Download Verb Tense Exercises

Pronoun Use
And Verb Tense Review
Agreement: Noun-Pronoun
• Pronouns take the
place of nouns and
they must agree with
nouns in person,
gender, and number.
Subject
Form
.
First
Second
• Pronouns also must
be used in the proper Third
form for the sentence
(subjective, objective,
possessive).
Singular Plural
I
we
you
you
he, she,
or it
they
Agreement: Noun-Pronoun
• John sings well, so he joined the choir.
“He” is singular third-person, masculine,
and a subject of the sentence.
• John sings well, and his voice teacher is
pleased with him.
“Him” is masculine third-person singular
and in the objective case.
Agreement: Noun-Pronoun
• The sopranos sang well, and they won first
prize.
The subject is third-person plural, and so is
the pronoun “they,” which is the subject of the
second independent clause.
• The sopranos sang well. So first prize was
awarded to them.
“Them” is third-person plural and the object
of a preposition.
Problem Pronouns
• Some words like “everybody,” “each”, “anyone,”
and so on, should be matched with
singular forms of verbs and pronouns. These
indefinite pronouns (or adjective-noun
combinations) mean “each individual one.”
Correct but awkward:
• Daily, everyone brings his or her book to class.
• Each student does his or her lesson.
• Is anyone riding to the park on his or her bike?
Pronoun Problems
• English lacks a gender neutral, singular
pronoun. Thus, it is often better to use plurals.
• The student should study hard so he/she can
succeed. (awkward)
• Students should study hard so they can
succeed. They should always bring their books
to class.
Questions about pronouns?
Review: Verb Tenses
• Present tense is used most often for
habits, facts, and recurring events, but
also sometimes for present events.
• The little boy likes ice cream, and he gets
to eat it on Saturdays.
• Present progressive is used for
events occurring right now.
• The little boy is eating his ice cream now.
Review: Verb Tenses
• Simple past tense is used often.
• Last Saturday, the little boy ate vanilla ice
cream.
• Present perfect is used for events
occurring in the past and continuing into
the present.
• We have been here at the restaurant for
over an hour. (We are still here).
Review: Verb Tenses
• Past perfect has particular uses, and we
do not see it as often as the other tenses.
It is used for a point in time earlier than
another moment.
• We had been at the restaurant for over an
hour when James finally arrived at 8:15.
(We were there at 7:00; James showed up
at 8:15).
Review: Verb Tenses
• Past participles are used to form other
tenses of regular verbs, such as present
perfect and past perfect.
• She walked to the store yesterday.
• She has walked to the store many times
(and presumably will again).
• She had walked all the way to the store
before she remembered her wallet.
Review: Verb Tenses
• Future tense (and variations on that tense)
also requires a helping verb.
• James will be here in an hour.
• They will take a cab to the train station
later this evening.
Agreement: Subject-Verb
• Verbs have to agree with their subjects in
number. For example,
• John sings well.
• The sopranos sing well.
John is singular and the verb needs an “–
s” on the end. “Sopranos” is a plural noun
and the verb agrees with the subject (no “–
s” on the end).
No Questions?
Ready for a quiz? Fill in the blanks with the right
verb forms (also pronouns).
Exercise
1) I (to teach)___________________English for
many years.
2) I (to be)____________________ a C.I.A.
agent for ten years, before I (to start)
____________teaching,
3) When I (to be)_______________a C.I.A. agent,
I also (to spy) ______________ for the Soviet
Union.
4) But the U.S.S.R. (to pay,
negative)_________________me well.
Exercise
5) Now I (to teach)________________at
Oakton.
6) My teacher (to teach)
____________________English for
many years.
7) Before she (to start)________teaching,
she (to be)________________a C.I.A.
agent for ten years.
Exercise
8) At the buffet, a customer can (to choose)
________________ whatever (pronoun)
__________(to want)______________to
eat.
9) Yesterday, James (to
choose)__________________grilled fish
because the restaurant no longer (to
offer)________________________sushi.
Exercise
10) . The restaurant (use to serve/used to
serve)______________________ sushi.
11) But it (to serve,
negative)___________________sushi now.
12) The owner (to realize) ___________that it
was too difficult and expensive to serve
(pronoun) _______fresh.
13) (to like)___________you___________sushi?
Questions?