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RUN GO DO FALL SIT WRITE SEE
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What Are Verbs?
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LAUGH BAKE BUILD MAKE CLEAN
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Are you bored? Do you daydream through most of the daylight hours? If so, it is possible that
you lack the proper number of verbs in your life. Tests have shown that without verbs, life
becomes dull, drab, dreary and slow. You want action? Get your hands on a verb.
Verbs move things—planets, people, cars, bikes, Rollerbiades, sentences of all kinds. In all
of the following sentences, verbs provide the action, the movement:
Marvin slammed his finger in the door and howled, “Grab me some ice!”
Lisa snatched her briefcase off the counter and ran for the subway.
Jay whined and whimpered until his mother said, “Okay. You can go to the party.”
Verbs are everywhere. Take a ride and you will see them littering our highways:
STOP!
GO!
MERGE!
YIELD!
Go shopping. Look at the signs in store windows and above merchandise:
BUY now!
SAVE!
CHARGE it!
TEST DRIVE this beauty!
Pick up a newspaper or a comic book or a novel. The verbs are the words that make you see
what is happening:
Juanita gobbled three mini-pizzas and a burger before she fainted.
Cheng grabbed a pitcher of orange juice and sloshed it in Juanita’s face,
Juanita bolted upright and gasped for air.
“You could have murdered me!” she screamed.
Verbs are a very important part of the English language. They are so important that every
sentence has to have one. Without a verb, you don’t have action—and you don’t have a sentence,
either.
Name
Date
Action Verbs
(pages L77—L78)
‘iHAPTER3
• EXERCISE Choose the word that is the action verb in each sente
nce.
1. Roots of plants hold soil
7.. Some trails sink a foot below
in place.
the forest floor.
Am
A below
B hold
B sink
Cof
C some
2. Farmers sometimes destroy
8. Off-road vehicles kill plants,
the roots of grasses and shrubs
especially in deserts.
and trees.
Am
A destroy
B kill
B and
C especially
C sometimes
9. Developers of ski runs leave
3. They make flat areas for their
shrubs and trees in unnatural
crops.
patterns.
A make
A leave
B for
B patterns
C areas
C runs
4. Loggers cut whole groves of
10. Earth replaces good soil very
trees down.
slowly.
A down
A replaces
B Loggers
B slowly
C cut
C very
5. They plant smaller trees in
their place.
A plant
Bin
C place
bfl
-C
6.. Hikers’ boots leave trails bare
of vegetation.
A boots
B bare
C leave
11. Hermit crabs carry sea
anemones to good feeding
places.
A feeding
B carry
C places
12. In return the anemones protect
the crab with their poisonous
bristles.
A return
B protect
C with
0
C
=
-C
bE
0.
C
U
BK EngUsh: Grade 6
•
Chapter 3: Verbs arid Complements
2T
Name
Date________
Action Verbs (pages L77—L78)
• EXERCISE Choose the word that is the action verb in each sentence.
13. Cleaner shrimp eat lice and
other pests off fish.
A eat
B pest
Coff
20. They help the flowers by
this action.
A help
Bby
C action
14. They nourish themselves in
the process.
A process
B They
C nourish
21. Most bats eat insects or fruit.
A most
B eat
C insects
15. White-necked ravens clean ticks
and flies off African buffaloes.
Aoff
B clean
C ticks
16. They enjoy such snacks.
A such
B snacks
C enjoy
17.. The oxpecker bird sunbathes
safely on top of a giraffe.
A safely
B top
C sunbathes
18 In return it shrieks an alarm
at the approach of an enemy of
its host.
A shrieks
B approach
C alarm
19.. Bees collect nectar and pollen
from flowers for food.
A Bees
B collect
C from
22. Only the vampire bat drinks
blood.
A only
B blood
C drinks
23.. Bats see extremely well at night.
A well
Bat
C see
24. They also own a special type
of radar.
A own
B type
C radar
25. Bats have very strong wings.
A have
B wings
C strong
26. They sleep upside down.
A upside
B down
C sleep
a)
a)
C
-c
-o
C
-o
C
a)
-C
a)
28
BK English: Grade 6
•
Chapter 3: Verbs and Complements
>C
0
U
name
Helping Verbs (page L81)
Chapter 3
•Exercise Find the helping verb phrase in each sentence. If the
sentence has no helping verb, select C.
29
1. My friend Frieda has cut her
finger with the kitchen knife.
A has cut
B has
C no helping verbs
7. I will not be listening to this
awful music all night long!
A will be listening
B be listening
C no helping verb
2. The police had been questioning
the Smith family about
the vandalism.
A had been
B had been questioning
C no helping verbs
..8. Beets remain my favorite
vegetable, even though I
love turnips, too.
A love
B remain
C no helping verb
3. After eating lunch Charlotte will
be hurrying back to the office.
A will be hurrying
B will
C no helping verbs
..9. We might have been wrong but
at least we tried.
A might have
B might have been
C no helping verb
4. Should Larry have been
throwing those tomatoes
at the school building?
A have been throwing
B Should have been throwing
C no helping verbs
1O. Jan and Jack may have been
vacationing in Europe when the
accident happened.
A may have been vacationing
B may have
C no helping verb
5. Honestly, Zelda really and truly
needs a more formal dress for
tomorrow’s wedding.
A really truly
B needs
C no helping verbs
j 1. Your dog must really need
6. Lucy should have been playing
softball for our team.
A have been playing
B should have been playing
C no helping verbs
_12. Should we attempt to win the
award this year?
A Should
B Should attempt
C no helping verb
attention, because he wags his
tail all the time.
A must really
B must need
C no helping verb
Helping Verbs (page L81)
•Exercise Find the helping verb phrase in each sentence. If the
sentence has no helping verb, select C.
13. Ireally must not bite my
fingernails any longer.
A must bite
B really must
C no helping verbs
14. The students shall soon be
asking you for some help with
their homework.
Abe
B shall be asking
C no helping verbs
__21. In my humble opinion, my
sister does not spend enough
money on clothes.
A does not spend
B does spend
C no helping verb
15. When the river overflowed,
many people drove to the
neighboring town.
A overflowed
B drove
C no helping verbs
22. Confidence and self-esteem
can often be built through
team sports.
A can be
B can be built
C no helping verb
16. Wendi and Stephen cleaned the
table and put away the dishes.
A put
B cleaned put
C no helping verbs
23. The Thanksgiving turkey tastes
especially good this year.
A tastes
B tastes good
C no helping verbs
17. Aretha Franklin has thrilled
audiences everywhere with her
amazing voice.
A has thrilled
B has
C no helping verbs
.24. The gorillas have been making
noises because of the intense
heat.
A have been
B have been making
C no helping verbs
18. Joanne won the scavenger hunt
th
on January 28
A won
B won hunt
C no helping verbs
25. My little sister’s birthday is
falling on a Saturday this year.
A is falling
B is
C no helping verb
19. Mayor Rinaldi has been serving
our city for the past four years.
A has been serving
B has
C no helping verbs
30
20. If the weather changes, I will
be wearing a raincoat.
A will be wearing
B will be
C no helping verb
Date
Name
Linking Verbs
(pages L92—L97)
“CHAPTER 3
• EXERCISE Choose the word that is the linking verb in each sentence.
1. July is a popular month for
vacations.
A for
Bis
C month
8. The awards for winners were
gold medals with ribbons.
A for
B with
C were
2.. Latin was one of the most
important languages in the
world.
Am
B was
C one
9. This juice smells very SOUL
A very
B This
C smells
3. I am a member of the bowling
team.
Aam
Ba
Cof
4. These jewels look real to me.
A real
Bme
C look
5. The lamb’s wool feels very soft.
A wool
B feels
C soft
-rz
-c
to
to
C
-C
-C
C
-C
C
6. Leaves are tiny food factories.A tiny
B food
C are
7. The jungle is a hot, steamy
place.
AThe
B place
Cis
10. Savannah was the site of the
first colony in Georgia.
Aof
Bin
C was
11. Gulls are the scavengers of the
shore world.
Aof
B are
C shore
12. Writing is one of the most
important human skills.
Ais
Bof
C skills
13. Stagecoaches were once the
main means of transportation.
A were
B means
Cof
14. The air seems very cool this
morning.
A very
B this
C seems
-c
to
C
C
U
BK English: Grade 6
•
Chapter 3: Verbs and Complements
37
Name
Date_______________________
Linking Verbs (pages L92—L97)
• EXERCISE Choose the word tha
t is the ‘inking verb in each
sentence.
15. Those peaches appear ripe
22.. Thomas Jefferson became the
to me.
third U.S. president.
Ato
At
he
B me
B third
C appear
C became
16. After a week the two boys
23. Mary Ann looks sleepy.
became good friends.
A sleepy
AAfter
BAnn
B became
C looks
Ctwo
24. I am a representative to the
17. Robert Goddard was the
student council.
inventor of modern rockets.
A
I
A was
B
am
Bof
Cto
C rockets
25. Some frogs are blue.
18. I am the one in the back row in
A Some
this photograph.
B blue
Al
Care
19. Everyone looked weary after
the long hike.
A after
B looked
C long
20. Near the ocean the air smells
very salty.
A Near
B air
C smells
21. Snowflake is the name of the
albino gorilla.
A name
Bof
Cis
38
BK EngHsh: Grade 6
26. That medicine smells terrible.
A smells
B That
C terrible
27. Some dinosaurs were extremely
small animals.
A Some
B were
C small
28. The ocean appeared unusually
calm.
Acaim
B appeared
C unusually
-c
Chapter 3: Verbs and Comp’ements
>-
8
Date
Name
Irregular Verbs
(pages L235—L24 1)
ER8
• EXERCISE Choose the correct form of the verb that belongs in each sentence.
a rainbow across the
this
lake
afternoon.
A saw
B seen
1. I
2. Many tourists have
the
Alcan Highway to Alaska.
A driven
B drive
Judy at the movies last
3. I
night.
A seen
B saw
winter weather has
orange crops in Florida.
A froze
B frozen
4.. Some
out all the
6. Jack has
candles on his birthday cake.
A blown
B blew
7. Kathie
party.
A knowed
B knew
8. The umpire
everyone at the
0
0
-c
on
>0.
0
U
their
representatives from the list on
the board.
A chosen
B chose
13. You have
my speed
record on your new bike.
A broken
B break
14. Noah had
of you many
in the past.
A speak
B spoken
times
15. Sue has
her hat into the
ring.
A throw
B thrown
A
B saw
see
the whistle
A blew
B blowed
-c
-t
C
12. The club members
you at the skating rink
with Beverly yesterday.
twice.
-c
verydark
now.
A grow
B grown
16. I
-c
C
11. The sky has
years,
the largest
5. We have
tomatoes on the block.
A grown
B grew
-d
the plane to
10 Sasha
Seattle from St. Louis.
A taked
B took
the movie from the
9. We
beginning to the very end.
A saw
B seen
17. To the delight of the fans, the
player on second base
third.
A stole
B stolen
BK English: Grade 6
Chapter 8: Using Verbs
85
-,
i
Date
Name
Irregular Verbs (pages L235—L24 1)
• EXERCISE Choose the correct form of the verb that belongs in each sentence.
18.. Everyone
tired of the
noise in the street outside.
A grown
B grew
19. My father has
off.
A taken
B take
the day
20.. For many years my family has
your cousins.
A know
B known
_26. Jake
his lunch.
A drunk
B drank
a pint of milk with
27. The bell has
for the fire
drill.
A rung
B rang
__28. The dolphin
the huge tanker.
A swam
B swum
alongside
21. The lilacs in the yard have
to blossom.
A began
B begun
29. The chorus has
all the
songs on the program.
A sang
B sung
22. Ann
all the verses of
the anthem.
A sung
B sang
30. Paul has
the
woodworking course.
A begun
B began
I have
the pool.
A swum
B swam
twenty laps in
24. We
our hike at the foot
of the lake.
A began
B begun
25. The robins have
at the
birdbath several times this
morning.
Adrunic
B drank
31. The audience has
their seats.
A began
B begun
to take
32. The gray whales have
thousands of miles down the
coast.
A swam
B swum
.33.. The telephone
before supper.
A rung
B rang
just
-c
C
-c
0
-e
C
©
86
>.
C.
BK EngHsh: Grade 6
•
Chapter 8: Using Verbs
C
U
Name
Date
Problem Verbs: Bring/Take, Learn/Teach,
and Leave/Let (pages L246—L250)
81
• EXERCISE Decide on the correct verb for each sentence; then choose
the correct form of the verb.
1 Max will
his dog a secret
way out of the barn.
A teach
B taught
C learn
D learned
6. Some wild animals
very easily.
A teach
B taught
C learn
D learned
2. Mr. Knight
school last year.
A leaves
B left
C lets
D let
7. Ms. Johnson
us practice
our skit for ten minutes before
we performed it.
A let
B is letting
Cleft
D is leaving
the high
3. The teacher
us the
capitals of all the states
yesterday.
A teach
B taught
C learn
D learned
4. Maria, please
your
pants over here so I can
sew this patch on them.
A bring
B brought
C take
D took
-d
-c
-C
-C
-o
C
a-o
C
5. Tomorrow, my brother Tony
his homework across
the street to his tutor’s office.
A will take
B took
C will bring
D brought
tricks
8. The divers
the position
of the underwater wreck.
A teach
B taught
C learn
D learned
9.. Josh will
us some basic
cooking methods.
A teach
B taught
C learn
D learned
10. Judy will
watermelon to
the picnic at my house.
A
B
C
D
bring
brought
take
took
to
-C
Do
Ca
C
U
BK English: Grade 6
•
Chapter 8: Using Verbs
87
Name
Date
Problem Verbs: Bring/Take, Learn/Teach, and Leave/Let (pages L246—L25O)
• EXERCISE Decide on the correct verb for each sentence; then choose
the correct form of the verb.
11. At our school one cannot
his or her bicycle
overnight.
A leaving
B leave
C letting
D let
12. Last year, my cousin
me borrow his tent for the
camping trip.
A leaves
B left
C lets
D let
18. My sister has just
dance from my aunt.
A teach
B taught
C learn
D learned
13.. Everyone in class
way to the library.
A teach
B taught
C learn
D learned
19. Carlos
me several
Spanish words.
A teach
B taught
C learn
D learned
I will
bicycle.
A leave
B leaving
C let
D letting
the
you borrow my
__15. My father is
business trip.
A left
B leaving
Clet
D letting
fora
16. I
karate lessons every
Thursday after school.
A taking
B take
C brought
D bring
88
17. Tomorrowiwili__my
tennis racquet to your father’s
house, which is two hundred
miles away from here.
A bring
B brought
C take
D took
BK EngHsh: Grade 6
•
Chapter 8: Using Verbs
a new
_2O. My uncle will
his dog
with us while he is on vacation.
A let
B lets
C leave
U leaves
21. In civics I will
government.
A teach
B taught
C learn
D learned
about the
a)
-t
C
C
a)
-C
00
00.
C
L)
Date
Name
Present, Past, and Future Tenses
(pages L254-L256)
• EXERCISE Decide whether the tense of each underlined verb is present, past, or
future.
1. Later on, explorers rode on
horses or camels.
A future
B past
C present
7. Black smoke poured from those
engines.
A future
B past
C present
2. Others ailed in small ships
across oceans.
A future
B past
C present
8. Today diesel trains use no coal
at all.
A future
B past
C present
3.. Many early pioneers traveled in
covered wagons on their trip
west.
A future
B past
C present
9. They cross the country with
hardly a sign of black smoke.
A future
B past
C present
-
4. In the last century, trains
carried people to their
destinations.
A future
B past
C present
-d
C
-m
5. In our time most trains carry
freight, not people.
A future
B past
C present
6. The early trains burned coal.
A future
B past
C present
10. Many American families own
cars.
A future
B past
C present
11. Buses provide transportation
around and between cities.
A future
B past
C present
12. In the future people will move
in new ways.
A future
B past
C present
-C
0
0
C
to
-c
to
>a
C
U
BK English: Grade 6
•
Chapter 8: Using Verbs
89
Name
Date
Present, Past, and Future Tenses (pages L254
—L256)
• EXERCISE Decide whether the tense of each unde
rlined verb is present, past, or
future.
13 Perhaps they will settle in outer
space.
A future
B past
C present
___20. Next she carried it to a dr safe
spot under the eaves.
A future
B past
C present
14. In the meantime, many people
still travel by foot.
A future
B past
C present
_2 1. She stuck the piece of mud to
the surface.
A future
B past
C present
15. Probably, someday, they will
walk in outer space.
A future
B past
C present
22. A mud dauber makes dozens of
such trips.
A future
B past
C present
16. The mud dauber wasp found
some mud in the garden.
A future
B past
C present
.23.. She carries only small pieces of
mud each trip.
A future
B past
C present
17. She cut a piece of it with her
jaws.
A future
B past
C present
24. She forms the mud into a tube.
A future
B past
C present
18.. Then she mixed it with her
mouth juices.
A future
B past
C present
19. She made it into sticky cement.
A future
B past
C present
25.. The father wasp guards the
nest.
A future
B past
C present
26.. The mother fills each tube with
paralyzed spiders.
A future
B past
C present
-d
a,
.0
to
C
-c
.0
C
0.
C
a,
to
90
BK Eng(ish: Grade 6
-C
to
•
Chapter 8: Using Verbs
C
U