PRACTICE WITH VERBS

Ask yourself these questions when checicing verbs.

1. Does the sentence contain a verb?

The verb may consist of a single word, or a main verb and one or more auxiliazy
words (aus-words).
(A) A verb can indicate a state of being (what the subject is) or a location.

Betty is intelligent
Robin and Donald are doctors.
Mickey at work.

(B) A verb can indicate what the subject is like or what it becomes.
That child seems frightened.
The book had become obsolete.

(C) A verb can indicate an action. (what the subject is doing).

The students will finish in time.
My neighbor has bought a new car

2.Does the verb agree sv,th the subject?

Verbs must agree in number and person with the Subject. (See agreernent rules in
Practice with Subjects. item 3, page 185.)
2. Is the verb tense correct?
Verbs indicate a point time or period of time in the past, present, or future.

Tense Used for Example sentences

SIMPLE PRESENT (A) a present state of
affairs
(B) a general fact
(C) habitual actions
(D) future timetables
PRESENT CONTINUOS (A) a specific action that is
occurring
(B) a general activity that
(C) future arragements
(A) My sister lives in
Washington
(B) The run rises thc east.
(C) listen to the radio in
the mornings.
(D) My flight leaves
10:00.
A) Andrew is watehing ,
(right now).
(B) My sister is Iiving in
Washington.
Sues condition is
irnproving.
These days, taking it easy
(C) i'm inviting Emma to
the party on Friday.

SIMPLE PAST A) an action or a state A) The mail came

 tht began and early this
ended at a morning . I was
particular time in shy in high school.
the past B) Das worked in
B) an action that advertising for ten
occurred over a years .
period of time but C) We jogged every
was completed in morning before
the past. class.
C) An activity that
took place
regularly in the
past
PAST CONTINUOS A) ongoing actions A) I was sewing when
that were the telephone
interrupted rang. While i was
B) a continuos state sewing ,the
or repeated action telephone rang.
in the past B) She was looking
C) events planned in very ill. I was
the past meeting lots of
people at that time
C) Nancy was leaving
for Chicago but
had to make a last
minute
cancellation.
FUTURE A) expressing a future A) Ji mis going to
(going to) intent base don a bring this sister
decisió n made in tonight
the past B) You are going to
B) predicting an event pass the test . Dont
that is likely to worry.
happen base don C) I dont feel well. Im
the present going to faint
conditions.

A) making a decisió n A) I´ll call you after

at the time of lunch
FUTURE speaking B) You will pass the
(will) B) predicting an event test. Dont worry
that is likely to C) If I dont feel better
happen in the son I will go to the
future doctor.
C) indicating
willingness to so
 somenthing

a) an action that will A) At noon tomorrow,

be ongoing at a I´ll be taking the
particular time in children to their
FUTURE CONTINUOS the future piano lessons
b) future actions that B) I´ll be wearing my
have already been black evening
decided dress to the dinner
PRESENT PERFECT A) an action or a state A) He has been ill
that happened at Im sorry.I have
an unspecified time forgotten
B) an action that has Your name.
recently ocurred
C) an action that B)Hes just gone to
began in the past sleep
and continues up
to the present C)Judy has lived in
(often used with Maire all her life
“for” or since”) I´ve been here since
D) an acton that monday
happened repently Hes known her for
before now two weeks

D)We have flown

across the Pacificfour
times.
I ve failed my drivers
test twice
PRESENT PERFECT A)an action that began i A) Have you been raking
CONTINUOS the past and has just the lawn? There leaves all
recently ended over your shoes.
B) an action that began in B)Laura has been
the past and continues in studying for two hours
the present C) Simon has been
C) an action repeated over smoking since he was
a period of time in the thirteen
past and continuing in the D)I´ve been thinking
present about going to college
D) a general action next year
recently in progress (no
particular time is
mentioned)
PAST PERFECT A) a past action that A) Tom had left hours
ocurred before before we got
another past action there
 B) an action that was
excepted to occur
in the past
PAST PERFECT A) a cotinuos action
CONTINUOS that ocurred before
another past action
B) a continuos action
that was excepted
to occur in the past
FUTURE PERFECT An action that will be
completed before a
particular time in the
future
FUTURE PERFECT An action emphasizing the
CONTINUOS length of time that has
ocurred before a specific
time in the future
B) I had hoped to
know about the
job before now
A) They had been
playing tennis
before the storm
broke .
His eyes hurt
because he had
been Reading for
eight hours
B) I had been
excepting his
change in attitude .
By next July, my parents
will have been married
for fifty years
By May, my father will
have been working at the
same job for thirty years

4- Are the modals used correctly?

Modals are always followed by the base form of a verb .They indicatae mood or
attitude.
can Had better May must shall will
could Have to might Ought to should would

We can leave after 2:30 ( = we are able to leave …)

We could leave after 2:30 ( This is a possibility )
May
might