Name:
Ms. Schiff
English 9
Date:
Verbs Packet
Identifying Helping Verbs
Directions: Write the helping verb or verbs in each phrase at the end of the phrase.
Example: was being written. (was being)
1. would have phone.
2. has chosen.
3. had been closed.
4. did see.
5. shall be working.
6. will have practiced.
7. should have been welded.
8. is dancing.
9. shall have seen.
10. had protested.
Directions: Add the appropriate verb or verbs to complete each sentence. (There will be five verb phrases in all.)
Example: Hal ______ ______ working on that experiment for three weeks.
Hal has been working on that experiment for three weeks.
1. Eldridge and Lorraine _______ not ______ signing the petition.
2. The track team _____ _____ _____ delayed by the storm.
3. What a great player Kantrell ______ ______ been!
4. Something new ______ ______ tried very soon, or the plan ______ fail.
Directions: Using your knowledge of main verbs and helping verbs; rewrite the paragraph, correcting its ten errors.
Type your revision under the original and put the corrections in bold.
The game of basketball invented in 1891. James Naismith, the game’s inventor, not know then that this sport
become so popular. Dr. Naismith wanted an indoor game so that his football team exercise during the winter. Naismith
nailed a peach basket to a wall in a school gym and told his team that they try throwing a ball into the basket. Many of
these young men later become missionaries. The game introduced in China in 1894. Basketball been included in the
Olympics since 1936. The game of basketball has played for about one hundred years. Thousands of boys and girls
playing basketball today.
Identifying Verb Phrases
Directions: Underline all verb phrases, but do not include any words that come between the helping verb and the main
verb.
1. NASA was diligently studying the causes of the crisis.
2. Such an event should never happen again.
3. Since Apollo 13, other missions have been sent to the moon.
4. By 1972, astronauts had landed on the moon six times.
5. They were wearing protective clothing.
6. Scientific instruments have always been carried on each flight.
7. A seismograph can easily detect small movements on the moon’s surface.
8. Did astronauts always recover samples from the lunar surface?
9. Drills were sometimes used for collecting soil samples.
10. The Apollo 13 lunar module would carry two astronauts.
Supplying Helping Verbs
Directions: Complete each sentence with an appropriate helping verb. Bold your answer within the sentence.
1. They _____ land near a crater.
2. The crater ______ originally been the target of Apollo 13.
3. During the Apollo 15 mission, astronauts _______ driving a lunar rover.
4. Our knowledge of the moon ______ increased through these missions.
5. Much space technology _____ later applied to other fields.
Writing Application
Directions: Write a description of one thing you would take with you on a voyage to the moon. Use at least three verb
phrases in your sentences. Underline the helping verbs.
Identifying and Using Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
Directions: Underline the verb or verb phrase in each sentence and at the end of the sentence identify whether it is
transitive or intransitive. If the verb is transitive, write its object as well.
Example: The men played checkers in the park. (played=transitive; checkers)
1. The scientists recorded the results of the experiment.
2. The sound of horses echoed across the prairie.
3. A parcel will arrive in the mail on Thursday.
4. Ann is buying a pair of blue moccasins.
5. Only one red leaf remained on the maple tree.
6. Grandpa often tells stories of his younger days in Wisconsin.
7. Matthew drinks eight glasses of milk a day.
8. The thieves may have hidden the gold in the abandoned mine.
9. No one heard the alarm except me.
10. Several artists are molding sculptures in bronze.
11. Ramon checked his math homework with a calculator.
12. The clouds drifted slowly across the sky.
13. In which pocket did the detective find the clue?
14. The sound of the explosion shattered the calm.
15. This wool sweater feels very scratchy.
16. The moonlight fell softly on the snow.
17. Aunt Phyllis has prepared a fabulous meal.
18. The traffic guard directed the children across the street.
19. How musty the old attic smells!
20. On which door did the young prince knock?
Directions: Write two sentences for each verb- one with the verb as a transitive verb and one with the verb as an
intransitive verb.
Example: study:
We study math every night (transitive)
On Saturday, Marcus and Joey studied for three hours. (intransitive)
1. cook
2. wash
3. call
4. grow
5. read
Recognizing Linking Verbs
Directions: Underline the linking verb in each sentence. At the end of each sentence, identify which words are linked by
the verb.
1. The few months before a flight seem long for the trainees.
2. The crew members are well prepared.
3. So far, the training has been enjoyable.
4. Graduation will be very satisfying.
5. The shuttle training will be a longer course.
6. A mission specialist is extremely experienced.
7. The longer flights are more complex.
8. Some scientific experiments became models for extensive research.
9. The pieces of equipment look very durable.
10. Teamwork is a major emphasis throughout the activities.
Identifying and Using Action and Linking Verbs
Directions: Underline the verb in each sentence and at the end of the sentence identify whether it is an action verb or a
linking verb. If the verb is an action verb, write whether it names a physical or mental action. If it is a linking verb, write
the words that it connects.
Example: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., led the March on Washington. (action verb; physical)
1. Dr. King dreamed of freedom for all people.
2. King was a leader of the civil rights movement in the United States.
3. He won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.
4. Dr. King received a Ph.D. degree from Boston University.
5. He organized a protest against the bus company in his hometown of Montgomery, Alabama.
6. King and many of the people of Montgomery boycotted the city’s public transportation.
7. The Supreme Court decided against the bus company- and against segregation.
8. As a result of the victory, King became famous across the county as a spokesperson for the civil rights movement.
9. Dr. King and his supporters demonstrated in Birmingham, Alabama.
10. Dr. King planned a massive rally in Washington, D.C., in 1963.