Choosing among Past, Present, and Future Q.

Yesterday, overreacting to an itty-bitty taste of arsenic, Mike _______________ his evil twin brother of murder. (to accuse) A. accused. The clue here is yesterday, which tells you that youre in the past. 1. Fashion is important to David, so he always _______________ the latest and most popular poaching style. (to select) 2. Last years tight, slim lines _______________ David, who, it must be admitted, does not have a tiny waist. (to challenge) 3. While David _______________ new clothes, his fashion consultant is busy on the sidelines, recommending stripes and understated plaids to minimize the bulge factor. (to buy) 4. David hopes that the next fashion fad _______________ a more mature, oval figure like his own. (to flatter) 5. Right now Diane _______________ an article for the fashion press stating that so-tight-itmayas-well-be-painted-on leather is best. (to write) 6. She once _______________ a purple suede pantsuit, which clashed with her orange I Love Motorcycles tattoo. (to purchase) 7. While she _______________ the pantsuit, two shoppers urged her to go for it. (to charge) 8. Two days after Dianes shopping spree, Grace _______________ about show-offs who spend more time on their wardrobes than on their spark plugs. (to mutter) 9. However, Diane knows that Grace, as soon as she raises enough cash, _______________ in a suede outfit of her own. (to invest) 10. David, as always, _______________ in with the last word when he gave Grace and Diane the Fashion Train Wreck of the Year award. (to chime) 11. Two minutes after she received the award, Diane _______________ it on a shelf next to her Best Dressed, Considering medal. (to place) 12. Every day, when I see the medal, I _______________ what considering means. (to wonder) 13. Grace _______________ it to me in detail yesterday. (to explain) 14. We earned the medal for considering many fashion options, she _______________. (to state)

15. David, who _______________ Diane tomorrow, says that the medal acknowledges the fact that Grace is fashion-challenged but tries hard anyway. (to visit)

Present perfect links the past and the present Past perfect places one event in the past before another event in the past Future perfect implies a deadline sometime (surprise, surprise) in the future Q. Kristin _______________ an acceptance speech, but the Spy of the Year title went to Hanna instead. (to prepare) A. had prepared. With two events in the past, the had signals the prior event. The preparing of the speech took place before the awarding of the title, so had prepared is the form you want. 16. Mike _______________ on thin ice for two hours when he heard the first crack. (to skate) 17. Diane _______________ Mike for years about his skating habits, but he just wont listen. (to warn) 18. David a delicate, sensitive soul accompanied Mike to the pond and then to the hospital. After David _______________ an hour, the doctor announced that the skater was free to go. (to wait) 19. After todays skating trip ends, David _______________ a total of 1,232 hours for his friend and _______________ countless outdated magazines in the emergency room family area. (to wait, to read) 20. Grace _______________ to speak to Mike ever since he declared that a little thin ice shouldnt scare anyone. (to refuse) 21. Mike, in a temper, pointed out that Graces motorcycle _______________ him to the hospital even more frequently than his skates. (to send) 22. In an effort to make peace, Kristin _______________ quietly to both combatants before

they ever stop yelling at each other. (to speak) 23. Despite years of practice, Tim _______________ success only on rare occasions, but he keeps trying to resolve his brothers conflicts anyway. (to achieve) 24. At times Tims conflict-resolution technique _______________ of violent finger pokes in the fighters ribs, but he is trying to become more diplomatic. (to consist) 25. After Mike _______________ that his brothers wisest course of action was to butt out, Tim simply ignored him. (to declare) 26. We all think that Tim _______________ up on conflict resolution by the time Mike turns 30. (to give) 27. Despite failing with Mike every time he tries to avoid a quarrel, Tim _______________ interest in a diplomatic career several times over the last few weeks. (to express) 28. Although Mike _______________ several ambassadors about his brothers career plans during his visit to the United Nations last week, no one granted Tim an interview yesterday, though he spent the day begging for just five minutes. (to approach) 29. Kristin, the soul of kindness, said that before Tim makes his next career move, she _______________ that its hard to break into this field at least five times. (to declare) 30. David could help, as he _______________ as an ambassador for the last seven years and wont retire until 2010. (to serve)

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Navigating among Irregular Forms Q.With one leg three inches shorter than the other, Natalie seldom _______________ into second base, even when the team was desperate for a base hit. (to slide) A. slid. No -ed for this past tense! Slid is the irregular past form of to slide. 31. If you discover a piece of pottery on the floor, look for Natalie, who has _______________ many vases because of her tendency to dust far too emotionally. (to break) 32. Once, Natalie _______________ with sadness at her first glimpse of a dusty armchair. (to shake) 33. David, no mean duster himself, _______________ a manual of daily furniture maintenance. (to write)

34. The manual, entitled Dust or Die, _______________ to the top of the best-seller list. (to rise) 35. News reports indicated that nearly all the copies had been _______________ by fanatical cleaners. (to buy) 36. David once dusted the fire alarm so forcefully that it went off; the firefighters werent amused because David had _______________ the fire alarm a little too often. (to ring) 37. The fire chief promptly _______________ to speak with the mayor about Davids false alarm. (to go) 38. The mayor has _______________ an investigation into a new category of offenses, False Dust Alarms; almost immediately, David _______________ to protest. (to begin) 39. I have _______________ to a new low, sighed David, as he enrolled in the local chapter of Clean Anonymous. I hear that Natalie has _______________ a new hobby. Maybe I can too. (to sink, to find) 40. Natalie _______________ David to a fly-catching meet, and soon his interest in grime _______________ the dust. (to take, to bite) 41. Natalie, however, became completely excited by fly catching and _______________ a tapestry with a delicate fly pattern. (to weave) 42. David, worried about Natalies enthusiasm for winged pests, _______________ help. (to seek) 43. Leave the flies, _______________ David. (to say) 44. Never! Natalie declared as she _______________ her coffee. (to drink) 45. David soon _______________ up on Natalie and her new hobby. (to give)

Mastering the Two Most Common Irregulars: Be and Have Q. A.

Joyce the lifeguard _______________ out in the sun long enough to fry her brain, but she intends to go inside soon because the Picnic Olympics is on television this evening. has been. Been is the combining form used with helping verbs, such as has. 46. If pickling _______________ necessary, Ill bring my own vinegar. 47. Who ever _______________ enough cucumbers on this sort of occasion? 48. Not me, replied Mike. I _______________ totally comfortable with the green vegetables in my refrigerator. 49. Kristin, never outdone, _______________ a different idea. 50. Grace and I _______________ firmly in the anti-vegetable camp, she commented. 51. By the time she finishes the meal, Kristin _______________ three trophies for carboloading. 52. Diane _______________ Champion of the Potato Salad Competition for three years in a row, counting this year. 53. Grace _______________ second thoughts about her entry choice; she now thinks that she should have picked sides instead of main dishes. 54. The soon-to-be-announced winners in each category _______________ extremely pleased with the prizes this year.

55. Give me a taste because I _______________ a judge.

Should and must add a sense of duty Can and could imply ability May and might add possibility to the sentence Would usually expresses a condition or willingness

Q. A.

Steve said that he _______________ consider running for Parks Commissioner, but he hasnt made his mind up yet. (possibility) might or may. The might or may shows that Steve hasnt ruled out a run. 56. Melissa, shy as ever, said that she _______________ go to the tree-cutting ceremony only if the press agreed to stay outside the forest. (condition) 57. Kirk, beat reporter for the local radio station, _______________ not agree to any conditions, because the station manager insisted on eyewitness coverage. (ability) 58. Lisa, on the other hand, explained that if barred from the event she _______________ rely on an interview with Steve after the event. (possibility) 59. Lisa knows that Steve _______________ leap to fame based on the tree-cutting incident, and she doesnt want to miss an important scoop. (ability) 60. All good reporters _______________ know that if a tree falls in the forest, the sound is heard by a wide audience only if a radio reporter is there. (duty) 61. Sound engineers, on the other hand, _______________ skip all outdoor events if they _______________ do so. (condition, ability) 62. On-air talent always _______________ find a way to weather all hardships, including bad weather. (ability) 63. Some media watchers believe that reporters _______________ be a bit more modest. (duty) 64. In response, reporters claim that the public _______________ not appreciate humility if they _______________ choose greater entertainment value. (condition, ability) 65. Steve _______________ have allowed the press at the scene had he known about the fuss. (condition)

When One Just Isnt Enough: Plural Nouns

Regular plurals pick up an s Nouns ending in s, sh, ch, and x tack on es to form the plural Nouns ending in ay, ey, oy, uy in other words, a vowel before y simply add an s Nouns ending in y preceded by a consonant change the y to i and add es Irregular nouns cancel all bets: anything goes!

Q. Jennifer remained doubtful about the existence of flying dinner _______________. (plate) A. plates. Love those regular plurals! Just add s.

1. Jennifers previous arguments have been so dramatic that her friends have frequently inquired about committing her to any of several local mental health _______________. (clinic) 2. Jennifer, with her usual wit, refers to these establishments as _______________. (nuthouse) 3. The town eccentric, Jennifer has several _______________ of light green hair, courtesy of a bottle of dye. (thatch) 4. Jennifer sees her unusual hair color as a weapon in the battle of the _______________. (sex) 5. Few people know that Jennifer, an accomplished historian and mathematician, has created a series of _______________ on the Hundred Years War. (graph) 6. Jennifer also knows a great deal about the role of _______________ in colonial America. (turkey) 7. She discovered that the average colony had four turkeys a guy who never paid his bills, an idiot who thought Come here often? was a good pickup line, and two _______________ who plucked out their _______________ to protect against witchcraft. (woman, lash)

8. The _______________ of envy at Jennifers scholarship were quite loud. (sigh) 9. A couple of professors, however, think that Jennifers _______________ are filled with bats. (belfry) 10. Perhaps theyre right, because Jennifer has encountered quite a bit of wildlife in her bell towers, including _______________, _______________, and _______________. (deer, squirrel, goose)