Verb Forms

 

When considering the use of verb forms, you need to ask yourself:

1.     What verb tense do I need to use?

2.     Which voice (active or passive) is more appropriate?

 

We use past participle forms for the perfect tenses and for passive voice.  Remember, passive voice can be used in every tense. 

 

 

Practice:  Verb Review

 

Look at the sentences below.  Determine what verb form needs to go there.  The simple form follows the sentence.  Then check yourself by clicking on the down arrow at the side of the drop-down box. 

 

1.     He has his glasses all his life. (wear)

2.     We had been visas for three months. (give)

3.     When Professor Jones retires next year, he will have for 45 years. (teach)

4.     This book was being by John Banks before he died. (write)

5.     By the time you get to the party, the table cloths will have been on all the tables. (lay)

6.     The lamp had been by the caretaker. (light)

7.     She her job yesterday. (quit)

8.     The clown out from behind the bush and terrified the little girl. (spring)

9.     The project has been  by our best team in the corporation. (undertake)

10.She was so nervous that she just stood there and her hands. (wring)

11.The boy thought he was going to be accused of the crime, so he into the woods. (flee)

12.She had to become the world’s fastest women before she hurt her knee and had to retire from racing. (strive)

13.The pink slip was at him when he walked into work yesterday.  He had no idea he was going to be fired. (thrust)

14.  Last night, I had in bed for 20 minutes when I heard the noise outside the window. (lie)

15.She had been some pretty bad luck over the past couple of years, and she was ready to turn things around. (deal)

16.The horse was with another one of very fine quality. (breed)

17.She was so angry that she the vase across the room at him. (fling)

18.He will be in as mayor next week. (swear)

19.The coffee is in the grinder and then put into the machine to brew. (grind)

20.She a stranger for her mother at the mall and grabbed her arm. (mistake)

21.Some light was  on the subject when the president came in to explain why the layoffs had taken place. (shed)

22.You have hairs over why we yelled at each other for the past two weeks!  Let’s just forget about it and be friends again. (split)

23.  History should not be. (forget)

24.The food was and the halls were before the guests arrived. (make, sweep)

25.  Tom had his hand, but the teacher did not see it. (raise)

26.  Her mother her to go to the pond to swim with her friends. (forbid)

27.   Yesterday, when I out of bed, I hit my head against the hanging lamp. (rise)

28.  The pamphlet doesn’t explain what is by “the actions to be taken.” (mean)

29.  By the end of this month, she from the course by the administration. (withdraw)

30.  The fountain as soon as the temperature dropped. (freeze)

 

 

 

 

Now, let’s make it more difficult.  Review the verb tense structures at the following link:

 

The English Verb Tenses

 

After you review the tenses, do the following exercise and, during class, hand your answers in to me for 1 percentage point of extra credit added to your final grade. 

 

 

 

Extra Credit Exercise

 

Directions:  Read the following sentences and fill in the blanks with the appropriate verb tense, voice and form based on the tense and the base form of the verb given in parentheses.  The first one is done for you.

 

1.     By the time you get to class, you will have forgotten the material you studied. (future perfect, active, forget)

2.     She ___________________________ (simple past, passive, forbid) to go to the movies because she got suspended from school the day before.

3.      Our dog ____________ (simple past, active, shed) so much hair last winter that I thought he was going to go bald!

4.     The restaurant bill __________________ (simple past, passive, split) by the two of them, so they both had enough money to buy each other a gift before the night was over.

5.     On the night of the festival, a giant basket full of butterflies _____________________(simple future, passive, fling) into the sky, and the butterflies will fly away.

6.     You _____________________(present perfect, active, strive) to be the best you can be.

7.     The governor of our state ____________________ (simple future, passive, swore) in to office the day after tomorrow.

8.     By the time she came home, she _____________________(past perfect, active, quit) her job.

9.     I _________________________(past perfect, active, mistake) him for my brother and tapped him on the shoulder.

10.   The trash has to ______________________(passive, take) out this morning.

11.  When she got to the store, she _________________(past perfect, active, forget) what she needed.

12.  By the time she is 60, she _____________________(future perfect, active, deal) with the problem for over 25 years.

13.   The trees in our backyard _________________________(present perfect, passive, freeze) by the ice and snow.

14. He ___________________(past perfect, active, withdraw) from the class back in October.

15.   Jane ______________________(simple past, active, undertake) the organization of the event even though she felt she was not qualified.

16.   Yesterday, our town _________________(simple past, active, light) the beacon in the lighthouse during a special ceremony.

17.   My father ___________________ (simple past, active, mean) to tell you the time, but it slipped his mind.

18.   The stones _____________________(future perfect, passive, grind) by this machine before they go into the cement mixture.

19.   The dish towels need to _______________(passive, wring) out before we declare the kitchen clean.

20.   The cradle ______________________(past perfect, passive, give) to the family by a kind and generous man.

21.   The councilmen __________________(present perfect, active, make) some very grave errors in judgment during their term.

22.   The report _________________________(future perfect, passive, write) by the time we go into the meeting.

23.   I __________________ (past tense, active, lie) down for almost an hour this afternoon because I didn’t feel well.

24.   The sun ____________________(present perfect, active, rise) so you must get up and go to school.

25.   The flag has to ____________________(passive, raise) on the flag pole every morning.

26. They ________________________(past perfect, lay) the blankets out on the bed for the guests before they came.