Download Verb Tenses

Agreement
Some words in English have matching forms to show grammatical
relationships. Forms that match in this way are said to agree. For example, a
subject and a verb agree if both are singular or both are plural. Pronouns also
agree with their antecedents --- the words to which pronouns refer.
Agreement of Subject and Verb
 A verb agrees with its subject in number.
Singular subjects take singular verbs.
A young woman rides that bus every morning.
Plural subjects take plural verbs.
Young women ride that bus every morning.
 The number of a subject is NOT changed by a phrase following the subject.
The performance was very funny.
The performance of the first three clowns was very funny.
The decision has been reversed.
The decision of the judges has been reversed.
 Singular subjects followed by phrases beginning with together with, as well as,
in addition to, and accompanied by take singular subjects.
The captain, as well as the coaches, was disappointed by the loss.
 The following common words are singular: each, either, neither, one, no one, anyone,
someone, everyone, anybody, somebody, everybody.
Each of the boys has his own motorcycle.
Neither of the dogs has gone into the woods.
Anyone with a coupon pays half price.
 The following common words are plural: several, few, both, many.
Few of his family really understand him.
Both of the explanations sound plausible.
 The words some, any, none, all, and most may be singular or plural, depending on the
meaning of the sentence. When these words refer to a singular word, they are singular;
when they refer to a plural word, they are plural.
Some of the money was missing.
Some of the dimes were missing.
All of the fruit looks ripe.
All of the cherries look ripe.
Has any of this evidence been presented?
Have any of my friends called me?
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 Subjects joined by and USUALLY take a plural verb.
A backpack, a canteen, and a rifle were issued to each new recruit.
Ophelia and her brother have a strong resemblance to each other.
 When subjects joined by and are considered a single unit or refer to the same person or
thing, they take a singular verb form.
Drinking and driving remains a major cause of highway accidents and fatalities.
Macaroni and cheese is the cafeteria special again today.
His friend and fellow author was cool to the idea of collaborating on a new
cookbook.
 Singular subjects joined by or or nor take a singular verb.
My brother or my sister is likely to be home.
Neither the CEO nor the CFO was indicted in the bookkeeping scandal.
 When a singular subject and a plural subject are joined by or or nor, the verb agrees with
the NEARER subject.
Neither my roommate nor my neighbors like my loud music.
Either the witnesses or the defendant is lying.
 Collective nouns --- such as family, team, audience, group, jury, crowd, band, class, and
committee --- and fractions can take EITHER singular or plural verbs, depending on
whether they refer to the group as a single unit or to the multiple members of the group.
The meaning of the sentence as a whole is your guide.
After deliberating, the jury reports its verdict. (single unit)
The jury still disagree on a number of counts. (multiple individuals)
Two-thirds of the park has burned. (single unit)
One-third of the students were commuters. (multiple individuals)
 Expressions stating amount (time, money, measurement, weight, volume, fractions) are
usually singular when the amount is considered as a single unit.
Three years in a foreign country seems like a long time.
Ten dollars is not enough to fill the gas tank.
 When the amount is considered as a number of separate units, a plural verb is used.
These last four years have been full of surprises.
There are two silver dollars in each of the envelopes.
 The title of a book or the name of an organization or country, even when plural in form,
usually takes a singular verb; yet, some names of organizations take a plural verb when
you are thinking of the members and a singular verb when you mean the organization.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a classic American novel by Mark Twain,
was published in 1884.
The United States remains a powerful force for democracy.
The New York Yankees usually arrive at the airport forty minutes before
departure.
The New York Yankees commands respect as a premier sports business.
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 Some words that end in –s seem to be plural in form but are singular in meaning and thus
take singular verb forms: mumps, measles, economics, mathematics, physics. Some
nouns of this kind (such as statistics and politics) may be either singular or plural,
depending on context.
Measles is a disease to take seriously.
World economics bears directly on world peace.
Statistics is a course that he found challenging.
The statistics in that study are questionable.
 Every or many a before a word or series of words is followed by a singular verb.
Every man, woman, and child was asked to contribute.
Many a college student wishes to return to the easy days of high school.
 Don’t and doesn’t must agree with their subjects.
Doesn’t she seem unhappy?
We don’t recommend that course of action.
 The word number is singular when preceded by the; it is plural when preceded by a.
The number of applicants for the internship was unbelievable.
A number of applicants were put on the waiting list.
 When the relative pronouns who, which, and that are used as subjects, the verb agrees
with the antecedent of the pronoun. In general, one of the takes a plural verb, while the
only one takes a singular verb.
Fear is an ingredient that goes into creating stereotypes.
Guilt and fear are ingredients that go into creating stereotypes.
Carla is one of the employees who always work overtime.
Leon is the only one of the employees who always works overtime.
Agreement of Pronoun and Antecedent
 A pronoun agrees with its antecedent in number and gender.
Ms. Jameson loudly closed the door to her classroom.
One of the boys injured his ankle.
The men on the committee expressed their jubilation.
Nobody in a position of authority had given his / her approval of the proposal.
The girls picked up their music.
Neither the newspaper nor the radio stations would reveal their sources.
 Elliptical constructions are those in which some words are understood but left out. When
an elliptical construction ends in a pronoun, put in the appropriate pronoun if the
construction were complete.
His sister has always been more athletic than he [is].
He can speak French more fluently than she [can].
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Parallel Structure
Parallelism in sentence structure exists when two or more sentence elements
of equal rank are similarly expressed. Stating equal and closely related ideas in
parallel constructions often adds clarity and smoothness to writing.
Coordinate Ideas
 Coordinate ideas are equal in rank. They are joined by coordinating conjunctions; the
most common used in parallel constructions are: and, but, or, nor.
 To express parallel ideas in the same grammatical form, pair one part of speech with the
same part of speech, a verbal with the same kind of verbal, a phrase with a phrase, a
clause with a clause.
The committee studied all aspects of the problem --- humane, political, and
financial. (three adjectives)
In camp a group of us tried to develop our physiques by daily calisthenics,
special diets, and a strict sleeping schedule. (three nouns)
The firm’s annual report revealed a growth in productive capacity but a drop in
sales. (two nouns)
The firm’s annual report revealed that productive capacity had grown but that
sales had dropped. (two clauses)
Walk, run, or bike to my house tomorrow. (three verbs)
Compared or Contrasted Ideas
 Compared or contrasted ideas in a sentence follow the same rules as coordinate ideas.
Those fighting for democracy value their freedom more than their property.
The computer in the classroom is faster than the one in the work room.
Her novel was praised more for its style than for its ideas.
I would rather walk than drive to the park.
Water skiing no longer interest her as much as scuba diving.
Correlative Constructions
 Correlative constructions are formed with the following correlative conjunctions:
both…and, either…or, neither…nor, not only…but (also).
 Place correlative conjunctions immediately before the parallel terms.
Mrs. Sayers is the president not only of the National Bank but also of the
Chamber of Commerce.
The team felt both the satisfaction of victory and the disappointment of defeat
throughout the season.
We either repair the pool tonight or cancel the swim meet tomorrow.
The rangers saw neither smoke nor fire from the lookout tower.
The new clerk soon proved herself to be not only trustworthy but also capable.
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Verb Tenses
A verb is a word that expresses action or otherwise helps to make a
statement. Verbs change in form to show the time of their action or of the idea they
express. The time expressed by a verb (past, present, future) is its tense.
Progressive forms of verbs are constructed using a form of the verb to be
and an ing verb.
Emphatic forms of verbs can be used in the present and past tense only;
emphatic forms are constructed with a form of the verb do and the principal part
of the verb.
Present Tense
 The present tense is used to express action or help make a statement about something
occurring now, at the present time.
I eat at that restaurant regularly.
He is walking to school. (progressive form)
They do qualify for the contest.(emphatic form).
 The present tense is also used to indicate habitual action.
She works every day.
You always arrive on time.
 The present tense is also used to write about general truths.
I did not know that Salem is the capital of Oregon.
Louis Pasteur demonstrated that his boiling process makes milk safe.
 The present tense is also used occasionally to achieve vividness in writing about past
events, particularly when writing about literature. This is known as the historical present.
Ethan Frome slowly realizes that he cannot easily move West with Mattie Silver.
On the parapet with Horatio during Act One, Hamlet sees his father’s ghost.
Past Tense
 The past tense is used to express action or help make a statement about something that
occurred in the past but did not continue into the present.
I ate at that restaurant yesterday.
He was walking to school on Monday. (progressive form)
They did qualify for the contest (emphatic form)
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Future Tense
 The future tense is used to express action or help make a statement about something
occurring at some time in the future. The future tense is formed with will or shall.
I will eat at that restaurant tomorrow.
He will be walking to school next week. (future progressive form
 The old distinction between shall and will is no longer observed by most people. Shall,
which was once considered the only correct form for the expression of the simple future
in the first person, has been replaced by will in the speech and writing of most people.
I shall consider your offer
I will consider your offer.
 In a few expressions shall is the only form ever used and so presents no usage problem.
Shall we go?
Shall I help you?
To use will in these expressions would change the meaning. With the exception of these
special uses, will is as correct as shall.
Present Perfect Tense
 The present perfect tense is used to express action or make a statement about something
at no definite time in the past. The present perfect tense is formed with have or has.
They have worked for us many times.
She has written that note occasionally.
 The present perfect tense is also used to express action or make a statement about
something occurring in the past and continuing into the present.
I have worked here for six weeks.
She has been working here for six weeks. (present perfect progressive form)
Past Perfect Tense
 The past perfect tense is used to express action or make a statement about something
completed in the past BEFORE some other past action or event. The past perfect tense is
formed with had.
When I had worked for one week, I asked for my pay.
The waiter had served appetizers before she took beverage orders.
They had been abandoning old cars at that site for years before the municipality
banned dumping within city limits. (past perfect progressive form)
 Avoid using would have in “if clauses” expressing the earlier of two past actions. Use
the past perfect tense.
If he had worked harder, he would have made the honor roll.
If I had thought of it, I would have called you.
 In participial phrases, use having with the past participle to express action completed
before another action
Having been tardy three days in a row, I was kept after school today.
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Future Perfect Tense
 The future perfect tense is used to express action or make a statement about something
which will be completed in the future BEFORE some other future action or event. The
future perfect tense is formed with will have or shall have.
By the time school opens, I will have worked here for eight weeks.
She will have finished painting the room when I return tomorrow.
He will have been working on college applications for seven hours by the time his
parents awake in the morning. (future perfect progressive form)
Verb Moods
Verbs may be in one of three moods: indicative, imperative, or subjunctive.
Indicative Mood
 The indicative mood states facts or opinions and asks questions. ALMOST ALL the
verbs you use are in the indicative mood.
I did the right thing.
Are you going to the fair?
Imperative Mood
 The imperative mood is used to express a request or a command.
Do the right thing.
Please take your brother to the fair.
Subjunctive Mood
 The only common uses of the subjunctive mood in modern English are to express a
condition contrary to fact and to express a wish. These uses occur mainly in formal
standard English and usually apply to only one verb form --- were. The verb form were is
usually used in contrary-to-fact statements (after if or as though) and in statements
expressing a wish.
Contrary to Fact
If I were you, I would save the money.
He spent money as if he were wealthy.
She talked as though she were my mother.
Wish
I wish it were true.
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Punctuation
Punctuation is used to make the meaning of a sentence clear to the reader.
Some marks of punctuation are used to indicate in written English the pauses and
stops which the voice makes in spoken English.
End Punctuation
Period
 A period is used to close sentences that make a statement or give a mild command.
Labor Day falls on the first Monday in September.
Please bring your books to class.
 A period also follows an abbreviation.
Ave.
Dr.
Ms.
 DO NOT use an additional period when a sentence ends with an abbreviation that has its
own period.
The social worker referred me to John Pintz Jr.
 Some abbreviations rarely if ever appear with periods. These include postal abbreviations
and most groups of initials.
NY
USA
SAT
UNICEF
Question Mark
 A question mark is used to close sentences that ask direct questions.
How do you plan to pay for that new laptop?
 A question mark is NOT needed to close a polite request in question form.
Will you please ship this order three weeks before Hanukkah.
Exclamation Point
 An exclamation point is used to show surprise or strong emotion. Use this mark
sparingly because it can distract your readers or suggest that you are exaggerating.
What a beautiful dress!
Block that kick!
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Comma
 In general, use a comma after any word, phrase, or clause that precedes the subject of the
sentence.
In the closet, you will find the equipment I purchased.
To win the game, Connor needed skill and luck.
Yes, you were elected.
Since my mind was not getting enough stimulation, I decided to read a good book.
Behaving like a spoiled child, he pouted and sulked.
 Use commas to set off parenthetical or transitional expressions.
My parents will, I am sure, let me have the car tonight. (parenthetical)
Jenkins was doing things the hard way, naturally. (parenthetical)
The panda, however, is more closely related to the raccoon. (transitional)
 Use commas to set off direct address, contrasting elements, interjections, and tag
questions.
Joshua, feed the cat. (direct address)
I don’t know, Alice, where you left your cell phone. (direct address)
Mom asked you, not your brother, to sweep the porch. (contrasting element)
Yikes, that is a big pumpkin! (interjection)
The governor did not veto the unemployment bill, did she? (tag question)
 Use a comma between the day of the week and the month, between the day of the month
and the year, and between the year and the rest of the sentence.
The attacks on the morning of Tuesday, September, 2001, took the United States
by surprise.
 Use a comma after each part of an address or a place name, including the state if there is no
zip code. DO NOT precede a zip code with a comma.
Forward her mail to the Department of English, The Ohio State University,
Columbus, Ohio 43210.
 Use commas to separate items in a series. You may see a series with no comma after the
next-to-last item; however, this may occasionally cause confusion.
Diners had a choice of broccoli, green beans, peas, and carrots.
She was formerly on the staff of embassies in Moscow, Berlin, Vienna, and Rome.
 Words customarily used in pairs are set off by a comma as one item in a series.
For lunch they served fruit cup, macaroni and cheese, salad, bread and butter,
ice cream and cake, and coffee.
 Use a comma to set off a quotation from the words used to introduce or identify the source of
the quotation.
“All I know about grammar,” said Joan Didion, “is its infinite power.”
 DO NOT use a comma to introduce a quotation with that .
The writer of Ecclesiastes concludes that “all is vanity.”
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 Use a comma before and, but, or, nor, for, yet when they join two independent clauses
unless the clauses are very short.
The climbers must reach the summit today, or they will have to turn back.
Saturday’s committee meeting was unusually harmonious, for no one raised any
objections.
You go ahead and I’ll follow.
She saw her chance and she took it.
Nonessential (Nonrestrictive) and Essential (Restrictive) Elements
 Nonessential (nonrestrictive) elements are clauses, phrases, and words that DO NOT limit,
or restrict, the meaning of the words they modify. Since such elements are NOT essential to
the meaning of the sentence, they should be set off from the rest of the sentence with
commas.
 Essential (restrictive) elements are clauses, phrases, and words that DO limit, or restrict the
meaning of the words they modify. Essential (restrictive) elements should NOT be set off
with commas.
Drivers who have been convicted of drunken driving should lose their licenses.
(essential)
The two drivers involved in the accident, who were convicted of drunken driving
last year, should lose their licenses. (nonessential)
Savion Glover, the award-winning dancer, taps like poetry in motion.
(nonessential)
My friend William is an expert carpenter. (essential)
 Whether a sentence element is essential or nonessential depends on the meaning the writer
intends to convey.
My dog, Gracie, enjoys chasing our three black cats.
(This appositive is nonessential because the writer is indicating that
he/she has only one dog.)
Her cousin Frederica lives near the beach.
(This appositive is essential because the writer is indicating that he/she
has more than one cousin.)
The clothing that you wear to work conveys much about your personality.
(This adjective clause is essential because the writer needs to specify
which clothing; adjective clauses beginning with that are ALWAYS
restrictive.)
We strolled through Peace Park, which is located on the corner of North Front
and Green Streets.
(This adjective clause is nonessential; although an adjective clause
beginning with which may be restrictive or nonrestrictive, some writers
prefer to use which only for nonrestrictive clauses.)
My neighbor, playing in the street, was struck by a car.
(Nonessential phrase)
A child playing in the street may be struck by a car.
(Essential phrase)
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Semicolon
 Though a comma and a coordinating conjunction often join independent clauses,
semicolons provide writers with subtler ways of signaling closely related clauses. The clause
following a semicolon often restates an idea expressed in the first clause; it sometimes
expands on or presents a contrast to the first.
The refugees could take only indispensable items; they had to leave behind all
heavy and bulky possessions.
Carefully proofread all your essays before submitting them; do not overlook this
important step.
 Use a semicolon --- NOT a comma--- to link independent clauses joined by a conjunctive
adverb such as however or therefore or a transition such as as a result or for example.
Tension rose rapidly during yesterday’s meeting; therefore, most of the Council
members remained calm.
The foreign situation was deteriorating rapidly; that is, governments could find
no basis for agreement.
 Use a semicolon to separate items in a series WHEN at least one of the items contains a
comma.
Anthropology encompasses archaeology, the study of ancient civilizations
through artifacts; linguistics, the study of the structure and development of
language; and cultural anthropology, the study of language, customs, and
behavior.
Colon
 Use a colon to mean “note what follows.” When a list comes immediately after a verb or a
preposition, DO NOT use a colon.
The car trunk was large enough for everything: rackets, golf clubs, fishing
supplies, suitcases, a picnic basket, and clothing.
We decided to bring paper, pens, slide rules, protractors, and calculators.
 Use a colon before a long, formal statement or quotation.
Mark Twain wisely proffered advice about institutions of higher learning: “Don’t
let school interfere with your education.”
Brackets
 Use brackets to enclose explanatory words or comments into a direct quotation.
“He [Grendel] fund them sprawled in sleep, suspecting nothing, their dream
undisturbed.”
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Apostrophe
 Add an apostrophe and s to form the possessive of most singular nouns, including those that
end in s.
John’s bicycle was stolen from his garage last night.
The bus’s fumes overpowered her.
 Add an apostrophe and s to form the possessive of plural nouns NOT ending in s.
Tommy Hilfiger, an Elmira College graduate, is an innovator in men’s fashion.
Be careful not to step on the children’s toys.
 Add ONLY the apostrophe to form the possessive of a plural noun ending in s.
Firefighters rushed into the boys’ locker room .
 Add an apostrophe to each noun in order to show individual ownership.
There are significant differences between Jim Carrey’s and Adam Sandler’s
films.
 Add an apostrophe to the last noun ONLY in order to show joint ownership.
Knock loudly on the door to Michael and Raymond’s room.
Quotations Marks
 Use quotation marks to enclose a person’s exact words.
She smiled and said, “This is one incident that I will never forget.”
 A direct quotation begins with a capital letter if it is a complete sentence. When a direct
quotation is divided into two parts by an interrupting expression, the second part begins with
a lower case letter.
“Go home,” he pleaded, “before you cause more trouble.”
 Use single quotation marks to enclose a quotation within a quotation.
Lester complained to his mother, “He told me to ‘Shut up!’”
Closing Quotation Marks and Other Punctuation
 Commas and periods are ALWAYS placed inside closing quotation marks.
“I know,” he said, that we can finish the job today.”
 Semicolons and colons are ALWAYS placed outside closing quotation marks.
“Ellen,” my grandmother said, “you should finish college”; then she offered to
help me with my tuition costs.
 Question marks and exclamation points are placed inside closing quotation marks IF the
quotation is a question or an exclamation; otherwise, they are placed outside.
“Are the players ready?” asked the referee.
Were you surprised when he said, “Hop in”?
NOTE: No more than one comma or one end mark is used at the end of a quotation.
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Easily Confused Words
its
it's
possessive form of it
it is
brake
break
to slow down as with a car
to shatter or destroy
then
than
expresses a moment in time
a comparative form
peace
piece
absence of war or hostilities
a part, a fragment
where
were
a question of location
past tense of verb "are"
blew
blue
past tense of verb "blow"
a primary color
to
too
two
part of a verb / direction
also, excessive
number
right
rite
wright
write
opposite of left; correct
a ceremony, custom, tradition
one who constructs something
to form letters with a pen or pencil
there
their
they're
location
possessive form of "they"
they are
heard
herd
past tense of the verb "hear"
a group of animals
affect
effect
to influence or change
a result
weather
quite
quiet
really
silent
the state of the atmosphere at
a given place and time
used to introduce alternate
possibilities
threw
through
past tense of verb "throw"
direction
new
knew
whether
which
witch
identifies a particular one
a woman who practices black
magic
opposite of old
past tense of verb "know"
loose
lose
not fastened or restrained
to be unable to find
hole
whole
break in something, ditch
entirely, completely
choose
chose
to select
past tense of the verb "choose"
passed
past
past tense of verb "pass"
from a previous time
berry
bury
a small edible fruit
to place a dead body in the ground
hear
here
to listen
location
buy
by
bye
to purchase
near, toward, according to
farewell
principal
principle
chief teacher, money up front
a rule of conduct
colonel
kernel
a military rank
a whole grain or seed
your
you're
yore
possessive form of "you"
contraction of "you are"
olden days
scene
seen
a division of a drama
past participle of the verb "see"
do
due
to bring about, to produce, to act
owed; required to arrive
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lead
lead
led
a heavy, pliable metal element
to precede in movement
past tense of "lead"
course
the ground or path traveled; a
segment of a meal; a program of
studies; a method
harsh, rough
coarse
Lunsford, Andrea A. Easy Writer: A Pocket
Reference. New York: Bedford /St.
Martin’s, 2006. Print.
Warriner, John E. and Francis Griffith.
English Composition and Grammar:
Complete Course. New York: Harcourt,
Brace, Jovanovich, 1977. Print.
respectively each in the order given
respectfully marked by deference
who's
whose
contraction of "who is"
possessive form of who
formerly
formally
pertaining to an earlier time
in a ceremonial manner
fewer
less
used before a plural noun
used before a singular noun
compliment a flattering remark
complement something that completes
farther
further
pertaining to physical distance
pertaining to greater intensity
accept
except
to receive
to leave out
between
among
pertaining to two items
pertaining to more than two items
lie
to assume a horizontal position
lie
lay
have lain
lay
present tense
past tense
past participle
to place something
lay
laid
have laid
present tense
past tense
past participle
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