Download MP3 (Right-click or option-click the link.)
The teacher says: Today, we're going to talk about the tenses. Now, if I say "I am beautiful," which tense is it?
The student says: Obviously it's the past tense.
NOTES:
Present Tense: I am beautiful.
Past Tense: I was beautiful.
This is funny because the teacher isn't beautiful now, but maybe she was beautiful when she was younger.
This joke came from Jokes for the ESL/EFL Classroom on The Internet TESL Journal's website (iteslj.org).
Perhaps you would like to read the Verb Tenses page from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab.