English

26 Verb Problems Avoiding Mistakes in Verb Tense Understand What Verb Tense Is ■ IDEA JOURNAL Write about something you did yesterday. Then, write about it again as if you are going to do it tomorrow. Verb tense tells when the action of a sentence occurs — in the present, in the past, or in the future. Verbs change their form and use the helping verbs have or be to indicate different tenses. To choose the correct form and tense, consider whether the subject is singular or plural and when the action occurs. PRESENT TENSE Teresa and I talk every day. [Plural subject] She also talks to her mother every morning. [Singular subject] ■ In the examples throughout this chapter, the subject is underlined once, and the verb is underlined twice. PRESENT TENSE PAST TENSE FUTURE TENSE Yesterday, they talked for two hours. [Plural subject] Tomorrow, they will talk again. [Plural subject] Language Note: Remember to add the endings on present-tense and past-tense verbs, even if they can’t be heard in speech. PRESENT TENSE PAST TENSE ■ For more on subject-verb agreement and singular versus plural verb forms, see Chapter 25. Krystal plays varsity basketball. She played in the game yesterday. Regular verbs follow a few standard patterns in the present and past tenses, and their past-tense and past-participle forms end in -ed or -d. 452 ‘ EDITING ESSAYS Chapter 26 • Verb Problems 453 Irregular verbs change spelling in the past-tense and past-participle forms. (For more on irregular verbs, see pp. 467–75.) REGULAR VERB: WALK IRREGULAR VERB: EAT Past tense Past participle walked [I walked.] walked [I have/had walked.] ate [I ate.] eaten [I have/had eaten.] In the Real World, Why Is It Important to Use Correct Verbs' Errors in verb tense can create a negative impression of the writer, as the following example shows. SITUATION: A student that Shawn has been working with shows him the script for an oral presentation he has to give in school the following week. Here is what the student wrote as an introduction: Last week I done gone to the awards day for Diamond Educators and receive my first prize ever. I receive the prize because last semester I work with younger kids to help them do things right, like doing their homework and why it be important to go to school. Before I meet people at Diamond, I never understand why school matter. I believe that only fools cared about school, but now I know education can change my life. Trying to get a good education don’t mean selling out: It mean making something of myself. RESPONSE: The student has great ideas here, but there are lots of errors that will make people ignore his good ideas. He’s writing more like he talks informally, and I tell people over and over that they need to know how and when to use “formal” English. It is important to achieving their own goals and to getting a better life. Shawn Brown Founder, Diamond Educators (See Shawn’s Profile of Success on p. 303.) Use Correct Verbs Verbs have several tenses to express past, present, and future time. This section will explain what those tenses are and how to use them correctly when you write. ‘ EDITING ESSAYS 454 Part Four • The Four Most Serious Errors Regular Verbs To avoid mistakes with regular verbs, understand the basic patterns for forming the present, past, and future tenses. Present Tense The simple present tense is used for actions that are happening at the same time that you are writing about them and about actions that are ongoing. There are two forms for the simple present tense of regular verbs — -s ending or no added ending. Use the -s ending when the subject is she, he, or it, or the name of one person or thing. Do not add any ending for other subjects. Regular Verbs in the Simple Present Tense SINGULAR PLURAL First person Second person Third person I laugh. You laugh. She/he/it laughs. The baby laughs. We laugh. You laugh. They laugh. The babies laugh. PRACTICE 1 FINDING VERB ERRORS Find and underline the eleven errors in the student’s writing on page 453. PRACTICE 2 USING THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE OF REGULAR VERBS In each of the following sentences, first underline the subject, and then circle the correct verb form. EXAMPLE: ■ For answers to odd-numbered practice exercises, see pages A-1–A-19 at the back of the book. Most elevator riders ( share / shares ) a common complaint. 1. Too often, elevator doors ( open / opens ) at practically every floor even when there are just a few people in the car. ‘ EDITING ESSAYS Chapter 26 • Verb Problems 455 2. Now, guests at one big hotel ( enjoy / enjoys ) faster, more direct elevator rides, thanks to a new “smart elevator” system. 3. The system ( work / works ) so well because it knows where people want to go before they get into their elevator car. 4. Whenever someone ( want / wants ) to take an elevator, he or she must first punch in the desired floor number at a keypad in the lobby. 5. A digital display then ( indicate / indicates ) the letter of the elevator car that will directly go to a floor close to the person’s destination. 6. To ensure that guests don’t get confused with the new system, employees of the hotel ( help / helps ) guests to use it correctly. 7. The hotel’s managers ( claim / claims ) that the system reduces the average trip time by up to 30 percent. 8. However, some guests ( express / expresses ) irritation with the system. 9. They sometimes ( wait / waits ) a long time for an elevator, and then they cannot get into the first car that comes because it is not going near their floor. 10. Still, most people who use the system ( consider / considers ) it to be a welcome improvement in elevator technology. ■ For more practice with verbs, visit Exercise Central at bedfordstmartins .com/realessays. Two other present-tense forms are the present progressive tense and the present perfect tense. The present progressive tense is used to describe actions that are in progress. It is formed as follows: Present-tense form of be (helping verb) + Main verb with -ing ending ‘ EDITING ESSAYS 456 Part Four • The Four Most Serious Errors Present Progressive Tense SINGULAR PLURAL First person Second person Third person I am laughing. You are laughing. She/he/it is laughing. The baby is laughing. We are laughing. You are laughing. They are laughing. The babies are laughing. Language Note: Some languages, such as Russian, do not use the progressive tense. If your first language does not use the progressive tense, pay special attention to this section. PRACTICE 3 USING THE PRESENT PROGRESSIVE TENSE In each of the following sentences, underline the helping verb (a form of be), and fill in the correct form of the verb in parentheses. EXAMPLE: My grandmother is looking (look) into our family history. (start) with my grandfather’s side of the family, the 1. She is Mancinis. 2. To learn more about the Mancinis, she is (contact) several of my grandfather’s relatives to get birth documents and other information. 3. Also, she is (gather) information about the Mancinis through genealogy sites on the Internet. 4. She is (learn) a lot about my grandfather’s ancestors; for in- stance, they were peasants who fled Italy around 1910 because of difficult living conditions. 5. My sister and I are records from Ellis Island. (help) our grandmother by looking at online ‘ EDITING ESSAYS Chapter 26 • Verb Problems 457 6. Also, we are at a local college. 7. Even our mother is 8. For example, she is 9. She is constantly (think) of taking a course in genealogical research (pitch) in. (call ) older Mancinis to get family stories. (share) the stories with my sister and me; for instance, she learned that our great-grandfather helped to organize a coalminer strike soon after coming to America. 10. “These stories are (remind) me of some modern Mancinis,” she said. “We like to stir things up.” The present perfect tense is used for an action begun in the past that is ongoing into the present or that was completed at some unspecified time in the past. It is formed by using a past participle, a verb form that uses the helping verb have. The past participle of the verb play, for example, is has played or have played. The present perfect is formed as follows: Present-tense form of have (helping verb) + Past participle ■ Be and have are irregular verbs. For more details on irregular verbs, see pages 467–75. Present Perfect Tense SINGULAR PLURAL First person Second person Third person I have laughed. You have laughed. She/he/it has laughed. The baby has laughed. We have laughed. You have laughed. They have laughed. The babies have laughed. Language Note: Be careful not to leave out have when it is needed for the present perfect. Time-signal words like since or for may mean that the present perfect is needed. INCORRECT CORRECT Krystal played basketball since she was ten. Krystal has played basketball since she was ten. ‘ EDITING ESSAYS 458 Part Four • The Four Most Serious Errors PRACTICE 4 USING THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE In each of the following sentences, underline the helping verb (a form of have), and fill in the correct form of the verb in parentheses. EXAMPLE: My father has served (serve) in the army for twenty years. (force) our family to move many 1. My father’s military career has times. 2. We have 3. I have (live) in seven towns that I remember. (attend) three different high schools. (seem) like home. 4. None of the towns has ever really 5. I have never 6. None of us has ever 7. My closest friends have all 8. One of them has seventeen other countries. 9. She has always 10. But she has (object) to my family’s traveling life. (expect) to stay in one place for long. (travel) a lot, too. (visit) Egypt, Australia, Turkey, Pakistan, and (like) the idea of becoming a travel agent. (decide) to accept a position with a large interna- tional corporation that will allow her to travel. Past Tense The simple past tense is used for actions that have already happened. An -ed ending is needed for all regular verbs in the past tense. SIMPLE PRESENT SIMPLE PAST First person Second person Third person I rush to work. You lock the door. Rufus seems strange. I rushed to work. You locked the door. Rufus seemed strange. ‘ EDITING ESSAYS Chapter 26 • Verb Problems 459 PRACTICE 5 USING THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE In each of the following sentences, fill in the correct past-tense form of the verb in parentheses. EXAMPLE: After the Revolutionary War ended (end), American politicians turned (turn) their anger against each other. (1) In general, politicians after the war (decide) to support either Alexander Hamilton, who favored a strong central government, or Thomas Jefferson, who advocated states’ rights. (2) Rival politicians were so they people (concern) about the direction of the new democracy, (attack) each other with great passion. (3) Few (care) about facts or honesty in their attacks. (4) Some (challenge) President George Washington (engage) politicians eagerly and (call ) him a would-be king. (5) Hamilton in personal attacks that were especially nasty. (6) In return, Hamilton’s enemies monarchy. (7) In six different instances, Hamilton in fierce arguments that (8) He (participate) (accuse) him of planning to bring back the British (stop) just short of causing a duel. (fail ) to avoid a duel in his long dispute with Vice Presi(charge) Burr with (duel ) in 1804, dent Aaron Burr. (9) For years, Hamilton being corrupt and dishonest. (10) When they each (fire) a shot from a pistol. (11) Burr was not hit, but Hamilton (die) the next day. was seriously wounded, and he SIMPLE PAST TENSE My car stalled. [The car stalled at some point in the past but does not stall now, in the present.] PRESENT PERFECT TENSE My car has stalled often. ■ Be careful not to confuse the simple past tense with the present perfect tense (see p. 457). [The car began to stall in the past but may continue to do so into the present.] ‘ EDITING ESSAYS 460 Part Four • The Four Most Serious Errors PRACTICE 6 USING THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE AND PRESENT PERFECT TENSE In each of the following sentences, circle the correct verb form. EXAMPLE: Within the last twenty years, racial profiling ( became / has become ) a significant source of disagreement between law enforcement agencies and some communities of color. 1. Numerous charges of racial profiling ( increased / have increased ) the tension between local police and members of various ethnic groups. 2. Law enforcement agencies ( used / have used ) profiling for a long time. 3. With this practice, they ( attempted / have attempted ) to identify people who might be participating in criminal activity by their behavior and the conditions of a particular situation. 4. Once these “profiled” individuals ( were singled out / have been singled out ), the police questioned or searched them for drugs, guns, or other illegal material. 5. In 1998, an investigation of the New Jersey State Police ( raised / has raised ) the public’s awareness of this issue. 6. The extensive publicity from this investigation ( defined / has defined ) racial profiling as the separating out of members of racial or ethnic groups for minor traffic or criminal offenses. 7. Investigators reviewing past law-enforcement activity concluded that the New Jersey State Police ( violated / have violated ) civil rights on numerous occasions. 8. Since this case was made public, other police departments ( initiated / have initiated ) investigations into their own possible profiling activities. 9. Similarly, communities ( started / have started ) to demand that the police be more accountable in their relationships with members of minority racial or ethnic groups. ‘ EDITING ESSAYS Chapter 26 • Verb Problems 461 10. The issue of profiling ( endured / has endured ) in the public mind and continues to be controversial. Two other past-tense forms are the past progressive tense and the past perfect tense. The past progressive tense is used to describe actions that were ongoing in the past. It is formed as follows: Past-tense form of be (helping verb) + Main verb with -ing ending Past Progressive Tense SINGULAR PLURAL First person Second person Third person I was laughing. You were laughing. She/he/it was laughing. The baby was laughing. We were laughing. You were laughing. They were laughing. The babies were laughing. PRACTICE 7 USING THE PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE In each of the following sentences, first underline the helping verb (a form of be), and then fill in the correct form(s) of the verb in parentheses. EXAMPLE: Grandma and Grandpa still remember what they were doing (do) when Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon. (climb) up Mount 1. On that summer day in 1969, they were Marcy, the highest mountain in New York State. 2. Neither of them was walk. (intend) to see that famous first moon ‘ EDITING ESSAYS 462 Part Four • The Four Most Serious Errors 3. They were both mountain. ( focus) on the difficult climb up the steep 4. Grandma, who exercised regularly, was well. 5. But Grandpa was (handle) the hike pretty (have) a lot of trouble with it. – 6. By the time they got about halfway up the mountain, he was (ask) to stop for a rest every few minutes. 7. Finally, he said he was went back down with him. 8. On the drive back to their house in New Jersey, they were (stop) and going back down; Grandma (listen) to the radio when they heard that Neil Armstrong would soon set foot on the moon. 9. They drove to the nearest diner, where people were the moon landing on television. 10. About ten minutes after Grandma and Grandpa had each ordered hot chocolate, they were (experience), along with most of the (watch) world, the first steps on the moon by a human. The past perfect tense is used for an action that was begun in the past but was completed before some other past action took place. It is formed as follows: ■ Be and have are irregular verbs. For more details on irregular verbs, see pages 467–75. Past-tense form of have + Past participle Past tense of have PAST PERFECT TENSE Past participle My head had ached for a week before I called a doctor. [Both of the actions (head ached and I called ) happened in the past, but the ache happened before the calling.] ‘ EDITING ESSAYS Chapter 26 • Verb Problems 463 Be careful not to confuse the simple past tense with the past perfect tense. SIMPLE PAST TENSE My car stalled. [One action (the car’s stalling) occurred in the past.] PAST PERFECT TENSE By the time Jill arrived, my car had stalled. [Two actions (Jill’s arrival and the car’s stalling) occurred in the past, but the car stalled before Jill’s arrival.] PRACTICE 8 USING THE PAST PERFECT TENSE In each of the following sentences, circle the correct verb form. Note: Some of the verbs are irregular. For a chart showing forms of these verbs, see pages 469–72. EXAMPLE: By the time I reached home, rolling blackouts ( darkened / had darkened ) the city. ■ For more practice on the past and perfect tenses, see Chapter 33. 1. The temperature was unseasonably hot when I ( got / had gotten ) out of bed that morning. 2. By noon, the air conditioners at the office ( were running / had been running ) at high power for three hours. 3. My boss told me that she ( heard / had heard ) that energy use that day was skyrocketing. 4. I ( asked / had asked ) how we could conserve energy. 5. I mentioned that I ( just learned / had just learned ) that some household and office machines use power even when they are turned off. 6. My boss ( read / had read ) the same information, so we unplugged computers in the office that were not in use. 7. We also ( raised / had raised ) the office temperature from sixty-eight degrees to seventy-two, and then we turned off some of the lights. 8. By late afternoon, we ( did / had done ) everything we could think of to save energy, but it was not enough. ‘ EDITING ESSAYS 464 Part Four • The Four Most Serious Errors 9. We knew that the city ( warned / had warned ) residents that rolling blackouts were possible. 10. However, when the office ( suddenly darkened / had suddenly darkened ), everyone was stunned. Future Tense The simple future tense is used for actions that will happen in the future. It is formed with the helping verb will. Simple Future Tense SINGULAR PLURAL First person I will graduate in May. You will graduate in May. She/he/it will graduate in May. My son will graduate in May. We will graduate in May. You will graduate in May. They will graduate in May. My sons will graduate in May. Second person Third person Two other future tense forms to be familiar with are the future progressive tense and the future perfect tense. The future progressive tense is used to describe actions in the future that are continuing. It is formed as follows: Will + Be + Main verb with -ing ending ‘ EDITING ESSAYS Chapter 26 • Verb Problems 465 Future Progressive Tense SINGULAR PLURAL First person I will be working Friday. You will be working Friday. She/he/it will be working Friday. The boss will be working Friday. We will be working Friday. You will be working Friday. They will be working Friday. The bosses will be working Friday. Second person Third person The future perfect tense is used to describe actions that will be completed in the future before another action in the future. It is formed as follows: Will have + Past participle Future Perfect Tense SINGULAR PLURAL First person I will have finished by 10:00. You will have finished by 10:00. She/he/it will have finished by 10:00. The painter will have finished by 10:00. We will have finished by 10:00. You will have finished by 10:00. They will have finished by 10:00. The painters will have finished by 10:00. Second person Third person ‘ EDITING ESSAYS 466 Part Four • The Four Most Serious Errors PRACTICE 9 USING THE FUTURE TENSE In each of the following sentences, circle the correct verb form. Note: Some of the verbs are irregular. For a chart showing forms of these verbs, see pages 469–72. EXAMPLE: By Monday, Andrew ( will pass / will be passing / will have passed ) his driving test. 1. From then on, he ( will use / will be using / will have used ) his new car whenever he wants to get anywhere. 2. Andrew has already said he ( will visit / will be visiting / will have visited ) his friend Angela at her school one day next month. 3. Over the next few days, he also ( will plan / will be planning / will have planned ) visits to several other friends. 4. His car’s manual says that his car ( will need / will be needing / will have needed ) servicing in six months. 5. By the time he leaves for his trip to Colorado next fall, he ( will check / will be checking / will have checked ) with his mechanic to make sure the car is in good condition. 6. Andrew has promised himself that, whenever something needs to be fixed on the car, he ( will fix / will be fixing / will have fixed ) it. 7. He learned this from seeing his older sister Carrie, who always ( will wait / will be waiting / will have waited ) until something in her car breaks before she concerns herself with it. 8. Andrew expects that next winter he ( will receive / will be receiving / will have received ) frequent emergency calls from his sister when her car breaks down. 9. By next spring, he expects that he ( will rescue / will be rescuing / will have rescued ) her several times. ‘ EDITING ESSAYS Chapter 26 • Verb Problems 467 10. But he also realizes that, even after having several breakdowns, Carrie still ( will avoid / will be avoiding / will have avoided ) dealing with any car problem until she absolutely must. Irregular Verbs Unlike regular verbs, which have past-tense and past-participle forms that end in -ed or -d, irregular verbs change spelling in the past-tense and past-participle forms. Present-Tense Irregular Verbs Only a few verbs are irregular in the present tense. The ones most commonly used are the verbs be and have. BE SINGULAR PLURAL HAVE SINGULAR PLURAL First person Second person Third person I am you are he/she/it is the dog is Chris is we are you are they are Chris and Dan are I have you have he/she/it has Chris has we have you have they have the dogs have Chris and Dan have the dogs are the dog has PRACTICE 10 USING BE AND HAVE IN THE PRESENT TENSE In each of the following sentences, fill in the correct form of the verb indicated in parentheses. EXAMPLE: Disc golf is (be) played with Frisbees. 1. I (be) a fanatical disc golfer. (have) eighteen holes, like regular golf, but uses a Fris- 2. The game bee instead of a ball. 3. A disc golf course 4. A tee (have) fairways and holes. (be) at the beginning of each fairway. ‘ EDITING ESSAYS 468 Part Four • The Four Most Serious Errors 5. Players (be) eager to get the Frisbee from the tee into a metal basket in the fewest possible throws. 6. Some disc golfers (have) special Frisbees for teeing off and putting. (have) thirty different Fris- 7. My brother, who also plays disc golf, bees for the game. 8. His wife 9. “You (be) surprisingly patient with his enthusiasm for the sport. (be) in the middle of a second adolescence,” she tells him. (have) formidable Frisbee technique. 10. However, she, too, Past-Tense Irregular Verbs As discussed earlier, the past-tense and past-participle forms of irregular verbs do not follow a standard pattern. For example, they do not use the -ed ending for past tense, although the past participle uses a helping verb, just as regular verbs do. PRESENT TENSE PAST TENSE PAST PARTICIPLE Tony makes hats. You write well. I ride a bike. Tony made hats. You wrote well. I rode a bike. Tony has/had made hats. You have/had written well. I have/had ridden a bike. The verb be is tricky because it has two different forms for the past tense — was and were. The Verb Be, Past Tense SINGULAR PLURAL First person Second person Third person I was you were she/he/it was the car was Jolanda was we were you were they were the cars were Jolanda and Ti were ‘ EDITING ESSAYS Chapter 26 • Verb Problems 469 PRACTICE 11 USING PAST-TENSE FORMS OF THE VERB BE In the paragraph that follows, fill in each blank with the correct past-tense form of the verb be. EXAMPLE: The many visitors to President Lincoln’s White House were generally polite. respectful of his visitors as well, but they took politicians, (1) Lincoln up a great deal of his time. (2) Most of his visitors army generals, journalists, job seekers, and relatives of Mrs. Lincoln. (3) Nearly every visitor seeking something from the president, such as promotions, policy changes, or pardons. (4) Whenever a visitor came asking for nothing, Lincoln relatives the Todds clearly relieved. (5) Mrs. Lincoln’s especially troublesome for the president. (6) Many of Confederate sympathizers or even Confederate comlooking for batants. (7) Usually, though, a Todd visiting Lincoln a job. (8) Nearly everyone who had known Lincoln at some point in his life welcomed by the president. (9) His manner almost quickly put at always so friendly and gracious that his visitors ease. (10) Contrary to the serious face in the Lincoln Memorial, whenever the president greeted a visitor, he usually smiling. As you write and edit, consult the following chart to make sure that you use the correct form of irregular verbs. Irregular Verb Forms PRESENT TENSE PAST TENSE PAST PARTICIPLE (with helping verb) am/are/is become was/were became been become continued ‘ EDITING ESSAYS 470 Part Four • The Four Most Serious Errors PRESENT TENSE PAST TENSE PAST PARTICIPLE (with helping verb) begin bite blow break bring build buy catch choose come cost do draw drink drive eat fall feed feel fight find forget freeze get give go grow have/has hide hit hold hurt began bit blew broke brought built bought caught chose came cost did drew drank drove ate fell fed felt fought found forgot froze got gave went grew had hid hit held hurt begun bitten blown broken brought built bought caught chosen come cost done drawn drunk driven eaten fallen fed felt fought found forgotten frozen gotten given gone grown had hidden hit held hurt ‘ EDITING ESSAYS Chapter 26 • Verb Problems 471 PRESENT TENSE PAST TENSE PAST PARTICIPLE (with helping verb) keep know lay leave let lie light lose make mean meet pay put quit read ride run say see sell send set (to place) shake show shut sing sink sit (to be seated) sleep speak spend stand kept knew laid left let lay lit lost made meant met paid put quit read rode ran said saw sold sent set shook showed shut sang sank sat slept spoke spent stood kept known laid left let lain lit lost made meant met paid put quit read ridden run said seen sold sent set shaken shown shut sung sunk sat slept spoken spent stood continued ‘ EDITING ESSAYS 472 Part Four • The Four Most Serious Errors PRESENT TENSE PAST TENSE PAST PARTICIPLE (with helping verb) steal stick sting strike swim take teach tear tell think throw understand wake wear win write stole stuck stung struck swam took taught tore told thought threw understood woke wore won wrote stolen stuck stung struck, stricken swum taken taught torn told thought thrown understood woken worn won written PRACTICE 12 USING PAST-TENSE IRREGULAR VERBS In each of the following sentences, fill in the correct past-tense form of the irregular verb in parentheses. If you do not know the answer, find the word in the chart of irregular verb forms on pages 469–72. EXAMPLE: The Titanic set (set) out from England in 1912. (build) the Titanic, which was the biggest 1. The White Star Line moving object in the world at that time. 2. The huge ship 3. The newspapers (hold) over 2,200 passengers on its maiden voyage. (write) that twenty lifeboats, which could hold 1,178 people altogether, hung from the upper deck of the Titanic. ‘ EDITING ESSAYS Chapter 26 • Verb Problems 473 4. The shipbuilders ( feel) that the giant liner was the safest ship in the world and that more lifeboats were simply unnecessary. 5. On April 14, 1912, during its first trip across the Atlantic, the Titanic (strike) an iceberg. 6. The sharp ice 7. Icy ocean water Titanic down in the water. 8. Few passengers 9. Half-empty lifeboats (understand ) the danger at first. (leave) the sinking ship while other passengers (tear) a gaping hole in the bottom of the ship. (begin) to pour into the hold, dragging the (stand ) on deck, refusing to depart. 10. Hundreds of people nearest ship ( freeze) to death in the ocean before the (come) to rescue the Titanic’s 705 survivors. PRACTICE 13 USING PAST-TENSE IRREGULAR VERBS In the following paragraph, replace any incorrect present-tense verb forms with the correct past-tense form of the verb. If you do not know the answer, look up the verbs in the chart of irregular verb forms on pages 469–72. EXAMPLE: Dewayne faced a judge and jury of his fellow high school hit students after he hits a boy in the classroom. ^ (1) Two years ago, my high school sets up a student court to give students a voice in disciplining rule breakers. (2) Before the court opened its doors, adults teach students about decision making and about courtroom procedures. (3) Some of us served as members of juries, and others become advocates or even judges. (4) I sit on a jury twice when I was a junior. (5) Then, last spring, my friend Dewayne appeared before the student court after he loses his temper and strikes a fellow student. ‘ EDITING ESSAYS 474 Part Four • The Four Most Serious Errors (6) I agreed to be his advocate because I think he truly regretted his behavior. (7) I tell the jury that he knew his violent reaction was a mistake. (8) The jury sends Dewayne for counseling to learn to manage his anger and made him write an apology to the other student. (9) After hearing the verdict, Dewayne shakes hands with all the jurors and thanked them for their fairness. (10) The experience makes me eager to learn more about America’s system of justice. PRACTICE 14 USING PAST-PARTICIPLE FORMS FOR IRREGULAR VERBS In each of the following sentences, underline the helping verb (a form of have) and fill in the correct past-participle form of the verb in parentheses. If you do not know the correct form, find the word in the chart on pages 469–72. EXAMPLE: Hector has and downs. found ( find ) that a dot-com career has ups 1. By the time Hector graduated from college in 1998, he had dozens of hours of computer courses. 2. He had (choose) a career in programming. (take) 3. Before getting his diploma, Hector had Internet service provider. (begin) to work for an 4. By the end of the summer, a rival online service had Hector away from his employer. 5. His new bosses had (steal ) (be) in business for only a few months. (make) a profit. (buy) shares of the com- 6. After a year, the company still never had 7. However, hundreds of investors had pany’s stock. ‘ EDITING ESSAYS Chapter 26 • Verb Problems 475 8. By early 2000, the stock’s price had times its original worth. 9. Hector often wishes that he had a rich man. ( grow) to more than fifty ■ For more practice on using past forms of irregular verbs, see Chapter 33. (sell ) his shares then and retired 10. Instead, the company went bankrupt, and Hector has work for an old-fashioned but secure banking firm. ( go) to Passive Voice A sentence that is written in the passive voice has a subject that performs no action. Instead, the subject is acted upon. To create the passive voice, combine a form of the verb be with a past participle. Be (helping verb) + Past participle = Passive voice Be (helping verb) PASSIVE Past participle The memo was written by an employee. [The subject, memo, did not write itself. An employee wrote the memo, but the subject in the sentence, memo, performs no action.] In sentences that use the active voice, the subject performs the action. ACTIVE An employee wrote the memo. Use the passive voice when no one person performed the action, when you don’t know who performed the action, or when you want to emphasize the receiver of the action. Use active voice whenever possible, and use passive voice sparingly. PASSIVE The dog was hit by a passing car. [If the writer wants to focus on the dog as the receiver of the action, the passive voice is acceptable.] ACTIVE A passing car hit the dog. ‘ EDITING ESSAYS 476 Part Four • The Four Most Serious Errors Language Note: Don’t confuse the passive voice with the present-perfect tense or past-perfect tense. The passive uses a form of the verb be (is, was, were), and the subject performs no action. The present-perfect tense and the past-perfect tense have subjects that perform an action, and they use a form of the verb have. PASSIVE CORRECT The boat was crushed by huge waves. [The subject boat performs no action. The verb uses was, a form of be.] PASSIVE INCORRECT The boat was been crushed by huge waves. [The verb in the passive voice should not use two forms of be (was, been). Use was.] PRESENT PERFECT Huge waves have crushed all the boats. [The subject waves performs the action, crushed, using the present form of have.] PAST PERFECT Huge waves had crushed all the boats. [The subject waves performed the action, crushed, using the past form of have.] PRACTICE 15 CHANGING FROM PASSIVE VOICE TO ACTIVE VOICE Rewrite the following sentences in the active voice. Officers control the EXAMPLE: The Queen Mary 2, the world’s largest cruise ship, can be ^ controlled with a joystick. 1. The Queen Mary 2 is equipped with a grand lobby and an old-style threestory restaurant. 2. Its bridge, however, is filled with advanced consoles, screens, and joysticks. 3. The effects of the wind, waves, and ocean currents can be automatically corrected by the ship’s computer systems. 4. During the ship’s first docking in New York, the joystick was not touched by the captain. ‘ EDITING ESSAYS Chapter 26 • Verb Problems 477 5. He said the joystick would probably be used more by him in the future. Consistency of Verb Tense Consistency of verb tense means that all the actions in a sentence that happen (or happened) at the same time are in the same tense. If all of the actions happen in the present, use the present tense for all verbs in the sentence. If all of the actions happened in the past, use the past tense for all verbs in the sentence. Past tense INCONSISTENT TENSE Present tense The bell chimed just as I am running up the stairs. Present tense Present tense CONSISTENT PRESENT TENSE The bell chimes just as I am running up the stairs. Past tense Past tense CONSISTENT PAST TENSE The bell chimed just as I was running up the stairs. PRACTICE 16 USING CONSISTENT TENSE In each of the following items, double-underline the verbs in the sentence, and correct any unnecessary shifts in verb tense by writing the correct form of any incorrect verb in the blank space provided. EXAMPLE: use People either ride bicycles for leisurely journeys, or they used bikes for serious exercise. 1. Those who want a good workout needed different kinds of equipment than those interested in an easy ride. 2. For example, serious cyclists who had bikes with wide padded seats face the chance of injuries. ‘ EDITING ESSAYS 478 Part Four • The Four Most Serious Errors 3. A wide seat makes the rider shift from side to side, and it caused painful rubbing. 4. In addition, the seat should have been high enough so that the rider cannot put his or her feet on the ground. 5. Serious riders wore special shoes that snap onto the pedals to allow pushing up as well as pushing down. 6. Serious money is also a factor because custom bicycles were expensive. 7. Once an experienced cyclist chose the proper bicycle, he or she knows how to ride it properly. 8. For instance, knowledgeable riders move around as they ride so that they exercised different muscle groups. 9. The smart rider also kept his or her knees slightly bent, which eases the strain on the knees. ■ For more practices on verbs, see Chapter 33. 10. Of course, those who just wished to have a fun ride through the park ignore all of this advice. Verb Tense Reference Charts English verbs, like verbs in most other languages, have different tenses to show when something happened: in the past, present, or future. PAST PRESENT (now) FUTURE This section covers the most common tenses. The discussions of each tense start with a chart that tells you what time the tense is used for. The ‘ EDITING ESSAYS Chapter 26 • Verb Problems 479 chart then shows how to use the tense in statements, negative sentences, and questions. You can use the verb charts both to learn tenses and to edit your own writing. Following the charts are lists of common errors to avoid. THE SIMPLE TENSES TENSE STATEMENTS Simple Present TIMELINE: situations that exist In the third-person singular, regular verbs end in -s or -es. (For irregular verb endings, see pages 467–68.) I/you like pizza. She/he likes pizza. NEGATIVES always (now, in the past, and in the future) PAST PRESENT (now) FUTURE We like pizza. They like pizza. Present of DO + not + base verb I like pizza. I/you do not like pizza. She/he does not like pizza. QUESTIONS We do not like pizza. They do not like pizza. Present of DO + subject + base verb Do I/you like pizza' Does she/he like pizza' Do we like pizza' Do they like pizza' Simple Past TIMELINE: situations that began STATEMENTS Base verb + -d or -ed (regular verbs) and ended at a specific time in the past PAST PRESENT (now) FUTURE I/you worked last night. She/he worked last night. NEGATIVES We worked last night. They worked last night. Past of DO (did) + not + base verb I worked last night. I/you did not work last night. She/he did not work last night. QUESTIONS We did not work last night. They did not work last night. Past of DO (did) + subject + base verb Did I/you work last night' Did she/he work last night' Did we work last night' Did they work last night' continued ‘ EDITING ESSAYS 480 Part Four • The Four Most Serious Errors TENSE STATEMENTS Simple Future TIMELINE: situations that will Will + base verb begin in the future PAST PRESENT (now) FUTURE Maybe I/you will work tomorrow. Maybe she/he will work tomorrow. Maybe we/you/they will work tomorrow. NEGATIVES I will work tomorrow. Will + not + base verb Maybe I/you will not work tomorrow. QUESTIONS Will + subject + base verb Will I/you work tomorrow' Will she/he work tomorrow' Will we/you/they work tomorrow' Following are some common errors in using simple tenses. Simple Present • Forgetting to add -s or -es to verbs that go with third-person singular subjects (she/he/it) INCORRECT CORRECT She know the manager. She knows the manager. Simple Past • Forgetting to add -d or -ed to regular verbs INCORRECT CORRECT Gina work late last night. Gina worked late last night. • Forgetting to use the correct past form of irregular verbs (see the chart of irregular verb forms on pages 469–72) INCORRECT CORRECT Gerard speaked to her about the problem. Gerard spoke to her about the problem. ‘ EDITING ESSAYS Chapter 26 • Verb Problems 481 • Forgetting to use the base verb without an ending for negative sentences INCORRECT CORRECT She does not [doesn’t] wants money for helping. She does not want money for helping. THE PROGRESSIVE TENSES TENSE STATEMENTS Present Progressive TIMELINE: a situation that is in Present of BE (am / is / are) + base verb ending in -ing progress now but that started in the past PAST PRESENT (now) FUTURE I am typing. You are typing. She/he is typing. NEGATIVES We are typing. They are typing. Present of BE (am / is / are) + not + base verb ending in -ing I am typing. I am not typing. You are not typing. She/he is not typing. QUESTIONS We are not typing. They are not typing. Present of BE (am / is / are) + subject + base verb ending in -ing Are we typing' Are they typing' Am I typing' Are you typing' Is she/he typing' Past Progressive TIMELINE: a situation that started in the past and was in progress in the past PRESENT (now) STATEMENTS Past of BE (was / were) + base verb ending in -ing It was raining when I got to the restaurant at 7:00. The students were studying all night. PAST FUTURE NEGATIVES Past of BE (was / were) + not + base verb ending in -ing raining arrival at restaurant It was not raining when I got to the restaurant at 7:00. The students were not studying all night. QUESTIONS Past of BE (was / were) + subject + base verb ending in -ing Was it raining when I got to the restaurant at 7:00' Were the students studying all night' continued ‘ EDITING ESSAYS 482 Part Four • The Four Most Serious Errors TENSE STATEMENTS Future Progressive TIMELINE: a situation that will Will be + base verb ending in -ing be ongoing at some point in the future PAST PRESENT (now) FUTURE I/you will be working when Jan gets home. She/he will be working when Jan gets home. We will be working when Jan gets home. They will be working when Jan gets home. NEGATIVES working Jan’s arrival Will + not + be + base verb ending in -ing I/you will not be working when Jan gets home. She/he will not be working when Jan gets home. We will not be working when Jan gets home. They will not be working when Jan gets home. QUESTIONS Will + subject + be + base verb ending in -ing Will I/you be working when Jan gets home' Will she/he be working when Jan gets home' Will we be working when Jan gets home' Will they be working when Jan gets home' Following are some common errors in forming the present progressive. • Forgetting to add -ing to the verb INCORRECT I am type now. She/he is not work now. CORRECT I am typing now. She/he is not working now. ■ For more practices on the progressive tenses, including forming negatives and questions, see pages 600–04. • Forgetting to include a form of be (am/is/are) INCORRECT He typing now. They typing now. CORRECT He is typing now. They are typing now. ‘ EDITING ESSAYS Chapter 26 • Verb Problems 483 • Forgetting to use a form of be (am/is/are) to start questions INCORRECT CORRECT They typing now' Are they typing now' THE PERFECT TENSES TENSE STATEMENTS Present Perfect TIMELINE: a situation that Present of HAVE + past participle of base verb began in the past and either is still happening or ended at an unknown time in the past PAST PRESENT (now) FUTURE I/you have attended every class. She/he has attended every class. We have attended every class. They have attended every class. NEGATIVES I have attended every class. Present of HAVE + not + past participle of base verb I/you have not attended every class. She/he has not attended every class. We have not attended every class. They have not attended every class. QUESTIONS Present of HAVE + subject + past participle of base verb Have I/you attended every class' Has she/he attended every class' Have we attended every class' Have they attended every class' Past Perfect TIMELINE: a situation that began and ended before some other past situation occurred PRESENT (now) STATEMENTS Past of HAVE (had) + past participle of base verb I/you had left before Gil arrived. She/he had left before Gil arrived. PAST FUTURE We had left before Gil arrived. They had left before Gil arrived. (somebody) Gil’s left arrival continued ‘ EDITING ESSAYS 484 Part Four • The Four Most Serious Errors TENSE NEGATIVES Past Perfect (cont.) Past of HAVE (had) + not + past participle of base verb Usually used for “if ” situations If you had not left, you would have seen him. If she/he had not left, she/he would have seen him. If we had not left, we would have seen him. If they had not left, they would have seen him. QUESTIONS Past of HAVE (had) + subject + past participle of base verb Had I/you left before Gil arrived' Had she/he left before Gil arrived' Had we left before Gil arrived' Had they left before Gil arrived' Future Perfect TIMELINE: a situation that will be completed in the future before another future situation PRESENT (now) STATEMENTS Will have + past participle of base verb I/you will have graduated before I/you move. She/he will have graduated before you move. We will have graduated before you move. PAST FUTURE They will have graduated before you move. NEGATIVES graduation moving Will not have + past participle of base verb I/you will not have graduated before I/you move. She/he will not have graduated before you move. We will not have graduated before you move. They will not have graduated before you move. QUESTIONS Will + subject + have + past participle of base verb Will I/you have graduated before I/you move' Will she/he have graduated before you move' Will we have graduated before you move' Will they have graduated before you move' ‘ EDITING ESSAYS Chapter 26 • Verb Problems 485 Following are some common errors in forming the perfect tense. • Using had instead of has or have for the present perfect INCORRECT CORRECT We had lived here since 2003. We have lived here since 2003. ■ For more practices on the perfect tenses, including forming negatives and questions, see pages 605–09. • Forgetting to use past participles (with -d or -ed endings for regular verbs) INCORRECT CORRECT She has attend every class. She has attended every class. • Using been between have or has and the past participle of a base verb INCORRECT CORRECT INCORRECT CORRECT I have been attended every class. I have attended every class. I will have been graduated before I move. I will have graduated before I move. MODAL AUXILIARIES/HELPING VERBS HELPING VERB (MODAL AUXILIARY) STATEMENTS Modal auxiliaries join with a main (base) verb to make a complete verb. Subject + helping verb + base verb PRESENT Dumbo can fly. PAST Forms vary — see below. NEGATIVES Subject + helping verb + not + base verb PRESENT Dumbo cannot fly. PAST Forms vary — see below. QUESTIONS Helping verb + subject + base verb PRESENT Can Dumbo fly' PAST Forms vary — see below. continued ‘ EDITING ESSAYS 486 Part Four • The Four Most Serious Errors HELPING VERB (MODAL AUXILIARY) STATEMENTS PRESENT Beth can work fast. PAST Can Means ability Beth could work fast. NEGATIVES PRESENT Beth cannot work fast. PAST Beth could not work fast. QUESTIONS PRESENT Can Beth work fast' PAST Could Beth work fast' Could Means possibility. It can also be the past tense of can. STATEMENTS PRESENT Beth could work fast if she had more time. PAST Beth could have worked fast if she had more time. NEGATIVES Can is used for present negatives. (See above.) PAST Beth could not have worked fast. QUESTIONS PRESENT Could Beth work fast' PAST Could Beth have worked fast' May Means permission For past-tense forms, see might. STATEMENTS PRESENT You may borrow my car. NEGATIVES PRESENT You may not borrow my car. QUESTIONS PRESENT May I borrow your car' Might Means possibility. It can also be the past tense of may. STATEMENTS PRESENT (with be): Lou might be asleep. PAST (with have + past participle of be): Lou might have been asleep. FUTURE: Lou might sleep. NEGATIVES PRESENT (with be): Lou might not be asleep. PAST (with have + past participle of be): Lou might not have been asleep. FUTURE: Lou might not sleep. ‘ EDITING ESSAYS Chapter 26 • Verb Problems 487 HELPING VERB (MODAL AUXILIARY) QUESTIONS Might (cont.) Must Means necessary Might in questions is very formal and not often used. STATEMENTS PRESENT: We must try. PAST (with have + past participle of base verb): We must have tried. NEGATIVES PRESENT: We must not try. PAST (with have + past participle of base verb): We must not have tried. QUESTIONS PRESENT: Must we try' Past-tense questions with must are unusual. Should Means duty or expectation STATEMENTS PRESENT: They should call. PAST (with have + past participle of base verb): They should have called. NEGATIVES PRESENT: They should not call. PAST (with have + past participle of base verb): They should not have called. QUESTIONS PRESENT: Should they call' PAST (with have + past participle of base verb): Should they have called' Will Means intend to (future) For past-tense forms, see might. STATEMENTS FUTURE: I will succeed. NEGATIVES FUTURE: I will not succeed. QUESTIONS FUTURE: Will I succeed' Would Means prefer or used to start a future request. It can also be the past tense of will. STATEMENTS PRESENT: I would like to travel. PAST (with have + past participle of base verb): I would have traveled if I had the money. continued ‘ EDITING ESSAYS 488 Part Four • The Four Most Serious Errors HELPING VERB (MODAL AUXILIARY) NEGATIVES PRESENT: I would not like to travel. PAST (with have + past participle of base verb): Would I would not have traveled if it hadn’t been for you. QUESTIONS PRESENT: Would you like to travel' Or to start a request: Would you help me' PAST (with have + past participle of base verb): Would you have traveled with me if I had asked you' ■ For more practices on the modal auxiliaries (can/could; may/ might/must; should/ will/would), including forming negatives and questions, see pages 613–18. Following are some common errors in using modal auxiliaries. • Using more than one helping verb INCORRECT CORRECT They will can help. They will help. (future intention) They can help. (are able to) • Using to between the helping verb and the main (base) verb INCORRECT CORRECT Emilio might to come with us. Emilio might come with us. • Using must instead of had to in the past INCORRECT CORRECT She must work yesterday. She had to work yesterday. • Forgetting to change can to could in the past negative INCORRECT CORRECT Last night, I cannot sleep. Last night, I could not sleep. • Forgetting to use have with could / should / would in the past tense INCORRECT CORRECT Tara should called last night. Tara should have called last night. ‘ EDITING ESSAYS Chapter 26 • Verb Problems 489 • Using will instead of would to express a preference in the present tense INCORRECT CORRECT I will like to travel. I would like to travel. Edit Paragraphs and Your Own Writing As you edit the following paragraphs and your own writing, use the Critical Thinking guide below and the Verb Tense Reference Charts that begin on page 478. CRITICAL THINKING: EDITING FOR VERB PROBLEMS FOCUS • Read all of your sentences carefully, looking for verb problems. ASK • Is my sentence about the present' About the past' About something that happened before something else' • Is each verb a regular verb or an irregular verb' • Have I used the tense that tells the reader when the action happened' • Have I used the correct form of the verb' • If the verbs in the sentence are not all in the same tense, is it because the actions actually happened at different times' EDIT • Edit to correct any problems with verb form or verb tense. Find and correct any problems with verb form or tense in the following paragraphs. EDITING REVIEW 1 (7 errors) (1) Since 1835, trapeze artists consider the triple somersault the most dangerous maneuver. (2) That year, a performer tried to do a triple somersault on a trapeze for the first time and dies in the attempt. (3) Only one person has managed to do the trick successfully in the next sixty-three ‘ EDITING ESSAYS 490 Part Four • The Four Most Serious Errors years. (4) That man, a trapeze artist named Armor, did a triple somersault in 1860 and is afraid to try it again. (5) According to circus legend, the second person to survive the triple, Ernie Clarke, once done a quadruple somersault in private. (6) Ernie Lane, the third person to complete a triple somersault, was later killed by the maneuver when his catcher missed. (7) Circus historians now believed that Alfredo Codona, a performer in the 1920s and 1930s, was the greatest master of the triple somersault. (8) He has went down in history as the King of Trapeze. EDITING REVIEW 2 (8 errors) (1) Many people go through life without even knowing that there is a record for peeling an apple or hopping on a pogo stick. (2) However, some people are very aware of such records, and ordinary folks around the world have did some peculiar things to qualify for the Guinness Book of World Records. (3) For example, a New Jersey disc jockey, Glen Jones, recently setted a new record for the longest continuous radio broadcast. (4) In the spring of 2001, he has stayed on the air for one hundred hours with only a few fifteen-minute breaks. (5) Another world record, for hopping up steps on a bicycle, is hold by Javier Zapata of Colombia. (6) He climbed 943 steps without letting his feet touch the ground, breaking a record that he has previously set. (7) Ashrita Furman of New York also be a record breaker. (8) She balanced a milk bottle on her head and then walks almost eighty-one miles around a track. (9) These strange endurance contests may not make Jones, Zapata, and Furman famous, but their names had entered the record book. ‘ EDITING ESSAYS Chapter 26 • Verb Problems 491 EDITING REVIEW 3 (9 errors) (1) The Olympic Games first let women compete in swimming events in 1912, and with that, the swimsuit revolution begun. (2) In 1913, the first mass-produced women’s swimsuit hit the market. (3) Before that year, women have only been able to wade at the beach in bathing costumes with long, baggy legs. (4) The 1913 suits, designed by Carl Jantzen, was ribbed one-piece outfits that allowed actual swimming. (5) An engineer, Louis Réard, comed up with the next major development in swimwear in 1946 while working in the lingerie business. (6) He has called it the “bikini,” after a Pacific island used for testing the atomic bomb. (7) In the 1950s, few Americans had dared to wear bikinis, which was considered scandalous. (8) Two-piece swimsuits catch on in the 1960s and 1970s. (9) The bikini losted some popularity in the last decades of the twentieth century, but it has made a triumphant return in the new millennium. EDITING REVIEW 4 (14 errors and 6 formal English errors) (1) At most small colleges and universities, people got wherever they want to go by walking or riding their own bikes. (2) But students at one college who didn’t have their own bikes or whose bikes were stole now had an alternative. (3) One of this college’s new programs help students 2 get frm one place 2 another. (4) It is calling a shared bike program, and any member of the campus community can participate. (5) For a $10 fee, the participant received a key that will have unlocked any one of dozens of pink bikes that are park in various locations on campus. (6) The participant rides the pink bike to the desired destination, and ‘ EDITING ESSAYS 492 Part Four • The Four Most Serious Errors then locked the bike there. (7) The bike then is becoming available for the next participant who wants to use it. (8) The pink color of the bikes so far have not been a prob, even for the most masculine of campus men. (9) Actually, the bikes R pink cuz one of the school’s colors was rose. (10) So now, for the participant who will have found one of the pink bikes, getting from one end of the campus to the other is simple. PRACTICE 17 EDITING YOUR OWN WRITING FOR CORRECT VERB TENSE AND FORM As a final practice, edit for verb problems in a piece of your own writing — a paper you are working on for this class, a paper you’ve already finished, a paper for another course, or a recent piece of writing from your work or everyday life. Use the Verb Tense Reference Charts starting on page 478. ‘