Lesson 17

Present and Past Tenses

Tense refers to the form of the verb that shows the time of the action.
The present tense refers to an action that is happening now, to an action that happens
regularly, or to a situation that is generally true. The present tense and the base form of a
verb are the same when used with all subjects except singular nouns or he, she, or it. In
these cases -s or -es is added to the verb.
Gr
I smell the fresh bread. (happening now) a
The coach calls practice daily. (happens regularly, generally true) m
m
The past tense refers to an action that has already occurred. The past tense of many ar
verbs is formed by adding -ed to the base form of the verb.
I smelled the bread earlier.
Isabel called the coach.

Exercise 1 Draw two lines under each verb. Write its tense, present or past, in the blank.
present Archaeologists study the past.
past 1. Herodotus lived centuries ago in Asia Minor.
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present 2. No one knows the exact dates of his birth and death.
past 3. According to historians, he lived between 484 B.C. and 420 B.C.
past 4. The Roman orator Cicero once called Herodotus “the Father of History.”
present 5. Today historians study his books about the Persian Empire.
past 6. Herodotus considered his own work an “inquiry.”
present 7. Many individuals enjoy his lively style of writing.
past 8. The historian gained knowledge for his books during his journeys.
past 9. He traveled widely through Greece, the Middle East, and North Africa.
present 10. His books show his gift as a storyteller of history.
past 11. Other historians of this period encountered difficulties with some of

Herodotus’s accounts.

85 Grammar and Language Workbook, Grade 8 Unit 3, Verbs 85

 history between 550 B.C. and 479 B.C.
past 13. Through his travels he learned about the customs and history of other peoples.
present 14. His books show his boundless curiosity about peoples and their customs.
past 15. Herodotus described his accounts of their customs.
present 16. His first four books describe the history and divisions of the Persian empire.
past 17. Ancient rulers accumulated large archives of documents and records
Grammar

about their achievements.

present 18. Archaeologists study records and remains.
past 19. Even Herodotus showed interest in fossils as a link to the past.
present 20. The works of Herodotus preserve the past for all humankind.

Exercise 2 Draw two lines under each verb. Correct each sentence by writing in the blank
the past tense form of the verb.
conducted Archaeologists conduct that excavation in 1936.
uncovered 1. Two travelers first uncover Native American cities in 1839.
discovered 2. John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood discover the lost city of

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Copan.
persisted 3. Stephens and Catherwood persist in their search.
noticed 4. They notice great stone stairs in the Honduran jungle.
hacked 5. They hack the jungle undergrowth.
gripped 6. Amazement grips them at the top of the stairs.
perceived 7. The two perceive a vast temple below them.
traced 8. Catherwood traces outlines on ruled paper.
produced 9. He produces drawings and paintings of Copan’s monuments.
contracted 10. Unfortunately, Catherwood contracts malaria.
published 11. Stephens publishes a book about their discoveries.

86 Grammar and Language Workbook, Grade 8 Unit 3, Verbs 86

 described 12. He describes the ancestors of the region’s Mayan peoples.
thrived 13. The Mayan civilization thrives from the fourth to the sixteenth centuries.
lived 14. More than 1,000 years ago, 100,000 persons live in the ancient city of

Tikal.
lasted 15. Classic Mayan civilization lasts until the tenth century.
possessed 16. City centers possess great numbers of pyramids and palaces.
weakened 17. Civil war weakens the cities, however. Gr
a
abandoned 18. Eventually, the common citizens abandon their mighty rulers. m
m
improved 19. Their greatest contribution improves the lives of everyone. ar
developed 20. They develop foods different from any other foods in the world.

Exercise 3 Draw two lines under each verb. Correct each sentence by writing in the blank
the present tense of the verb.
wonder People constantly wondered about life on Earth many years ago.
excite 1. Discoveries about prehistoric times on Earth excited even young
children.
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provide 2. Archaeologists, geologists, and paleontologists provided us with these

discoveries and their revelations about the past.

study 3. Geologists studied the history of Earth and its life through rocks.
collect 4. Scientists who collected fossils are paleontologists.
examine 5. Archaeologists examined material remains such as fossils, artifacts, and relics of
past human life and activities.
contain 6. Rocks contained such fossils and remains of the past.
reveal 7. Fossils revealed to us the history of life on Earth.
form 8. They formed over long periods of time.
show 9. Fossils such as pieces of bone, a tooth, or an impression in a rock showed
us examples of past life.
calculate 10. Geologists calculated the ages of the layers of rock.

87 Grammar and Language Workbook, Grade 8 Unit 3, Verbs 87

 Name Class Date

determine 11. From this, they determined the time of existence of the formerly live

material.
locate 12. Geologists located the simplest forms of life in the oldest layers of rock.
present 13. Rocks presented an incomplete history of the earth for various reasons.
destroy 14. Weather and erosion destroyed rocks and their geological records.
cause 15. Also, heat and pressure deep in the earth’s crust caused changes in the rocks.
consists 16. The history of Earth consisted of five periods of time called eras.
Grammar

include 17. These eras included the Archeozoic, the earliest of the five periods.
outlines 18. A chart, or geological time scale, outlined the history of Earth according to these
five eras.
appears 19. On such a chart, Earth’s earliest history appeared at the bottom and the

most recent at the top.

remains 20. Unfortunately, the complete history of Earth remained a secret.

Writing Link Write a paragraph describing what you might see as a traveler in the ancient
Mayan world. Use the past tense of verbs to describe your journey.

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88 Grammar and Language Workbook, Grade 8 Unit 3, Verbs 88