WORKSHEET 1: PRINCIPAL PARTS/BASIC FORMS OF VERBS

NAME: ____________________________ Grade & Section: ________________ Date: ____________ Score: _________

PRINCIPAL PARTS/BASIC FORMS OF VERBS

WORDS to REMEMBER:

The principal parts of verbs are the four forms of the verb from which all forms of the verb can be made.
In English the four principal parts are the present (or infinitive), the past tense, the past participle, and the
present participle.
FORMS OF THE PRINCIPAL PARTS OF THE VERBS
BASE/PRESENT PRESENT PARTICIPLE PAST PAST PARTICIPLE
recite reciting recited recited
study studying studied studied
support supporting supported supported
follow following followed followed
hide hiding hid hidden
choose choosing chose chosen
teach teaching taught taught
read reading read read
dream dreaming dreamed/dreamt dreamed/dreamt
broadcast broadcasting broadcast broadcast

I. REGULAR VERBS – are verbs that form the past tense and past participle by adding - d, - ed, or – ied to the
end of the verb.
Here are some guidelines for spelling:
1. Add -d to the base form when the base form ends in a vowel and one or more consonants plus e:
Examples: ached, baked, blamed, breathed, cared, cached
This also happens when the base form ends in ue, oe, or ie:
Examples: glued, rued, sued, hoed, toed, died, lied, tied
2. Change -y to -i and add –ed when a verb ends in a consonant and y:
Examples: apply / applied; bully / bullied; bury / buried
This does not happen when a verb ends in a vowel and y:
Examples: annoy / annoyed; bray / brayed; destroy / destroyed
3. Double the final consonant and add –ed if there is a single stressed vowel before the final consonant.
Examples: ban / banned; can / canned; hem / hemmed; mop / mopped; pin / pinned; sip / sipped
EXERCISE A: Complete the table below by writing the missing principal parts of the verb.
BASE/PRESENT PRESENT PARTICIPLE PAST PAST PARTICIPLE
pretend 1. pretended pretended
assume assuming 2. assumed
3. performing performed performed
decide deciding decided 4.
anticipate 5. anticipated anticipated
cooperate cooperating 6. cooperated
7. repairing repaired repaired
offer offering offered 8.
conduct 9. conducted conducted
recognize recognizing 10. recognized

II. IRREGULAR VERBS - are verbs that do not follow the usual rules for verb forms. Also known as a strong verb.
Irregular verbs fall into three main categories:
Category 1: Verbs which don't change.
Examples: cut – cut, hit – hit, cast - cast, burst – burst, cost - cost
Category 2: Verbs which change their vowel.
Examples: get – got, sit – sat, drink – drank, come – came, become – became, swim - swam
Category 3: Verbs which change completely.
Examples: catch – caught, bring – brought, teach – taught, shake – shook

EXERCISE B: Complete the table below by writing the missing principal parts of the verb.
BASE/PRESENT PRESENT PARTICIPLE PAST PAST PARTICIPLE
come coming came 1.
 know 2. knew known
3. speaking spoke spoken
teach teaching 4. taught
bring 5. brought brought
throw throwing threw 6.
7. telling told told
freeze freezing 8. frozen
make 9. made made
shake shaking shook 10.

EXERCISE C: Complete the following sentences with the principal part indicated in parentheses.
1. Maps are both fascinating and useful, and people have been ________________________ them for centuries.
(present participle of read)
2. Over the centuries, maps have _________________ from being merely simple navigational tools to being complex
instruments conveying varied information. (past participle of grow)
3. Mapmakers over the centuries often have ___________________ that maps are as beautiful as many paintings.
(past participle of feel)
4. Some artists even _____________________ to create maplike paintings as serious works of art. (past form of begin)
5. We often hear that the world has _______________________ because it is so much easier to get from one place to
another these days. (past participle of shrink)
6. New and more sophisticated maps certainly ________________ a part in creating this impression. (past form of play)
7. In the beginning of travel by automobile, people ______________ without much help from maps. (past form of drive)
8. Good road maps later ____________ a sense of security and independence to automobile drivers. (past form of bring)
9. Detailed road maps have __________________ right along with the building of highways. (past participle of develop)
10. Maps have _______________________ travel out of the dark ages and into the modern world of transportation.
(past participle of take)

EXERCISE D. Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

11. Choose the principal part that answers the following question: What is the past tense of the verb BRAG?
A) bragged B) brag C) brugged
12. Choose the principal part that answers the following question: What is the present participle of the verb DROP?
A) droping B) dropping C) drops
13. Choose the answer that identifies the tense of the capitalized word in the following sentence: My finger slipped and I
DIALED a number in Fairbanks, Alaska.
A) present B) past C) future
14. Choose the answer that identifies the tense of the capitalized word in the following sentence: Gina HAS ORGANIZED
a group of volunteers to help out at the hospital.
A) present B) present perfect C) future
15. Choose the verb that correctly completes the sentence: The Brooklyn Bridge spans the East River and __________
Manhattan and Brooklyn.
A) connected B) has connected C) connects
16. Choose the verb that correctly completes the sentence: The band has played "High School Cadets" every time it
_________ in a parade.
A) marches B) marched C) has marched
17. Identify the voice of the capitalized verb in the following sentence: Edgar Allen Poe WROTE beautiful poems as well
as horror stories.
A) active voice B) passive voice C) Past
18. Identify the voice of the capitalized verb in the following sentence: Chlorophyll IS MADE in the leaves of green plants.
A) active voice B) passive voice C) Present
19. Choose the verb that correctly completes the following sentence: Last night, we ______ new tile on the kitchen floor.
A) lay B) lying C) laid
20. Choose the verb that correctly completes the following sentence: Will you all please ______ and sing a song?
A) rise B) raise C) risen

EXERCISE E: Underline the verb or verb phrase in each sentence. Then identify the principal part used to form the verb.
EXAMPLE: We watched the tennis match. _________past_____________
21. I write a column for the school newspaper. _________________________
22. Gary waited half an hour for the bus. _________________________
23. Karen is visiting her relatives in Iowa. _________________________
24. Are you listening to the explanation? _________________________
25. The speaker had paused for a moment. _________________________
26. They were wearing their basketball uniforms. _________________________
27. Mr. Kelly coached the football team last season. _________________________
28. Amy had remembered to pack a flashlight. _________________________
29. We are planning a number of surprises. _________________________
30. These musicians usually play some contemporary music. _________________________
EXERCISE F: Fill in the blank in each of the following sentences with the correct PAST or PAST PARTICIPLE form of the verb
given in italics before the sentence.

EXAMPLE: ( swim) 1. Felipe ___________swam________________ well in yesterday’s meet.

taste 31. We had never ___________________________ such delicious tomatoes.

suppose 32. We were _______________________________ to read the next chapter.
find 33. Alicia had finally _________________________ her pen.
go 34. Has Gwen already ________________________ to the laboratory?
ask 35. The dentist _____________________________ me to return Monday.
sit 36. Last night we ____________________________ out on the patio.
give 37. By noon Sean will have ____________________ away all of his extra stamps.
lead 38. Benita __________________________________ the children across the street.
sing 39. She has _________________________________ every song in the book.
eat 40. Roger asked if I had ______________________ the last banana.
begin 41. I had __________________________________ to think you weren’t here.
give 42. Have they ______________________________ anything to the rummage sale?
shake 43. Reynard ________________________________ the box of cereal.
see 44. Has anyone ever _________________________ a giant Ferris wheel?
lead 45. Rosalie _________________________________ the prayer yesterday.
EXERCISE G: Choose the correct form of the verb in the parenthesis to complete the sentence.
46. Have you ______________ your lost dog yet? (find, found)
47. She spoke too softly. I couldn't ______________ her. (hear, heard)
48. But we heard everything she ______________ . (say, said)
49. We went shopping and I ______________ a new pair of jeans. (buy, bought)
50. Did you ______________ well last night? ( sleep, slept)
51. I used to ______________ a lot of money, but I don't make much now. ( make, made)
52. We were really surprised when we ______________ the game. ( win, won)
53. We thought we would ______________ for sure. (lose, lost)
54. Have you ever ______________ a movie star? (meet, met)
60. Mom taught our sisters how to cook, but she didn't ______________ us. (teach, taught)

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Galatians 6:9 (KJV)

M/A/D