2. Verb Forms
I know you can
say hook ,
hooked ...
But can you
say took,
tooked?
3. This
presentation
covers the use
of standard
regular and
irregular verb
forms.
A verb form item on an
objective test might look
like this ...
4. Sample Item
Thomas sang along until the CD ended; then as
he was choosing a new disk, he lost control of
the car and drived into a ditch.
A. sung
B. chosing
C. drove
D. No change is necessary.
Thomas sang along until the CD ended; then as
A
he was choosing a new disk, he lost control of
B
the car and drived into a ditch.
C
A. sung
B. chosing
C. drove
D. No change is necessary.
Thomas sang along until the CD ended; then as
A
he was choosing a new disk, he lost control of
B
the car and drove into a ditch.
C
A. sung
B. chosing
C. drove
D. No change is necessary.
Is sang,
choosing, or
drived a badly
formed verb?
Drived is
incorrect, which
option C fixes.
5. Regular verbs have reliable
forms.
Infinitive
Simple
Present
Simple
Past
Past
Participle
Present
Participle
to laugh laugh(s) laughed laughed laughing
to start start(s) started started starting
to travel travel(s) traveled traveled traveling
Or to fish,
fish(es), fished,
fished, fishing!
6. Irregular verbs, however,
have no consistent patterns.
Infinitive
Simple
Present
Simple
Past
Past
Participle
Present
Participle
to drive drive(s) drove driven driving
to think think(s) thought thought thinking
to drink drink(s) drank drunk drinking
to swim swim(s) swam swum swimming
For example, to catch,
catch(es), caught,
caught, catching!
7. On many objective exams,
you cannot use a dictionar y
to look up the correct form!
X
8. When in doubt, rely on
“gut” feelings.
Hey, I’ve seen
that verb
before!
Your eyes have seen in print—and your
brain has registered—all of the possible
verb forms that you will encounter for this
skill. If you don’t recognize the right
answer, go with the one that feels right.
9. Instead of skipping class to go fishing,
Yolanda should of studied for her
accounting exam.
Don’t confuse of and
have.
My grade
was a
disaster!
Instead of skipping class to go fishing,
Yolanda should have studied for her
accounting exam.
10. Confirm that used to is in
the past tense.
Now that he’s older, Fred has a full-time job,
but he use to spend his summers fishing.
You’re a bad
influence!
Now that he’s older, Fred has a full-time job,
but he used to spend his summers fishing.
11. Quick Test
Directions: In the items that follow, choose
the option that corrects an error in the
underlined portion(s). If no error exists, choose
“No change is necessary.”
Show me
what you
know.
12. Item 1
We knew that Charley had hid the cookies in
his bedroom, so we stole his key and searched in
all the dresser drawers.
A. knowed
B. hidden
C. stealed
D. No change is necessary.
We knew that Charley had hid the cookies in
A B
his bedroom, so we stole his key and searched in
C
all the dresser drawers.
A. knowed
B. hidden
C. stealed
D. No change is necessary.
We knew that Charley had hidden the cookies in
A B
his bedroom, so we stole his key and searched in
C
all the dresser drawers.
A. knowed
B. hidden
C. stealed
D. No change is necessary.
13. Item 2
If we had known that you were serving squid
eyeball stew, we would of come for dinner!
A. of came
B. have came
C. have come
D. No change is necessary.
If we had known that you were serving squid
eyeball stew, we would of come for dinner!
A. of came
B. have came
C. have come
D. No change is necessary.
If we had known that you were serving squid
eyeball stew, we would of come for dinner!
A. of came
B. have came
C. have come
D. No change is necessary.
14. Item 3
Priscilla use to have a pet parakeet; her mother’s
story is that the bird escaped and flew away, but
Priscilla believes that the cat ate it.
A. used
B. flied
C. eaten
D. No change is necessary.
Priscilla use to have a pet parakeet; her mother’s
A
story is that the bird escaped and flew away, but
B
Priscilla believes that the cat ate it.
C
A. used
B. flied
C. eaten
D. No change is necessary.
Priscilla used to have a pet parakeet; her mother’s
A
story is that the bird escaped and flew away, but
B
Priscilla believes that the cat ate it.
C
A. used
B. flied
C. eaten
D. No change is necessary.
15. Item 4
Julissa was soaked during the afternoon
thunderstorm because she had choosed to walk to
school rather than drive.
A. chosen
B. choosen
C. chose
D. No change is necessary.
Julissa was soaked during the afternoon
thunderstorm because she had choosed to walk to
school rather than drive.
A. chosen
B. choosen
C. chose
D. No change is necessary.
Julissa was soaked during the afternoon
thunderstorm because she had choosed to walk to
school rather than drive.
A. chosen
B. choosen
C. chose
D. No change is necessary.
16. Item 5
James brung roses and begged forgiveness, but
when Rhonda saw that her ex still hadn’t shaved
his ridiculous mustache, she shut the door in his
face.
A. brought
B. seen
C. shutted
D. No change is necessary.
James brung roses and begged forgiveness, but
A
when Rhonda saw that her ex still hadn’t shaved
B
his ridiculous mustache, she shut the door in his
C
face.
A. brought
B. seen
C. shutted
D. No change is necessary.
James brought roses and begged forgiveness, but
A
when Rhonda saw that her ex still hadn’t shaved
B
his ridiculous mustache, she shut the door in his
C
face.
A. brought
B. seen
C. shutted
D. No change is necessary.
17. Item 6
If Toby had tooken Charlene’s advice, that bottle of
soda wouldn’t have exploded all over the front of
his new white shirt.
A. took
B. tooked
C. taken
D. No change is necessary.
If Toby had tooken Charlene’s advice, that bottle of
soda wouldn’t have exploded all over the front of
his new white shirt.
A. took
B. tooked
C. taken
D. No change is necessary.
If Toby had tooken Charlene’s advice, that bottle of
soda wouldn’t have exploded all over the front of
his new white shirt.
A. took
B. tooked
C. taken
D. No change is necessary.
18. Item 7
Cooper laid the 10-page paper on Professor
Cook’s desk; he had wrote the last sentence at
2:50 p.m., and then he ran across campus to
deliver the work by the 3 o’clock deadline.
A. layed
B. written
C. run
D. No change is necessary.
Cooper laid the 10-page paper on Professor
A
Cook’s desk; he had wrote the last sentence at
B
2:50 p.m., and then he ran across campus to
C
deliver the work by the 3 o’clock deadline.
A. layed
B. written
C. run
D. No change is necessary.
Cooper laid the 10-page paper on Professor
A
Cook’s desk; he had written the last sentence at
B
2:50 p.m., and then he ran across campus to
C
deliver the work by the 3 o’clock deadline.
A. layed
B. written
C. run
D. No change is necessary.
19. Item 8
We would have knowen that Dr. Carlson had
moved up the date of the quiz if we attended her
calculus class more frequently.
A. of knowen
B. have known
C. have knew
D. No change is necessary.
We would have knowen that Dr. Carlson had
moved up the date of the quiz if we attended her
calculus class more frequently.
A. of knowen
B. have known
C. have knew
D. No change is necessary.
We would have knowen that Dr. Carlson had
moved up the date of the quiz if we attended her
calculus class more frequently.
A. of knowen
B. have known
C. have knew
D. No change is necessary.
20. Item 9
Margaret breaked the cookie and gave half to
the young man stuck in the elevator with her; they
told stories to pass the time as mechanics
worked on the hydraulics.
A. broke
B. gived
C. telled
D. No change is necessary.
Margaret breaked the cookie and gave half to
A B
the young man stuck in the elevator with her; they
told stories to pass the time as mechanics
C
worked on the hydraulics.
A. broke
B. gived
C. telled
D. No change is necessary.
Margaret broke the cookie and gave half to
A B
the young man stuck in the elevator with her; they
told stories to pass the time as mechanics
C
worked on the hydraulics.
A. broke
B. gived
C. telled
D. No change is necessary.
21. Item 10
Meredith would have went to the concert, but
Gregory misplaced the tickets, which they still
haven’t found.
A. of went
B. have gone
C. have goed
D. No change is necessary.
Meredith would have went to the concert, but
Gregory misplaced the tickets, which they still
haven’t found.
A. of went
B. have gone
C. have goed
D. No change is necessary.
Meredith would have went to the concert, but
Gregory misplaced the tickets, which they still
haven’t found.
A. of went
B. have gone
C. have goed
D. No change is necessary.
