DEC 10 Common Errors Week 2: Past Tenses

Find the verbs 1.Space exploration started in 1957, when Russia launched Sputnik 1. 2.This was followed closely by Sputnik 2, which sent the first living creature into space. 3.Yuri Gagarin had just become the first person in space when Alan Shepherd became the first American in space in May Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, orbited the earth 48 times. 5.Because Russia had already won the race to get into space, the US concentrated its efforts on reaching the moon. 6.Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in July 1969 and returned safely to the earth. 7.By the time the Apollo program ended, twelve astronauts had walked on the moon. 8.Viking 1 was launched in October 1975 and had landed on Mars by the end of June saw the launch of the first space shuttle, and in 1990 the Hubble telescope started its orbit. 10.Spacecraft landed on Mars in the 1980s and began exploring its surface in the 1990s. 11.If the space program had not existed, titanium might not have been developed.

past simple or past perfect? 1.Space exploration started in 1957, when Russia launched Sputnik 1. 2.This was followed closely by Sputnik 2, which sent the first living creature into space. 3.Yuri Gagarin had just become the first person in space when Alan Shepherd became the first American in space in May Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, orbited the earth 48 times. 5.Because Russia had already won the race to get into space, the US concentrated its efforts on reaching the moon. 6.Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in July 1969 and returned safely to the earth. 7.By the time the Apollo program ended, twelve astronauts had walked on the moon. 8.Viking 1 was launched in October 1975 and had landed on Mars by the end of June saw the launch of the first space shuttle, and in 1990 the Hubble telescope started its orbit. 10.Spacecraft landed on Mars in the 1980s and began exploring its surface in the 1990s. 11.If the space program had not existed, titanium might not have been developed.

past simple or past perfect? 1.Space exploration started in 1957, when Russia launched Sputnik 1. 2.This was followed closely by Sputnik 2, which sent the first living creature into space. 3.Yuri Gagarin had just become the first person in space when Alan Shepherd became the first American in space in May Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, orbited the earth 48 times. 5.Because Russia had already won the race to get into space, the US concentrated its efforts on reaching the moon. 6.Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in July 1969 and returned safely to the earth. 7.By the time the Apollo program ended, twelve astronauts had walked on the moon. 8.Viking 1 was launched in October 1975 and had landed on Mars by the end of June saw the launch of the first space shuttle, and in 1990 the Hubble telescope started its orbit. 10.Spacecraft landed on Mars in the 1980s and began exploring its surface in the 1990s. 11.If the space program had not existed, titanium might not have been developed.

past simple or past perfect? In most sentences about the past we use the past simple. With a few adverbs, e.g. already (some time earlier) and just (a very short time earlier), we often use the past perfect. With the time phrases by + specific time and by the time + clause (past simple), we often use the past perfect. To speculate about an imaginary past (and not what really happened), we can use subject + could/might/would + have + past participle in the main clause and if + subject + past perfect in the conditional clause. However, as mentioned initially, in most sentences about the past we use the past simple.

Review Three of these sentences are correct, and seven have errors. Correct the errors by adding, deleting or changing ONE WORD. 1.Space shuttles had carried parts to the International Space Station. 2.The Hubble telescope had allowed further exploration of space than ever before. 3.After it explored the surface of Mars, the rover had sent back interesting and useful information. 4.Before they returned to Earth, Armstrong and Aldrin planted a flag on the moon. 5.If the space shuttle program had continued, more human lives have been put at risk. 6.Every astronauts who landed on the moon returned home safely. 7.Numerous devices explored the surface of Mars during the Rover and Landing expeditions. 8.A number of failures occurred on expeditions to Mars in the late 1990s. 9.A great deal of interests has been shown in human travel to Mars. 10.A few people have proposed sending human to Mars who will never return.

Example Three of these sentences are correct, and seven have errors. Correct the errors by adding, deleting or changing ONE WORD. Example: The moon landing had occurred in Answer: The moon landing had occurred in 1969.

Three of these sentences are correct, and seven have errors. Correct the errors by adding, deleting or changing ONE WORD. 1.Space shuttles had carried parts to the International Space Station. 2.The Hubble telescope had allowed further exploration of space than ever before. 3.After it explored the surface of Mars, the rover had sent back interesting and useful information. 4.Before they returned to Earth, Armstrong and Aldrin planted a flag on the moon. 5.If the space shuttle program had continued, more human lives have been put at risk. 6.Every astronauts who landed on the moon returned home safely. 7.Numerous devices explored the surface of Mars during the Rover and Landing expeditions. 8.A number of failures occurred on expeditions to Mars in the late 1990s. 9.A great deal of interests has been shown in human travel to Mars. 10.A few people have proposed sending human to Mars who will never return.

1 Space shuttles had carried parts to the International Space Station.

2 The Hubble telescope had allowed further exploration of space than ever before.

3 After it explored the surface of Mars, the rover had sent back interesting and useful information.

4 Before they returned to Earth, Armstrong and Aldrin planted a flag on the moon.

5 If the space shuttle program had continued, more human lives have been put at risk. If the space shuttle program had continued, more human lives would have been put at risk.

6 Every astronauts who landed on the moon returned home safely. Every astronauts astronaut who landed on the moon returned home safely.

7 Numerous devices explored the surface of Mars during the Rover and Landing expeditions.

8 A number of failures occurred on expeditions to Mars in the late 1990s.

9 A great deal of interests has been shown in human travel to Mars. A great deal of interests interest has been shown in human travel to Mars.

10 A few people have proposed sending human to Mars who will never return. A few people have proposed sending human humans to Mars who will never return.

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