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The most frequent mistake with verbs is using the past participle when you should use the past tense -- or vice versa.

Wrong: He has went to the office.         Wrong: He gone to the office.
Right: He went to the office.                    Right: He has gone to the office.

Wrong: I done all my homework.          Wrong: I have did all my homework.
Right: I did all my homework.                 Right: I have done all my homework.

When describing a series of actions, don't mix the past tense and the present perfect (verbs with the helping verb have).

Wrong: The firefighters have heard the alarm, woke up, and went to put out the fire.
Right: The firefighters have heard the alarm, woken up, and gone to put out the fire.
Right: The firefighters heard the alarm, woke up, and went off to put out the fire.

Use the past perfect (verb with the helping verb had) to describe the earlier of two past actions.

Wrong:  The batter hit a home run after he struck out twice.
Right:   The batter hit a home run after he had struck out twice.

Don't use the conditional in "if clauses" that describe the earlier of two past actions. Use the past perfect.

Wrong: If I would have known you were coming, I would have baked a cake.
Right: If I had known you were coming, I would have baked a cake.

Wrong: If she would have jumped higher, she would have made the basket.
Right: If she had jumped higher, she would have made the basket.

Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda

When people speak, they often slur words so that it sounds like they're saying "I shoulda known better," or "I could've done better." It's important to remember that the words they are slurring are could have, would have, and should have, not could of, would of, or should of.

Wrong: You should of locked the door when you left the house.
Right:  You should have locked the door when you left the house.

Wrong: I could of danced all night.
Right:  I could have danced all night.

Wrong: We would of come earlier if we had known it would get dark so soon.
Right: We would have come earlier if we had known it would get dark so soon.