Lesson 14: Verb Usage
Verbs provide the action in your writing. Choosing the right verbs can make your
writing practically jump off the page. On the other hand, few things are more
distracting for a reader than mistakes in verb usage. In this lesson, you'll review the
skills that will help you avoid the most common verb-related errors.
TIP 1: There are three primary verb tenses: past, present, and future.
Yesterday, we will be going to the movies, but there is a snowstorm, so we went
tomorrow before we would get caught in the blizzard.
You would probably never write a sentence with as many mistakes in it as the one
above, but verb-tense problems are common for most writers. You need to
understand verb tense so that you can tell your reader when things happen.
TIP 2: Use past-tense verbs for events that happened in the past.
Look at these examples of underlined past-tense verbs in a sentence, then write your
own example using a different verb.
When I was in kindergarten, I ate crayons.
Yesterday, I went to the mall with my friends.
TIP 3: Use present-tense verbs for events that are happening now.
Look at these examples of underlined present-tense verbs in a sentence, then write your
own example using a different verb.
Now that I am in eighth grade, I eat massive quantities of nachos.
Right now, I am going to the mall with my friends.
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TIP 4: Use future-tense verbs for events that will happen in the future.
Look at these examples of underlined future-tense verbs in a sentence, then write your
own example using a different verb.
When I am in high school, I will eat a million pizzas.
When I am older, I will drive to the mall with my friends.
Practice Activity 1
Directions: In each sentence, circle the correct verb.
Example: My friend Wally (visits /(visited)/ will visit ) us last summer.
1. Sheila's favorite sport used to be basketball, but now she ( liked / likes / will like
) skydiving.
2. My great-grandma ( is / was / will be ) 99 on her next birthday.
3. Last weekend, Evan ( stay / stayed / will stay ) with his cousin in Apache
Junction.
4. I ( clean / cleaned / will clean ) the aquarium last time!
5. By the year 2200, there ( is / was / will be ) about 157,000 channels on TV.
6. Every Sunday, Sally ( reads / read / will read ) The Arizona Republic.
7. George Washington ( wears / wore / will wear ) false teeth made of wood.
8. My all-time favorite monster movie ( is / was / will be ) The Wolf Man.
9. I predict that Derek ( is / was / will be ) seven feet tall by the time he is 16.
10. The era we live in today ( was called / is called / will be called ) the Information
Age.
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TIP 5: Perfect-tense verbs make more specific statements about time than simpletense verbs.
Many times in your writing, you'll need to use more than just the simple tenses (past,
present, and future). Perfect tenses can help you show time differences in the
following ways:
•
Present-perfect verbs express actions that began in the past but that are still
going on in the present.
Many students have been asked to submit essays for the contest.
•
Past-perfect verbs express actions that began and ended in the past.
Louise had hoped to hear from her pen pal by last Friday.
•
Future-perfect verbs express actions that will begin and end at a certain
point in the future.
By the end of the season, we will have determined who has the best team.
TIP 6: Form perfect tenses by using a helping verb and a past participle.
Perfect tenses are made up of a helping verb and a past participle. Here are the helping
verbs:
•
present perfect: has, have
•
past perfect: had
•
future perfect: will have
For regular verbs, the past participle is formed by adding -ed to the verb, as in walked,
looked, grumbled, or painted. Irregular verbs form their past participles differently.
There are over a hundred common irregular verbs in English. Here are a few, with
their past participles and perfect tenses included.
Present
Past Participle Present
Perfect
Past Perfect
Future Perfect
be
been
has been
had been
will have been
catch
caught
has caught
had caught
will have caught
fall
fallen
has fallen
had fallen
will have fallen
hide
hidden
has hidden
had hidden
will have hidden
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Practice Activity 2
Directions: Use the past participle and a helping verb to fill in the blanks. The first one
has been done for you.
Practice Activity 3
Directions: Look at the underlined verbs in the sentences that follow. If they are
incorrect, pick the correct verb. If they are correct, pick "correct as is."
1. By tomorrow afternoon, the bus has reached Bullhead City.
A. had reached
B. have reached
C. will have reached
D. correct as is
2. During last summer's camping trip to Coconino National Forest, Martin had hoped to
see a shooting star.
A. has hoped
B. have hoped
C. will have hoped
D. correct as is
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3. Since she was a small girl, Ariel had wanted to become a rock star.
A. has wanted
B. have wanted
C. will have wanted
D. correct as is
4. Henry hurried to the corner only to find that the bus will have left five minutes
earlier.
A. has left
B. had left
C. have left
D. correct as is
5. By the time Sasha turns 14 years old next Tuesday, she has read Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone a total of ten times.
A. have read
B. had read
C. will have read
D. correct as is
TIP 7: Progressive-tense verbs describe actions in progress.
Present-progressive verbs express actions currently in progress. Look at these
examples of underlined present-progressive tense verbs in a sentence, then write
your own example using a different verb.
I am riding my bike to school.
We are walking our new puppy in the park.
Past-progressive verbs express past actions in progress. Look at these examples of
underlined past-progressive tense verbs in a sentence, then write your own example
using a different verb.
They were jogging when we drove by.
I was dreaming about roller coasters before the alarm went off.
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Future progressive expresses a future action in progress. Look at these examples of
underlined future progressive tense verbs in a sentence, then write your own
example using a different verb.
We will be shopping at the grocery store tomorrow afternoon.
They will be taking a math test next Monday.
Practice Activity 4
Directions: Complete the following sentences by forming the appropriate progressive
verb tense. Write the missing word or words in the blank space.
Example: I was eating dinner when you called.
1. Ludwig
practicing for the concert all day tomorrow.
2. You
sleeping when we drove through the sand dunes.
3. Miranda
watching TV when she should have been studying.
4. Next Tuesday, Aimee
returning to the Netherlands.
5. Right now, Pedro
taking some books back to the library.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Each of Clyde's 111 tropical fish, from Batman and Superman to Wolverine and
Spider-Man, was—or were?—named after a movie superhero.
Subject-verb agreement may sound complicated, but it's actually pretty simple if you
follow the next two tips.
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TIP 8: A singular subject needs a singular verb, and a plural subject needs a plural
verb.
A singular subject names a single, or one, thing. A plural subject names more than one
thing. A verb must agree with its subject in number.
My friend was playing pinball. (singular)
My friends were playing pinball. (plural)
In the sentence about Clyde's tropical fish, Each is a singular subject. A singular subject
requires a singular verb, so was is the correct choice.
TIP 9: Be sure that the verb you choose agrees with the true subject.
A singular subject is often followed by a phrase or clause that contains a plural noun (or
vice versa). Be sure that the verb you choose agrees with the actual simple subject,
not with some other noun.
If this sounds a bit confusing, the following example may help.
Tom and Bob, not their brother, are on the Tahitian ice hockey team.
In the example, the subject of the sentence is plural: Tom and Bob. The verb must also
be plural: are. The noun brother is contained in a phrase between the subject and
the verb and is not the subject of the sentence.
Here are some more examples of singular and plural subjects and verbs:
Singular
Plural
he sneezes
they
sneeze
the bell
rings
the bells
ring
the CD
plays
the CDs play
Now write some examples of your own.
Singular
Plural
7. Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson
8. a mousetrap
the mousetraps
9. my lunch
our lunches
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Practice Activity 5
Directions: In each sentence, underline the subject and circle the correct verb.
Example: The dogs on our street ( is /(are)) all friendly.
1. The chips in that big bowl ( taste / tastes ) delicious.
2. The baseball cards in Ted's collection ( is / are ) worth a lot of money.
3. All bats, particularly those here at the zoo, ( is / are ) scary-looking creatures.
4. All of my friends except Mario ( play / plays ) soccer.
5. There ( is / are ) approximately 6,000,000 people living in Arizona.
6. That new song by Toby and Hank ( contain / contains ) a lot of truth.
7. Where ( is / are ) the CD Tanisha and her sisters loaned me?
8. The tires on Jana's truck ( was / were ) gigantic.
9. The cartoons in the Sunday paper ( make / makes ) me laugh.
10. Sometimes a flock of birds ( cross / crosses ) the sky.
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