Verbs

Complete the paragraph with the verb that maintains tense consistency: Yesterday, I went to the park. I saw a squirrel, and it quickly _____ up a tree before I could get a picture.

• scampers

• will scamper

• scampered

• is scampering

Answer explanation

The paragraph is set in the simple past tense, as indicated by 'Yesterday, I went' and 'I saw'. To maintain consistency, the past tense verb 'scampered' is the correct choice.

In the sentence, 'By next Friday, we will have finished our project,' what is the tense of the underlined verb phrase?

• Future Perfect

• Past Perfect

• Present Perfect

• Future Progressive

Answer explanation

The phrase 'will have finished' is in the future perfect tense, used for an action that will be completed by a future time. The future progressive ('will be finishing') describes an ongoing future action.

Choose the verb that shows an action happening right now: He _____ about the solution to the puzzle.

• thinks

• is thinking

• thought

• has thought

Answer explanation

The present progressive tense ('is thinking') is used to describe an action that is ongoing at the current moment. 'Thinks' is simple present (a habit), and 'thought' and 'has thought' are past tenses.

How would you correctly rewrite the active sentence 'The chef prepared a delicious meal' in the passive voice?

• A delicious meal was prepared by the chef.

• The chef was preparing a delicious meal.

• A delicious meal, the chef prepared it.

• The chef's delicious meal was prepared.

Answer explanation

To change to passive voice, the object ('a delicious meal') becomes the subject and the verb becomes a form of 'to be' + past participle ('was prepared'). Option B is active voice, and C is awkwardly phrased.

True or False: The sentence 'The story was written by a famous author' is in the active voice.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

This sentence is in the passive voice because the subject, 'The story,' receives the action. In the active voice, the subject performs the action (e.g., 'A famous author wrote the story').

For a formal lab report emphasizing the action, not the person, complete the sentence: The two chemicals _____ together carefully to observe the reaction.

• were mixed

• I mixed

• mixed

• we have mixed

Answer explanation

The passive voice ('were mixed') is best for objective, scientific writing as it focuses on the action, not the doer. 'I mixed' and 'we have mixed' are active voice, making the tone less formal and objective.

Which of the following sentences uses the simple past tense of an irregular verb correctly?

• He runned the race faster than anyone.

• He swum across the entire lake.

• The students brought their permission slips.

• She catched the fly ball.

Answer explanation

'Brought' is the correct simple past tense of 'bring'. 'Swum' is a past participle, 'runned' should be 'ran', and 'catched' should be 'caught'.

To correctly form the present perfect tense, complete the sentence: I have never _____ to another country.

• went

• gone

• go

• goed

Answer explanation

The present perfect tense ('have' + past participle) requires the past participle 'gone'. The verb 'went' is the simple past tense and cannot be used with 'have'.

True or False: The verb 'smells' functions as a linking verb in the sentence: 'The chef smells the fragrant soup.'

• True

• False

Answer explanation

In this sentence, 'smells' is an action verb because the subject ('chef') is actively performing the action of smelling. It would be a linking verb in a sentence like 'The soup smells fragrant,' where it connects the subject to a description.

Identify the complete verb phrase in the following sentence: The team _____ for the championship game all week.

• has been practicing

• been practicing

• practicing

• has been

Answer explanation

The complete verb phrase includes the main verb ('practicing') and all its helping verbs ('has been'). The other options are incomplete parts of the full verb phrase.