Verbs
Irr: irregular verbs. VT: verb tense. Part: -ed suffix. VTR or VI: transitive and intransitive verbs. VS: subjunctive mood. PV: passive voice.
Irr: use the correct form of irregular verbs.
WRONG: School begun. He has wrote to me.
RIGHT: School began. He has written to me.
The list below shows the irregular forms that most often cause errors. If a word marked on your paper is not in the list, look it up in the dictionary.
infinitive
past
past participle
infinitive
past
past participle
awaken
awakened
awakened
lead
led
led
bear
bore
borne
lend
lent
lent
beat
beat
beaten
lie
lay
lain
begin
began
begun
pay
paid
paid
blow
blew
blown
prove
proved
proved, proven
break
broke
broken
ride
rode
ridden
build
built
built
rise
rose
risen
burst
burst
burst
run
ran
run
choose
chose
chosen
see
saw
seen
cost
cost
cost
set
set
set
dive
dived, dove
dived
shake
shook
shaken
do
did
done
shine
shined, shone
shined, shone
draw
drew
drawn
sing
sang
sung
drink
drank
drunk
slay
slew
spoken
drive
drove
driven
speak
spoke
stolen
eat
ate
eaten
steal
stole
stolen
forgive
forgave
forgiven
swear
swore
sworn
get
got
gotten
swim
swam
swum
give
gave
given
tear
tore
torn
hang (suspend)
hung
hung
throw
threw
thrown
hang (execute)
hanged
hanged
wake
woke, waked
woken, waked
lay
laid
laid
write
wrote
written
Grammar Tip: All verbs have three principal parts:
infinitive: [to] cook past tense: cooked past participle: [has] cooked Many verbs are irregular; they do not merely add -ed to form the past tense and past participle:
REGULAR: invite, invited, invited row, rowed, rowed cry, cried, cried IRREGULAR: write, wrote, written know, knew, known fly, flew, flown
Part: do not omit the -ed suffix from past participles:
WRONG: a world-renown artist. I use to think so. What am I suppose to do? RIGHT: a world-renowned artist. I used to think so. What am I supposed to do? Grammar Tip: Participles are verb forms that act as adjectives.
PAST PARTICIPLES: We had a heated discussion. I prefer my pie heated.
PRESENT PARTICIPLES: Running water sounds soothing. I hear water running.
VTR or VI: do not confuse transitive and intransitive verbs. Transitive verbs must have direct objects; intransitive verbs must not.
WRONG: to grow the company. RIGHT: to make the company grow. WRONG: He applied Yale. RIGHT: He applied to Yale. Dictionaries use the abbreviations vt. and vi., or trans. and intrans. The Keables Guide uses "VTR" to avoid confusion with the code for verb tense.
Grammar Tips: Usually transitive verbs are followed by nouns and intransitive verbs are not. Sometimes, however, the direct object is understood:
VTR: I ate dinner. VI: I slept. VTR (UNDERSTOOD OBJECT): I ate. Many verbs can be both transitive and intransitive:
VTR: Time heals all wounds. Sun melts ice. VI: In time, wounds heal. Ice melts.
VT: use the correct verb tense. Know the tenses:
SIMPLE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE PRESENT I go. I have gone. I am going. PAST I went. I had gone. I was going. FUTURE I will go. I will have gone. I will be going. Two errors of verb tense are common:
1. Sh or VT sh: do not shift tenses. If you have shifted tense, you must change all the incorrect verbs when you correct your paper. Note the tense shift at discovers:
INCONSISTENT: With wide eyes Kitty watched the unsuspecting duck and crept toward it. Pouncing upon her prey, Kitty discovers that the duck is made of rubber.
2. Past perf: do not use past tense when you need past perfect.
WRONG: Her parents said she left already.
RIGHT: Her parents said she had left already.
Although it may sound redundant, had had is sometimes necessary:
She had had the baby by the time her husband reached the hospital.
Grammar Tip: Unlike the simple past, which indicates action that took place in the past, perfect tenses indicate action that was, is, or will be complete by a specified time.
PV: change passive voice to active. Many passives are easy to correct; just find the thing that is taking the action and make it the subject of the verb:
PASSIVE VOICE: The food is eaten by me. ACTIVE VOICE: I eat the food. Often, however, passive voice has no "by" phrase because it is disguising unclear thinking which fails to identify exactly who is doing what to whom:
VAGUE: The ideas are shown using imagery. CLEAR: Frost uses images to show the ideas. VAGUE: Without care, errors are made. CLEAR: Careless writers make errors. VAGUE: It is felt you are wrong. CLEAR: I feel you are wrong. Grammar Tip: The passive voice is useful when you want to emphasize the recipient of the action: "The bridge was constructed quickly." Usually, however, passive voice is less concise, energetic and natural than active voice. Suppose Dr. King had said, "A dream is had by me."
VS: use the subjunctive mood for wishes and conditions contrary to fact:
WRONG: If I was rich, I wouldn't be here. RIGHT: If I were rich, I wouldn't be here. WRONG: I wish she was here. RIGHT: I wish she were here. WRONG: I recommend that he leaves. RIGHT: I recommend that he leave. WRONG: I move that the meeting is adjourned. RIGHT: I move that the meeting be adjourned. Grammar Tips: Verbs have three moods:
INDICATIVE (STATEMENTS OF FACT): I shut the door.
IMPERATIVE (COMMANDS): Shut the door.
SUBJUNCTIVE: I wish I had shut the door.
People seldom use the subjunctive mood nowadays except in three situations:
(1) if clauses expressing conditions contrary to fact;
(2) that clauses following verbs like wish, ask, recommend and urge;
(3) a few familiar expressions ("be that as it may"; "to whom it may concern").