UNIT 4: VERBS

I. Definition
A verb is a word that expresses an action or connects a subject with the adjective or noun
describing it.
Activity 1: Underline the verbs in these sentences and say if they express an action or
connects a subject with the adjective or noun describing it.
1. I go to school every day.
2. We speak English very badly.
3. He seems sad.
4. She is a teacher.
Practice 1: Underline the verb in each of the following sentences. Which one expresses
action?
Ex: The alligator snapped its jaws shut.
1. We all jumped about three feet into the air.
2. Is that alligator hungry?
3. Look at that beautiful heron!
4. Alligators and crocodiles appear somewhat alike to me.
5. How are they different?
6. I saw hundreds of alligators in Florida.
7. Were you near St. Augustine?
8. They made me really nervous.
9. The boat sat very low in the water.
10. My brother took pictures during the boat ride.
Practice 2: Complete each of the following sentences by writing a verb on the line provided.
Ex: Sarah and Keadra ____jumped________ into the pool.
1. I ______________ the names of all fifty states.
2. John _________________ an advertisement in today’s newspaper.
3. The soft drinks _______________ a little too warm.
4. The dog _______________ wildly in circles.
5. The marching band ______________ in the middle of the field.
6. Alia’s family _____________ two mountain bikes.
7. Which tangerine _______________ better?
8. Julio _______________ the violin, not the cello.
9. My grandmother ________________ me a letter at least twice a month.
10. The milk ________________ all over the table.

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II. Classification of verbs
Verbs are classified according to the:
1. Form
a. Regular verbs
She is looking for her keys. (look – looking – looked – looked)
We decided to go home early. (decide – deciding – decided – decided)
I studied English ten years ago. (study – studying – studied – studied)
We played football together yesterday. (play – playing – played – played)
What happened to you? (happen – happening – happened – happened)
b. Irregular verbs
I went to school yesterday. (go – going – went – gone)
She made this report last week. (make – making – made – made)
2. Function
a. Helping verbs
The kitten has curled up in his lap.
Farmers in that region may have already harvested their wheat.
b. Main verbs
The kitten curled up in his lap.
Farmers in that region already harvested their wheat.
+ Linking verbs: be, become, seem, appear, taste, smell, feel, remain, look, sound, …
Ex: - He is a student.
- She looks beautiful.
(“is” and “look” are intransitive verbs)
+ Action verbs: buy, lie, run, read, …
Ex: - The boy sleeps well.
- I often go to school at 7 am.
- I wrote this letter.
- They are playing football in the yard.
(“sleep” and “go” are intransitive verbs; “write” and “play” are transitive
verbs)
Practice 1: On the blank in each of the following sentences, write the correct form of the
verb given in parentheses.
Ex: One of the elephants has wrapped its trunk around a tree. (wrap)
1. Every day last winter, Christine _______________ the squirrels. (WATCH)
2. Mrs. Larkin has __________ the class about endangered species. (TEACH)
3. They _____________ the falcon eggs to a laboratory yesterday. (BRING)
4. She ____________ to Boston last summer. (DRIVE)

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5. Tonya ____________ a solo last night. (SING)
6. When Jaime was ill, his stomach ____________ all day. (HURT)
7. They _____________ that they would arrive before noon. (SAY)
8. Yesterday, the trackers ____________ a female rhino and her calf. (SPOT)
9. She ______________ some pine wood to build the feeder. (COLLECT)
10. The plane has _______________ in Nepal. (land)
11. The scientists from the museum are _______________ to track rhinos in the jungle. (plan)
12. The government officials of Nepal _______________ the project. (support)
13. The workers are _______________ elephants for the scientists to ride. (saddle)
14. Last year, Christine ____________ watching the squirrels gather food. (enjoy)
15. One day, Christine ______________ to build a feeder for the squirrels. (decide)
16. Christine has ______________ several books about squirrels. (purchase)
17. Through her reading she has ______________ that squirrels like sunflower seeds. (learn)
18. She ______________ some pine wood to build the feeder. (collect)
19. Christine then ______________ the feeder to a strong tree. (nail)
20. Christine’s brother ____________ to her more about squirrels. (explain)
21. From listening to him, Christine has _____________ that squirrels also like fruit. (discover)
22. She is still _______________ new things each day as she watches the squirrels. (notice)
23. Now Christine is ______________ her friends to build feeders for squirrels. (encourage)
Practice 2: Underline the correct verb form in parentheses in each of the following
sentences.
Ex: We (drove, driven) along the Big Sur coast of California.
1. Some biologists have (came, come) here to collect peregrine falcon eggs.
2. Many eggs have (broken, broke) because their shells have been damaged by pesticides.
3. Lee, one of the biologists, had (began, begun) to gather the eggs.
4. He showed me the eggs, but I (knew, known) not to touch them.
5. The adult peregrine had (flown, flew) from the nest.
6. Lee (began, begun) to climb down the cliff to the nest.
7. Suddenly, I (seen, saw) a large bird in the sky.
8. Everyone (froze, frozen).
9. The peregrine dived at Lee’s head and then (went, gone) away.
10. The huge, fierce bird (given, gave) us quite a scare.
11. The woman (sit, sat) on the bench.
12. The children are (sitting, setting) the puzzle pieces on the table.
13. The guard (rose, raised) the flag every morning at sunrise.
14. Is the city (rising, raising) its property taxes again?
15. Please (lie, lay) the box on the table.

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16. Does the mountain range (lie, lay) in the eastern part of the country?
Practice 3: On the blank in each of the following sentences, write the correct form of the
verb given in parentheses.
Ex: Mrs. Larkin has taught the class about endangered species. (teach)
1. Sofia has _____________ a report about peregrine falcons. (write)
2. Pollutants have _____________ these fierce, fast-flying birds. (hurt)
3. The peregrine falcon has ______________ endangered. (become)
4. To help increase the peregrine falcon population, biologists _____________ eggs from a
peregrine nest. (take)
5. They _______________ the falcon eggs to a laboratory. (bring)
Practice 4: Each of the following sentences contains a verb with an irregular past form. In
the blank in each sentence, write the past form of the verb.
Ex: The kitten drank the milk from its favorite bowl. (drink)
1. She _________________ to Boston last summer. (drive)
2. Tonya _________________ a solo last night. (sing)
3. The bus driver ________________ her time when crossing the bridge. (take)
4. The artist _______________ her paintbrush to the studio. (bring)
5. When Jaime was ill, his stomach _____________ all day. (hurt)
6. My sister ________________ me her favorite sweater. (give)
7. What _______________ your mom tell you yesterday? (do)
8. My shoes ________________ out during the long hiking trip. (wear)
9. I __________________ my name for the teacher. (write)
10. The mother ________________ the baby in her arms. (hold)
11. She ________________ the photo so she would always remember her vacation. (keep)
12. They _______________ that they would arrive before noon. (say)
13. We ______________ the comet last night. (see)
14. She _____________ her little brother a paint set for his birthday. (get)
15. The wind _______________ in from the north. (blow)
16. The puppy _______________ me my slippers this morning. (bring)
17. She ______________ a new bike for her son. (buy)
18. The orange juice ________________ in the ice chest. (freeze)
19. He _________________ in the rain for twenty minutes. (stand)
20. I ______________ the baseball and threw it to second base. (catch)

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Practice 5: For each of the following sentences, underline each main verb once and each
helping verb twice. Some sentences have more than one helping verb, and some sentences
do not have any.
Ex: Farmers in that region may have already harvested their wheat.
1. My grandfather has traveled to Europe many times.
2. You must have heard all that noise last night!
3. Those children are wearing their seat belts.
4. The moon had risen early that evening.
5. Does Simon play the trumpet in the band?
6. Broccoli, carrots, and squash are all vegetables.
7. Which way did he run?
8. The cat should not be sitting on the kitchen counter.
9. Do you want some of these carrots?
10. Would you please call me first thing in the morning?
Practice 6: Complete each of the sentences by writing one or more helping verbs on the line
provided.
Ex: David should be doing his homework right now.
1. He ___________________ been sleeping instead of studying.
2. We ___________________ practice our skit at my house tonight.
3. ___________________ you come over after dinner for about an hour?
4. We probably ___________________ not drive very far in this snow.
5. My brother ____________________ take four people in his car.
6. ______________________ you know how to sew on a button?
7. My sister taught me to do that, but I _______________ not remember.
8. _________________ you planning to do anything special during the winter holidays?
9. We certainly _______ arrived early if we had known the theater would be so crowded.
10. By the time we found our seats, the curtain ____________ already risen.
Practice 7: Underline the verb in each of the following sentences. Then, above the verb,
write AV for action verb or LV for linking verb.
AV
Ex: Derrick stays with his grandparents during the summer.
1. My grandfather received the Congressional Medal of Honor.
2. I am the only female grandchild in my family.
3. My grandmother seems young to me.
4. Jeanette found a picture of her grandparents as teenagers.
5. They looked odd in the old-fashioned clothing of the 1950s.
6. Tony’s great-grandfather will be eighty years old on Sunday.

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7. Alexa’s grandparents once lived in Indonesia and in the Netherlands.
8. Mrs. Shuman cooks great Indonesian and Dutch food.
9. Joseph never knew his grandparents.
10. He feels sad about that.
Practice 8: Underline the verb in each sentence, then decide whether it is transitive or
intransitive. Above the verb, write TR for transitive or INT for intransitive.
INT
Ex: The Thames River winds through the heart of London.
1. Most shops open early during tourist season.
2. A tour bus company offers several tours.
3. We met last year at a basketball game.
4. I met Tomas for lunch.
5. Cynthia plays the piano well.
6. Roger plays in the school band.
7. The townspeople survived the flood.
8. The entire crew of the sunken ship survived.
9. The pilot landed the plane.
10. The plane landed on time.
Practice 9: Complete each sentence with an appropriate linking verb.
Ex: You seem a little unhappy today.
1. Her suggestion ____________ useful at the time.
2. Barbara ______________ very different with her new haircut.
3. From here, clouds ____________ fluffy like cotton balls.
4. Chocolate éclairs ___________ my favorite pastry.
5. This honey ____________ wonderful.
6. That idea ______________ crazy to them.
7. Peter told me he ____________ sick today.

III. Verb tenses: forms and usages

1. Form and usage of the simple present
+ Form: S+V…

+ Usage:
a. With the Stative verbs in part 2.a.
Ex: I understand now.
That looks good.

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 b. For the future with verbs such as “open/close”, “begin/end”, “arrive/leave” and
expresses a fact
Ex: The class begins at ten.
John arrives at 6 p.m. on Sunday.

c. To express a habitual or everyday action

Ex: I always drink coffee for breakfast.
She gets up at seven every morning.

d. For something that existed in the past, exists now, and will exist in the future
Ex: The sun rises in the east.
Water boils at 1000 C and freezes at 00 C.

2. Form and usage of the present progressive

+ Form: S + am/is/are + Ving …

+ Usage:
a. To show present time (now) with all verbs except these Stative verbs

Know Love Prefer

Understand Sound Taste
Believe Mean Wish
Look Appear Own
Remember Seem Need
Hear Smell Want
Like Have

Ex: Tom is talking on the phone right now.

It is raining outside.

b. To express future time. Time words in the sentence will indicate a future time.
Ex: I am meeting a friend at six.
We are going to Spain this summer.

3. Form and usage of the present perfect

+ Form: S + has/ have + V3/Ved …

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 + Usage:
a. To show that an action happened at an indefinite time in the past
Ex: I have seen that movie.
She has taken the test.

b. When an action started in the past and is still continuing in the present
Ex: Peter has lived in Chicago for eleven years.
Peter has lived in Chicago since 2003.

c. When an action was repeated in the past or happened more than once in the past
Ex: I have written three letters to her this week.
She has failed her driving test twice this year.

d. With the adverbial expressions “yet” and “already” which show that an action
occurred or did not occur at an indefinite time in the past
Ex: We haven’t had lunch yet.
They have already finished their project.

e. With other time expressions such as “up to now”, “as soon as”, “during the past few
days”, “lately”, “recently”, “just”, “ever”, “never”, “so far”, …
Ex: He will call you as soon as he has finished his homework.
During the past two days, I have read six chapters.

4. Form and usage of the present perfect progressive

+ Form: S + has/have + been + Ving …

+ Usage:
a. To emphasize the duration of an activity that began in the past and is still
continuing in the present. It is used with time expressions such as “for”, “since”,
“all day”, “all week”.
Ex: I have been doing this exercise for 20 minutes.
It has been raining all morning.
I have been cleaning the house for 20 minutes.

Practice 1: Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verbs in the parentheses, then
underline the adverb of time (if yes) in each sentence.
1. This food ……………………. delicious. (SMELL)

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 2. He …………………. to the gym every week. (GO)
3. Right now Tam ………………… his car. (WASH)
4. We …………….......... that movie at six tonight. (WATCH)
5. It may sound strange but I ………………… his story. (BELIEVE)
6. Our store ………………… next Sunday. (OPEN)
7. She ………………………. since six o’clock this morning. (STUDY)
8. John ………………… to Italy. (BE)
9. I ………………….. him for many years. (KNOW)
10. Hung …………………… these letters all morning. (WRITE)
11. We ……………………. our customers at 7 o’clock tonight. (MEET)

Practice 2: Use present tenses to complete these sentences.

1. The earth ………………………………………………………
2. My son ………………………………………………………..
3. At this moment, Hai ………………….………………………
4. My friends ……………........................................ at 9 tonight.
5. It’s wonderful and I ……………………………………
6. Vincom …………………………….…………… next Sunday.
7. My daughter …………………. since ten o’clock this morning.
8. We ……………………………………………...… to Da Nang.
9. They ………………….. ………………............. for five years.
10. The children ……………………………..………. all morning.
11. We …………………………. our partners at 9 o’clock tonight.

5. Form and usage of the simple past

+ Form: S + V2/Ved …

+ Usage:
a. To show that an activity began and ended at a specific time in the past
Ex: I took the test the day before yesterday.
We went to the concert last weekend.

b. To show that an action occurred over a period of time in the past

Ex: She lived in Washington for five years before she came here.

6. Form and usage of the past progressive

+ Form: S + was/were + Ving …

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 + Usage:
a. When an action in the past which had already started was interrupted by another
action
Ex: Mary was sleeping when the phone rang.
When it started to rain, I was having dinner.

b. When two actions in the past continued at the same time

Ex: Cindy was watching TV while I was writing my essay.
I was watching TV while my mother was cooking.

c. When an action was continuing at a particular time in the past

Ex: Tuan was studying at ten o’clock last night.
We were sleeping at six this morning.

Practice 2: Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verbs in the parentheses, then
underline the adverb of time (if yes) in each sentence.
1. At three o’clock in the morning, Mary ____________. (READ).
2. I ______________ on the phone with Linda at ten last night. (TALK)
3. While I _____________ T.V., I heard a strange noise. (WATCH)
4. When Thao ____________, everyone was eating. (ARRIVE)
5. While I was studying, my roommate ____________ to the radio. (LISTEN)
6. Hai _____________ a new car last month. (BUY)
7. When I heard the knock on the door, I ________________ it. (OPEN)
8. He ____________ to the library when he suddenly saw her pass by. (GO)

7. Form and usage of the past perfect

+ Form: S + had + Ved /V3 …
+ Usage:
a. To show that an activity was completed before another activity or definite time in
the past
Ex: By the time I got to the airport, the plane had already taken off.

She had learnt English before she came here.

or
She learnt English before she came here.

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 Note: With “before” and “after”, either the past perfect or the simple past tenses can
be used

8. Form and usage of the past perfect progressive

+ Form: S + had + been + Ving …

+ Usage:
a. The past perfect progressive is similar to the past perfect but it is used to
emphasized the duration of an activity that continued before another activity in the
past
Ex: He had been living in New York before he decided to move to Los Angeles.
Thao had been cleaning her house all morning before the guests arrived.
When I got there, they had been talking about this problem for hours.

Practice 3: Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verbs in the parentheses, then
underline the adverb of time (if yes) in each sentence.
1. She __________________ since six o’clock this morning. (STUDY)
2. Hong _________________ by the time we arrived. (LEAVE)
3. John __________________ to Italy. (BE)
4. The teacher returned the papers we ______________ for her. (PREPARE)
5. I ____________________ him for many years. (KNOW)
6. He _______________ there for six years when he decided to quit. (WORK)
7. She ___________ ten long-distance telephone calls this week. (MAKE)
8. Hung _________________ these letters all morning. (WRITE)

Practice 4: Use past tenses to complete these sentences.

1. Last month, ………………………………………………………
2. Before Lan studied at LHU, she ..………………………………..
3. When it rained, our class ………………….…………………….
4. While my daughter was cooking, …….........................................
5. At this time last week, we ….……………………………………
6. When I came to the airport, ……………………….…………….
7. When I got home, …………………………............. for 2 hours.

9. Form and usage of the simple future

+ Form: S + will/shall + V1 …
S + am/is/are + going to + V1 …

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 + Usage:
a. “Going to” is usually used when we have a plan or an intention for the future, and
“will” is usually used when we want to express an action in the future without any
premeditation or prior thought
Ex: I bought some beef. I am going to make beefsteak tomorrow. (future plan)
I will get the phone. (spontaneous action)

Note: The future tense is not used in the time clause.

Ex: After we finish the work, we will watch television.
As soon as he comes, I will give you a call.

10. Form and usage of the future progressive

+ Form: S + will + be + Ving …

+ Usage:
a. To express an activity that will start at a future time and be in progress at a certain
time in the future
Ex: At this time tomorrow, we will be taking the test.
He is going to be working on Sunday morning.
At this time next week, we will be studying English here.

b. When an action takes place at an indefinite time in the future. In this case the
simple future form can also be used
Ex: We’ll be seeing you there.
or
We’ll see you there.

11. Form and usage of the future perfect

+ Form: S + will + have + Ved/V3 …

+ Usage:
a. The future perfect is used to express a future action which will be finished before
another action or time in the future. The time expressions “by …”, “by that time”,
“by then”, “in a few hours”, etc. are common with this form.
Ex: By the time you apply, you will have passed the B1 final test.
By twelve o’clock we will have arrived there.

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12. Form and usage of the future perfect progressive
+ Form: S + will + have been + Ving …

+ Usage:
a. To emphasize the duration of an activity that will be continuing before another
activity or time in the future
Ex: By the time we get home, I will have been driving for two hours.

Practice 1: Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verbs in the parentheses, then
underline the adverb of time (if yes) in each sentence.
1. I _________________ my homework by the time I go out. (FINISH)
2. When my mother _______________, we will have a party. (ARRIVE)
3. At this time next year, he _______________ in Hawaii. (LIVE)
4. As soon as it stops raining, we ______________. (LEAVE)
5. By the time you come, he ___________________ for two hours. (STUDY)
6. Diep _______________ a house next year. (BUY)
7. Hung bought a ticket, he _______________ later. (COME)
8. They __________________ for three hours by the time we have dinner. (PLAY)

Practice 2: Use future tenses to complete these sentences.

1. Our class ..…………………………………………. next month.
2. Lan had a make-up. She ………………….…………………….
3. At this time tomorrow, ……………….........................................
4. By Friday students ……..….……………………………………
5. Before I buy this car for you, …………………….…………….
6. By the time you come there, …………………… for 20 minutes.

Practice 3: Rewrite each present-tense sentence using the other five tenses.
1. I study mathematics.
PAST ___________________________________________________________________
PRESENT PERFECT ______________________________________________________
PAST PERFECT __________________________________________________________
FUTURE ________________________________________________________________
FUTURE PERFECT _______________________________________________________
2. Tom is going to Iraq.
PAST ___________________________________________________________________

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 PRESENT PERFECT ______________________________________________________
PAST PERFECT __________________________________________________________
FUTURE ________________________________________________________________
FUTURE PERFECT ______________________________________________________
3. Anna comes along.
PAST __________________________________________________________________
PRESENT PERFECT _____________________________________________________
PAST PERFECT _________________________________________________________
FUTURE _______________________________________________________________
FUTURE PERFECT ______________________________________________________
4. They are driving to Arizona.
PAST __________________________________________________________________
PRESENT PERFECT _____________________________________________________
PAST PERFECT _________________________________________________________
FUTURE _______________________________________________________________
FUTURE PERFECT ______________________________________________________

Practice 4: In each sentence, if the verb illustrates habitual action, rewrite the sentence
with the progressive form of the verb. If the verb is the progressive form, rewrite the
sentence to illustrate habitual action. Retain the tense of the original sentence.
1. Why is he running so fast?
______________________________________________________________________

2. The boys swam across the river.

______________________________________________________________________

3. The hungry campers have eaten the hot dogs.

______________________________________________________________________

4. I won’t be going to work today.

______________________________________________________________________

5. The old woman was very nice to me.

______________________________________________________________________

6. My uncle has sung in a chorus.

______________________________________________________________________

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 7. Will you drive your dad’s new car?
______________________________________________________________________

8. I was thinking about you.

______________________________________________________________________

9. We had shopped there.

______________________________________________________________________

10. We were camping on the side of a hill.

______________________________________________________________________

Practice 5: Complete each sentence with an appropriate when clause.

Ex: She was just getting out of bed when the doorbell rang .

1. I was leaning back in my chair when _____________________________________________

.
2. Were you standing on the corner when _______________________________________ ?

3. Aunt Doris was baking a cake when ______________________________________________

4. We were making up the bed in the spare room when _______________________________________

Now, provide an appropriate progressive-tense clause to complete each sentence.

Ex: I was just opening my eyes when I heard Mom come in.

5. when the dog began to bark.

6. when the door slammed shut.

7. when I heard someone call my name.

8. when the road suddenly ended.

9. when a bee stung me.

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 10. when someone stole my purse.

Practice 6: Change each sentence from a statement containing a when clause to a

statement containing a while clause.
1. They were opening their Christmas gifts when the Christmas tree fell over.
_____________________________________________________________________

2. Tom was swimming in the pool when his little brother fell in the water.
_____________________________________________________________________

3. She was speaking with the letter carrier when a taxi pulled up in front of the house.
_____________________________________________________________________

4. Ms. Howard was lecturing her class when her cell phone rang.
_____________________________________________________________________

5. The boys were playing checkers on the floor when the cat jumped into the middle of
their game.
_____________________________________________________________________

Practice 7: Complete each sentence, using appropriate tense(s) for the verb(s) in
parentheses.
1. PAUL: May I borrow some money? My payment (be) supposed to go
through this morning, but for some reason the bank (not + have) received it
yet. I ____________ (need) to pay my rent by six o’clock, but I ____________ (not + have)
any money.
PATRICIA: Sure, I’d be glad to, but I _____________ (not + know) how much money I
have in my account. How much _____________ (you + need)?
PAUL: About 400 dollars. I promise I _____________ (pay) you back as soon as my bank
____________ (take) care of the problem.

2. PIERRE: Hello?
PATRICIA: Hello, may I speak to Paul?
PIERRE: He ______________ (not + be) at home right now, sorry.

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 PATRICIA: Could you please tell him that Patricia ___________ (call). If he ___________
(get) home before noon, could you tell him to meet me at Café Bourville? I __________ (sit)
at one of the tables on the terrace _____________ (study) German.

IV. Subject – verb agreement

A verb should agree in number with its subject.

Singular S + singular V Plural S + plural V
Happiness is sometimes very near to you. Children play softball once a month.
Sophie has been practicing every day. The runners have been practicing all week.
The actress, along with her friends, is going to The actresses, along with their friends, are
a party tonight. going to a party tonight.
Neither my sisters nor Lan is a student at LHU. Neither Lan nor my sisters are students at LHU.
The student in English department agrees to the The students in LHU agree to the new school
new school fee. fee.
Her family loves me. Her family love one another.
None of the counterfeit money was found. None of the customers like this food.
Neither of the two girls gets married. Both of my parents work at the hospital.
Which shirt fits you? Neither fits me. My friend and I are at my home now.
The number of male students is 20. A number of male students like her.
Here’s the answer to your question. There are six correct answers.

Practice 1: Each of the following sentences contains two verb forms in parentheses. For
each sentence, underline the verb form that agrees with the subject.
Ex: [1] Maria (loves, love) her new bicycle.
[1] Maria (rides, ride) her bicycle almost every day. [2] She (knows, know) how to take care of
her bike. [3] Maria (oils, oil) the chain whenever it gets wet. [4] She (pumps, pump) up the tires
once a week. [5] Sometimes the brakes (wears, wear) down. [6] Her brothers (knows, know)
how to adjust the brakes. [7] Maria (has, have) a new helmet, too. [8] At night, she (uses, use) a
headlight. [9] Reflectors (makes, make) her more visible to motorists. [10] Maria (enjoys,
enjoy) riding her bicycle safely.

Practice 2: Underline the appropriate verb form in each sentence.

Ex: There is / are two magazines on the living room table.
1. There is / are many reasons for voting.
2. Angela writes / write lots of e-mails, but she doesn’t save any.
3. Peter and I was / were playing poker the other night.
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4. The people in Madrid is / are very well dressed.
5. Susan’s mother always wakes / wake her up in time for school.
6. My grandmother’s friends likes / like to go to church at noon.
7. There was / were many children playing in the park.
8. Does / Do you like those movies?
9. Mother Teresa, Gandhi, and Camus was / were socially engaged.
10. He is / are a very good speaker.

Practice 3: The following paragraph contains errors in agreement of subject and verb.
Correct each error by crossing out the incorrect verb form and writing the correct form
above it. If a verb is already correct, write C above it.
includes
Ex: [1] The history of the Irish people include many hardships and struggles.
[11] A popular name for Ireland is “The Emerald Isle.” [12] The green rolling hills and pastures
of Ireland was the source of this name. [13] Many farmers in Ireland raises cattle, horses, and
sheep. [14] Other farm products from the Emerald Isle include dairy products, wheat, and
potatoes. [15] Shallow waters along Ireland’s coastline gives the country a rich supply of fish,
too.

Practice 4: Complete each sentence with an appropriate form of the verb in parentheses.
1. They ______________ (run) up and down the stairs when the accident took place.
2. My aunt ___________________ (not + work) in a hair salon.
3. The house __________________ (have) a fence around it.
4. Our village’s huts _________________________ (be) exotic.
5. Everybody _______________________ (scream) really loudly.

Practice 5: Complete these sentences.

1. Many campers ……………………………………………..
2. Nylon ………………………….........................................
3. The hands on my watch ………………………………….
4. The tomatoes from your garden …………………………..
5. Each of these apples ………………………………………
6. During the play, someone …………………………………
7. All of the actors ……………………………………………
8. All of the bread ……………………………………………
9. Neither rain nor ants ……………………………………….
10. Either my brother or my sister ……………………………..

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 11. The children, accompanied by their father, …………………
12. A number of workers ……………………………………….

Practice 6: Complete each sentence with the appropriate present-tense form of be.
1. I ____________ extremely tired.
2. You _____________ very noisy.
3. We ______________ from Rwanda.
4. They ________________ going to Merida.
5. He ______________ a pilot.
6. She ______________ always smiling.
7. It _______________ a photo of my grandparents.

Now, complete each sentence with the appropriate past-tense form of be.
8. I _____________ extremely tired.
9. You _____________ very noisy.
10. We _____________ living in Rwanda.
11. They _____________ going to Merida.
12. He _____________ a pilot.
13. She _____________ always smiling.
14. It _____________ a photo that belonged to my grandparents.
15. The barn _____________ destroyed during the hurricane.

Practice 7: Underline the appropriate verb form in each sentence.

1. Every one of the soldiers is / are required to pass the obstacle test.
2. Each girl on the team has / have her own tennis racket.
3. One of my best friends is / are suffering from migraines.
4. A lot of shoes on those racks is / are on sale tomorrow.
5. A lot of women in the class is / are active feminists.
6. Half of this strawberry cake belongs / belong to you.
7. Half of the students in this course is / are from Belgium.
8. Some of the kiwis I bought is / are really sweet.
9. Some of the fruit I forgot in my car trunk is / are rotting.
10. Every one of the parts is / are closely examined for quality control.
11. None of the monkeys at the zoo is / are free to run away. All of them is / are locked in
small cages.
12. A number of fire fighters is / are of duty today.
13. The number of paintings at the museum is / are 278.

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14. One of the key elements in conflict resolution and peace is / are honesty.
15. Does / Do all the children have to take the test?
16. Does / Do all of his clothes have to be packed by tomorrow?
17. Why was / were some of the parents pulled aside?
18. Why was / were the student brought in?
19. Does / Do any of the workers know where the restaurant is?
20. What part of the human body is / are most vulnerable?
21. What percentage of the North American population is / are literate?

Practice 8: Underline the appropriate verb form in each sentence.

1. There is / are hundreds of types of tea in China.
2. There is / are a mosquito in my tent!
3. There is / are many ways to get downtown.
4. There isn’t / aren’t a message for you.
5. There is / are a report on the incident.
6. There isn’t / aren’t laws against free speech.
7. How many kinds of frogs is / are there in South America?
8. Why isn’t / aren’t there a public school in town?
9. There is / are a ruler in my bag.
10. There is / are some erasers and highlighters in my drawer.

Practice 9: Underline the appropriate verb form in each sentence.

1. Ten dollars is / are a reasonable price for an ink pen.
2. Five minutes is / are all the time allocated for the exam.
3. The number on that car’s license plate is / are fake.
4. Mathematics is / are used to calculate everything.
5. Physics tries / try to explain motion.
6. Massachusetts is / are 200 miles away from the border.
7. The news about the plane crash is / are pretty alarming.
8. The United Nations is / are an important international institution.
9. Many people in the world does / do not own a home.
10. The police is / are paid for by tax money and federal funds.
11. Many Japanese people likes / like pop culture.
12. Portuguese is / are similar to Spanish in pronunciation.
13. In horror movies, the living fears / fear the dead.
14. Most people is / are not allergic to bee stings.
15. The effect of the volcano’s eruption depends / depend on how elevated it is.

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16. There has / have been some cases of bubonic plague in the south of the island.
……………………………………………………………………..
MORE EXERCISES

Practice 1: Underline and identify the subject (S) and the verb (V). If there are errors in
agreement, correct them.
1. Earthquakes occurs every day of the year.
2. Candles burn slowly.
3. My mother speak Spanish.
4. My aunt and uncle speak Spanish.
5. Oscar speaks Spanish and English.
6. The students in my class speak English well.
7. Every students in my class speak English well.
8. There are five student from Korea in Mr. Brown’s class.
9. There’s a vacant apartment in my building.
10. Does people in the United States like Chinese food?
11. The people in Brazil speaks Portuguese.
12. There is many different kinds of fish in the ocean.
13. The neighbors in the apartment next to mine very friendly and helpful.

Practice 2: Choose the suitable words in the parentheses to complete the sentences.
1. He always (perform/performs) his duties efficiently.
2. You can get a (refund/refunds) if the item is not satisfactory.
3. Several (employee/employees) had to work overtime to help plan the budget.
4. (Few/Little) information on their products is available on the Internet.
5. Every (director/directors) at the company was required to show up for the meeting.
6. The advertising company that worked with us (is/are) well known in the industry.
7. The timetable showing this month’s classes (is/are) posted on the bulletin board.
8. The suggestion made by the security personnel (was/were) presented at the monthly meeting.
9. Most (customer/customers) will take advantage of this month’s special offer.
10. Mr. Kobayashi (direct/directed) the marketing team and worked brilliantly.

Practice 3: Choose the correct word or phrase to complete each sentence.

1. It was not until the 1950s that an effective vaccine for that virus was …………….
A. founded B. finding C. founding D. found
Find – found - found
2. Hurry, or we shall …………… the bus.

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 A. catch B. run C. miss D. take

3. How often do you ……………. your cat?

A. eat B. food C. feed D. give

4. We shall ……….. a letter to John.

A. receive B. send C. reply D. ask

5. In the end, Manchester won after …………… 3 goals.

A. scoring B. making C. winning D. kicking

7. Several ………………. sleeping under the tree over there.

A. of lions are B. of lions is C. lions are D. lions is

6. The English courses at this ………………… difficult.

A. schools are B. school is C. school are D. school’s is

7. One of the foreign ………………………. from Australia.

A. teachers are B. teacher is C. teachers is D. teacher are

8. …………………… in your class have tickets for the concert tonight?

A. Do any of the student B. Does any of the student
C. Do any of the students D. Does any of the students

9. Many …………………….. not expect to win.

A. the participants in the race do B. of the participants in the race does
C. participant in the races does D. of the participants in the race do

10. Each …………………….. available in the school library.

A. reference books on that list is B. of the reference books on that list is
C. of the reference book on that list is D. reference book on that list are

11. There ……… available in his area of specialization.

A. isn’t a lot of job C. isn’t a lot of jobs
B. aren’t a lot of jobs D. aren’t a lot of job

12. Many of the …….. not expect to win.

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 A. participants in the race do C. participants in the race does
B. participant in the races does D. participant in the race does

13. The English ……. strong traditions.

A. has many B. have much C. have many D. has much

14. …….. moved to that city recently.

A. A number of Vietnamese have C. The number of Vietnamese has
B. A number of Vietnamese has D. The number of Vietnamese have

15. Many of the ……… not used. They are remnants of the past.
A. railroad tracks around here are C. railroad tracks around here is
B. railroad’s tracks around here is D. railroad’s tracks around here are
The leg of the table (table’s leg)

16. As we walked through the jungle, the …….. unusually quiet.

A. monkeys were B. monkeys was C. monkies were D. monkies was

17. At the news conference, several reporters didn’t get clear answer to ……. questions.
A. theirs B. their C. his and hers D. his and her

18. There …… in the world today.

A. is many new computer company C. are many new computer company
B. is many new computer companies D. are many new computer companies

Practice 4: Fill in the blanks with suitable words to make complete sentences and then
identify the difference between the filled words/phrases from (1) to (6) and the ones from
(7) to (10)?
1. We ………… learnt English for 2 years.
2. I think that my father ………… watching TV now.
3. What time ………… the class start?
4. He is a good assistant because he ………… do many things.
5. You ………… not smoke. It’s not good for you.
6. She is five minutes late. She ………… be stuck in the traffic.
7. If you want to be healthy, you should ………… and ………… moderately, …………
enough and ………… everyday.
8. First- year students cannot ………… English well.

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 9. To master a language ………… a lot of time and money.
10. Evening-class students ………… less time than those of day-classes because they have
to ………… during day-time

Practice 5: Complete the sentences by using the words in parentheses. Use the simple
present or the present progressive
Ex: The baby (sleep) is sleeping. He (sleep) sleeps for ten hours every night.
1. Right now I’m in class. I (sit) …………… at my desk. I usually (sit) …………… at the
same desk in class every day.
2. Ali (speak) …………… Arabic. Arabic is his native language, but right now he (speak)
English.
3. A: (it, rain) …………… a lot in Southern California?
B: No. The weather (be) …………… usually warm and sunny.
4. A: Look out the window. (it, rain) ……………? Should I take my umbrella?
B: It (start) …………… to sprinkle.
5. A: Look. It’s yourself.
B: Where?
A: Over there. He (walk) …………… out of the bakery.
6. A: Oscar usually (walk) …………… to work. (walk, you) to walk every day, too?
B: Sometimes.
7. A: Flowers! Flowers for sales! Yes, sir! Can I help you?
B: I’ll take those – these yellow ones.
A: Here you are, mister. Are they for a special occasion?
B: I (buy) …………… them for my wife.
A: I (buy) …………… her flowers on the first day of every month.

Practice 6: Correct the errors in verb tense usage.

My friend Omar is owning (owns) his own car. It’s brand is new. Today he driving to a small
town north of the city to visit his aunt. He love to listen to music, so the CD player is play
one of this favorite CDs – loudly. Omar is very happy. He is drive his own car and listen to
loud music. He’s look forward to his visit with his aunt. Omar is visiting his aunt once a week.
She’s elderly and live alone. She is thinking Omar a wonderful nephew. She love his visit.
He try to be helpful and considerate in every way. His aunt don’t hearing well, so Omar is
speaks loudly and clearly when he’s with her. When he’s there, he fix things for her around
her apartment and help her with her shopping. He isn’t staying with her overnight. He usually
is staying for a few hours and then is heading back to the city. He kiss his aunt good bye and
give her a hug before he is leaving. Omar is very good nephew.

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Practice 7: Complete the sentences with the simple past or the present perfect of the verbs
in parentheses
Ex: I knew Tim when he was a child, but I haven’t seen him for many years. I have known
Larry, my best friend, for more than 20 years. (know)
1. The company and the union finally ……….. on the salary raises two days ago. Since then,
they ……….. on everything, and the rest of the negotiations have gone smoothly. (agree)
2. Mark ……….. a trip to Asia last October. He ……….. many trips to Asia since he started
his own import-export business. (take)
3. Ivan ……….. the violin with the London Symphony since 1990. Last year he ………..
Beethoven’s violin concerto at one of her concerts. (play)
4. When she was in college, Julia ……….. home at least once a week. Now she has a job
and is living in Chicago. In the last six months, she ……….. only three letters to her
parents. (write)
5. Our university ……….. 121 students to study in other countries last year. In total, we
……….. 864 students abroad over the last ten years. (send)
6. Masaru is a pilot for JAL. He ……….. nearly 8 million miles during the last 22 years.
Last year, he ……….. 380.000 miles. (fly)
7. Mark missed his physics examination this morning because he …………. He ……….. a
lot since the beginning of the semester. He’d better buy a new alarm clock. (oversleep)

Practice 8: Fill in the blanks with the simple past or the past progressive of the verbs in the
parentheses. Include any other words in parentheses.
1. We (have) had a wonderful dinner last night to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.
2. We (have, at home) were at home having our anniversary dinner when my uncle called to
congratulate us last night.
3. A: Why is Henry in the hospital?
B: He (work, in his garage) ……………………. on his car when the gas tank (explode)
………………
A: What (cause) ……….. the explosion?
B: Henry (light) ……….. a cigarette.
4. A: I’m sorry, officer. I (see, not) ……….. the stop sign. I (think) ……….. about
something else.
B: What (you, think) ……….. about? You should have been thinking about your driving.
5. Bill asked me to go over to his apartment, but I (want, not) ……….. to leave the house
because I (wait) ……….. for a phone call.
6. Army (hear, not) ……….. her parents having an argument last night. She (listen, in her
room) ……….. to music.

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 7. When Richard (stop) ……….. his car suddenly, the groceries (fall) ……….. out of the bag
they were in and (spill) …………… all over the floor of the car.
8. When the door-to-door salesperson (come) ………….. yesterday, Claudia (hear, not)
……….. the doorbell because she (dry, in her room) …………………. her hair with her
electric hair dryer.
9. When I was a child, my mother always (serve) ……….. cookies and milk to my friends
and me when we (go) ………….. to my house after school.
10. When we (look) …………… in on the baby last night, he (sleep) ……………. I think he
(dream) …………… about something nice because he (smile) ……………

Practice 9: Use the simple past or the past perfect of the verbs in the list to complete the
sentences. Include any words in parentheses. Use each verb only once

be finish invent sting

burn fly leave teach
design help spend turn on

1. By the time Jason arrived to help, (already) I had already finished moving everything.
2. The apartment was hot when I got home, so I …………….. the air conditioner.
3. Alexander Graham Bell (already) ……………… the telephone by the time I was born.
4. The farmer’s barn caught on fire some time during the night. By the time the firefighters
arrived, the building …………… to the ground. It was a total loss.
5. The suit I bought cost more than a week’s salary. Until then, I (never) ……………….
so much on one outfit.
6. Yesterday a hornet …………….. me under my arm. That really hurt! When I put on my
shirt after working in the garden, I didn’t notice that there was a hornet in it.
7. We were not happy with the plans that the architect showed us for our new house.
Obviously, he (never) ……………………… a home like the one we wanted.
8. When I saw that Mike was having trouble, I ………….. him. He was very appreciative.
9. My wife and I went to Disneyland when we visited Los Angeles last spring. Prior to that
time, we (never) …………….. to such a big amusement park. It was a lot of fun.
10. Last year I experienced how tedious long plane trips can be. I ………………. in an
airplane for fairly long distances before, but never as long as when I went to Australia in
June.
11. Mr. Khan has had experience teaching chemistry and physics, but he (never)
……………… mathematics until this year. He’s found that he enjoys teaching math.
12. Promptly at five, I went to Iris’ office to offer her a ride home from work, but I couldn’t
find her. She (already) ………………..

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Practice 10: Use the present perfect progressive and the past perfect progressive
1. Anna (listen to) had been listening to loud rock music when her friend arrived, but
turned it off so all of them could study together. When they finished, she turned it back
on, and they (dance) have been dancing and (sing) singing for two hours now.
2. We (wait) ……………………… for Ali for the last two hours, but he still hasn’t
arrived.
3. We (wait) ……………………… for Ali for over three hours before he finally arrived
yesterday.
4. Oscar (train) ……………………… for the Olympics for the last three years and wants
to make the national team next year.
5. The marathon runner (run) ……………………… for almost two hours when he
collapsed to the pavement. He received immediate medical attention.
6. Tom had a hard time finding a job. He (try) ……………………… to get a new job for
six months before he finally found a position at a local community college. Now he has
a two-year contract. He (teach) ……………………… there for only a few weeks, but he
likes his new job very much.
7. Dr. Sato (perform) ……………………… specialized surgery since she began working
at the university hospital ten years ago. She still does many operations each year, but
now her work is so famous that she travels all over the world lecturing to other surgeons
on her technique.
8. The Acme Construction Company is having problems. They (work) ………………… on
a new office building for the last seven months, and everything seem to be going wrong.
Earlier, they stopped work on a smaller structure that they (build) ………………………
so they could take on this job. Now both projects are in jeopardy.

Practice 11: Use the given words to make sentences about the future. Work in pairs, in
groups, or as a class.
Ex: I ……………….. around four this afternoon.
 I am going to go home around four this afternoon.
You ………………… tomorrow?
 Will you be in class tomorrow?
1. I …………… this evening.
2. The teacher …………… next week?
3. I …………….. probably …………. later today.
4. What time ………… you ………… tomorrow morning?
5. You ……………. later this (morning/afternoon/evening)?
6. Computers ……..…….. in the future.

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 7. What …….……you.……………. this weekend?
8. I may ………………. in a few days.
9. We ………………….. after we finish this exercise.
10. I ………………. before I ………………. tomorrow.

Practice 12: Underline the time clauses and correct any errors in verb use.
1. Before I’m going to return to my country next year, I’m going to finish my graduate
degree in computer science.
2. The boss will review your work after she will return from vacation next week.
3. I’ll give you a call on my cell phone as soon as my plane will land.
4. I don’t especially like my current job, but I’m going to stay with this company until I
will find something better.
5. I need to know what time the meeting starts. Please be sure to call me as soon as you
will find out anything about it.
6. When you will be in Australia next month, are you going to go snorkeling at the Great
Barrier Reef?
7. If it won’t be cold tomorrow, we will go the beach. If it will be cold tomorrow, we’ll go
to a movie.

Practice 13: Complete the sentences with the future perfect and the future perfect
progressive of the verbs in parentheses. Use each verb only once.
Arrive listen rise smoke
Fly ride save teach
1. By the time I get up tomorrow morning, the sun (already) will already have risen/will
have already risen.
2. This is a long trip! By the time we get to Miami, we ………………….. on this bus for
over 15 hours.
3. We are going to be late meeting my brother’s plane. By the time we get to the airport, it
(already) ……………………………….
4. He’s never going to stop talking. In 15 more minutes, we …………………………. to his
lecture for three solid hours. I don’t even know what he’s saying anymore.
5. What’s? You are smoking another cigarette? At this rate you ……………………… a
whole pack by lunch time. Don’t you think you should cut down a little?
6. This is the longest flight I have ever taken. By the time we get to New Zealand, we
……………………………… for 13 hours. I’m going to be exhausted.

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 7. Douglas has been putting some money away every month to prepare for his trip to South
America next year. By the end of this year, he ……………………………… enough. It
looks like he’s going to make it.
8. Can you believe it? According to our grammar teacher, by the end of this semester she
……………………………… more than 3000 students from 42 different countries. She has
been teaching for nearly 20 years-and she still loves it!

Practice 14: Write 5 sentences about your difficulties when learning English, underline all
the verbs used, and identify what kinds they are.
Ex: I work all day and go to school in the evening, so I don’t have much time for self-
studying.
Work: main verb (intransitive)
Go: main verb (intransitive)
Do: auxiliary verb
Have: main verb (transitive)

Practice 15: Correct the mistakes in the following sentences.

1. The wife, as well as her husband and children, were injured in the accident.
2. Either the students or the teacher have made a mistake.
3. Neither of the two women want their office renovated.
4. A baby tiger lives with its mother for two years, but at the age of seven months they can kill
for themselves.
5. Every students in this room have a grammar book.
6. Few student does well today.

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