Chapter 9: Using Verbs Correctly

• The Principal Parts of a Verb• Regular verbs• Irregular verbs

• Verb tense• Active and Passive Voice• Special Problems with Verbs• Sit and Set• Lie and Lay• Rise and Raise

The Principal Parts of a Verb

• 4 principal parts:– Base form (infinitive form)– Present participle– Past– Past participle

Base form: workPresent participle: (is/are) workingPast: workedPast participle: (has/have) worked

Regular verbs

• Verbs are regular when their past and past participle forms are made by adding –d or –ed to the base form.

Common mistakes with regular verbs:1. He use to work at Supercuts. 2. Who was suppose to bring Harold?3. Several people nearly drownded in the flood.

Irregular verbs• Verbs are irregular when their past and past

participle forms are created by doing something other than adding –d or –ed.

Examples:Base form: Past: Past participle:ring rang (has/have) rungmakemade (has/have) madebring brought (has/have) broughtRemember: brang and brung and considered slang. Don’t use them in formal/academic writing.

Common mistakes with irregular verbs:1. I have went to the shopping mall.– The past form doesn’t need a helping verb

2. I seen all her movies.– The past participle form needs a helping verb

3. The right fielder throwed the ball home.– Don’t add –d or –ed to the base form

Exercise 2, p. 193

• Use your boards• Provide the correct past or past participle

form of the base word in parenthesis

Ex: Nobody knew why he (do) that.A: did#1: Did you say the telephone (ring) while I was in the shower?A: rang

Verb tense• The tense of a verb shows the time of an

action or a state of being• There are six tenses:– present– past– future– present perfect– past perfect– future perfect

The perfect tenses: Present perfect(have/has)

Used to show existing or happening sometime before now; may be continuing now, too.

Present perfect examples

• I have written letters.• I have seen that movie.• I have completed my assignment.

The perfect tenses: Past perfect (had)

Used to show existing or happening before a specific time in the past.

Examples:• I had already done my homework when the teacher

halved the assignment.• I had read the book three times before I heard we

were reading it for PACK again.

The perfect tenses: Future perfect (will/shall have + past participle)

Used to show existing or happening before a specific time in the future.

Examples:• I will have seen and graded your projects by the time

Spring Break begins.• We will have lost forty pounds by the time we finish

the Insanity Workout regimen.

Progressive/continuous aspects• Our language makes no distinction between

progressive and continuous tense (some languages do!)

• This is not another tense, just another version of the 6 previous tenses

• These include some form of be + the present participle form of a verb (-ing)

Cantonese(Literal English)

English Translation

Progressive我 (I) 著 (wear) 緊(PROG) 衫 (clothes) 。(.)

I am putting on clothes.

Continuous我 (I) 著 (wear) 住(CONT) 衫 (clothes) 。(.)

I am wearing clothes.

Progressive/continuous examplesBase verb: Write

Present progressive: am/is/are writing

Past progressive: was/were writing

Future progressive: will/shall be writing

Present perfect progressive: has/have been writing

Past perfect progressive: had been writing

Future perfect progressive: will/shall have been writing

Tense shift – DON’T DO IT WITHOUT A GOOD REASON• Maintain a consistent tense in your writing.Problems to fix:1. When we were comfortable, we begin our

homework.2. Suddenly the great door opened, and an

uninvited guest comes into the dining hall.Check this one:3. Lisa plays basketball now, but last year she

was on the softball team.

No partner work today

LH 32-33:• Start here• Finish as homework

Active and passive voice• Active voice verbs express actions done by a

subject– Using active voice helps to make your writing

direct and forceful• Passive voice verbs express actions done to a

subject– Using passive voice structure often makes writing

sound weak and awkward, but is useful when you don’t know who performed an action

Active and passive voice examplesActive: The librarian has formed a book club.Passive: A book club was formed by the librarian.

Active: The student completed her homework.Passive: The homework was completed by the student.

Active: Lucy had planted those marigolds.Passive: Those marigolds had been planted by Lucy.

Passive voice: Good for whodunnits

Ex: The flowers were left on the doorstop sometime this afternoon.

Ex: The robbery was committed between one and three in the morning.

Exercise 5, p. 201

• Use your boards• Decide if a sentence is active or passive

Ex: Jared’s birthday dinner was paid for by his uncle.A: passive#1: Trees were being blown over by the wind.A: passive

Special verb problems: Sit and set

• Sit: “to rest in an upright, seated position” or “to be in a place” (intransitive- no object)

• Set: “to put something in a place” (transitive – has a direct object)

Base form: Present participle: Past: Past Participle:Sit (is) sitting sat (have) satSet (is) setting set (have) set

Sit or set?Examples: • Let’s sit under the tree. (no object)• Let’s set our backpacks under the tree. (object = backpacks)• The tourists sat on the bench. (no object)• The tourists set their cameras on the bench. (object =

cameras)

We had just _______ down when the phone rang.

We had just _______ down our books when the phone rang.

sat

set

Exercise 6, p. 202

• Use your boards• Pick the correct word in the parenthesis • If the verb has an object, show it

Ex: Please (sit/set) the serving platter on the table.A: set (platter)#1: Has he (sat/set) anything down here?A: set (anything)

Special verb problems: Lie and Lay

• Lie: “to rest,” “to recline,” or “to be in a place” (intransitive- no object) (like sit)

• Lay: “to put something in a place” (transitive – has a direct object) (like set)

Base form: Present participle: Past: Past Participle:Lie (is) lying lay (have) lainLay (is) laying laid (have) laid

Lie or Lay?Examples: • The napkins are lying next to the plates. (no object)• The servers are laying extra napkins beside every plate.

(object = napkins)• The soldiers lay very still while the enemy passed. (no object)• The soldiers laid a trap for the enemy. (object = trap)

Rip Van Winkle had _______ asleep for twenty years.

Rip Van Winkle had _______ his knapsack on the ground.

lain

laid

Exercise 7, p. 204

• Use your boards• Complete the sentence with the correct form of lie

or lay• If the verb has an object, show it

Ex: Leo (laid/lay) the USB drive by the computer.A: laid (USB drive (or drive))#1: After the race, Andretti (laid/lay) his helmet on the car.A: laid (helmet)

Special verb problems: Rise and Raise

• Rise: “to go up” or “to get up” (intransitive- no object)

• Raise: “to lift up” or “to cause (something) to rise” (transitive – has a direct object) (like set)

Base form: Present participle: Past: Past Participle:Rise (is) rising rose (have) risenRaise (is) raising raised (have) raised

Rise or Raise?Examples: • My neighbors rise very early in the morning. (no object)• My neighbors raise their shades very early in the morning.

(object = shades)• Sparks rose from the flames of the campfire. (no object)• The breeze raised sparks high into the air. (object = sparks)

The senators have _______ from their seats to show respect.

The senators have _______ a number of important issues.

risen

raised

Exercise 9, p. 206

• Use your boards• Complete the sentence with the correct form of rise

or raise• If the verb has an object, show it

Ex: Please (raise/rise) your hand if you’re finished.A: raise (hand)#1: The steam was (rising/raising) from the pot of soup.A: rising