Transcript Tense Shift

Present tense: verb + s = singular; verb + Ø =
plural.
Present perfect tense: has or have + past
participle
Jeffrey goes to the gym six days a week where he
has gained not only muscle but also discipline.
If the subject is singular (can be replaced by he, she or it),
the verb has an -s ending.
Examples:
(it)
The plant grows well in the desert.
(He)
Mr. Martin writes novels.
(She)
Sally walks her dogs everyday.
If the subject is plural (can be replaced by they)
or I or you, the present tense verb has no -s
ending.
Examples:
(They)
Chris and Peter run four miles every morning.
I always say what I think.
You earn a lot of money.
Verbs can have more than one subject:
Examples:
Stan and his brother play piano and sing in the
church choir.
My roommates and I listen to the radio all the time.
Bob and his buddies act stupid when they are drunk.
Many sentences have more than one
subject-verb unit:
Examples:
Stan plays piano, but his sister knows very little
about music.
The building needs lots of repairs, but my brother
and his wife want to buy it.
My husband owns a motorcycle, but he prefers to
drive his car.
Past tense: regular = verb + ed; irregular forms
vary.
Past perfect tense: had + past participle
Jeffrey had lifted free weights for over an hour
before someone mentioned the rip in his
shorts.
Progressive tenses: form of be + verb + ing
Jeffrey was showing off when he tore a muscle
in his shoulder.
Because he went to the gym today, Jeffrey will
reward himself with a triple bacon cheeseburger for
lunch. After he weighs himself tomorrow, he will
regret the poor food choice.
Jeffrey thought he will have enough energy for his
workout, but skipping breakfast meant that he cannot
complete his training.
Jeffrey thought he will have enough energy for his
workout, but skipping breakfast meant that he cannot
complete his training.
Jeffrey thought he would have enough energy for his
workout, but skipping breakfast meant that he could not
complete his training.
Directions: In the items that follow, choose
the option that corrects an error in the
underlined portion(s). If no error exists, choose
“No change is necessary.”
Aunt Lillian had frozen four quarts of her
A
homegrown strawberries, but she lost them after
B
the hurricane was knocking out power for eight
C
days.
A.
B.
C.
D.
froze
had lost
knocked
No change is necessary.
Because Sammy had been eating all of the
chocolate mint ice cream before she got home,
Roxanne whacked him over the head.
A. ate
B. was eating
C. had eaten
D. No change is necessary.
Grandpa planted a backyard garden, hoping that it
was helping with the high cost of food.
A. will help
B. would help
C. helped
D. No change is necessary.
When Gretchen was a freshman, she wanted to
A
B
major in biology, but after her first rat dissection,
she couldn’t change her major fast enough.
C
A.
B.
C.
D.
had been
was wanting
cannot
No change is necessary.
Everyone is sleeping soundly when Brendan
dropped the glass pitcher of lemonade on the stone
tiles of the kitchen floor.
A. had been sleeping
B. slept
C. would sleep
D. No change is necessary.
Ancient Egyptians spent their entire lives preparing
A
for their death and burial. Today, however, people
think that such arrangements are morbid
B
C
and impolite to discuss.
A.
B.
C.
D.
were spending
think
would be
No change is necessary.
When Felicia saw the turtle trying to cross the busy
road, she leaped out of her car and had carried
the reptile to safety at the other side.
A. was carrying
B. carried
C. will carry
D. No change is necessary.
George Washington believed that he was invincible
A
in battle. He rode a conspicuous white horse that
B
made him an easy target, yet no bullet had hit him,
C
validating his conviction of invulnerability.
A.
B.
C.
D.
had believed
was riding
hit
No change is necessary.
We would have bite marks on our ankles and
scratches on our thighs ever since adopting
Nelson, our feisty kitten.
A. had
B. have
C. will have
D. No change is necessary.
Fill in the appropriate present tense form of the given verb.
1)If the subject is singular (can be replaced by he, she or it), the verb has an -s ending.
Example:
EAT
Joan eats a burrito every day.
2)If the subject is plural (can be replaced by they) or I or you, the present tense verb has
no -s ending.
Example:
EAT
Joan and her boyfriend eat burritos every day.
1. HOPE
My sister
to become a special education teacher.
2. SAY
I always
what I think.
3. RUN
Every morning, Chris and Peter
four miles.
4. ENJOY Most of the time, Juan
his work.
5. FRY*
Ginger always ___eggs until they are as hard as rocks.
6. TAKE
Medical careers
a lot of training.
7. SAY
The sign
that the store will open at noon.
8. SEE
My sister and I usually
our parents once a month.
9. SEEM New styles often
strange at first.
10. MARRY If she
him, will they stop fighting?
* If a verb ends in consonant + y, change the y to ie before adding s, e.g. cry —> cries
The End.