VERB TEST
Underline the subjects and circle the correct verbs in the sentences below.
(NOTICE: Many of the sentences contain more than one clause.)
Hypnosis Essay (29 Choices, Present Tenses)
Most people (consider, considering, considers) hypnosis a hoax, but it is really a science. Hypnosis (consist, consisting,
consists) of three parts: induction, hypnotic trance, and conclusion. Hypnotists (induce, inducing, induces) the hypnotic state in
a variety of ways. The usual techniques (employ, employing, employs) direct commands that (is, be, are) repeated again and
again. For example, the hypnotist (instruct, instructing, instructs) the subject to stare at a spot on the ceiling, to relax, to breathe
deeply, and to let his or her eyelids grow heavy and close. Sometimes the subject (respond, responding, responds) to a story or
puzzle that (suggest, suggesting, suggests) relaxation and sleep. “Truth serum” (are, be, is) occasionally used to induce
hypnosis, but most professionals (do, doing, does) not use it.
Once the subject (fall, falling, falls) into a trance, hypnotic suggestion (begin, beginning, begins). Under the hypnotist’s
directions, people’s experiences (vary, varying, varies) greatly. Some people (recall, recalling, recalls) painful memories that
(help, helping, helps) them overcome a psychological problem. In another form of suggestion called “age regression,” the doctor
(take, taking, takes) the hypnotized person back to his or her childhood. The patient (behave, behaving, behaves) in a childlike
way. A person usually (remain, remaining, remains) in a hypnotic state until given a signal by the hypnotist to awaken.
Afterward, he or she often (remember, remembering, remembers) nothing of the experience.
There (is, be, are) many uses for hypnosis. Scientific experiments using hypnosis (reveal, revealing, reveals) important
information about the mind and about human behavior. Hypnosis (soothe, soothing, soothes) some patients who (suffer,
suffering, suffers) from great pain or anxiety. Others (control, controlling, controls) or even (solve, solving, solves) problem
habits such as eating disorders or smoking. Through hypnosis, a witness or victim of a crime sometimes (remember,
remembering, remembers) a detail that (solve, solving, solves) the case. With all these many uses, hypnosis (is, being, are) still
not widely practiced; it (is, be, are) not completely trusted because of side effects such as false memories.
Everglades Essay (21 Choices, Past Tenses)
The day (begin, began, begun) early at Flamingo Camp in Everglades National Park. It (was, were, being) only 6 A.M.
As a morning breeze (gust, gusting, gusted) inland off the bay, gulls and terns (rode, ridden, riding) the air currents overhead.
Wings outstretched, they (maked, making, made) beautiful patterns in the sky. In contrast, white egrets (stood, stoods, standing)
motionless in the tall grass near the water. Huge brown pelicans (lounging, lounges, lounged) on the posts of the dock.
People (getting, got, gotten) up early here, too. In the cabin of a docked craft, a slender man and woman dressed in terrycloth (read, reads, reading) the morning newspaper. Several folks were (making, makes, made) their plans for the long day
ahead as they (eating, eats, ate) their eggs and (drinking, drank, drunk) their coffee in the waterfront cafe. Joggers (taking, taken,
took) advantage of the early morning cool air; they (ran, running, runs) along the well-marked trails in their multicolored
sweatsuits. A few daring souls (jumps, jumping, jumped) off the dock into the chilly lagoon water, after checking to make sure
no alligators (being, was, were) there. Several fishing parties (set, sets, setting) off in their boats; they were (head, heads,
heading) south into the bay, or were (paddle, paddling, paddled) northwest into the endless canals. One early morning crew of
Seminole Indians already had (catched, caught, catching) their quota of swamp creatures for the day; they (displays, displayed,
displaying) several turtles and a basket of muddy crawfish.
Revised 1 October 2009