Right Forms of Verbs

Using Right Forms of Verbs

A verb can have several different forms:

Present	Past	Past Participle	-ing	-s/-es	Infinitive
go	went	gone	going	goes	to go
do	did	done	doing	does	to do
eat	ate	eaten	eating	eats	to eat

The Uses of Present Forms / Base Forms of Verbs

1. After plural subject and I to indicate present time:

They (go)_____to school every day. [Answer: go]

2. After modal verbs:

We can (do)_____it now. [Answer: do]

3. After the object of a causative verb [if the object of the causative verb is the doer of the next verb]:

The albatross made the wind (blow)_____. [Answer: blow]

The Uses of Past Forms of Verbs

1. To Indicate Completed Actions in the Past

She (walk)_____to the park yesterday. [Answer: walked]
He (visit)______Paris a few years ago. [Answer: visited]

2. To Talk About Unreal or Hypothetical Situations (Second Conditional)

If I (have)_____a million dollars, I would buy a mansion. [Answer: had]
If she (know)_____the answer, she would tell you. [Answer: knew]

3. In Expressing Wishes About the Past

I wish I (study)_____harder for the exam. [Answer: studied]
They wish they (take)_____the earlier train. [Answer: took]

4. To Describe Actions Interrupted by Another Action

He was reading a book when the phone (ring)_____. [Answer: rang]
They were watching TV when the lights (go)_____out. [Answer: went]

5. In Reported Speech

Direct speech: "I like this movie," she said.
Reported speech: She said she (like)_____the movie. [Answer: liked]

Uses of Past Participle Forms of Verbs

1. To Form Perfect Tenses

Structure: have/has/had + past participle

She has (finish)_____her homework. [Answer: finished]
They have (visit)_____Paris multiple times. [Answer: visited]
He had already (leave)_____when I arrived. [Answer: left]
They had (see)_____that movie before it was released here. [Answer: seen]
By this time tomorrow, she will have (submit)_____her report. [Answer: submitted]
They will have (finish)_____the project by next week. [Answer: finished]

2. To Form the Passive Voice

Structure: be verb + past participle

The cake was (bake)_____by my grandmother. [Answer: baked]
The building will be (construct)_____by next year. [Answer: constructed]

3. To Form Adjectives

The (break)_____vase lay on the floor. [Answer: broken]
She gave a (satisfy)_____smile after solving the problem. [Answer: satisfied]
The (paint)_____walls looked beautiful. [Answer: painted]

4. After Causative Verbs

Structure: Subject + make / have / get + object + past participle

I had my car (wash)_____yesterday. [Answer: washed]
We had the documents (sign)_____by the manager. [Answer: signed]
She got her phone (fix)_____after it broke. [Answer: fixed]
He got his teeth (whiten)_____before the wedding. [Answer: whitened]
We got the carpet (clean)_____before the guests arrived. [Answer: cleaned]

Uses of Present Participle Forms of Verbs

1. As Part of Continuous Tenses

She is (read)_____a book. (Present Continuous) [Answer: reading]
They were (play)_____football. (Past Continuous) [Answer: playing]

2. As an Adjective

It was an (excite)_____movie. [Answer: exciting]
The (shine)_____stars lit up the sky. [Answer: shining]

3. As a Gerund (Noun Form)

(Swim)_____is a great exercise. (Subject) [Answer: Swimming]
I enjoy (read)_____. (Object) [Answer: reading]

4. As Part of a Participial Phrase

(Run)_____down the street, he tripped and fell. [Answer: Running]
The child, (cry)_____loudly, was comforted by her mother. [Answer: crying]

5. After Certain Verbs

The present participle is used after specific verbs like enjoy, avoid, finish, consider, keep, etc.

She enjoys (paint)_____. [Answer: painting]
He avoided (meet)_____her. [Answer: meeting]

6. After Prepositions

She is good at (dance)_____. [Answer: dancing]
He left without (say)_____goodbye. [Answer: saying]

7. In Fixed Expressions

Some fixed expressions use the present participle form.

(Consider)_____the weather, we decided to stay indoors. [Answer: Considering]

All things (be)_____equal, this plan will work. [Answer: being]

Uses of -s/-es Forms of Verbs

1. Third Person Singular in Present Simple Tense

In the present simple tense, the -s or -es form is added to the base verb when the subject is a third person singular (he, she, it, or any singular noun).

She (play)_____the piano. [Answer: plays]
He (teach)_____English. [Answer: teaches]
The dog (bark)_____loudly. [Answer: barks]

Improvement Test on Using Correct Forms of Verbs

Complete the following sentences using the appropriate form of the verbs in parentheses. Pay attention to the rules you have learned about the right forms of verbs.

1) They (go) __________ to school every day.

2) She (play) __________ the piano beautifully.

3) We can (do) __________ it now.

4) The albatross made the wind (blow) __________.

5) She (walk) __________ to the park yesterday.

6) If I (have) __________ a million dollars, I would buy a mansion.

7) I wish I (study) __________ harder for the exam.

8) He was reading a book when the phone (ring) __________.

9) By this time tomorrow, she will have (submit) __________ her report.

10) The cake was (bake) __________ by my grandmother.

11) The building will be (construct) __________ by next year.

12) She gave a (satisfy) __________ smile after solving the problem.

13) They have (visit) __________ Paris multiple times.

14) He had already (leave) __________ when I arrived.

15) She is (read) __________ a book now.

16) The (break) __________ vase lay on the floor.

17) Running down the street, he (trip) __________ and fell.

18) I enjoy (read) __________ books in my free time.

19) She is good at (dance) __________.

20) Considering the weather, we (decide) __________ to stay indoors.

21) The dog (bark) __________ loudly every night.

22) He (teach) __________ English at a high school.

23) If she (know) __________ the answer, she would tell you.

24) The stars (shine) __________ brightly in the clear night sky.

25) She has (finish) __________ her homework.

26) He avoided (meet) __________ her at the party.

27) Swimming (be) __________ a great exercise for health.

28) The child, (cry) __________ loudly, was comforted by her mother.

29) They were (play) __________ football when it started to rain.

30) All things (be) __________ equal, this plan will work.

31) I had my car (wash) __________ yesterday.

32) We got the carpet (clean) __________ before the guests arrived.

33) She got her phone (fix) __________ after it broke.

34) They had (see) __________ that movie before it was released here.

35) He will have (finish) __________ the project by next week.

36) If I (know) __________ earlier, I would have helped.

37) The stars (twinkle) __________ in the night sky.

38) She (eat) __________ breakfast every morning before work.

39) The vase was (break) __________ during the move.

40) He (drive) __________ to the office every day.

41) By this evening, I will have (complete) __________ the report.

42) The house was (paint) __________ last summer.

43) The movie was so (excite) __________ that we watched it twice.

44) He (visit) __________ his grandparents’ last weekend.

45) The manager had already (sign) __________ the documents.

46) The children were (jump) __________ with excitement.

47) She enjoys (paint) __________ landscapes in her free time.

48) Without (say) __________ goodbye, he left the party.

49) He (study) __________ hard for the upcoming exam.

50) The sun (rise) __________ in the east every morning.