ACT Writing Practice: Verbs
Fill in the blank with the correct verb form.
1. On February 27, 1995, the fire department responded to a blaze that _____
at the Icarus Publishing Co. warehouse.
a. breaks out
b. will break out
c. had broken out
d. is breaking out
2. Gary Talerino and Jennifer O’Brien attended a dance that the school _____.
a. sponsors
b. will sponsor
c. is sponsoring
d. sponsored
3. I am trying to become more skilled at weaving before winter ________.
a. arrived
b. will have arrived
c. will arrive
d. arrives
4. We have _____ more of these strange pods because those people moved in
next door.
a. saw
b. been seeing
c. been seen
d. see
5. The main problem Jim had _____ too many parking tickets.
a. will have been
b. were
c. will have
d. was
6. On Wednesday, Jamal and Jennifer were called to the principal’s office and praised
for helping a student who _____ on the icy sidewalk.
a. falls
b. would fall
c. had fallen
d. has fallen
7. The little boy _____ himself down on the floor and threw a tantrum.
a. flings
b. flinged
c. flung
d. fling
Rewrite the following passive sentences into active sentences.
8. The ACT Writing Test will be completed by me.
9. The storefront was being painted by Jerome when I arrived.
10. The vicious rumor must have been started by the rival high school’s team mascot.
Answers
1. c. The sentence requires a verb in the past tense.
2. d.The sentence requires a verb in the past tense.
3. d.The appropriate tense for this verb is the present tense.
4. b.The verbal form been seeing fits with the verb have.
5. d.The verb was agrees with its subject, problem, and is in the past tense.
6. c. Because the action takes place in the past, the only correct choice is had fallen.
7. c. The correct verb form is the past tense flung.
8. Answers will vary. One solution: I will complete the ACT Writing Test.
9. Answers will vary. One solution: Jerome was painting the storefront when I arrived.
10. Answers will vary. One solution: The rival high school’s team mascot must have
started the vicious rumor.