What is a verb?
A verb expresses an action or a state of being.
Action Verbs
One kind of verb indicates action. The action may be visible or unseen. An action verb tells that
something is happening, has happened, or will happen.
The storm raged. Bill expects a raise.
Maria has great ambition.
Linking Verbs
Some verbs simply tell that something exists. Such verbs express a state of being.
The election is Tuesday.
Spencer was our captain. Rita seems happy.
Most state-of-being verbs link the subject with a word or words in the predicate. These verbs are called
linking verbs. Here are the most common linking verbs.
be (am, is, was, were, be, being, been)
look
smell
seem
appear
taste
sound
become
feel
grow
Some linking verbs can also be used as action verbs.
LINKING VERB
ACTION VERB
The t-shirt looked dirty.
Kim looked at the painting.
The meal grew cold.
The gardener grew zinnias.
When you look at the verb in a sentence, notice how it is used. Decide whether it expresses action or
simply links the subject with a word in the predicate.
Exercise A: Circle the verb in each sentence. In the space provided, tell whether it is an ACTION or
LINKING verb.
1. Jennifer and Marcia portaged the canoe.
___________________________________________
2.
Who won this year’s Nobel Prize in medicine? _________________________________________
3.
The Senator campaigned for reelection. _______________________________________________
4.
That abandoned building looks spooky. _______________________________________________
5.
Diane programmed the computer. ___________________________________________________
6.
The flight to Cleveland seemed very smooth. __________________________________________
7.
The ranch overlooks the Rockies. ___________________________________________________
8.
Water became scarce during the summer. _____________________________________________
9.
We saw an old-fashioned rodeo in Bishop, California. ___________________________________
10. Juan likes books about the American Civil War. ________________________________________
11. Judge Leonard Suchanek amazes most people. _________________________________________
12. At birth, Suchanek had only forty percent hearing. ______________________________________
13. At age five he became totally blind from an accident. ___________________________________
14. He studied Braille for several years at a special school. __________________________________
15. The young boy soon developed an important, positive attitude towards life. __________________
16. From childhood, Suchanek constantly challenged the limits of his handicaps. _________________
17. He was an excellent student in both high school and college. ______________________________
18. Eventually this man became a successful lawyer. _______________________________________
What Is a Verb?
A verb expresses an action or state of being.
An action verb tells that something is happening, has happened, or will happen. The action indicated may
be visible or unseen.
A bomb exploded in Italy.
Carol hopes for a brighter future.
Some verbs express a state of being. Most state-of-being verbs link the subject with some other word or
words in the sentence. These verbs are called linking verbs.
Miss Marple is a detective.
The parking lot appears full.
Distinguishing Between Action Verbs and Linking Verbs. Underline the verb in each
sentence. Write Action or Linking to show what kind it is.
1. The fresh whitefish tastes good. ______________________________________________
2. Experts from the FBI handled the case. ________________________________________
3. These bananas are finally ripe. _______________________________________________
4. Your new perfume smells very nice. __________________________________________
5. Governor Cuomo signed the bill. _____________________________________________
6. Chocolate is expensive but worth every cent. ___________________________________
7. Trisha exercised in the gym. ________________________________________________
8. The Coast Guard rescued us after several hours. _________________________________
9. That picture seems crooked. ________________________________________________
10. Hank Aaron retired from baseball. ____________________________________________
11. Those tourists look exhausted. _______________________________________________
12. Frances dunked the basketball through the hoop. ________________________________
13. Soldiers attacked the fortress at dawn. _________________________________________
14. The wasps flew around my head. _____________________________________________
15. Charles Dickens was also an actor. ___________________________________________
16. We watched the traffic helicopter. ____________________________________________
17. The cuffs of the jacket feel tight. _____________________________________________
18. Ross sweeps the porch every morning. ________________________________________
19. Is Melissa a good team captain? _____________________________________________
20. After the accident, Glen wore a neck brace. ___________________________________
2
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
In many sentences an action verb expresses an idea by itself. In other sentences a direct
object completes the action of the verb. The direct object, as you have learned, tells who
or what receives the action of the verb. Verbs that have direct objects are called
transitive verbs.
 Dave met the mayor. (Direct object mayor completes the meaning of the verb
met.)
 The officer wore several medals. (Direct object medals completes the verb wore.)
Verbs that do not have direct objects are called intransitive verbs.
The winners rejoiced.
Steve rested under a tree.
Notice that in the second sentence, the words following the verb modify it. They do not
receive the action of the verb, and are therefore not objects of the verb.
Some action verbs are always transitive or always intransitive. Other verbs may be
transitive in one sentence and intransitive in another. Compare these examples. Direct
objects are in bold.
TRANSITIVE
INTRANSITIVE
The girls swam a mile.
The girls swam.
The artist sketched the model.
The artist sketched by the sea.
Ella sings the lead.
Ella sings tonight.
Exercise A: Circle the action verb in each sentence. In the blank after the sentence,
write transitive or intransitive to show what kind it is. If the verb is transitive, write its
object.
1. Those trucks have diesel engines. ______________________________________
2. The herd of elephants suddenly charged the hyenas. ________________________
3. Neon signs flashed in the dark. ________________________________________
4. The spacecraft explored Saturn. ________________________________________
5. Mrs. LaPorte videotaped the final performance of our class play. _____________
6. The train from Washington finally arrived. ______________________________
7. During the storm the airport closed. ____________________________________
8. Tom often swims before school. _______________________________________
9. Sarah reads horror stories and fantasies. _________________________________
10. Through the tangle of branches we saw luminous eyes. _____________________
3
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
In many sentences an action verb expresses an idea by itself. In other sentences a direct object
completes the action of the verb. A direct object answers whom or what about the verb.
Verbs that have direct objects are transitive verbs.
 The secretary took notes. (The direct object is notes).
 Susan saw them. (The direct object is them.)
Verbs that do not have direct objects are called intransitive verbs.
I worried.
Steve shouted.
Sue waited at her house.
Some action verbs are always transitive or intransitive. Other verbs change from one sentence to
another.
Vera ran a mile. (transitive)
Vera ran in the park. (intransitive)
Distinguishing Between Transitive and Intransitive Verbs. Underline the action verb in each
sentence. Write whether it is Transitive or Intransitive. If transitive, label the direct object.
1. The network canceled the show. _____________________________________________
2. Sandra competed in the archery contest. _______________________________________
3. The ozone alert ended. _____________________________________________________
4. The baby took his first step. _________________________________________________
5. Mark Aguirre made the free throw. ___________________________________________
6. Forty students registered for the class. _________________________________________
7. The crowd scattered at the sound of the explosion. _______________________________
8. New recruits solemnly took the oath. _________________________________________
9. Jeanette refinished the old oak table. _________________________________________
10. The tornado damaged many home. ___________________________________________
11. Howard waxed the floor. ___________________________________________________
12. The heron called its mate. __________________________________________________
13. Bonnie caught a five-pound bass. ____________________________________________
14. The audience cheered for the winner. _________________________________________
15. Julio gave the squirrel a peanut. ______________________________________________
16. The plane wandered from its flight path. _______________________________________
4
The Parts of the Verb
Many verbs are made up of a main verb plus one or more helping verbs. The most
common helping verbs are forms of be, have, and do. They may also be used as main verbs.
BE – am, is, be, are, was, were, been
HAVE – has, have, had
DO – does, do, did
Used as main verb
Used as helping verb
I was lucky.
I was eating lunch.
Jill has a cold.
Jill has finished her report.
We did our chores.
We did like the movie.
Here are other frequently used helping verbs.
can
will
shall
could
would
should
may
might
must
Helping verbs combine with the main verb to become parts of the verb.
HELPING VERB(S) + MAIN VERB
=
VERB
am
going
am going
are
watching
are watching
should have
stayed
should have stayed
Sometimes the parts of the verb are separated. The words that come between them are not part of
the verb.
Chinese food has always seemed tasty.
The team was barely paying attention.
Did the press secretary speak?
Exercise A: Circle the verbs and label them HV for helping verb and MV for main verb.
1. A new snack shop has opened.
2. The glider was soaring above the valley.
3. The express train does not stop at Webster Avenue.
4. A computer will prepare the class lists.
5. Has Bob been diving for scallops?
6. No fuel should be wasted.
7. The roan stallion must have escaped from the corral.
8. No one had ever climbed that mountain.
9. Construction workers on a job site must always wear hardhats.
10. A smoke alarm would have alerted us to the fire.
5
The Parts of a Verb
Many verbs are made up of a main verb plus one or more helping verbs. The most common
helping verbs are forms of be, have, and do. They may also be used as main verbs.
USED AS MAIN VERBS
USED AS HELPING VERBS
I was glad.
I was painting.
Ramon has a dog.
Ramon has changed his clothes.
Janice did her homework.
Janice did mention that.
Helping verbs combine with the main verb to become parts of the verb.
HELPING VERB
+
MAIN VERB
= VERB
will
work
will work
must have
gone
must have gone
Sometimes parts of the verb are separated. The words that come between them are not part of the
verb.
Tim has never liked carrots.
Did you check your answer?
Identifying the Parts of a Verb. Underline the verb in each sentence. Write HV above each
helping verb. Write MV above each main verb.
1. Sonia will request a transfer to the second-year French class.
2. Spaghetti was invented in China.
3. Has the letter to the mayor been mailed?
4. You should not leave your backpack on the ground.
5. Did the candidate prove that point?
6. Evan might apply for the job at the Department of Parks and Recreation.
7. Can Rick operate a sewing machine?
8. The new building was completed on schedule.
9. The bald eagle has already made a comeback.
10. I could hardly walk after my fall down the basement stairs.
11. Flights have been delayed for an hour because of the fog.
12. Tortoises may live for one hundred and ninety years.
13. Can Steve set a new record in the pole vault?
14. The child actress has made a number of commercials.
15. The yo-yo was first designed as a weapon.
16. Many recent hits were originally recorded in the 1930’s.
6
VERB TENSES
In addition to expressing action or state of being, a verb can also tell when that action or state of
being occurs. By changing form, verbs can indicate past time, present time, or future time. These changes
in form to indicated time are called tenses. The changes are usually made in one of these two ways:
1. Change in spelling
Run → ran
try→ tried
close → closed
2. Use of helping verbs
Eat → had eaten
survive → will survive
climb → has climbed
In English, there are three simple tenses and three perfect tenses. This list shows examples of the
six main tenses for the verbs paint and watch.
PRESENT TENSE:
I paint.
She watches.
PAST TENSE:
I painted.
She watched.
FUTURE TENSE:
I will paint.
She will watch.
PRESENT PERFECT TENSE:
I have painted.
She has watched.
PAST PERFECT TENSE:
I had painted.
She had watched.
FUTURE PERFECT TENSE:
I will have painted.
She will have watched.
SIMPLE TENSES
The present tense indicates time in the present. The present tense form is usually the same as the name of
the verb. When verbs are used with most singular subjects, an –s is added to the end of verb.
I know.
Kathy knows.
My mother knows.
The past tense shows past time. Most verbs form the past tense by adding –d or –ed.
Ben raced.
Yvonne called.
I laughed.
Some verbs form the past tense in irregular ways.
They rode.
Sue went to the game.
Adam swam.
The future tense shows time in the future. In this tense, shall or will is used with the verb.
Keith will start.
Donna will guess.
I shall return.
Perfect Tenses
The perfect tenses are used when we have to speak of two different times, one earlier than the
others. The perfect tenses are formed by using the helping verbs has, have, and had.
The present perfect tense tells of an action or state of being in some indefinite time before the
present. The helping verb has or have is used.


They have arrived.
The class has elected its officers.
The past perfect tense tells of an action or state of being that preceded some other past action or
state of being. The helping verb had is used.


They had been lonely until we came.
Marie had waited for the bus for hours, but it never arrived.
The future perfect tense tells of an action or state of being that will occur before some other
future action or state of being.


By this time tomorrow, you will have met the Governor.
When the hike is over, we will have walked ten miles.
7
Exercise A: Circle the verbs in the following sentences. On the space provided, tell the
tense of each.
______________________ 1. Thunder rumbled in the distance.
______________________ 2. We have lived in Fort Collins for three years.
______________________ 3. The Packers had already accepted the penalty.
______________________ 4. Bernstein kicks most of the field goals.
______________________ 5. An overtime will decide the game.
______________________ 6. Helmets protect motorcycle riders.
______________________ 7. Each suspect will take a lie detector test.
______________________ 8. By noon the hikers will have reached the Alpine Meadows.
______________________ 9. Police thoroughly searched the hideout.
______________________ 10. The mobsters had already fled through a hole in the roof.
Exercise B: Write a sentence for each of the verbs below. Use the tense indicated.
1. judge (past) ______________________________________________________
2. deny (present perfect) ______________________________________________
3. notice (past perfect) _______________________________________________
4. live (present) _____________________________________________________
5. flip (past) ________________________________________________________
6. drive (present) ____________________________________________________
7. explode (future) ____________________________________________________
8. prepare (future perfect) ______________________________________________
9. work (present perfect) _______________________________________________
10. dance (future) ______________________________________________________
8
Verb Tenses
Verbs indicated time. They tell when an action or state of being occurs. Verbs can
indicate past time, present time, or future time by changing form. These changes in form are
called tenses. Tenses are usually made in these ways:
1. Change in spelling: fade, faded; work, worked; cry, cried; begin, began, begun
2. Use of helping verbs: will call, have moved, had dared, will have judged
Study these examples of the six main tenses for the verbs live and learn:
Present tense:
He lives
You learn
Past tense:
He lived
You learned
Future tense:
He will live
You will learn
Present perfect tense:
He has lived
You have learned
Past perfect tense:
He had lived
You had learned
Future perfect tense:
He will have lived
You will have learned
Recognizing verb tenses. Circle the verb in each sentence. On the blank, identify the tense of
each verb.
1. Wendy has taken two years of Spanish. __________________________________
2. Isaac Stern will perform tomorrow. _____________________________________
3. I had forgotten my wallet. ____________________________________________
4. Louis has two sisters. ________________________________________________
5. The keypunch operator checked her work. _______________________________
6. By next week, Darlene will have been here two years. _____________________
7. The rugby players will challenge us. ___________________________________
8. Tony had brought an extra roll of film. _________________________________
9. Chief Joseph headed north. ___________________________________________
10. We have read the contract. ____________________________________________
Using Verb Tenses. Write a sentence for each of the verbs below. Use the tense indicated.
1. read (past) _________________________________________________________
2. talk (future) ___________________________________________________
3. finish (present perfect) ___________________________________________
4. smile (present) _________________________________________________
5. hope (past perfect) ______________________________________________
9
The Principal Parts of a Verb
The principal parts of a verb are its basic forms. The principal parts of a verb are the present, the
past, and the past participle. By combining these forms with helping verbs, you can make all of the six
main tenses.
Most verbs form the past and present participle by adding –d or –ed to the present form. These verbs are
called regular verbs because they form the past and past participle by following a regular pattern.
Present
Past
Past Participle
trust
trusted
(have) trusted
want
wanted
(have) wanted
move
moved
(have) moved
change
changed
(have) changed
Note: Some regular verbs change the spelling when the –d or –ed is added. Study these examples that
follow:
Present
Past
Past Participle
try
tried
(have) tried
trot
trotted
(have) trotted
say
said
(have) said
slip
slipped
(have) slipped
The past participle is used for all perfect tenses. It must be used with a helping verb.
They have changed.
We had tried.
Mark must have known.
Beth has slipped.
Exercise: fill in the chart below.
Present
Past
Past Participle
cook
marry
seem
belong
pull
copy
happen
lift
act
toss
follow
open
claim
drag
10
The Principal Parts of a Verb
The principal parts of a verb are its basic forms. By combining these forms with
helping verbs, you can make all tenses. The principal parts of a verb are the present,
the past, and the past participle. The past participle is used for perfect tenses. It
must have a helping verb.
Most verbs form the past tense and the past participle by adding –d or –ed to the
present form. These verbs are called regular verbs. Notice that some regular verbs
change their spelling when the –d or –ed is added.
Present
Past
Past Participle
arrive
arrived
(have) arrived
burn
burned
(have) burned
drop
dropped
(have) dropped
bury
buried
(have) buried
Forming the Principal Parts Of Regular Verbs. Fill in the chart below.
PRESENT
PAST
PAST PARTICIPLE
APPEAR
SHOP
OPEN
CARRY
TRAVEL
PRAISE
TIP
CHANGE
CLOSE
TRAP
ORDER
COMPARE
SNAP
CRY
DESCRIBE
SCURRY
11
Using Irregular Verbs
There are two ways to be sure of the forms of irregular verbs. One way is to look up the verbs in
the dictionary. The other way is to learn the principle parts of commonly used irregular verbs.
Once you know the principal parts, keep the following ideas in mind. The past participle is always
used with have or be helping verbs. The past participle is used for present perfect and past perfect tenses.
The past form is not used with helping verbs.
The principal parts of irregular verbs can be confusing. They may seem simpler if you learn the
following five patterns:
Group 1
Some irregular verbs keep the same form for all three principal parts. These are easy to remember.
PRESENT
PAST
PAST PARTICIPLE
burst
burst
(have) burst
cost
cost
(have) cost
cut
cut
(have) cut
let
let
(have) let
put
put
(have) put
set
set
(have) set
Group 2
Another group of irregular verbs changes from only once. The past and the past participle are the same.
PRESENT
PAST
PAST PARTICIPLE
bring
brought
(have) brought
catch
caught
(have) caught
lead
led
(have) led
lend
lent
(have) lent
lose
lost
(have) lost
say
said
(have) said
sit
sat
(have) sat
Exercise A: Choose the correct form of the verb.
1. The convention (brang, brought) five thousand delegates to San Diego.
2. The infielder has (catched, caught) the foul ball.
3. These ice skates (costed, cost) twice as much as my old ones.
4. Estelle (put, putted) a videotape on the player.
5. Lauren (lent, lended) me a special wrench.
6. The state crew (set, setted) up the props and scenery.
7. No one has ever (sayed, said) that before.
8. A hose in the engine (burst, bursted).
9. Duncan has (sat, sitted) on the bench all season.
10. Kris (leaded, led) in scoring for the Wildcats.
11. Somehow I (lost, losed) track of the time.
12. The reward for any helpful information was (setted, set) at $1,000.
13. Suddenly, Jane (burst, bursted) into the room.
14. Jim has (put, putted) more kerosene in the lamp.
15. Deena (caught, catched) the flu.
16. The fisherman had not (brang, brought) enough bait.
17. In 1978 gas (cost, costed) less than a dollar a gallon.
18. The exhausted soldiers (sat, sitted) wearily in their barracks.
19. Porter (led, leaded) by only a few thousand votes in the primary election.
20. The lawyer has (said, sayed) very little about the complicated case.
12
Irregular Verbs (I)
Some verbs do not follow the regular pattern of adding –d or –ed to form the past tense
and past participle. Such verbs are called irregular verbs. Learning the principal parts of
irregular verbs will be simpler if you study five basic patterns.
Group 1 Some irregular verbs keep the same form for all three principal parts
Present
Past
Past Participle
burst
burst
(have) burst
cost
cost
(have) cost
put
put
(have) put
set
set
(have) set
Group 2 Another group of irregular verbs changes form only once. The past and past
participle are the same.
Present
Past
Past Participle
bring
brought
(have) brought
catch
caught
(have) caught
lead
led
(have) led
lend
lent
(have) lent
lose
lost
(have) lost
say
said
(have) said
sit
sat
(have) sat
Using Irregular Verbs. Circle the correct word from the two given.
1. Lana (putted, put) the final touches on her history project.
2. Mr. Fisher has (lent, lended) me the tape of the ball game.
3. Georgia (brung, brought) the hot dogs for our picnic.
4. The projection TV (cost, costed) over three thousand dollars.
5. The merchants have (setted, set) lower prices for the sale.
6. My counselor (sayed, said) that the exam is next Saturday.
7. They had not (catched, caught) many fish that day.
8. Our float (led, lead) the Saint Patrick’s Day parade.
9. That’s the third game in a row the Expos have (losed, lost).
10. Ms. Collins (sat, sitted) in her favorite chair.
11. Nine of the balloons (bursted, burst) because of the heat.
12. The campers have (bring, brought) their packs.
13. I (lended, lent) Al my cassette player while he was hospitalized.
14. Sara has (lead, led) the team to another victory.
15. Mr. Lupico (catched, caught) the midnight train to Georgia.
13
Irregular Verbs
Group 3 Verbs in this group add –n or –en to the past tense to form the past participle
Present
break
choose
freeze
speak
steal
wear
Past
broke
chose
froze
spoke
stole
wore
Past Participle
(have) broken
(have) chosen
(have) frozen
(have) spoken
(have) stolen
(have) worn
Group 4 The verbs in this group change their final vowels. The vowel changes from I in the
present tense to a in the past tense and u in the past participle.
Present
begin
drink
ring
sing
swim
Past
began
drank
rang
sang
swam
Past Participle
(have) begun
(have) drunk
(have) rung
(have) sung
(have) swum
Using Irregular Verbs. Circle the correct form of the verb.
1. The class had (chose, chosen) Sharon as their delegate to the mock convention.
2. Theses shoes are (wore, worn) out already.
3. Troy (drank, drunk) five glasses of cider after the softball game.
4. Vanessa has (swum, swam) across the lake several times.
5. The yogurt pie is (froze, frozen).
6. I (sang, sung) in the choir for three years.
7. The phone has not (rung, rang) at all for days.
8. We (began, begun) the meeting without you.
9. The senator (spoke, spoken) to the press about jobs for teenagers.
10. No one has ever (stole, stolen) anything from these lockers.
11. Jody has (sang, sung) in the show many times in the past.
12. The wedding music had already (began, begun) when the bride arrived.
13. Randy (broke, broken) the old record by thirty seconds.
14. Ted (wore, worn) his checkerboard tennis shoes to the dance last week.
15. The pond had (froze, frozen) solid overnight.
16. The contestant (chose, chosen) the prize behind door number one.
14
Circle the correct verb from the two forms given.
1. Ms. Gomez has (chose, chosen) a blue interior for her car.
2. The environmental group has (spoke, spoken) to the governor.
3. Money had been (stole, stolen) from the cash register.
4. The rock group (wore, worn) gold and glitter.
5. Evans (broke, broken) a land-speed record.
6. Tires squealed as the cars (tore, torn) around the track.
7. After an afternoon of ice skating, my feet were nearly (froze, frozen).
8. A rock has (broke, broken) the display window.
9. The country has (chose, chosen) a new leader.
10. Have you (wore, worn) the sweater your aunt bought you in Denmark?
11. A pickpocket (stole, stolen) Ken’s wallet during the rally.
12. The sign read, “Spanish is (spoke, spoken) here.”
13. The sailors (wore, worn) their dress uniforms.
14. The bickering lawyers have finally (chose, chosen) a jury.
15. Rain (froze, frozen) on the windshield.
16. Lori accidentally (tore, torn) up a dollar bill.
17. The relay team has (broke, broken) a world record.
18. The mourners have (wore, worn) black clothing.
19. Some top-secret papers have been (stole, stolen).
20. The social worker (spoke, spoken) about conflicts.
15
Circle the correct form of the verb from the two given.
1. Emily (began, begun) babysitting last year and now has many clients.
2. Someone must have (drank, drunk) all the lemonade.
3. Bill (rang, rung) for the flight attendant.
4. I wonder how many times the Beach Boys have (sang, sung) “California Girls.”
5. The telephone had (rang, rung) all day.
6. When Paul Robeson (sang, sung) “Old Man River,” the audience sat spellbound.
7. Our husky has (began, begun) his obedience school course.
8. Count Dracula (drank, drunk) the blood of his victims.
9. The hospital has (began, begun) a blood drive.
10. Stevie Wonder (sang, sung) his latest hit single.
11. The loud noises (rang, rung) in my ears.
12. Leslie (swam, swum) for an hour in the icy water of Lake Superior.
13. The team (began, begun) to rally in the fourth quarter.
14. Jeff (drank, drunk) a quart of milk at lunch.
15. A piranha (swam, swum) alone in the huge tank.
16. The candidates have (began, begun) to campaign.
17. After the wedding, bells (rang, rung).
18. Have you (drank, drunk) all the grape juice?
19. Many operas are (sang, sung) in Italian.
20. Had they (swam, swum) in the ocean before?
16
Irregular Verbs
Group 5 For some irregular verbs the past participle is formed from the present tense. The past
participle looks more like the present tense than the past tense.
Present
come
do
eat
fall
give
go
grow
ride
rise
run
see
take
throw
write
Past
came
did
ate
fell
gave
went
grew
rode
rose
ran
saw
took
threw
wrote
Past Participle
(have) come
(have) done
(have) eaten
(have) fallen
(have) given
(have) gone
(have) grown
(have) ridden
(have) risen
(have) run
(have) seen
(have) taken
(have) thrown
(have) written
Exercise: Circle the correct verb form from the two given.
1.
Mr. Torres has (ran, run) his store for twenty years.
2.
Cary (threw, thrown) a terrific party.
3.
A passenger has (fell, fallen) overboard!
4.
Vera (ate, eaten) raw fish at a Japanese restaurant.
5.
Ken (grew, grown) four inches last year.
6.
Charles Kuralt has (went, gone) to all corners of America.
7.
Jory had (saw, seen) more horror films than any of us.
8.
Paris is (knew, known) for its high fashion.
9.
Sterling and Darrell (took, taken) a Greyhound bus to Flagstaff, Arizona.
10. Samantha has (rode, ridden) a bike across Nebraska and South Dakota.
11. The dictator has (fell, fallen) from power.
12. The job had (came, come) along just in time.
13. A gymnast (did, done) handsprings and back flips across the mat.
14. Since the 1930’s, George Gallup has (took, taken) polls of public opinion.
15. Dennis (saw, seen) a strange object flying in the night sky.
16. Has everyone (gave, given) up on this project?
17. Anne (went, gone) to City Hall to see the mayor.
18. The candidate has (ran, run) her campaign honestly.
19. The Outsiders and Rumble Fish were (wrote, written) by S. E. Hinton.
20. The escaped prisoners were last (saw, seen) in an Oklahoma town.
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Irregular Verbs (III)
Group 5 For these verbs, the past participle is formed from the present tense.
Present
come
do
eat
fall
give
go
grow
ride
rise
run
see
take
throw
write
Past
came
did
ate
fell
gave
went
grew
rode
rose
ran
saw
took
threw
wrote
Past Participle
(have) come
(have) done
(have) eaten
(have) fallen
(have) given
(have) gone
(have) grown
(have) ridden
(have) risen
(have) run
(have) seen
(have) taken
(have) thrown
(have) written
Using Irregular Verbs. Circle the correct form of the verbs.
1. I have (given, gave) your suggestion some thought.
2. Pete (fell, fallen) from his bike near the beginning of the race.
3. Jenny had already (threw, thrown) the receipt away.
4. Our neighbors have (went, gone) to Disney World.
5. Have you (seen, saw) the exhibit of Eskimo art?
6. My brother has (grown, grew) two inches this summer.
7. He must have (ate, eaten) the entire turkey himself.
8. We (rode, ridden) our bikes in the specially marked bike lanes.
9. Donna has (took, taken) a course in business math.
10. Who (did, done) the illustrations for the yearbook.
11. Bill Rodgers has (ran, run) in many Boston Marathons.
12. Has the mail (came, come) yet?
13. Primitive tribes had (knew, known) about this medicine for years.
14. Ms. Jackson has (written, wrote) me a recommendation.
15. The witness had (gone, went) to the police.
16. A neighbor (seen, saw) the dog in his flower bed.
17. Snow had (fallen, fell) steadily for several days.
18. The waiter (taken, took) their order first.
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Active and Passive Verbs
Study the following two sentences:
The committee proposed several possible solutions.
Several possible solutions were proposed.
In the first sentence, the subject tells who performed the action. When the subject performs the
action the verb is said to be in the active voice.
In the second sentence, the subject tells what received the action of the verb. When the
subject is the receiver of the result of the action, the verb is said to be in the passive voice. The
word passive means “acted upon.”
Forming the Passive
The passive voice is formed by using the form of be with the past participle. The receiver
of the action precedes the verb.
ACTIVE
Max washed the floor.
Meg has finished the project.
The store will add the tax.
PASSIVE
The floor was washed by Max.
The project has been finished by Meg.
The tax will be added by the store.
Find the direct objects in the sentences in the first column above. In the sentences in the second
column, the direct objects have become the subjects. Only verbs that have objects (transitive
verbs) can be changed from active to passive.


A verb is active when its subject performs the action of the verb.
A verb is passive when its subject names the receiver or result of the action stated by
the verb.
Exercise: Circle the verb(s) in each sentence. In the blank provided, write whether the verb is
active or passive.
1. One of the twins prefers country music. _______________________________________
2. The weather service predicted a record snowfall. ________________________________
3. A meeting had been planned by the workers’ union. ______________________________
4. The local merchants held a street fair. _________________________________________
5. Ms. O’Brien read the class an interesting article. ________________________________
6. A citizens’ group patrolled the streets at night. __________________________________
7. Several sites were considered by the builder. ___________________________________
8. The Potter’s Wheel also sells ceramic supplies. _________________________________
9. The S.W.A.T. unit was called to the scene. _____________________________________
10. Liz’s plans were affected by inflation. _________________________________________
19
Active and Passive Verbs
Verbs can also be called active or passive. A verb is active when its subject performs
the action stated by the verb.
My grandmother built the model.
Denise prepared her speech.
A verb is passive when its subject names the receiver or result of the action stated by
the verb. The passive form of the verb is made with the past participle. A form of be is the
helping word.
The model was built by my grandmother.
The speech will be prepared by Denise.
The direct object of an active verb becomes the subject of a passive verb. Only verbs that
have objects (transitive verbs) can be changed from active to passive.
ACTIVE
PASSIVE
The pitcher threw a strike.
The strike was thrown by the pitcher.
Karen invited Jerry.
Jerry has been invited by Karen.
Distinguishing Between Active and Passive Verbs. Circle the verb(s) in each sentence. In the
space provided, write whether it is active or passive.
1. Mayflies live for only six hours. ____________________________________________
2. The movie was made by the film class. _______________________________________
3. The story was written by Edgar Allan Poe. ____________________________________
4. Paula studied modern dance after school. _____________________________________
5. Her cousin attends De Paul University. _______________________________________
6. The mystery was solved by Sherlock Holmes. __________________________________
7. Gazelles never drink water. _________________________________________________
8. Paper was invented by the Chinese. ___________________________________________
Using Active Verbs. Rewrite each sentence. Change the verb from passive to active.
1. The child was rescued by an alert lifeguard.
___________________________________________________________________________
2. Bananas are grown by my grandfather.
___________________________________________________________________________
3. The music was written by Stephen Sondheim.
___________________________________________________________________________
20
Review: Using Verbs
Recognizing Verbs: Circle the verb(s) in each sentence.
1. Many people along the parade route carried umbrellas.
2. Some common houseplants are poisonous.
3. The motorist pulled his car to the side of the road.
4. Eighteen hummingbirds weigh about one ounce.
5. Sarah must have waited for a long time.
6. Engineers have almost solved the problem.
7. Has the river flooded since the disaster of 1913?
8. The parrot had never spoken before.
Using Verbs Correctly. Circle the correct form of each irregular verb.
9. Graduation practice has (began, begun) for the seniors.
10. Hikers often (drank, drunk) from the spring on our property.
11. The tape deck (cost, costed) far too much.
12. Phillip (brang, brought) us the good news.
13. My feet were (froze, frozen) after I waded into the ocean.
14. Has the bell for the end of classes (rang, rung)?
15. We (saw, seen) you on the cable television station.
16. The Saint Bernard has (went, gone) for help.
17. Has Tony (wrote, written) his article for the school paper?
18. The photographer (took, taken) pictures of the waterfall.
Identifying Active and Passive Verbs. Circle the verb(s) in each sentence. In the space
provided, tell whether the verb is active or passive.
19. The new shopping center was opened by the mayor. _______________________
20. Benjamin had been feeding the birds all winter. ___________________________
21. Robin will be working on the yearbook. _________________________________
22. The news is delivered to the paper by the wire services. _____________________
21
Identify Action and Linking Verbs. Circle the verb(s) in each sentence. In the space provided, write
action or linking.
1. Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. ___________________________
2.
The sky appeared almost green before the storm. ________________________________
3.
The lineman ran out for the pass. _____________________________________________
4.
That photo of the Grand Canyon is stunning. ___________________________________
5.
Those stunt performers are real daredevils. _____________________________________
6.
As a library aide, Susan shelves books. ________________________________________
7.
The evil troll gloated at the hero’s dismay. _____________________________________
8.
Was Amy Russell the pinch hitter? ___________________________________________
9.
The sleepy cat folded his paws neatly under him. ________________________________
10. In the lobby, Superman looked for a phone booth. _______________________________
Recognize Verbs. Circle the verb(s) in each sentence. Label the verbs either MV for main verb or HV for
helping verbs.
1. The carolers were singing “O Holy Night.”
2.
Lindbergh must be the most famous aviator in history.
3.
My jeans have finally faded.
4.
Won’t you donate a can of food for the Thanksgiving baskets?
5.
We will organize a softball league.
6.
Jody’s uncle has often ridden in rodeos.
7.
The passenger train will be passing through the tunnel in a few minutes.
8.
Will the parade start on time?
9.
Nancy should be practicing for the talent show.
10. The pilot of the small plane could not see through the fog.
Identify Verb Tenses. Circle the verb in each sentence. In the space provided, tell its tense: present, past,
future, present perfect, past perfect, or future perfect tense.
1. Lana is our camp counselor this summer. ______________________________________
2.
The actors’ makeup will look strange. _________________________________________
3.
Tony has sold many of his paintings at art fairs. _________________________________
4.
We climbed over the rocks and driftwood along the shore. ________________________
5.
Are mouthpieces a necessary part of the football uniform? ________________________
6.
The monsoons will soon arrive in full force. ____________________________________
7.
Poisonous gases from that chemical factory had leaked into the air. _________________
8.
By tomorrow the fog will have cleared. _________________________________________
9.
The divers have thoroughly searched the river. ___________________________________
10. Budapest was once two cities, Buda and Pest. ____________________________________
22
Use Irregular Verbs Correctly. Circle the correct verb from the two given.
1.
Jon had (put, putted) the maps into the car.
2.
Medical care has never (cost, costed), more.
3.
The raft (brang, brought) us safely to the island.
4.
The Celtics (lost, losed) by one point.
5.
Someone (tore, torn) down the notice about the auction.
6.
Has anyone (spoke, spoken) to the career counselor?
7.
Stephanie has (broke, broken) her glasses again.
8.
The actress had (began, begun) with only bit parts.
9.
The hikers (drank, drunk) thirstily from the cool brook.
10. Eliza (saw, seen) the filming of a movie during her trip to San Antonio.
Recognize Active and Passive Verb Forms. Circle the verb(s) in the sentences. Then in the space
provided, tell whether the verb is active or passive.
1.
The Coast Guard patrols the shore. _____________________________________________
2.
Lyle was removed from the game for the last four innings. __________________________
3.
The koala eats only eucalyptus leaves. __________________________________________
4.
Residents have been informed of the danger. _____________________________________
5.
The flight to Miami has been canceled. _________________________________________
6.
The cast is holding its dress rehearsal. __________________________________________
7.
Inspector Grimm has searched every inch of the property. __________________________
8.
The pilot should have informed the crew. _______________________________________
9.
My allowance was spent too hastily on this album. _______________________________
10. The rickety cart was reluctantly pulled by Dan’s mule, Flossie. _______________________
Choose the correct verb from the two given.
1.
My father (freezed, froze) the leftovers.
2.
Her hair was (cut, cutted) by a stylist at “Combing Attractions.”
3.
The balloon (burst, bursted) in midair.
4.
Alicia (set, sit) the keys on the table.
5.
Larry (brang, brought) the records for the party.
6.
We (lost, losed) the game by twenty points.
7.
Gary was (chose, chosen) by the scholarship committee.
8.
A coat was (lended, lent) to the older man.
9.
Two twelve-year-old girls have (swam, swum) the English Channel.
10. Mystery writer Agatha Christie has (wrote, written) eighty-seven novels.
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