1. CHAPTER 2
Using Verbs
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

2. Simple Tenses The time showed by a verb is called its tense.
CHAPTER 2: Using Verbs
Simple Tenses
The time showed by a verb is called its tense.
The simple present tense shows an action or state of being that is happening now or happens regularly.
I walk to work.
Jean walks to work.
He watches the traffic.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

3. Simple Tenses The time showed by a verb is called its tense.
CHAPTER 2: Using Verbs
Simple Tenses
(Continued)
The time showed by a verb is called its tense.
The simple past tense shows an action that occurred at a specified time in the past.
Jean walked to work yesterday.
The simple future tense shows an action that has not yet taken place but will in the future.
Jean will walk to work tomorrow.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

4. CHAPTER 2: Using Verbs
Continuing Tenses
The continuing tenses are used to show action in progress or action that is ongoing.
The present continuing tense shows an action that is in progress and is happening now.
I am walking to work.
Jean is walking to work.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

5. CHAPTER 2: Using Verbs
Continuing Tenses
(Continued)
The continuing tenses are used to show action in progress or action that is ongoing.
The past continuing tense shows a past action that continued for some time.
Jean was walking to work every morning until she hurt her foot.
The future continuing tense shows an ongoing action in the future.
Jean will be walking to work all summer.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

6. CHAPTER 2: Using Verbs
Perfect Tenses
The perfect tenses are used to show action completed before or continuing to a specific time.
The present perfect tense shows an action that started in the past and continues into the present or has just been completed.
I have walked to work all week.
Jean has walked to work all summer.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

7. CHAPTER 2: Using Verbs
Perfect Tenses
(Continued)
The perfect tenses are used to show action completed before or continuing to a specific time.
The past perfect tense shows an action that took place before a specified time in the past.
Jean had walked to work before.
The future perfect tense shows an action that will be completed by a specified time in the future.
By Friday, Jean will have walked to work five times.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

8. CHAPTER 2: Using Verbs
Irregular Verbs
Most verbs in the English language follow a regular pattern for forming different tenses, but many important verbs are irregular.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

9. CHAPTER 2: Using Verbs
Irregular Verbs
(Continued)
Several verb pairs are tricky because they sound so much alike but have slightly different meanings.
Lay and lie
If I lay a blanket on the floor, my cat lies on it.
Set and sit
Set the groceries on the counter and sit down for a minute.
Raise and rise
Jo raised the curtain, and the viewers rose to their feet.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

10. Using Consistent Tenses
CHAPTER 2: Using Verbs
Using Consistent Tenses
Verb tense should always tell the reader when an event happened.
Kerry is the first person in her family to own her own house. She saved up her money for years and found a good deal on a mortgage. In fact, her monthly mortgage now is hardly more than she was paying in rent. If she decides to sell her house in a few years, it almost certainly will be worth more than it is now.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

11. Basic Subject-Verb Agreement
CHAPTER 2: Using Verbs
Basic Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject-verb agreement means choosing the present-tense verb that matches the subject in number.
The present-tense verbs of singular subjects (except I and you) end in -s or -es.
The swimmer smells like chlorine.
The present tense verbs of plural subjects (and I and you) do not end in -s or -es.
The swimmers smell like chlorine.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

12. CHAPTER 2: Using Verbs
Compound Subjects
The connecting words and and or form compound subjects and let you know whether the subject is singular or plural.
When a compound subject is formed using and, the subject is plural.
Gregor and his parents cook dinner every night.
When a compound subject is formed using or or nor, the verb should agree with the subject closer to it.
Gregor or his parents cook dinner every night.
His parents or Gregor cooks dinner every night.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

13. CHAPTER 2: Using Verbs
Inverted Word Order
The subject of an inverted sentence has to be determined in order to make it agree with the verb in number.
Here (is, are) the packages the messenger brought.
The packages the messenger brought are here.
Subject Verb
(Is, Are) the photos of the Kaufmann House in that package?
The photos of the Kaufmann house are in
Subject Verb
that package.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

14. CHAPTER 2: Using Verbs
Inverted Word Order
(Continued)
It can also be hard to identify the subject in a command or in a sentence that begins with an introductory phrase.
Fido, (fetch, fetches) my slippers.
Fido, fetch my slippers.
In the cockpit of the plane there (is, are) many gauges.
In the cockpit of the plane there are many gauges.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

15. Prepositional Phrases
CHAPTER 2: Using Verbs
Prepositional Phrases
Use a three-step process to make sure the subject and verb agree in a sentence with a prepositional phrase:
The headlines in today’s newspaper (is, are) disturbing.
Simple Subject
Cross out the prepositional phrase.
Identify the simple subject.
Choose the verb that agrees with the subject.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

16. CHAPTER 2: Using Verbs
Indefinite Pronouns
An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun that does not name a specific person or thing.
The following indefinite pronouns are always singular:
anyone anything anybody each either neither no one nothing nobody everyone everything everybody one someone something somebody
Has anyone heard from Dylan?
Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

17. CHAPTER 2: Using Verbs
Indefinite Pronouns
(Continued)
An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun that does not name a specific person or thing.
The following indefinite pronouns are always plural:
both few many several
Few of the flowers are in bloom yet.
Most squirrels are afraid of people, but several are brave.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

18. CHAPTER 2: Using Verbs
Indefinite Pronouns
(Continued)
An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun that does not name a specific person or thing.
The following indefinite pronouns can be either singular or plural depending on their antecedent:
all any some most none
Most of the musicians are talented.
Most of that CD is fun to listen to.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

19. CHAPTER 2: Using Verbs
THE END
Practice the skills you learned in this chapter by taking the Chapter Review Quiz or the GED Practice Quiz.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.