Troublesome Verbs
Sit/Set
Sit
Is sitting
My little
brother sits
still for only a
few minutes
at a time.
My little
brother is
sitting beside
my mom.
Set
Is setting
Mom set the
cake on the
table.
Mom is
setting the
cake on the
table.
Sat
My little
brother sat
beside my
mom
yesterday.
Set
Mom set the
cake on the
table this
morning.
Have sat
My little
brother has
sat in that
seat before.
Have set
Before mom
left, she had
set the cake
on the table.
Sit
• Sit means “to be seated” or “at rest”
• It does not have a direct object (hint: when
you find the action verb and ask “What?”)
• Example: I will sit in the easy chair.
Set
• Set means “to put (something) in a place.”
• It usually takes an direct object
• Example: The workers have set their
equipment there.
• Direct object: Set what? _______
• Hint: replace the verb with put…if it makes
sense then you use the verb set.
Lie/Lay
Lie
My teddy
bear lies on
my bed all
day.
Lay
Is lying
My teddy
bear is lying
on my bed.
Is laying
Lay the teddy She is laying
bear on my
the teddy
bed, please. bear on my
bed.
Lay
My teddy
bear lay on
my bed.
Have lain
Have those
bears lain
outside too
long?
Laid
Have laid
My friend laid
the teddy
bear on the
bed.
We have laid
the teddy
bear on the
bed.
Lie
• Lie generally means “to recline,” “to be in a
place,” or “to remain lying down.”
• Lie does not have a direct object
• Example: The beam is lying near the
edge.
Lay
• Lay generally means “to put (something)
down.”
• It usually takes a direct object
• The workers are laying the beams near
the edge.
• Direct object: Are laying what? _____
• Hint: replace the verb with put…if it makes
sense then you use the verb lay.
Practice
• Alana had been ____
next to Rosa.
• Yesterday, we ____ still
twice as long for the
Jimenez twins!
• Then we _____ on the
floor to play a game.
• One of the twins ____
on a hat by mistake.
• He also ___ the plates.
• The remote control for the
television is ____ under the
rocking chair.
• Today, Julia has ___ every
single toy safely in the toy
chest in her room.
• Now those broken bits of
plastic ____ at the bottom of
the wastebasket.
• He was _____ on the floor,
watching television.
• How long has it _____ there?
Accept/Except
• Accept~ (verb) to receive
• Example~ I accept the award on behalf of
the children who are starving in Ethiopia.
• Except- (verb) to exclude
• TRICK EX= to not include someone/thing
• Example~ John will accept all donations
except perishable items.
Affect/Effect
• Affect- (verb) To have an influence on or
effect a change in
– To act on the emotions of; touch or move.
– To attack or infect, as a disease
• Example~ Inflation affects the buying
power of the dollar.
• Example~ Rheumatic fever can affect the
heart.
Affect/Effect
• Effect (noun) result; consequence
• Example~ The effects of slow economy
will affect many American’s Christmas.
Practice
• The winners of the
spelling bee proudly
_______ their awards.
• Because Josh had a
sprained ankle, he was
_______ from gym class.
• All the food _____ the
wonton soup was ready.
• The _____ of smoking
are wrinkles, cancer, and
possible death.
• I did not know the
antibiotics could ____
people so quickly.
• When will we know if the
chemotherapy has taken
_____.
• What was the ____of his
promotion?