Read through the following questions; each one is missing an auxiliary verb. Choose the correct verb for each question.
Auxiliary verbs (also known as 'helping verbs') include be, do and have. They are used along with the main verb in a sentence to make questions, negative statements, passives and tenses.
You probably know lot's of English words, and that each word can have different forms depending on the sentence structure. Put your understanding of English language grammar to the test with this exercise! Read through the ten sentences and choose the correct form for each missing word.
Read the following article on the recent bushfires in Australia and then mtach the key-words to their meanings:
'She's got a short fuse'
As February is the shortest month of the year we thought we'd give you some idioms that use the word 'short':
To have a sudden need to go to the toilet:
'I went to the toilet before we left because I didn't want to be caught short on the journey.'
To not have enough money:
You probably know the verb to act used for actors acting in a film or in the theatre. When used as a phrasal verb with the preposition up it has a different meaning:
Act up- Misbehave; behave badly or strangely.
'My computer has been acting up recently. I need to get it repaired. It's probably got a virus.'
"The prisoner managed to break ___ of prison."
As you know, a phrasal verb is a verb and a preposition used together. In the English language there are hundreds of phrasal verbs and no short-cut to learning them; however, the more you practise them, the easier they become to understand.
"You can't teach an old dog new tricks"
Here are some idioms that all use the word new. Read them through and then complete the exercise below them:
To start behaving in a better way:
'I heard that's she's turned over a new leaf and stopped drinking alcohol.'
A past participle indicates past or completed action or time. It is often called the 'ed' form as it is formed by adding d or ed, to the base form of regular verbs, however it is also formed in various other ways for irregular verbs. Here we review your knowledge of irregular past participle verbs.
An example of an irregular past participle verb is sung:
Take a look at the following five sentences. Each sentence has one mistake - can you find them? Click on Show Answers for an explaination on each sentence. If you like this, you can try a similar lesson here!
