Exercise: Writing the past tense or past participle of verbs

EXERCISE 39.1

Complete each of the following sentences by writing the past tense or past participle of the verb listed in parentheses. Example:

They had already (eat) the entrée; later they (eat) the dessert.

Answers: eaten, ate

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  1. The babysitter (let) the children play with my schoolbooks, and before I (come) home, they had (tear) out several pages.
    The babysitter ________ (let) the children play with my schoolbooks, and before I ________ (come) home, they had ________ (tear) out several pages.
  2. After they had (review) the evidence, the jury (find) the defendant not guilty.
    After they had ________ (review) the evidence, the jury ________ (find) the defendant not guilty.
  3. Hypnosis (work) only on willing participants.
    Hypnosis ________ (work) only on willing participants.
  4. My parents (plant) a tree for me in the town where I was born, but I have never (go) back to see it.
    My parents ________ (plant) a tree for me in the town where I was born, but I have never ________ (go) back to see it.
  5. Some residents (know) that the levee was leaking long before the storms, but authorities (ignore) the complaints.
    Some residents ________ (know) that the levee was leaking long before the storms, but authorities ________ (ignore) the complaints.
  6. I (paint) a picture from a photograph my sister had (take) at the beach.
    I ________ (paint) a picture from a photograph my sister had ________ (take) at the beach.
  7. When the buzzer sounded, the racers (spring) into the water and (swim) toward the far end of the pool.
    When the buzzer sounded, the racers ________ (spring) into the water and ________ (swim) toward the far end of the pool.
  8. We had (assume) for some time that surgery was a possibility, and we had (find) an excellent facility.
    We had ________ (assume) for some time that surgery was a possibility, and we had ________ (find) an excellent facility.
  9. Once the storm had (pass), we could see that the old oak tree had (fall).
    Once the storm had ________ (pass), we could see that the old oak tree had ________ (fall).
  10. Some high-level employees (decide) to speak publicly about the cover-up before the company’s official story had (be) released to the media.
    Some high-level employees ________ (decide) to speak publicly about the cover-up before the company’s official story had ________ (be) released to the media.