Each of the items below contains two of the types of verb mistakes discussed in this chapter. Find and cross out these two mistakes. Then, in the spaces provided, write the correct forms of the verbs.
1. “WhateverbecomedoftheboyIsatnexttoinourhigh-schoolEnglishclass?” I asked my best friend. She tells me that he went to Hollywood and was now a well-known screenwriter.
a. ___________________
b. ___________________
2. Last year my nephew readed Charlotte’s Web, a story about a spider who made friends with a pig. He liked the story a great deal. In fact, afterward he refuse to eat bacon or kill spiders.
a. ___________________
b. ___________________
3. The housepainters didn’t seem to be very well organized. First, they forgot what day they were supposed to begin work. Then once they finish the job, they leaved a ladder behind.
a. ___________________
b. ___________________
4. When she was in her twenties, Belle decide to become a registered nurse. For years, she worked during the day, attends classes in the evening, and then came home and cared for her children.
a. ___________________
b. ___________________
5. Every time Megan placed her new puppy out on the porch for the night, he cries pitifully. After she brought his box into the living room, he were quiet for the rest of the night.
a. ___________________
b. ___________________
Answers
1. a. becomed (became)
b. tells (told)
2. a. readed (read)
b. refuse (refused)
3. a. finish (finished)
b. leaved (left)
4. a. decide (decided)
b. attends (attend)
5. a. cries (cried)
b. were (was)
All are correct.
To find and correct the verb mistakes in each sentence, we can follow these steps:
1. Read the sentence carefully and identify the verbs.
2. Check if the verb is in its correct form or if there is a mistake.
3. If there is a mistake, determine which type of verb mistake it is (e.g., verb tense, subject-verb agreement, verb form).
4. Cross out the mistake and write the correct form of the verb in the space provided.
Let's go through each sentence and apply these steps:
1. Sentence: "WhateverbecomedoftheboyIsatnexttoinourhigh-schoolEnglishclass?" I asked my best friend. She tells me that he went to Hollywood and was now a well-known screenwriter.
a. Mistake: The verb "becomed" should be "became."
b. Mistake: The verb "tells" should be "told."
Corrected sentence:
a. "Whatever became of the boy I sat next to in our high-school English class?" I asked my best friend. She told me that he went to Hollywood and was now a well-known screenwriter.
2. Sentence: Last year my nephew readed Charlotte’s Web, a story about a spider who made friends with a pig. He liked the story a great deal. In fact, afterward he refuse to eat bacon or kill spiders.
a. Mistake: The verb "readed" should be "read."
b. Mistake: The verb "refuse" should be "refused."
Corrected sentence:
a. Last year my nephew read Charlotte's Web, a story about a spider who made friends with a pig. He liked the story a great deal. In fact, afterward he refused to eat bacon or kill spiders.
3. Sentence: The housepainters didn’t seem to be very well organized. First, they forgot what day they were supposed to begin work. Then once they finish the job, they leaved a ladder behind.
a. Mistake: The verb "finish" should be "finished."
b. Mistake: The verb "leaved" should be "left."
Corrected sentence:
a. The housepainters didn't seem to be very well organized. First, they forgot what day they were supposed to begin work. Then, once they finished the job, they left a ladder behind.
4. Sentence: When she was in her twenties, Belle decide to become a registered nurse. For years, she worked during the day, attends classes in the evening, and then came home and cared for her children.
a. Mistake: The verb "decide" should be "decided."
b. Mistake: The verb "attends" should be "attend."
Corrected sentence:
a. When she was in her twenties, Belle decided to become a registered nurse. For years, she worked during the day, attended classes in the evening, and then came home and cared for her children.
5. Sentence: Every time Megan placed her new puppy out on the porch for the night, he cries pitifully. After she brought his box into the living room, he were quiet for the rest of the night.
a. Mistake: The verb "cries" should be "cried."
b. Mistake: The verb "were" should be "was."
Corrected sentence:
a. Every time Megan placed her new puppy out on the porch for the night, he cried pitifully. After she brought his box into the living room, he was quiet for the rest of the night.
So the corrected forms of the verbs for each sentence are:
1. a. became
b. told
2. a. read
b. refused
3. a. finished
b. left
4. a. decided
b. attend
5. a. cried
b. was