A student who says "Yesterday I walk to school" is missing the regular -ed ending. A student who says "I goed" has the rule and is overusing it, which is a sign of learning. A student who says "He sleeped, then he is eating" is losing track of time across a story. Each needs its own goal.

What this page adds: a decision table from error to sub-skill, 24 goals across six tense targets, one weak and measurable pair per section, and a set of past tense activities that work in a 30-minute session. Numbers are illustrations, not norms. For all language areas, start at the speech therapy IEP goals pillar.

How to choose a verb tense goal

Probe regular and irregular verbs separately, with 10 items each, and take a short retell sample. Tense marking is part of morphology, and errors often sit inside a wider syntax profile.^[1]

What you hear	Sub-skill to target	Measurement method
"Yesterday he jump"	Regular past tense -ed	Items correct out of 10; obligatory contexts
"I goed," "she runned"	Irregular past tense	Items correct out of 10
"He running," "They was"	Present progressive, is/are/was/were	Picture probe out of 10
No way to talk about tomorrow; "I already eat"	Future and perfect forms	Picture or question probe
Tense jumps around in a retell	Tense consistency in narratives	Percent of verbs correct in a retell
Device user only taps base verbs	Tense on AAC	Opportunities in routines

Check dialect before you write any goal. Several English dialects, including African American English, mark past and present tense differently from general American English. Those patterns are differences, not errors, and should not be scored as errors.^[2]

Regular past tense -ed

After acting out 10 actions (jump, kick, wash), Marcus will tell what he did using regular past tense -ed in 9 of 10 across 3 sessions. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.
Given 10 before-and-after picture pairs, Marcus will describe the completed action with an -ed verb in 8 of 10 across 2 probes, using 5 untaught verbs. Baseline: 2 of 10. Template.
During a 3-minute talk about the weekend, Kayla will use regular past tense in 80% of obligatory contexts across 3 samples. Baseline: 35%. Template.
When the SLP recasts an -ed error during play, Kayla will repeat the corrected verb in 8 of 10 recasts and use it again later in the session in 5 of 10. Baseline: 1 of 10 later use. Template.
Given 10 spoken sentences with -ed verbs, Kayla will say whether the action already happened or is happening now in 9 of 10 across 2 sessions. Baseline: 5 of 10. Template.

Weak: "Marcus will use past tense verbs." Measurable: Goal 1. The verb type, the task and the count are all named.

Irregular past tense

Teach irregular verbs in small sound-pattern sets (sing, sang; ring, rang) and pick verbs the student uses every day.

Given 10 pictures of completed actions with common irregular verbs (ate, went, saw), Diego will name the action in past tense in 8 of 10 across 3 sessions. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.
Given a set of 15 taught irregular verbs, Diego will use the correct past form in a sentence for 12 of 15 across 2 probes. Baseline: 5 of 15. Template.
During a retell of a class activity, Grace will use correct irregular past tense in 75% of obligatory contexts across 3 retells. Baseline: 40%, mostly overregularized ("eated"). Template.
Given 10 sentences with an irregular verb error ("She runned"), Grace will say the corrected sentence in 8 of 10 across 2 sessions. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.
In a written journal entry of 4 or more sentences, Tyler will spell and use irregular past tense verbs correctly in 85% of verbs across 3 entries. Baseline: 55%. Template.

Weak: "Diego will learn irregular verbs." Measurable: Goal 2. It names a defined verb set and gives a count.

Present progressive and is, are, was, were

Given 10 action pictures, Sofia will describe each with is or are plus -ing ("The dog is running") in 9 of 10 across 3 sessions. Baseline: 4 of 10, omits is. Template.
Given 10 picture prompts with singular and plural subjects, Sofia will use is, are, was or were to match the subject in 8 of 10 across 2 probes. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.
Given 10 pictures of one person doing an action, Jamal will use third-person -s ("She runs fast") in 8 of 10 across 3 sessions. Baseline: 2 of 10. Template.
During a 50-utterance conversation sample, Jamal will use copula and auxiliary forms correctly in 85% of obligatory contexts across 2 samples. Baseline: 58%. Template.

Weak: "Sofia will speak in complete sentences." Measurable: Goal 1. "Complete sentences" is vague; is plus -ing can be counted.

Future and perfect forms

Given 10 questions about what will happen next in a picture sequence, Ella will answer with will or going to in 8 of 10 across 3 sessions. Baseline: 2 of 10. Template.
During morning meeting, Ella will tell one plan for later in the day using future tense in 4 of 5 meetings across 2 weeks. Baseline: 0 of 5. Template.
Given 10 prompts ("Have you ever...?"), Noah will answer with has or have plus a past participle in 7 of 10 across 2 probes. Baseline: 1 of 10. Template.

Weak: "Ella will talk about the future." Measurable: Goal 1. It names the forms and the task.

Tense in retells and personal stories

When retelling a 4-picture story, Ava will keep verbs in past tense in 90% of verbs across 3 retells. Baseline: 60%, shifts to present. Template.
After a class activity, Ava will tell 3 things she did in order using past tense in 4 of 5 opportunities across 2 weeks. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
When asked about yesterday and tomorrow, Ben will answer with the matching tense in 8 of 10 questions across 3 sessions. Baseline: 4 of 10. Template.
In a retell of a 2-episode story, Ben will include the target tense form (regular past) in 85% of obligatory contexts across 3 retells. Baseline: 50%. Template.

Weak: "Ava will retell stories correctly." Measurable: Goal 1. Tense consistency becomes a percentage of verbs.

Understanding tense and tense on AAC

Given 2 pictures (action happening, action finished), Mia will point to the picture that matches a spoken sentence in 9 of 10 across 3 sessions. Baseline: 5 of 10. Template.
With aided modeling after a class activity, Zane will tell about it using the past tense key on his device in 6 of 10 opportunities across 3 weeks. Baseline: 0 of 10. Template.
Given 10 questions using yesterday, today and tomorrow, Zane will choose the correct time word or picture in 8 of 10 across 2 sessions. Baseline: 4 of 10. Template.

Weak: "Zane will use verb endings." Measurable: Goal 2. It names the routine, the device feature and the count.

Past tense activities for speech therapy

The easiest way to get real past tense is to do something first and talk about it after.

Do, then tell. The student does 3 quick actions (jump, clap, stomp). Pause, then ask "What did you do?" The action is over, so past tense is natural.
Cooking recap. Make a simple snack. Take photos of each step. Afterward, the student narrates the photos in order: "We poured, we mixed, we baked."
Yesterday journal. Each Monday, the student draws or picks photos from the weekend and tells about them. Count obligatory contexts in the telling.
Before and after pictures. A full cup and an empty cup: "He drank the milk."
Irregular verb families. Sort verbs by sound pattern (sing, ring, drink to sang, rang, drank). Games like memory or bingo work with these sets.
Video pause. Watch a 20-second clip, stop it, and ask what just happened.

Recast every error without a demand. "I goed outside." "Oh, you went outside!"

How to measure verb tense goals

For probes, score percent accuracy out of 10 items on the accuracy data sheet. Keep regular and irregular verbs in separate columns. Include 3 to 5 untaught verbs in each probe; a student who marks untaught verbs has the rule, not a memorized list. For retell and conversation goals, count correct forms out of obligatory contexts in a 50-utterance sample. Measure every 2 to 3 weeks and graph by verb type.^[3]

Short-term objectives for tense goals

For Marcus's -ed goal: by the first report, 7 of 10 with taught verbs right after acting them out; by the second, 8 of 10 including untaught verbs; by the third, 9 of 10 and 75% in a weekend talk. The short-term objectives guide covers the format.

Adapting by grade and profile

Grade or profile	Typical focus	Example change
Preschool	-ing, is and are	Describe actions during play
K to 2	Regular -ed, common irregulars	Do-then-tell and weekend news
Grades 3 to 5	Tense consistency in retells; perfect forms	Retells and journal writing
Middle and high school	Tense in written and oral reports	Lab reports and history summaries
AAC user	Past tense key on the device	Aided modeling after activities
Dialect speaker	Score only non-dialect errors	Note dialect features in present levels

The verb tense topic collects templates from speech and writing. The syntax and morphology goals page has the full list. For related grammar targets, see pronoun IEP goals, plurals IEP goals and subject-verb agreement goals. The goal checker catches missing criteria.

Frequently asked questions

Should regular and irregular past tense be in the same goal?

Usually not. They are learned differently: regular -ed is a rule, while irregular verbs are learned word by word or in sound families. Separate goals, or at least separate data columns, show which one is moving.

Is saying goed an error to target?

It shows the student has learned the -ed rule and is applying it everywhere, which is a normal step. Target irregular verbs once regular -ed is steady, and recast goed as went without making the student repeat it.

What about students who speak a dialect that marks tense differently?

Dialect features are differences, not disorders. Learn the student's dialect patterns, record them in present levels, and score only forms that are errors in the student's own dialect.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

Spoken Language Disorders, ASHA
Multilingual Service Delivery in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, ASHA
Progress Monitoring: Data & Goal Setting, National Center on Intensive Intervention

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.