Instructions:
In each of the following paragraphs,
paragraphs, some of the sentences contain errors in verb tense
tense.. Write out
the correct form of any verb that is used incorrectly.

1.  The following paragraph contains six errors in verb tense.

Hands Up!

Recently in Oklahoma City, Pat Roughen, a watchman, deposit ! cents in a City 

"all vending machine and reach in to get a candy bar. #hen the machine catch

his hand, he pull out his pistol and shoot the machine twice. The second shot 

sever some wires, and he got his hand out.

$.  The following paragraph contains six errors in verb tense.

The Christmas Spirit 

%r. Theodore &unnet, of Oxford, 'ngland, run amok in his house in &ecember of 

()*$. "e ripped the telephone from the wall, thrown a television set and a tape+

deck into the street, smash to bits a three+piece

thre e+piece suite, kicked a dresser down the

stairs, and torn the plumbing out of the bath. "e oer this explanation for his

behavior- / was shock by the over+commerciali0ation of Christmas.

 

1.  The following paragraph contains six errors in verb tense.

Late Bloomers

2ome very remarkable adults are known to have experience 3uite unremarkable

childhoods. 'nglish author 4.5. Chesterton, for instance, could not read until the

age of eight, and he usually 6nish at the bottom of his class. /f we could opened

 your head, one of his teachers remark, we would not 6nd any brain but only a

lump of fat.
fat. Cheste
Chesterto
rton
n eventu
eventuall
ally
y become
become a succes
successfu
sfull noveli
novelist.
st. 2imila
2imilarly
rly,,

Thomas 'dison was label a dunce by one of his teachers, and young 7ames

#attt was called dull and inept.

#at

8.  The following paragraph contains (! errors in verb tense.

Mona Lisa

9eonardo da :inci;s %ona 9isa is the most famous portrait in the history of 

 painting. 9eonardo took four years to complete the painting- he begun work in

(!1 and 6nish in (<!*. %ona =or %adonna 9isa 4herardini> was from a noble

family in ?aples, and 9eonardo may have paint her on commission from her 

husband. 9eonardo is said to have entertain %ona 9isa with six musicians. "e
 

install a musical fountain where the water play on small glass spheres, and he

give %ona a puppy and a white Persian cat to play with. 9eonardo did what he

could to keep %ona smiling during the long hours she sit for him. @ut it is not 

only %ona;s mysterious smile that has impress anyone who has ever view the

 portrait- the background landscape is Aust as mysterious and beautiful. The

 portrait can be seen today in the 9ouvre %useum in Paris.

.  The following paragraph contains (! errors in verb tense.

Hard Luck 

 B bank teller
telle r in
i n /taly was Ailted
Ail ted by his girlfriend
girl friend and decide the only thing left to

do was kill himself. "e stolen a car with the idea of crashing it, but the car 

broken down. "e steal another one, but it was too slow, and he barely dent a

fender when he crashed the car into a tree. The police arrive and charge the

man with auto theft. #hile being 3uestioned, he stab himself in the chest with a

dagger. uick action by the police oDcers saved the man;s life. On the way to

his cell, he Aumped out through a third+story window. B snowdrift broken his fall.

 B Audge suspends the man;s sentence, saying, /;m sure fate still has something

in store for you.

 

Here are the answers to the verb-tense exercises on page one.

one. Corrected verb forms are
inbold print.

Answers

1.   Hands Up!

Recently in Oklahoma City, Pat Roughen, a watchman, deposited

deposited 50
 50 cents in a City Hall
vending machine and reached
reached in
 in to get a candy ba. !hen the machine caught
caught his
 his hand,
he pulled
pulled out
 out his pistol and shot
shot the shot severed some
 the machine twice. "he second shotsevered  some wies,
and he got his hand out.

#.   The Christmas Spirit

$. "heodoe %unnet, o& O'&od, (ngland, ran

ran amok
 amok in his house in %ecembe o& 1)*#. He
ipped the telephone &om the wall, threw
threw a
 a television set and a tape+deck into the
steet, smashed
smashed to and tore the
 to bits a thee+piece suite, kicked a desse down the stais, andtore  the
plumbing out o& the bath. He ofered
ofered this
 this e'planation &o his behavio - was shocked
shocked by
 by the
ove+commeciali/ation o& Chistmas.-

.   Late Bloomers

ome vey emakable adults ae known to have experienced 2uite

haveexperienced  2uite unemakable childhoods.
(nglish autho 3.4. Chesteton, &o instance, could not ead until the age o& eight, and he
usually nished
nished at
 at the bottom o& his class. -& we could open
open you
 you head,- one o& his
teaches remarked
remarked,, -we would not nd any bain but only a lump o& &at.- Chesteton
eventually ecame
ecame a
 a success&ul novelist. imilaly, "homas (dison was laeled
success&ul laeled a
 a -dunce- by
one o& his teaches, and young 6ames !att was called -dull and inept.-

7.   ona Lisa
 

8eonado da 9inci:s %ona 9isa is

9isa is the most &amous potait in the histoy o& painting. 8eonado
8eonado
took &ou yeas to complete the painting he egan
egan wok
 wok in 150 and nished
nishedin
in 1;0*. $ona
<o $adonna 8isa 3headini= was &om a noble &amily in >aples, and 8eonado may
have painted
painted he
 he on commission &om he husband. 8eonado is said to
have entertained
entertained $ona
 $ona 8isa with si' musicians. He installed
installed a
 a musical &ountain whee the
wate pla"ed
pla"ed on
 on small glass sphees, and he gave
gave $ona
 $ona a puppy and a white Pesian cat to
play with. 8eonado did what he could to keep $ona smiling duing the long hous she sat
sat &o
 &o
him. ?ut it is not only $ona:s mysteious smile that has impressed
impressed anyone
 anyone who has
eve viewed
viewed the
 the potait the backgound landscape is @ust as mysteious and beauti&ul. "he
potait can be seen today in the 8ouve $useum in Pais.

5.   Hard Luck 

A bank telle in taly was @ilted by his gil&iend and decided

decided the
 the only thing le&t to do was kill
himsel&. He stole
stole a
 a ca with the idea o& cashing it, but the ca roke
roke down.
 down. He stole anothe
one, but it was too slow, and he baely dented
dented a
 a &ende when he cashed the ca into a tee.
 "he police arrived
arrived and
 and charged
charged the
 the man with auto the&t. !hile being 2uestioned,
he staed
staed himsel&
 himsel& in the chest with a dagge. Buick action by the police oces saved the
man:s li&e. On the way to his cell, he @umped out though a thid+stoy window. A
snowdi&t roke
roke his
 his &all. A @udge suspended
suspended the
 the man:s sentence
sentence,, saying, -:m sue &ate still
has something in stoe &o you.