Verb Tense Exercises For Middle School Students

Verb Tense Exercises 4

The verb tense exercises included in this curriculum are meticulously designed to provide middle school students with the necessary practice to master using the correct verb forms in context. Through targeted activities and varying levels of difficulty, students will have ample opportunities to enhance their understanding of verb tenses. These exercises aim to strengthen students' grammar skills and boost their confidence in using verbs accurately in their writing and conversation.

Verb Tense Exercises 4a

A little tadpole, among many others, (1) …………… (swim) on the water surface of a well. As it (2) ………. (gaze) at the sky, it said aloud, “What a beautiful and safe world are we living in! We are the masters of this whole wide world!”

Then, suddenly, a huge object, hundreds of times the size of the tadpole’s body, (3) ………. (fall) into the well with a tremendous splash. The alarmed little tadpoles dispersed and (4) ………… (swim) away beneath the water surface. As they slowly emerged, they had another shock. There was a monster with a round face (5) ……….. (stare) at them. They (6) ……. not ………….. (know) that it was the face of a chubby little boy who (7) …………. (throw) a stone into the well and was curiously watching the enlarging circles forming on the water surface.

The tadpole could not understand what (8) …………. (go) on. What is this new object? What monster (9) ……………… (stare) at us? Is it possible, it thought, that there is life outside our world? All of a sudden, life (10) …………. (become) incredibly difficult, with so many unanswered questions!

Answer Scheme

• was swimming
• gazed
• fell
• swam
• staring
• did not know
• had thrown
• was going
• is staring
• had become

Verb Tense Exercises 4b

When astronauts get out from a vehicle in space, it (1) ………. (call) a spacewalk. They wear spacesuits to keep themselves safe. Inside their spacesuits astronauts (2) …….. (have) the oxygen they need to breathe and water they need to drink. They put on their spacesuits several hours before they go for a spacewalk. The suits (3) ………….. (pressurize). This means that the suits (4) …….. (fill) with oxygen. Once in their suits, astronauts breathe pure oxygen for a few hours to get rid of all the nitrogen in their body. If the astronauts did not get rid of the nitrogen, they might get gas bubbles in their body when they (5) ………(walk) in space. These gas bubbles can cause them to feel pain in their shoulders, elbows, wrists and knees. This pain (6) ………..(call) getting ‘the bends’ because it affects the places where the body bends.

During a spacewalk, astronauts use safety tethers to (7) …….. (stay) close to their spacecraft. Tethers look like ropes. One end is hooked to the astronaut. The other end (8) ……………… (connect) to the vehicle. The safety tethers keep astronauts from floating away into space. They use tethers to keep tools from floating away too. They tether their tools to their spacesuits.

Before astronauts go on spacewalks, they need to train themselves on how to walk in the space. Part of the training (9) ……… (be) by going for a swim. Floating in space is like floating on water. They (10) ………….. (practice) spacewalks underwater in a large swimming pool.

Answer Scheme

• Is called
• Have
• Pressurized
• Are filled
• Walked
• Is called
• Stay
• Is connected
• Is
• Practice

Verb Tense Exercises 4c

It was a very ordinary day. Teena (1) …………. (stroll) along the path in front of her house that led to the river. She was lost in thought. Her mid-year examinations (2) …………… (come) up and she was not at all prepared. She (3) …………….(not do) well so far in grade 8. Her parents were upset about it, as were her teachers. “I (4) …………… (lose) the motivation to study,” said Teena to herself, “No matter how much I try, I (5) ………… (not get) the results.”

As she (6) …………. (walk), she saw a large spider on the side of the path weaving its web. She noticed that many times the spider fell from its half-woven web to the ground, but each time it somehow climbed up and (7) …………. (resume) its weaving. “Wow! Look at that!” she said to herself. What if I can get results by being persistent? She thought.

She spent some time sitting by the river and throwing stones into the water. Then she (8) ………(walk) back home, with renewed determination to do well in her studies. “Mom, I (9) ………. (decide) to turn over a new leaf. I am sure I (10) ………..(make) you proud with my mid-year examination marks,” she said.

Answer Scheme

• strolled
• were coming
• had not cone
• have lost
• do not get
• was walking
• resumed
• walked
• have decided
• will make