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The Principal Parts of Verbs
17a. The four principal parts of a verb are the base form, the present participle, the past, and the
past participle.
USAGE
BASE FORM
PRESENT PARTICIPLE
PAST
PAST PARTICIPLE
hope
walk
sing
[is] hoping
[is] walking
[is] singing
hoped
walked
sang
[have] hoped
[have] walked
[have] sung
EXERCISE A In each of the following sentences, identify the principal part of the underlined verb by
writing above it BF for base form, Pres P for present participle, P for past, or Past P for past participle.
Past P
Example 1. I have just heard about an exciting exhibit.
1. The Smithsonian Institution has sponsored a traveling exhibition titled “We Shall Overcome.”
2. The exhibition is going to many cities in the United States.
3. The display will present seventy-five photographs.
4. The Smithsonian organized these photographs of events and people of the Civil Rights era.
5. The Smithsonian placed the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, Julian
Bond, Medgar Evers, and James Baldwin beside the photographs.
6. The staff has compiled a diverse group of photographs.
7. The Civil Rights era extended from 1954 through 1968.
9. The Smithsonian has certainly created an exhibit that challenges us to think about that time.
10. The exhibit is traveling around the United States for quite a while.
EXERCISE B In each of the following sentences, identify the principal part of the underlined verb by
writing above it BF for base form, Pres P for present participle, P for past, or Past P for past participle.
Past P
Example 1. The Smithsonian is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
11. The Smithsonian is mounting traveling exhibitions to share its enormous collections.
12. The Smithsonian Institution has become the largest museum complex in the world.
13. Have you gone to see the Smithsonian’s permanent collections?
14. The Smithsonian has published a special guide for exploring African American heritage
through its vast collections.
15. The Smithsonian’s Center for African American History and Culture merged with the
Anacostia Museum in 1995.
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8. Is the exhibit showing literacy training, marches, and voter registration?
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Regular Verbs
17b. A regular verb forms its past and past participle by adding –d or –ed to the base form.
EXAMPLES Leo wanted to see a movie on his birthday.
USAGE
The horse trotted to the gate.
EXERCISE In each of the following sentences, write the correct past or past participle form of the verb in
parentheses above the verb.
worked
Example 1. Have Yoshi and Sam (work) at the kennel with you a long time?
1. Takara (want) to know which languages are spoken in Ecuador.
2. We have (roll) all the napkins we will need for the banquet.
3. The Supreme Court has finally (hand) down its verdict in that case.
4. Darlene (travel) to Australia last year as a member of the soccer team.
5. Have I (answer) your question about what to use to remove grass stains?
6. Mu Lan had already (apply) for a passport before she won the trip.
7. As the flag passed by, we (place) our right hands over our hearts.
8. We (bake) sweet potatoes last night.
9. Have you (wonder) why I had to miss school yesterday?
10. Have you ever (fish) for your supper?
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11. Do you think he has already (try) this strategy?
12. The burro (kick) wildly whenever anyone came near.
13. I’m sure he has been (employ) for at least six months.
14. The canary (escape) while Jane was cleaning the cage.
15. Those children (play) in the backyard for hours.
16. Many explorers have (risk) their lives for adventure.
17. He (search) for hours, but he could not find his wallet.
18. When the little girl blew out the candles, she (wish) for a new kitten.
19. My aunt and my cousins (drop) by to visit on Saturday.
20. What time did you say they (arrive)?
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Irregular Verbs A
17c. An irregular verb forms its past and past participle in some other way than by adding –d or –ed.
EXERCISE In each of the following sentences, underline the correct form of the verb in parentheses.
Example 1. Have you (eated, eaten) all your vegetables?
1. We (seen, saw) porpoises following the ferryboat to the island.
2. Pearl Bailey (sang, sung) in clubs, in Broadway shows, and in films.
3. Health officials have (taked, taken) precautions against an outbreak of the flu.
4. Only one boat (sank, sinked) in the storm.
5. The ambassador had (gave, given) an eloquent speech.
6. Luisa (brought, brang) me a gift from Puerto Rico.
7. Many northern birds have (flied, flown) to Mexico for the winter.
8. The members of the basketball team (chose, choosed) Abdul as their captain.
9. How much has the creek cleanup (cost, costed)?
10. The mayor (rang, ringed) the bell to begin the Independence Day festivities.
11. David (become, became) the first member of our family to finish college.
12. Sean, Hasan, Mina, and I have (written, wrote) the parts for our scene in the skit.
13. Today, Justin and Eileen (begun, began) their report on the Trail of Tears.
14. We (drank, drunk) ice-cold lemonade.
15. Ms. Hatcher (teached, taught) us some sign language.
16. For the last two years, I have (growed, grown) tomatoes, squash, beans, and onions.
17. As a result of her research, Jasmine (telled, told) us how to find the secret room.
18. Look what Nabil has (finded, found) among the bits of broken pottery!
19. Felicia (did, done) the whole report on her own.
20. As we watched, Sammy (swum, swam) all the way back to the dock.
140
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USAGE
An irregular verb forms its past and past participle in one of these ways: changing consonants,
changing vowels, changing vowels and consonants, or making no change at all.
EXAMPLES The bird built its nest high in the tree.
I had thought so.
Robbie swam across the lake.
The bubble had burst.
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Irregular Verbs B
17c. An irregular verb forms its past and past participle in some other way than by adding –d or –ed.
EXERCISE A On the line provided, change the verb forms given below. If the base form is given, change
it to the past form. If the past form is given, change it to the past participle. Use have before the past
participle form.
Example
have begun
1. began
1. became
6. draw
2. feel
7. ate
3. teach
8. grow
4. win
9. wrote
5. rang
10. had
EXERCISE B In each of the following sentences, underline the correct form of the verb in parentheses.
Example 1. Has the counselor (spoke, spoken) to you yet about your schedule?
11. The committee (held, holded) a meeting to nominate candidates for president.
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12. Nina (keeped, kept) a log as we worked out each stage of our group’s project.
13. Which clothes have you (wore, worn) on previous camping trips?
14. Although we stacked the firewood carefully, some of it (fell, fallen) out of the pickup.
15. The afternoon has (gone, went) by too quickly!
16. Has the president ever (flew, flown) on a Concorde jet?
17. Since lunch hour is over, please be sure you have (throwed, thrown) away your trash.
18. The Senate committee (struck, striked) a bargain with the lobbyists.
19. The wool sweater has (shrank, shrunk) too much after being washed.
20. My aunt has (gave, given) me a Christmas ornament every year since I was born.
Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics: Language Skills Practice
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USAGE
An irregular verb forms its past and past participle in one of these ways: changing consonants,
changing vowels, changing vowels and consonants, or making no change at all.
EXAMPLES They sent flowers.
The sun had gone down.
I knew the song.
Where has he put the pliers?