GUM Unit 6 Lesson 1 and 2

The Principal Parts of Verbs Verbs take different forms in order to indicate time.

These forms of verbs are tenses. “She talks about her plans” expresses action in the

present.

“She talked about her plans” expresses action that occurred in the past.

To use the tenses correctly, you must know how to form the principal parts of verbs.

The Principal Parts of Verbs The Principal Parts of the Verb Talk Present: talk

Present Participle: (am, is, are, was, were) talking

Past: talked

Past Participle: (have, has, had) talked

The Principal Parts of Verbs The Principal Parts of Regular Verbs Present: most basic form of the verb

save

Present Participle: helping verb am, is, are, was, or were + verb with –ing ending am saving

Past: verb with –ed ending saved

Past Participle: helping verb have, has, or had + verb with –ed ending have saved

The Principal Parts of Verbs

The Principal Parts of Irregular Verbs Irregular verbs do not follow the same pattern as regular

verbs when forming the past and past participle.

You will need to memorize these exceptions.

When in doubt in your writing, look up the correct way to form the past and part participle of any verb.

Using Irregular Verbs To Run

Present: run

Present Participle: am running

Past: ran (not runned)

Past Participle: have run (not have runned)

To Write

Present: write

Present Participle: am writing

Past: wrote

Past Participle: have written

Two Troublesome Irregular Verbs To Lay Present: lay Present Participle: am

laying Past: laid Past Participle: have laid Use to mean “to put

something down” or “to place (something)”

Almost always followed by a direct object

The sailors laid their uniforms on the bed.

To Lie Present: lie Present Participle: am

lying Past: lay Past Participle: have lain Use to mean “to rest in a

reclining position” or “to be situated”

Never followed by a direct object

The sailors lay down on the narrow bunk.

Two Troublesome Irregular Verbs

To Sit Present: sit Present Participle: am

sitting Past: sat Past Participle: have sat Use to mean “to be seated”

or “to rest” Usually not followed by a

direct object. We sat on the floor.

To Set Present: set Present Participle: am

setting Past: set Past Participle: have set Use to mean “to put

something in a certain place or position

Usually followed by a direct object.

He set the glasses gingerly in the sink.

Verb Tenses

In verbs, the tense shows the time of action or state of being.

Use the principal parts of verbs to form the six basic tenses.

The Basic Verb Tenses Present

I eat pizza often. I always order from Pizza Hut. Indicates action that happens over and over. Principal part: present Uses no helping verbs.

Verb Tenses The Basic Verb Tenses Past

I ate pizza last night. I ordered from Pizza Hut. Indicates action that happened in the past. Principal part: past Uses no helping verbs

Future I will eat pizza tonight. I will order from Pizza Hut. Indicates action that will happen in the future. Principal part: present Uses helping verb will

Verb Tenses The Perfect Verb Tenses: indicate that an action

has been completed. Present Perfect

I have eaten pizza many times.

He has ordered from Pizza Hut.

Indicates action completed often.

Principal part: past participle

Uses helping verbs have or has

Past Perfect

I had eaten pizza before you called.

He had ordered from Pizza Hut.

Indicates action completed in the past.

Principal part: past participle

Uses helping verb had

Verb Tenses The Perfect Verb Tenses: indicate that

an action has been completed. Future Perfect

I will have eaten pizza many times by the end of the year.

Indicates action that will be completed in the future.

Principal part: past participle

Uses helping verbs will and have

Verb Tenses The Progressive Forms: indicate an action that is

in progress. Present Progressive

I am eating pizza. He is ordering from Pizza Hut. Indicates action in process of being completed. Principal part: present participle Uses helping verbs am, is, are

Past Progressive I was eating pizza when you called. You were ordering from Pizza Hut. Indicates action that was in the process of being completed in the past. Principal part: present participle Uses helping verb was or were

Verb Tenses

Future Progressive

I will be eating pizza for dinner tonight.

Indicates action that will be in process in the future.

Principal part: present participle

Uses helping verbs will and be

Verb Tenses The Progressive Perfect Forms: indicate completion

of an ongoing action. Present Perfect Progressive

I have been eating pizza since I was little. Indicates action often in the process of being completed. Principal part: present participle Uses helping verbs have and been

Past Perfect Progressive I had been eating pizza, but I stopped Indicates action was in process, but now is completed. Principal part: present participle Uses helping verb had and been

Verb Tenses

Future Perfect Progressive

On my net birthday, I will have been eating pizza for eleven years.

Indicates action that has been completed before but will be in progress in the future.

Principal part: present participle

Uses helping verbs: will, have, and been

Verb Tenses Now, why did we just learn all of this?

Because in your writing, you need to keep your tenses consistent.

Choose the best tense for the situation (past, present, or future) and be consistent throughout the entire piece.

Avoiding Shifts in Tense, Person, and Voice

Shifts in Tense GUM Unit 6 Lesson 3

1. Watch your verb tenses.

o Don’t shift back and forth in time unless you have a good reason.

o I started writing my essay last night at 9

p.m. and then finish it five minutes before class today.

Illogical Shift in Verb Tense

o I started writing my essay last night at 9

p.m. and then finish it five minutes before class today.

Past tense

Illogical Shift in Verb Tense

Present tense

I started writing my essay last night at 9 p.m. and then finished it five minutes before class today.

Consistent Verb Tense

I started writing my essay last night at 9 p.m. and then finished it five minutes before class today.

Past tense

Consistent Verb Tense

Past tense

Logical Shift in Verb Tense

I started writing my essay last night at 9 p.m., but I will not do that any more.

Logical Shift in Verb Tense

I started writing my essay last night at 9 p.m., but I will not do that any more.

Past tense

Future tense

2. Watch your pronouns.

Don’t move back and forth between

first-, second-, and third-person pronouns unless you have a good reason.

PRONOUNS: The System SINGULAR PLURAL

1st person (= the person

who is writing

or speaking)

I (me/my) we (us/our)

2nd person (= the person

who is being

written or

spoken to)

you (your) you (your)

3rd person (= the person or

thing being

written about)

he (him/his) she (her) it (its) one (one’s)

they (them/their)

Illogical Shift in Person

Everyone can become a good writer once you learn how to revise and edit.

Illogical Shift in Person

Everyone can become a good writer once you learn how to revise and edit.

Third Person

Second Person

Consistent Point of View

o I can become a good writer once I learn how to revise and edit.

o You can become a good writer once you learn how to revise and edit.

o Everyone can become a good writer once he or she learns how to revise and edit.

Consistent Point of View

o I can become a good writer once I learn how to revise and edit.

o You can become a good writer once you learn how to revise and edit.

o Everyone can become a good writer once he or she learns how to revise and edit.

1st Person

2nd Person

3rd Person

3. Watch active/passive voice.

o Don’t shift back and forth between active and passive voice unless you have a good reason.

o In an active sentence, the subject performs the action.

o She took my sister’s old job.

o The subject, she, performed the action in this sentence—she did the taking.

Watch active/passive voice.

o In a passive sentence, the subject is acted upon.

o My sister’s old job was taken by her.

o The subject, job, receives the action in this sentence—it was taken.

Illogical Shift in Voice

o Jill and I started the report, and it was finished by another team.

Illogical Shift in Voice

o Jill and I started the report, and it was finished by another team.

Active

Passive

Consistent Voice

Jill and I started the report, and another team finished it.

Consistent Voice

Jill and I started the report, and another team finished it.

Active

Active

Generally, prefer the active voice:

o The directions were given by the teacher.

o The teacher gave the directions.

o Economic declines are often caused by rising interest rates.

o Rising interest rates often cause economic declines.

Generally, prefer the active voice:

o The directions were given by the teacher.

o The teacher gave the directions.

o Economic declines are often caused by rising interest rates.

o Rising interest rates often cause economic declines.

Active

Passive

Passive

Active

Active and Passive Voice

GUM Unit 6 Lesson 4

What is the difference?

Difference is in the meaning

The Difference

Connected with the verb

Does the subject act or is the subject acted upon?

Passive Voice

The subject of the sentence receives the action

The essay is being written by the student.

Active Voice

The subject of the sentence performs the action

The student wrote the essay.

Passive Voice

Verbs such as be, am, is, was, were, are, being, had been

Verb followed with “by…”

Passive Voice

Indirect

They are often taken to interesting places by their friends.

Active Voice

Direct

Their friends often take them to interesting places.

Passive Voice

More wordy sentences, less concise

Topics for the next essay are being considered by the students.

Active Voice

Less wordy sentences, more concise

The students considered topics for the next essay.

Changing from Passive to Active

Find the subject

Change the verb accordingly

Change these

The essay was written by Shelia.

The big, green apples were left on the table by the professor.

Active Voice

Shelia wrote the essay.

The professor left the big, green apples on the table.

Change these

The apple was eaten by Charlene.

Clams are considered a delicacy by many people.

Active Voice

Charlene ate the apple.

Many people consider clams a delicacy.

Can you tell the difference?

Mistakes were made.

Most of the class read The Bluest Eye.

Can you tell the difference?

The potholes are being repaired by the workers. Hot, black, asphalt was

poured into the potholes by the crew. Safe driving on the part of the public

is appreciated by the road crew to insure their safety.

Passive sentences in paragraph. Active=The workers repaired the potholes. The crew poured hot, black asphalt into the potholes. To insure their safety, the crew appreciates the public driving safely.

Can you tell the difference?

The professor graded the essays. Many students scored well because they used active voice. One student

almost failed because he had too many passive sentences. The

professor recommended the student to the Center for Teaching and

Learning.

Active sentences in paragraph

Additional Resources

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_actpass.html

http://www.towson.edu/ows/activepass.htm

http://www.grammarbook.com/english_rules.asp