LESSON #4

The goal of this activity is to Identify the main verb, all modals, auxiliaries, and the verb tense in the following sentences.
Read each sentence carefully consider the role that the verbs play in the sentence.

Use the table at each sentence to check your response.

Example: Next week, Dave will be washing his new Camaro.

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response washing	Check response will be	Check response Future progressive

 

 

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1. Tommy Boy ate paint chips as a child.

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response ate	Check response --	Check response Simple past

 

 

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2. Does Zachary take vitamins?

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response take	Check response Does	Check response Simple present

 

 

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3. On the 29th of April he will celebrate his 17th birthday.

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response celebrate	Check response will	Check response Simple future

 

 

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4. Forrest ran into an old friend of his.

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response ran	Check response --	Check response Simple past

 

 

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5. He will be seeing his first sergeant very soon for breaking into the PX.

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response seeing	Check response Does	Check response Future progressive

 

 

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6. My sister has been dating a man with six toes on each foot.

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response dating	Check response has been	Check response Present Perfect Progressive

 

 

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7. Tom Hanks will probably win an Oscar for his next movie.

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response win	Check response will	Check response Simple future

 

 

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8. I have seen The Matrix twelve times.

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response seen	Check response have	Check response Present perfect

 

 

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9. The man who was wrongly accused stood up for his rights.
note: (who was wrongly accused is a dependent clause)

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response stood up	Check response --	Check response Simple past

 

 

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10. Why does everyone think my wardrobe is outdated?

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response think	Check response does	Check response Simple present

 

 

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11. As of tomorrow, our favorite canary will have gone to the coal mine 26 times.

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response gone	Check response will have	Check response Future perfect

 

 

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12. Bill Gates is reviewing my proposal for a computer that is worn on one’s head.

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response reviewing	Check response is	Check response Present progressive

 

 

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13. In all my life, I have never seen a poem as lovely as a tree.

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response seen	Check response have	Check response Present perfect

 

 

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14. Hitting a tennis ball against a wall can be fun.

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response be	Check response can	Check response Simple present

 

 

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15. Yesterday, John was happily reading Naked Lunch, by William S. Burroughs.

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response reading	Check response was	Check response Past progressive

 

 

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16. Weren’t The Flamingos the first to sing, “I Only Have Eyes For You”?

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response were	Check response --	Check response Simple past

 

 

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17. The Flamingos’ version of the song, however, will be the one most remembered.

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response be	Check response will	Check response Simple future

 

 

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18. I must have heard that song at least 500 times.

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response heard	Check response must have	Check response Present perfect

 

 

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19. My brother, who only likes to read strange books, has never even heard the song.

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response heard	Check response must have	Check response Present perfect

 

 

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20. My big brother always watches out for me.

Main Verb	Modals or Auxiliaries	Verb Tense
Check response watches out	Check response --	Check response Simple present

 

 

 

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