To solve this worksheet, we need to change the verbs in parentheses into their
irregular past tense forms. Irregular verbs do not follow the standard rule of adding "-ed" at the end. Instead, they often change their spelling completely or stay the same.
Here is the step-by-step breakdown for each sentence:
1. John \_\_\_\_\_\_ (run) to the shops. He \_\_\_\_\_\_ (forget) his wallet and \_\_\_\_\_\_ (has) to go home.
*
run: The past tense of "run" is
ran.
*
forget: The past tense of "forget" is
forgot.
*
has: This is a tricky one. "Has" is the present tense form of "have." The past tense of "have/has" is
had.
2. Sarah \_\_\_\_\_\_ (throw) the ball through the window. It \_\_\_\_\_\_ (break) and Sarah \_\_\_\_\_\_ (run) away.
*
throw: The past tense of "throw" is
threw.
*
break: The past tense of "break" is
broke.
*
run: As seen in question 1, the past tense of "run" is
ran.
3. Tony \_\_\_\_\_\_ (spread) the butter gently on his toast. “That looks yum,” his brother \_\_\_\_\_\_ (say).
*
spread: This verb is irregular because it stays the same in the past tense. So, it is still
spread.
*
say: The past tense of "say" is
said.
4. Alexia \_\_\_\_\_\_ (sweep) the floor. A bee \_\_\_\_\_\_ (sting) her while she worked.
*
sweep: The past tense of "sweep" changes the 'ee' to an 'e'. It becomes
swept.
*
sting: The past tense of "sting" changes the 'i' to a 'u'. It becomes
stung.
5. Tom \_\_\_\_\_\_ (understand) how to behave. His manners \_\_\_\_\_\_ (be) outstanding.
*
understand: To make this past tense, we change "stand" to "stood." It becomes
understood.
*
be: The verb "be" has two past tense forms: *was* and *were*. Since "manners" is plural (more than one), we use
were.
6. Jerry \_\_\_\_\_\_ (wake) up. He \_\_\_\_\_\_ (be) sad.
*
wake: The past tense of "wake" is
woke.
*
be: Since "He" is singular (one person), we use the past tense form
was.
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Final Answer:
1. ran, forgot, had
2. threw, broke, ran
3. spread, said
4. swept, stung
5. understood, were
6. woke, was
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of esl verb tenses worksheet.
