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McGRAW-HILL’S ESSENTIAL
English
Irregular
Verbs
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McGRAW-HILL’S ESSENTIAL
English
Irregular
Verbs
MARK LESTER, PH
...
• DANIEL FRANKLIN • TERRY YOKOTA
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Copyright © 2010 by Mark Lester, Daniel Franklin, and Terry Yokota
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Except as permitted
under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in
any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the
publisher
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Where such designations appear in this book, they have been
printed with initial caps
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TERMS OF USE
This is a copyrighted work and The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
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Use of this work is subject to these terms
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You may use the work for your own
noncommercial and personal use; any other use of the work is strictly prohibited
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warrant or guarantee that the functions contained in the work will meet your requirements or that its operation
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McGraw-Hill has no responsibility for the content of any information accessed through the work
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Irregular Verbs 1
Verb Forms and Tense Usage 1
The Six Basic Verb Forms 1
Base Form 1
Present 2
Past 3
Infinitive 4
Present Participle 5
Past Participle 5
Tense Formation and Usage 6
The Three Simple Tenses 6
The Three Perfect Tenses 7
The Three Progressive Tenses 8
The Intensive Tenses 9
The Passive Voice 10
Verb Complements 10
Complement Types 12
Single Grammatical Element Complements 12
Multiple Grammatical Element Complements 13
Phrasal Verbs 13
Separable and Inseparable Phrasal Verbs 14
The Most Common Phrasal Particles 16
Verbs of Motion 17
Expressions 17
chart Guide to Conjugations 18
chart Guide to Complements and Phrasal Verbs 19
188 English Irregular Verbs 21
lphabetically ordered, with conjugations, complements, phrasal verbs,
A
and expressions
Top 30 Verbs: Full page of examples adjoining select conjugation/complement
pages
Irregular Verb Form Index 241
ndex showing the base form of all irregular verb forms in the book
I
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Preface
McGraw-Hill’s Essential English Irregular Verbs contains basic conjugations and comprehensive usage patterns for 188 irregular verbs—all the irregular verbs that you are likely to
encounter in even the most extensive reading
...
In addition to the basic conjugation of each verb, McGraw-Hill’s Essential English
Irregular Verbs provides two unique features:
• A complete listing of the complements for each verb
Verb complements are grammatical structures that verbs use to make correct, meaningful
sentences
...
For instance, the verb make, when it means “force, cause,” uses two complements together: an object and an infinitive
...
object base-form infinitive
The teacher made the students sit quietly
...
McGraw-Hill’s Essential English
Irregular Verbs and its companion, The Big Book of English Verbs, are the only books that
provide the correct complement in a useful format
...
For example, the phrasal verb show up can mean “to arrive,” even though nothing in the meaning of
show or up would lead you to expect this meaning
...
If the second element in a phrasal verb is an
adverb, the adverb can (and in some cases must) be placed after the object
...
McGrawHill’s Essential English Irregular Verbs not only gives the meaning of every phrasal verb, but
also indicates which combinations are separable and which are inseparable
...
Help and work were once irregular verbs! The
scientists predict that wed will probably be the next irregular verb to become completely
regular: Wed ~ wed ~ have wed will become wed ~ wedded ~ have wedded
...
In
the meantime, you have McGraw-Hill’s Essential English Irregular Verbs to help you use all
of these important verbs correctly
...
IRREGULAR VERBS
A regular verb forms its past tense and past participle by adding -d or -ed to its base form
...
See pages 3–4 for details
...
A verb is irregular based on its pronunciation, not on its spelling; for example, lay
(laid ~ have laid) and pay (paid ~ have paid) are regular, because they add /d/ to their base
forms for their past tense and past participle—like stay (stayed ~ have stayed)—even
though the ayed is spelled aid
...
A few high-frequency compound verbs, like broadcast, overcome, and understand, are included in the 188 irregular verbs presented here
...
These forms are illustrated in
the following chart by the regular verb walk and the irregular verb fly
...
Base Form
The base form of a verb is its form in a dictionary entry
...
The base form is also the source (or base) for the present (with a few exceptions),
infinitive, and present participle of the verb, whether the verb is regular or irregular
...
(1) It follows certain helping verbs, the most important being the modal auxiliary
verbs, or modals for short: can/could, may/might, will/would, shall/should, and must
...
) Note the base form of the verb be in the following sentences
...
He will be in New York all week
...
Other verbs followed by the base form of a verb include dare (with not), need (with not),
and help
...
(2) The base form is used in imperatives (commands)
...
Ring the bell
...
object base-form infinitive
The queen made the guests wait in the hall
...
If an infinitive including the word to
were substituted for the base-form infinitive in the example above, the resulting sentence
would be ungrammatical
...
Present
With the sole exception of the verb be, the present form of all verbs, including irregular
verbs, is derived directly from the base form
...
The base form of be is different from all of its present tense forms
...
If the base form ends in a sibilant sound (s, z, x, sh, ch, tch, or j (as in
judge)), the ending is pronounced as a separate syllable rhyming with buzz
...
base form
lose
freeze
beseech
catch
third-person singular
present form
loses
freezes
beseeches
catches
If the base form ends in a voiceless consonant sound other than a sibilant, the ending
is pronounced /s/ and is spelled -es
...
keep
beat
seek
take
keeps
beats
seeks
takes
VERB FORMS AND TENSE USAGE 3
If the base form ends in a voiced consonant other than a sibilant or in a pronounced
vowel (as opposed to a silent final -e), the ending is pronounced /z/ and is spelled -s
...
A few verbs have irregular third-person singular present forms
...
do
say
does (rhymes with buzz)
says (rhymes with fez)
Past
There are two types of past forms: regular and irregular
...
base form
open
place
regular past form
opened
placed
The regular past ending has three different, but completely predictable, pronunciations
...
base form
vote
decide
past form pronounced
as a separate syllable
voted
decided
If the base form ends in a voiceless consonant sound other than /t/, the -ed is pronounced /t/
...
base form
tap
attack
miss
match
cough
past form pronounced as /t/
tapped
attacked
missed
matched
coughed
4 VERB FORMS AND TENSE USAGE
Note that if the base form ends in a single consonant preceded by a stressed short vowel,
the consonant is usually doubled to form the past: permit ~ permitted, stop ~ stopped
...
The voiced consonants are usually spelled with a b, g,
z, j, m, n, l, or r
...
Also note the spellings of the past forms of lay and pay: laid
and paid, respectively
...
These
patterns have merged to such an extent that it is not practical to learn the past forms of
irregular verbs on the basis of their historical patterns
...
vowel change
vowel change 1 -d
vowel change 1 -t
no change
ring
sell
feel
keep
bet
rang
sold
felt
kept
bet
sing
tell
kneel
sleep
put
sang
told
knelt
slept
put
sweep
rid
swept
rid
Following are the past forms of the 13 most common verbs in English, all irregular
...
There are no exceptions—even the
verb be is regular: to be
...
I would like to meet your friend
...
VERB FORMS AND TENSE USAGE 5
Present Participle
The present participle is formed by adding -ing to the base form
...
If a verb ends in
silent -e, the -e is dropped before the -ing ending: come ~ coming, have ~ having, write ~
writing
...
By far the more common is after a form of
the verb be in the progressive tenses
...
I am flying to Chicago tomorrow
...
I hate doing the dishes every night
...
Past Participle
There are two types of past participles: regular and irregular
...
To distinguish the two forms, remember that the past form
can occur by itself, but the past participle almost always occurs after a form of be or have
...
There is
one generalization, however, that we can make about them
...
Today, about one third of irregular past participles still retain this -en ending
...
base form
choose
eat
fly
see
speak
past participle
chosen
eaten
flown
seen
spoken
Past participles are used in three ways in English
...
They have flown in from Pittsburgh for the wedding
...
He will have broken every record
...
Skirmishes are being fought at the border
...
(3) Much less common is the past participle’s use as a complement of certain verbs
...
6 VERB FORMS AND TENSE USAGE
Tense Formation and Usage
The term tense can have several different meanings, but we use tense to refer to any of the
nine different verb constructions that result when the three logical time divisions (pres
ent, past, and future) are integrated with the three aspect categories of verbs (simple, perfect, and pro
gressive—simple here means that it is not perfect or progressive)
...
present
past
future
simple
I fly
I flew
I will fly
perfect
I have flown
I had flown
I will have flown
progressive
I am flying
I was flying
I will be flying
The Three Simple Tenses
present tense
The most confusing feature of the present tense for English learners is that the simple
p
resent tense does not actually signify present time
...
(1) The simple present tense is used to state objective facts that are not restricted by
time
...
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west
...
She teaches algebra
...
Nevertheless, it is likely that she will continue teaching
algebra indefinitely
...
She is teaching algebra
...
”
The simple present tense is also used to make generalizations that are considered valid
for the foreseeable future
...
Sneezing spreads germs
...
Bob reads his e-mail first thing in the morning
...
It does not
mean that Bob is reading his e-mail now, at this very moment
...
(3) The simple present tense is often used for near-future events or actions that one
expects to happen
...
I go home on Sunday
...
For example, it
is not used to describe future weather
...
past tense
The simple past tense describes an event or action that was completed before the present
moment in time; that is, the event or action has already taken place
...
I mowed the lawn yesterday afternoon
...
Ira sang in the choir for nearly 30 years
...
In addition, the simple past tense has inherited one of the functions of the subjunctive
from older periods of English: indicating that the speaker is talking hypothetically or even
contrary to fact
...
Its
most common use is in if-clauses
...
The use of were rather than the expected was survives from an old subjunctive form
...
future tense
The simple future tense consists of the helping verb will followed by the base form of the
main verb
...
They will meet us at the restaurant
...
Although will is used to form the future tense, any of the
other eight modals can refer to future time
...
I could take a taxi to the airport
...
I must take a taxi to the airport
...
The Three Perfect Tenses
The three perfect tenses consist of a form of the helping verb have followed by the past
participle of the main verb
...
present perfect tense
The present perfect tense consists of have or has followed by the past participle of the main
verb
...
The best way
to understand the present perfect tense is to compare it to the past tense
...
John has taken a bus to work for five years
...
According to the present perfect
tense sentence, John still takes a bus to work and is ex
pected to continue doing so into the
foreseeable future
...
The
most common use of this tense is to emphasize that an event in the past was completed
before a more recent event took place
...
This sentence describes two past-time events
...
The use of the past perfect tense makes
it clear that the first event was completed before the second one occurred
...
Before my plane landed, my parents had left for the airport
...
This tense, which is rarely used, describes a future action or event that will be completed before a second future action, event, or time
...
The game will have begun before we get to the stadium
...
Before we get to the stadium, the game will have begun
...
They will have left the deli by one o’clock
...
The present progressive uses the present tense of be, the past
progressive uses the past tense of be, and the future progressive uses the future tense of
be
...
present progressive tense
The present progressive tense consists of am, are, or is followed by the present participle
of the main verb
...
Turn the music down! I am reading a book
...
The Cardinals are winning 4–1
...
We are going to Paris this June
...
past progressive tense
The past progressive tense consists of was or were followed by the present participle of the
main verb
...
I was sitting at my desk by 9 o’clock
...
The time in the past can be defined by another event
...
The past progressive tense can also be used in an adverbial clause
...
future progressive tense
The future progressive tense consists of will be followed by the present participle of the
main verb
...
Their plane will be leaving at 6:35
...
Often, the future time is defined by a present tense adverbial clause
...
The Intensive Tenses
The so-called intensive tenses consist of a form of the helping verb do followed by the base
form of the main verb
...
There is no future intensive tense, nor is the intensive
used in the progressive tenses
...
(1) They emphasize the fact that the action of the verb is or was actually performed
...
I did read the novel
...
They do not go to the library anymore
...
(3) The intensive tenses are used to ask simple yes/no questions
...
Voice is determined by whether the subject is
the performer of the action of the verb (active voice) or the receiver of the action (passive
voice)
...
active voice
passive voice
The dog bit the man
...
In the active voice sentence, the subject (the dog) performs the action of biting
...
The by phrase is not necessary and is, in fact, usually not
used
...
present tense passive
past tense passive
future tense passive
My elbow is hurt
...
My elbow will be hurt
...
present progressive tense passive
past progressive tense passive
future progressive tense passive
? A movie is being shown
...
? A movie will be being shown
...
(1) It is used to switch attention from the subject of an active voice sentence to another
part of the sentence (usually, but not always, the direct object)
...
The manuscript was sent to Marisa
...
(2) The passive voice is used when the performer of the verb’s action is not known
...
The car was stolen yesterday afternoon
...
Complement is much broader
than the term transitive
...
The term complement, however, includes not only objects, but
predicate adjectives, predicate nouns, infinitives, several types of clauses, and several types
of adverbs
...
Many intransitive verbs require no complement at all, for example,
the intransitive verb wept in John wept
...
X I put my keys on the dresser
...
X I put on the dresser
...
When you use the verb put to mean “place, set,” you must put something (an object)
somewhere (an adverb of place)
...
The choice
of complement type is determined by the particular meaning of a verb
...
To illustrate the interconnection between verb meaning and complement type, consider the complements for the verb hide
...
conceal oneself
The thief hid in an abandoned warehouse
...
Janet hid her face behind the newspaper
...
They wanted to hide what they had done
...
My iPod had been hidden by a stack of books
...
Each entry has its own group of complements that can be used with that particular mean
i
ng, including the possibility of no complement, as in the first entry for hide
...
The types of complements that
the meaning requires are given in small capital letters as subentries
...
To the right of the complement type are one or more sentences illustrating use of the complement
...
Using the third entry for hide,
my confusion is an example of an object complement and what they had done is an
example of a wh-clause complement
...
)
t
If a verb is not followed by a blank line, it is in ransitive, that is, it does not require a
complement to make the sentence grammatical
...
In the example of hide, the
fact that the first meaning (“keep oneself out of sight, conceal oneself ”) is not followed by
a blank line means that the verb with this particular meaning is intransitive
...
The kids were hiding
...
Following is a list of special terms that you will encounter in
the description of complements
...
I thought that dinner was good, but a little too heavy
...
Nothing beats having lots of money in your wallet
...
(gerund)
wh-clause This is a noun clause beginning with a wh-word (who, whom, whose,
what, which, when, where, why, and how (which does not actually begin with wh)),
as well as compounds of these words (whoever, whomever, whatever, etc
...
They will drink whatever is available
...
I told them where to go
...
Complement Types
This book uses 16 basic, or single-element, complement types, which appear in bold in the
example sentences
...
Single Grammatical Element Complements
adverb of time
The fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30
...
adverb of place to/from
The refugees fled into the woods
...
object
I hurt my shoulder
...
object
The condemned man was pleading for his life
...
reflexive pronoun
I flung myself into jazz
...
predicate adjective
We sought to find a better solution for the problem
...
infinitive
The police proved that the driver was lying
...
We will soon know where the new office will be
...
I forget how to change my password
...
past participle
We felt overwhelmed by the experience
...
“We’re glad you’re here
...
One complement (usually the first) is in bold and the other in bold italic
...
A policeman directed the traffic onto a side street
...
He did us a big favor
...
object adverb of place to/from
The driver gave directions to us
...
object predicate noun
The accident left him a broken man
...
object infinitive
I found the new job to have its limitations
...
object that-clause
We bet five dollars that you can’t eat the entire cake
...
object wh-infinitive
I told my friends what to expect
...
object past participle
Someone must have seen the car stolen
...
Note that object is divided into in
direct object and direct object complements for certain verbs, like give and do above
...
For example, the
verb put can mean “place, set,” “insert,” “cause to be in a certain condition/state,” and
“express, say
...
Four of the
meanings for put on are given here with example sentences
...
Will I need to put my coat on?
Uncle Nelson has put on quite a bit of weight
...
None of the ordinary meanings of put and on indicate that these words used together
would have the meanings above
...
English abounds with phrasal verbs
...
Because they are idiomatic, phrasal verbs can be difficult
for English learners
...
In some cases, the particle is
used as a preposition that doesn’t change the basic meaning of the verb
...
dive plunge quickly, lunge
for object
The shortstop dove for the ball
...
For this reason, dive for is
not considered a phrasal verb, and it is included in the Complements section instead
...
cling adhere, hold on tightly
to object
He clung to the ledge until he was rescued
...
Since cling must always be used with to when it is followed by a complement, cling to is
included in the Complements section
...
catch on become popular
give out wear out, stop operating
Jazz caught on in the early 1900s
...
For these phrasal verbs, the particle must be placed immediately after the verb
...
For some of these, the particle can be
placed after the object—away from the verb—and for others, the particle must be placed
directly after the verb
...
Generally, if the particle is considered a preposition, it must be placed after the verb;
this type of phrasal verb is called inseparable
...
Most phrasal verbs are separable
...
(“depend on”)
My brother is putting on his coat
...
X Our success is riding the merger on
...
X My brother is putting his coat on
...
There is an important exception, however: If the object is a pronoun, the particle must be
placed after the object
...
X My brother is putting on it
...
Note that if the object of a separable phrasal verb is a long noun phrase, it is better to
place the particle after the verb
...
? Don’t throw the lamp that I spent four hours fixing away
...
In examples on the preceding page, on is
used both as a preposition (ride on) and as an adverb (put on)
...
across
into
after
of
against
to
at
upon
between
with
for
X The club leaped at Kyle’s offer
...
X Acid was eating into the countertop
...
Some particles are almost always used as adverbs; these particles generally form sep
arable phrasal verbs
...
X We put the meeting off until Friday
...
X A young attorney drew up my will
...
X A young attorney drew it up
...
about
along
around
behind
by
on
over
through
under
See the examples with ride on and put on on the previous page
...
sep
break up put an end to
Two students broke the fight up
...
Two students broke it up
...
break for interrupt one’s activities for
Let’s break for lunch at 12 o’clock
...
If there are two or more particles, the
last particle is almost always a preposition with its own object
...
break up with end a romance with
Allison broke up with Todd
...
across
come across find by accident
after
keep after nag, harass
She came across her high school yearbook
...
along
sep
bring along have [someone]
come along
Be sure to bring a friend along on the tour
...
aside
sep
cast aside discard, throw away
at
The soldier cast aside his rifle and ran
...
away
sep
dream away spend [time] idly
Let’s sit on the riverbank and dream away
the day
...
They were falling behind on the rent
...
sep
shut down close permanently
for
Management shut the garment factory down
...
forth
sep
put forth propose, suggest
Johanna put forth her plan to save the
black-footed ferret
...
in on
break in on interrupt
I hate to break in on your conversation,
but I’m starving
...
come of result from
What came of your threat to retire?
sep
run off print, make copies of
I ran several extra sets off for you
...
sep
leave out omit, exclude
Please leave out the reference to Uncle Harold
...
over
sep
make over change the
The programmer made over his cubicle with
appearance of movie posters
...
The janitor saw to the overturned trash cans
...
up
sep
wind up bring to an end
We wound up the meeting by 8 o’clock
...
upon
hit upon discover
She hit upon the idea of extending Medicare
to people 55 and over
...
Note the double particles in on, out of, and up on in the list above
...
This is listed as the first entry in the Phrasal Verbs section
...
Keep away from the edge of the bluff
...
cause to remain in a specified
location
It’s raining; keep the children in
...
The entries
are common idiomatic set phrases that are especially useful to the English learner
...
Past
irregular
Present Progressive
I am sending
we are sending
you are sending
you are sending
he/she/it is sending
they are sending
I am sending you an e-mail
...
8
4
send | sends · sent · have sent
Present Perfect … have | has sent
Past Perfect
… had sent
9
I was sending
we were sending
you were sending
you were sending
he/she/it was sending
they were sending
She was sending her children to a private school
...
1 This is the verb number
...
If this were a Top 30 Verb, there would be an additional page for
Complements, Phrasal Verbs, and Expressions, and both pages would have a Top 30 Verb icon at
the bottom
...
4
This indicates whether a verb may form its past and past participle regularly
...
125), have both regular and irregular forms
...
These five tenses were chosen
because they are the most frequently used
...
86)
...
We only show forms that an English learner might be expected to use
s
in ordinary conversation or writing
...
An
8
The forms for these five tenses are displayed in single lines with no pronouns
...
9
Some verbs are never used in the passive voice, like lie (No
...
Other
verbs cannot have a personal subject in the passive voice, like knit (No
...
Some writers, of course, may use these personal passive forms in highly figurative or poetic senses
...
Some verbs are only used in the passive voice when they are part of a phrasal verb, like dream (No
...
Because this is a valid use of the passive, all forms are shown for these verbs
...
2
The blank line indicates that this meaning of give requires a complement
...
3
The object in the example sentence is bold
...
The indirect object + direct object construction may have a for paraphrase, as shown below
...
p
6 A passive-voice variation is often given for an example sentence
...
8
This use of give out as a phrasal verb requires a complement
...
sep
on the blank line indicates
9
This use of give out as a phrasal verb requires a complement
...
Complement types are not identified in the Phrasal Verbs section, since virtually every complement
of a phrasal verb functions as an object of the verb, whether it is an object, reflexive pronoun, or
present participle
...
The Expressions section (not shown here) includes a blank line for a required complement
...
give yield, collapse
2
give host
object
3
We will give the reception in his honor
...
We gave the seniors a graduation party
...
We gave a graduation party for the seniors
...
The seniors were given a graduation party
...
4 indirect object direct object
for paraphrase
6 passive
give devote
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
give away betray
A club member gave away our
secret meeting place
...
Senator Blather gave in to pressure from his colleagues
...
After 203,000 miles, our 1979 Oldsmobile finally gave out
...
J
...
This old furnace gives out a lot of heat
...
Within an hour, the gunman gave up two hostages
...
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188
ENGLISH
IRREGULAR
VERBS
Conjugations
Complements
Phrasal Verbs
Expressions
Top 30 Verbs
The following thirty verbs have been selected because of their semantic and syntactic richness, both in their basic meanings and complements and in their phrasal verbs
...
Verb no
...
Past
I am arising
we are arising
you are arising
you are arising
he/she/it is arising
they are arising
George is slowly arising from the sofa
...
Present Perfect … have | has arisen
… had arisen
Past Perfect
I was arising
we were arising
you were arising
you were arising
he/she/it was arising
they were arising
He was just arising when the phone rang
...
COMPLEMENTS
note: The verb arise is interchangeable with rise in most meanings and uses
...
111
...
Nobody arises early on weekends
...
Rebecca arose from the sofa gracefully
...
A cloud of dust arose from the ruins
...
arise come into being
The rumor arose when Rob had to appear in court
...
arise originate
adverb of place to/from
The spring arises behind our house
...
Birds arose from small specialized dinosaurs
...
1
awake(n)
2
awake | awakes · awaked · have awaked
awake | awakes · awoke · have awoken
awaken | awakens · awakened · have awakened
Present
regular
irregular
regular
Present Progressive
I awake
we awake
you awake
you awake
he/she/it awakes
they awake
He awakes every morning at seven
...
Past
Past Progressive
I awoke
we awoke
you awoke
you awoke
he/she/it awoke
they awoke
It awoke bad memories for me
...
Present Perfect … have | has awoken
… had awoken
Past Perfect
… will awake
Future
Future Progressive … will be awaking
… will have awoken
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was awoken
we were awoken
you were awoken
you were awoken
he/she/it was awoken
they were awoken
We were awoken by the storm
...
They are similar
to wake/waken (verb No
...
awake quit sleeping
The children awoke early
...
Excitement awoke in everyone
...
He will awake everybody in the house with his snoring
...
awake stir up
object
wh-clause
The crisis has awoken memories of the 1960s
...
It awoke what had been long forgotten
...
PHRASAL VERBS
awake from wake up out of
awake to wake up to
awake to become aware of
Ned awoke from a sound sleep
...
The corporal awoke to the sound and fury of battle
...
Dad awoke to the reality of the moment
...
I am being
we are being
you are being
you are being
he/she/it is being
they are being
You are being very difficult
...
Present Perfect … have | has been
… had been
Past Perfect
I was being
we were being
you were being
you were being
he/she/it was being
they were being
They were only being helpful
...
COMPLEMENTS
note: Be is also used as a helping verb
•
to form the progressive tenses
be present participle
They were driving down the wrong street
...
“I think, therefore I am
...
be exist
there be predicate noun
There was a policeman on the corner
...
My birthday is in September
...
The principal is out of the office
...
Greg is a bachelor
...
It is I, Mother
...
[informal]
Everett is handsome and rich
...
be must
infinitive
You are to report to the office
...
PHRASAL VERBS
note: Many of the following phrasal verbs are used informally
...
Fred will be along any minute now
...
The keys are around here somewhere
...
He’s behind in his studies
...
3
3
be
am | are | is · was | were · have been
irregular
note: Many of the following phrasal verbs are used informally
...
Why are you always down on your brother?
be down with be sick due to
Ellery is down with the flu
...
I am for fixing the building up, not tearing it down
...
be in be in fashion
Ruffles are in, pleats are out
...
be into be interested/involved in
Katrina was into gymnastics in a big way
...
be off not be operating
The lights were off in the auditorium
...
be off be wrong
These estimates are off by 50%
...
be on be operating
The television is on
...
be onto be aware of
Oscar is onto your tricks
...
be out not be inside
You can lock the doors after everyone is out
...
be out be out of fashion
Sitcoms are out, documentaries are in
...
be out not be permitted
You can eat apples, but chocolate is out
...
be out of no longer possess
We’re out of coffee—would you like tea?
be out (with ) be absent (due to [an illness]) Half of the third graders are out with the flu
...
(due to [an injury, illness])
be over be finished
be through (with ) be finished (with
[something])
The baseball game is finally over
...
be up be finished
Turn in the exam—your time is up
...
be up be risen, be put up
We’ll leave for Kentucky once the sun is up
...
be up and about/around be out of bed and
I had a cold, but I was up and about on the third
moving around day
...
George is up for re-election
...
be up for be ready
Are you up for a game of cards?
be up be more/greater
top
verb
30
and willing for
be up for be on trial
for [a crime]
be up on
be knowledgeable about
be up to be able to
Tori is up for armed robbery
...
Are you up to cleaning your room today?
bear | bears · bore · have borne/born
irregular
Present
bear
4
Present Progressive
I bear
we bear
you bear
you bear
he/she/it bears
they bear
Alice bears a lot of responsibility for this
...
Past Progressive
I bore
we bore
you bore
you bore
he/she/it bore
they bore
The monk bore his suffering in silence
...
… will bear
Future
Future Progressive … will be bearing
… will have borne
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was borne/born
we were borne/born
you were borne/born
you were borne/born
he/she/it was borne/born
they were borne/born
The charges were borne out in today’s testimony
...
note: Born is the past participle in the sense “give birth to” in the passive voice
...
COMPLEMENTS
bear produce fruit
bear produce
object
In Ecuador, apple trees bear twice a year
...
bear go
adverb of place to/from
This road bears to the left
...
bear carry
object
“Beware of Greeks who bear gifts
...
bear support
object
The pillars bear the weight of the roof
...
bear endure
object
for object infinitive
infinitive
(it) that-clause
present participle
bear carry in one’s mind
object
indirect object direct object
against paraphrase
He can’t bear the pain
...
I can’t bear for you to leave so soon
...
I can’t bear (it) that you have to leave so soon
...
He bears a real grudge against them
...
I bear him no malice
...
top
verb
30
bear
4
bear | bears · bore · have borne/born
irregular
bear give birth to
object
passive
She bore a son in 1982
...
Three children have been born to Lois
...
Sasha bears a strong resemblance to her mother
...
bear behave
reflexive pronoun adverb of manner
He’s bearing himself with dignity
...
bear call for, require
object
The committee bears watching
...
bear down on press down on
bear off turn off
Bear down on the pen—you’re making four copies
...
bear up survive, endure
Lila bore up well in spite of the criticism
...
bear with be patient with
Please bear with us while we discuss the matter
...
The testimony will bear this out
...
bear fruit yield satisfactory results
bear in mind consider, remember
The discussions will hopefully bear fruit soon
...
Our representatives should bear in mind that their
decisions affect millions of people
...
part of
grin and bear it endure an unpleasant
surprise with good humor
top
verb
30
We got laid off, and all we can do is grin and bear it
...
Past
I am beating
you are beating
he/she/it is beating
I am beating some eggs
...
Present Perfect … have | has beaten
… had beaten
Past Perfect
I was beating
we were beating
you were beating
you were beating
he/she/it was beating
they were beating
He was beating back a nasty infection
...
COMPLEMENTS
beat pulsate, throb
My pulse was beating rapidly
...
beat strike repeatedly
object
I beat the drum in time to the music
...
The blacksmith beat the iron into swords
...
beat mix by stirring
object
beat defeat, win
object
Beat the batter with a wooden spoon
...
You beat the record easily
...
Your idea beats what I was trying to do
...
That beats my trying to do it myself
...
beat flap
object
A hummingbird beats its wings up to 70 times per second
...
My sister beat me back to the station
...
sep
beat back drive back
Our platoon beat back the enemy’s attack
...
beat down (on ) fall (on)
sep
beat off drive away
up attack savagely
beat sep
A driving rain beat down on the stadium crowd
...
She beat the would-be robbers off with pepper spray
...
become
6
become | becomes · became · have become
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I become
we become
you become
you become
he/she/it becomes
they become
Jackson becomes cross when he’s hungry
...
Past Progressive
I became
we became
you became
you became
he/she/it became
they became
The situation became a real mess
...
Present Perfect … have | has become
… had become
Past Perfect
… will become
Future
Future Progressive … will be becoming
… will have become
Future Perfect
Past Passive
Become is never used in the passive voice
...
Alice became chair of the department
...
The weather became stormy
...
He will become whoever he needs to be
...
His sneering attitude really doesn’t become him
...
EXPRESSIONS
be becoming on look good on
This shade of blue is very becoming on you
...
That is a most becoming dress you are wearing
...
irregular
befall | befalls · befell · have befallen
Present
befall
Present Progressive
—
—
—
—
it befalls
they befall
Sorrow and pain befall the broken-hearted
...
Past Progressive
—
—
—
—
it befell
they befell
Hardship befell the Jamestown colony
...
… will befall
Future
Future Progressive … will be befalling
… will have befallen
Future Perfect
Past Passive
Befall is never used in the passive voice
...
befall happen (usually something bad)
object
A tragedy had befallen the unfortunate family
...
7
beget
8
beget | begets · begot/begat · have begotten/begot
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I beget
we beget
you beget
you beget
he/she/it begets
they beget
Success begets success
...
Past Progressive
I begot/begat
we begot/begat
you begot/begat
you begot/begat
he/she/it begot/begat
they begot/begat
The king eventually begat an heir
...
… will beget
Present Perfect … have | has begotten/begot Future
… had begotten/begot
Past Perfect
Future Progressive … will be begetting
… will have begotten/begot
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was begotten/begot
we were begotten/begot
you were begotten/begot
you were begotten/begot
he/she/it was begotten/begot
they were begotten/begot
A son was finally begotten by the old king
...
Mythological monsters were begotten by witches and demons
...
His amazingly good luck begat envy and resentment
among his co-workers
...
begin
begin | begins · began · have begun
irregular
Present
9
Present Progressive
I begin
we begin
you begin
you begin
he/she/it begins
they begin
He always begins breakfast with coffee
...
we are beginning
you are beginning
they are beginning
Past Progressive
I began
we began
you began
you began
he/she/it began
they began
I began to feel uneasy
...
… will begin
Future
Future Progressive … will be beginning
… will have begun
Future Perfect
Past Passive
—
—
—
—
it was begun
they were begun
Therapy was begun immediately
...
Meetings always begin with the reading of the minutes
...
When does the parade begin?
begin start [an activity, event, process]
The chairperson began the meeting promptly
object
at 2 o’clock
...
infinitive
I began to fall asleep during the long lecture
...
wh-clause
We only began what absolutely had to be finished
...
present participle
I began falling asleep during the long lecture
...
PHRASAL VERBS
begin by/with start a sequence/
The new owners began by firing
process with all the managers
...
begin by/with start [a process,
Let’s begin the meeting with a big thank-you to the
event] by [doing something first] organizers
...
EXPRESSIONS
beginner one who is starting to learn
He’s a beginner when it comes
something to woodworking
...
to begin with first of all
To begin with, there were no eyewitnesses
...
Past
I am beholding
we are beholding
you are beholding
you are beholding
he/she/it is beholding
they are beholding
The king is beholding the newborn princess
...
Present Perfect … have | has beheld
… had beheld
Past Perfect
I was beholding
we were beholding
you were beholding
you were beholding
he/she/it was beholding
they were beholding
The troops were beholding the massacre site
...
COMPLEMENTS
behold observe, look at [often used in the imperative]
Behold your king!
object
No one had ever beheld such an amazing sight
...
bend
bend | bends · bent · have bent
irregular
Present
11
Present Progressive
I bend
we bend
you bend
you bend
he/she/it bends
they bend
He always bends the rules
...
Past Progressive
I bent
we bent
you bent
you bent
he/she/it bent
they bent
I bent my fishhook
...
… will bend
Future
Future Progressive … will be bending
… will have bent
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was bent
we were bent
you were bent
you were bent
he/she/it was bent
they were bent
The minister’s head was bent in sorrow
...
The trees bent in the wind
...
The rod bent under the heavy load
...
bend cause to curve, change the shape of
object
The archers bent their bows
...
I bent the wire into a hook
...
The rocks bend the stream to the far bank
...
Politicians bend the rules to suit themselves
...
PHRASAL VERBS
bend backward/down/forward/etc
...
She bent down to pet the dog
...
Norvel bent the pins back into place
...
The class bent over to touch their toes
...
After a break, Jasper bent to his studies
...
Cleopatra bent Antony to her will
...
bend [someone’s] ear talk excessively to
The stranger bent my ear for 45 minutes
...
change the shape of in a specified direction
bend over lean down at the waist
bend over backward do more than required
bend to concentrate on
bend to give in to
bend to cause to give in
EXPRESSIONS
12
bereave
bereave | bereaves · bereaved · have bereaved
bereave | bereaves · bereft · have bereft
Present
regular
irregular
Present Progressive
—
—
—
—
it bereaves
they bereave
War bereaves us of everything we hold dear
...
Past Progressive
—
—
—
—
it bereft
they bereft
Death bereft the family of financial security
...
… will bereave
Future
Future Progressive —
… will have bereft
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was bereft
we were bereft
you were bereft
you were bereft
he/she/it was bereft
they were bereft
She was bereft when her husband died in an accident
...
The widow was bereft when she was only 30 years old
...
object of object
The 1918 flu pandemic bereft countless families of their children
...
passive
The children were bereft of their parents when they were infants
...
The economic crash bereft us of all our savings
...
regular
irregular
beseech | beseeches · beseeched · have beseeched
beseech | beseeches · besought · have besought
Present
beseech
13
Present Progressive
I beseech
we beseech
you beseech
you beseech
he/she/it beseeches
they beseech
He beseeches you to be careful
...
Past Progressive
I besought
we besought
you besought
you besought
he/she/it besought
they besought
He earnestly besought her forgiveness
...
… will beseech
Future
Future Progressive … will be beseeching
… will have besought
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was besought
we were besought
you were besought
you were besought
he/she/it was besought
they were besought
The company was besought to not relocate their plant
...
Emergency relief was besought by all the affected cities
...
The minister besought his congregation to help the needy
...
” [rudyard kipling]
passive
The senator was besought by her party to vote against health
care reform
...
Past
I am besetting
we are besetting
you are besetting
you are besetting
he/she/it is besetting
they are besetting
The enemy fleet is besetting all of our ports
...
Present Perfect … have | has beset
… had beset
Past Perfect
I was besetting
we were besetting
you were besetting
you were besetting
he/she/it was besetting
they were besetting
Creditors were besetting the firm from all sides
...
COMPLEMENTS
beset attack from all sides [often used figuratively]
object
passive
His financial problems beset him constantly
...
She beset her parents with regular requests for money
...
He was beset by self-doubt
...
bestride | bestrides ·
bestrode · have bestridden
irregular
Present
bestride
Present Progressive
I bestride
we bestride
you bestride
you bestride
he/she/it bestrides
they bestride
He bestrides his horse like a true equestrian
...
Past Progressive
I bestrode
we bestrode
you bestrode
you bestrode
he/she/it bestrode
they bestrode
He bestrode the music scene in the 1960s
...
… will bestride
Future
Future Progressive … will be bestriding
… will have bestridden
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was bestridden
we were bestridden
you were bestridden
you were bestridden
he/she/it was bestridden they were bestridden
The mountain pass was bestridden by two massive towers
...
Our route bestrode the border between the two countries
...
”
[william shakespeare, of julius caesar]
Lately, China has been bestriding the manufacturing sector
...
Past
I am betting
we are betting
you are betting
you are betting
he/she/it is betting
they are betting
I’m betting that you are right
...
Present Perfect … have | has bet
… had bet
Past Perfect
I was betting
we were betting
you were betting
you were betting
he/she/it was betting
they were betting
They were all betting that he would win
...
COMPLEMENTS
bet make a wager
I never bet
...
bet place as a wager
object
object that-clause
wh-clause
Jason bet a fortune
...
We bet five dollars that you can’t eat the entire cake
...
bet wager [something] with [someone]
object object
object that-clause
I bet Floyd 10 dollars
...
We bet Robert that his team would finish last
...
bet assert [that something will/won’t happen]
that-clause
The company bet that consumers would like
the new design
...
PHRASAL VERBS
bet on place a wager on [a contestant]
I’m betting on the gray stallion
...
Louis for the convention site
...
Louis to be the convention site
...
I am bidding
we are bidding
you are bidding
you are bidding
he/she/it is bidding
they are bidding
We are bidding on a vacation condo
...
I was bidding
we were bidding
you were bidding
you were bidding
he/she/it was bidding
they were bidding
They were bidding more than they could afford
...
COMPLEMENTS
bid offer to pay a particular price
I never bid at auctions
...
bid offer [a price] for
object ( for object)
on object
wh-clause
When bidding began on the dollhouse, Dave bid $200
...
We are bidding on a first edition of Jane Austen’s Emma
...
note: Only bid (not bade or bidden) is used as the past form in the sense “offer as a price
...
note: Only bid (not bade or bidden) is used as the past form in the sense “declare one’s intention
to take
...
We bade farewell to them
...
He bid them to be careful
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
bid out offer [work] for bids from
The army bid out the construction
outside contractors of four new barracks
...
sep
bid up raise [an auction price] by
offering more and more money
Luana bid the price up on the antique lamp
...
EXPRESSIONS
for less than
The new firm underbid the others by $5,000
...
I am binding
we are binding
you are binding
you are binding
he/she/it is binding
they are binding
We are binding the reports with staples and tape
...
Present Perfect … have | has bound
… had bound
Past Perfect
I was binding
we were binding
you were binding
you were binding
he/she/it was binding
they were binding
The gears were binding against each other
...
COMPLEMENTS
bind stick, become stuck
The pulley was binding
...
note: The verb bind, when it takes an object, is often used with together
...
The printer bound the books in red leather
...
object
The secretary bound the pages with a clip
...
The enzyme binds the calcium ions
...
bind morally/legally obligate/restrict
object
My promise binds me
...
bind cause to have an emotional attachment
object
Duty and honor bound the company of soldiers together
...
The judge will bind the suspect over for trial
...
The old issues were bound up with twine
...
Erin is bound to be a great lawyer someday
...
bite
bite | bites · bit · have bitten
irregular
Present
19
Present Progressive
I bite
we bite
you bite
you bite
he/she/it bites
they bite
Be careful—the dog bites
...
Past Progressive
I bit
we bit
you bit
you bit
he/she/it bit
they bit
He looks like he bit into a sour lemon
...
… will bite
Future
Future Progressive … will be biting
… will have bitten
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was bitten
we were bitten
you were bitten
you were bitten
he/she/it was bitten
they were bitten
I was bitten by dozens of mosquitoes last night
...
Ouch, that ointment bites
...
Do you think the customers will bite?
bite seize/wound with the teeth
object
wh-clause
I just bit my tongue
...
The puppy was biting whatever it could reach
...
bite (into) hurt in a stinging way
sep
bite off remove with the teeth
The icy wind was biting into my face
...
Susan bit off only a morsel
...
bite off more than [one] can chew
By opening five stores last year, the owners bit off
undertake more than one can handle more than they could chew
...
bite [someone’s] head off speak very
angrily to someone
I broke the copier, and my boss bit my head off
...
bite the dust die, be defeated
How old was the cowboy when he bit the dust?
My first laptop finally bit the dust
...
Past
I am bleeding
we are bleeding
you are bleeding
you are bleeding
he/she/it is bleeding
they are bleeding
I’m bleeding onto my shirt
...
Present Perfect … have | has bled
… had bled
Past Perfect
I was bleeding
we were bleeding
you were bleeding
you were bleeding
he/she/it was bleeding
they were bleeding
The company was bleeding money
...
COMPLEMENTS
bleed lose blood
Her hands and knees were bleeding
...
The newsprint is bleeding onto my hands
...
bleed feel sympathy
My heart bleeds for the widow
...
bleed draw blood/fluid from
object
Doctors used to bleed their patients regularly
...
bleed extort money from over time
object
Blackmailers bleed their victims of all their money
...
PHRASAL VERBS
bleed off be printed so the image
The photo of the wolf bleeds
goes off the edge of [a page, sheet] off the page
...
bleed through show through [a layer]
The dark blue is bleeding through the coat of white
paint
...
The rock star’s entourage bled him white
...
bleed to death die from loss of blood
If the doctors can’t stop the bleeding, the boy
will bleed to death
...
blow
blow | blows · blew · have blown
irregular
Present
21
Present Progressive
I blow
we blow
you blow
you blow
he/she/it blows
they blow
The wind always blows in the wintertime
...
Past Progressive
I blew
we blew
you blew
you blew
he/she/it blew
they blew
He blew up all the balloons himself
...
Present Perfect … have | has blown
… had blown
Past Perfect
… will blow
Future
Future Progressive … will be blowing
… will have blown
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was blown
we were blown
you were blown
you were blown
he/she/it was blown
they were blown
The boat was blown off course
...
blow force air out
The fans were blowing at low speed
...
blow explode, erupt
The volcano blew with a huge roar
...
The fuse blew when I turned on the iron
...
The wind was blowing dirt in my eyes
...
blow force air at/into/through, fill with air
object
object predicate adjective
John blew his nose
...
Compressed air blew the pipes clear
...
blow produce a sound by forcing air through
object
The jazzman blew the trumpet with all his might
...
blow cause to explode
object predicate adjective
He blew the safe open
...
The actors blew their lines repeatedly
...
blow waste [money]
object
blow leave hurriedly
object
Zack blew his money on gambling
...
top
verb
30
21
blow
blow | blows · blew · have blown
irregular
PHRASAL VERBS
blow away/off/out/etc
...
The visitors blew the home team away
...
blow down collapse due to a strong current
of air
sep
blow down cause to collapse due to
The shed blew down in the storm
...
The storm blew the shed down
...
sep
blow off ignore, choose not to deal with
Lanny blew off the assignment
...
blow out be extinguished
The candle blew out because of the open windows
...
sep
blow out damage severely
sep
blow out defeat soundly
Chuck blew out his knee in the first game
...
blow over subside
The storm blew over almost as quickly as it arrived
...
blow up arrive with wind
A storm blew up out of the southwest
...
blow up lose one’s temper
sep
blow up fill with air
The teacher will blow up if you don’t be quiet
...
Blow the candle out and go to sleep
...
The clown blew up 20 balloons
...
EXPRESSIONS
blow a fuse/gasket become extremely angry
Natalie blew a fuse when her
secretary lost the files
...
blow [one’s] cool lose one’s composure
I know you’re frustrated, but don’t blow your cool
...
blow [one’s] (own) horn praise oneself
Rebecca is talented, but she never blows her own horn
...
blow out of the water destroy
The new motorcycle will blow its competition out
completely of the water
...
A single mortar round blew the police station
pieces/smithereens to pieces
...
Past
I am breaking
we are breaking
you are breaking
you are breaking
he/she/it is breaking
they are breaking
We are breaking for lunch now
...
Present Perfect … have | has broken
… had broken
Past Perfect
I was breaking
we were breaking
you were breaking
you were breaking
he/she/it was breaking
they were breaking
The company was just breaking even
...
COMPLEMENTS
break fragment, shatter
The delicate cup broke into pieces
...
break fail in strength/resolve/control/
usability
His health broke
...
The criminals broke under questioning
...
break begin/appear suddenly
When the storm broke, I was on my bicycle
...
break become publicly known
The news broke this morning
...
break become clear
break fracture, render inoperable
I hope the weather breaks soon
...
They broke my cell phone
...
We broke our promise to them
...
They broke the old record by four seconds
...
break disrupt, make ineffective
object
The soldiers broke formation
...
She broke the spell
...
Esther broke the silence with a scream
...
m
...
The scientists broke the code
...
break tame, train to obey
object
The cowboys broke the wild horses
...
break down become inoperative/ineffective My car broke down at Sixth and Pine
...
break down become upset
Seth broke down and cried at the news
...
Let’s break the sentence down into subject and predicate
...
sep
break in train [an employee]
Has Marilyn broken Mary in yet?
sep
break in use [something] until it
I have to break in a new pair of shoes
...
When she’s really happy, Gretchen breaks into song
...
break into divide [something] into
[pieces]
We should break the project into individual tasks
...
break out develop
Fire broke out in the kitchen area
...
break up fall apart, scatter
The partnership broke up on amicable terms
...
I’m sorry to break in on your conversation, but I must go
...
The prisoners broke out of jail in the early morning
...
break up (with ) end a romance (with) Have you heard? Alison broke up with Todd
...
The FBI tried to break up the drug cartel
...
EXPRESSIONS
break even achieve
a balance between
income and expenses
The firm broke even in 2008
...
overcome
awkwardness/formality
breed | breeds · bred · have bred
irregular
Present
breed
Present Progressive
I breed
we breed
you breed
you breed
he/she/it breeds
they breed
Uncertainty breeds indecision and delay
...
Past Progressive
I bred
we bred
you bred
you bred
he/she/it bred
they bred
She bred her dogs to herd sheep
...
Present Perfect … have | has bred
… had bred
Past Perfect
… will breed
Future
Future Progressive … will be breeding
… will have bred
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was bred
we were bred
you were bred
you were bred
he/she/it was bred
they were bred
These mice were bred in a laboratory
...
Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water
...
breed originate and develop
Unhappiness breeds on itself
...
breed cause to reproduce, especially for specific characteristics
object
They breed show horses on their ranch
...
breed raise [a child], rear, train
object
passive
breed cause to happen
object
passive
She bred her daughters to have perfect manners
...
Familiarity breeds contempt
...
Speculation is bred by unregulated risk taking
...
The Midwest breeds its share of talented musicians
...
Be sure to bring a friend along on the tour
...
We bring valuable insights away from the speech
...
before cause to appear before
bring
The guards brought the defendant before
[an authority] Judge Flynn
...
sep
bring down cause to fall
sep
bring forth give birth to, produce
His own mistakes brought him down
...
Reinforcements brought forth the historic victory
...
in produce, earn
bring sep
The subsidiary brought in $30 million last year
...
sep
bring off make happen, accomplish
sep
bring on cause to appear
sep
bring out cause to emerge
He brought off the biggest upset of the day
...
bring through help to endure
bring to cause to regain consciousness
sep
bring together cause to gather
My sister brought her husband through
...
It’s time to bring on the clowns
...
Alexandra brought Gil over to our side
...
We brought the class together for one last party
...
Camelia’s parents brought her up to be nice
...
bring up on / up-to-date on / up to speed Would you like to bring us up on the latest
on inform [someone] about developments?
EXPRESSIONS
bring into play cause to be a factor
The campaign is bringing
Internet strategies into play
...
bring to a head cause to reach a crisis
bring to an end / a close / a climax end
The theft brings the question of security to a head
...
The viewfinder brought the mountain into view
...
bring to life give
vitality to
bring to light reveal
bring to mind recall
The children want to bring the puppet to life
...
The journalist brought the corruption to light
...
irregular
bring
bring | brings · brought · have brought
Present
24
Present Progressive
I bring
we bring
you bring
you bring
he/she/it brings
they bring
April showers bring May flowers
...
Past Progressive
I brought
we brought
you brought
you brought
he/she/it brought
they brought
They brought us some good news
...
… will bring
Future
Future Progressive … will be bringing
… will have brought
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was brought
we were brought
you were brought
you were brought
he/she/it was brought they were brought
This message was brought to you by our sponsor
...
166)
...
I brought the visitors to their hotel
...
You should bring them back
...
She brought us the new account
...
He brought my dinner to me
...
The sale brought a small fortune to them
...
Bring whomever you want
...
wh-clause ( adverb of place
to/from)
bring cause to be in a particular state/condition
object to object
I brought the water to a boil
...
bring bear as an attribute
object
He brought lots of experience to the table
...
The drug will bring nearly immediate relief
...
The sale will bring a lot of money
...
top
verb
30
25
broadcast
broadcast | broadcasts · broadcast/broadcasted ·
have broadcast/broadcasted
Present
irregular
regular
Present Progressive
I broadcast
we broadcast
you broadcast
you broadcast
he/she/it broadcasts they broadcast
He broadcasts all of their games
...
Past Progressive
I broadcast
we broadcast
you broadcast
you broadcast
he/she/it broadcast they broadcast
The station broadcast the show for 50 years
...
… will broadcast
Future
Future Progressive … will be broadcasting
… will have broadcast
Future Perfect
Past Passive
—
—
—
—
it was broadcast
they were broadcast
The news was broadcast in high definition
...
They broadcast in Spanish
...
Shhh! They’re broadcasting
...
program
broadcast transmit via radio/TV
object
They broadcast news about Asia
...
broadcast communicate via radio/TV
object
The police broadcast a description of the suspect
...
that-clause
The networks broadcast that Senator Blather was the likely
winner
...
wh-clause
The stations only broadcast what they think the public wants
to hear
...
Please don’t broadcast the rumor to everyone you see
...
But I don’t go broadcasting that I do
...
build | builds · built · have built
irregular
Present
build
26
Present Progressive
I build
we build
you build
you build
he/she/it builds
they build
He builds custom-made furniture
...
Past
Past Progressive
I built
we built
you built
you built
he/she/it built
they built
They just built a house near us
...
Present Perfect … have | has built
… had built
Past Perfect
… will build
Future
Future Progressive … will be building
… will have built
Future Perfect
Past Passive
—
—
—
—
it was built
they were built
Our house was built in 1996
...
Our debt was building to scary levels
...
build construct
object
indirect object direct object
for paraphrase
wh-clause
Tommy built the wagon out of parts he found in the garage
...
They are building a communications network
...
The prosecutor built a strong case against the suspect
...
We built them a new investment package
...
We built a new investment package for them
...
They will build whatever the marketplace wants
...
The company is building their business one store at a time
...
an integral part of
The programmers built security into the server software
...
[something] as an addition to
sep
build up increase
The politicians built up hope among poor people
...
sep
build up promote
The agency built Eileen up as a pop singer
...
Every computer is built to order
...
Past
I am burning
we are burning
you are burning
you are burning
he/she/it is burning
they are burning
She is burning loveletters from her ex-husband
...
Present Perfect … have | has burnt
… had burnt
Past Perfect
I was burning
we were burning
you were burning
you were burning
he/she/it was burning
they were burning
A light was burning in the window
...
COMPLEMENTS
burn be on fire
Get out—the building is burning!
A small fire was burning in the fireplace
...
The paper and kindling burnt quickly
...
burn be/feel hot/painful
Her forehead was burning
...
burn become sunburned
burn set fire to, destroy by fire
With her fair complexion, she burns easily
...
burn damage/injure by heat/fire
object
A spark burnt a hole in my pants
...
I burnt myself on the stove
...
Soccer players burn more calories than golfers
...
burn cause to feel hot
object
burn record data on
object
The salsa burnt my mouth
...
burn defeat, trick, cheat
object
passive
The quarterback burnt the defense on that play
...
We were burnt in the commodities market
...
That nasty remark really burns me up
...
Past
I am bursting
we are bursting
you are bursting
you are bursting
he/she/it is bursting
they are bursting
I’m bursting to tell you what happened
...
Present Perfect … have | has burst
… had burst
Past Perfect
I was bursting
we were bursting
you were bursting
you were bursting
he/she/it was bursting
they were bursting
We were just bursting after Thanksgiving dinner
...
COMPLEMENTS
burst break, rupture
The balloons all burst
...
burst be filled to the breaking point
The auditorium was bursting with students
...
The bushes are just bursting with blossoms
...
I was bursting with pride
...
The older kids burst all the balloons
...
burst be very eager
for object infinitive
infinitive
We are bursting for him to tell us
...
I’m bursting to know what happened
...
PHRASAL VERBS
burst in on interrupt suddenly
The secretary burst in on
the private meeting
...
burst out explode outward
burst out begin suddenly [to do]
When the glass burst out, I was cut by flying shards
...
When I hear bongo drums, I burst out into song
...
The singer burst onto the stage
...
She was embarrassed to be bursting out of her dress
...
29
buy
buy | buys · bought · have bought
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I buy
we buy
you buy
you buy
he/she/it buys
they buy
He always buys locally
...
Past Progressive
I bought
we bought
you bought
you bought
he/she/it bought
they bought
We bought a new car last week
...
… will buy
Future
Future Progressive … will be buying
… will have bought
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was bought
we were bought
you were bought
you were bought
he/she/it was bought
they were bought
The house was bought in 1982
...
We will buy 500 shares of Apex Corporation
...
I bought the kids some new toys
...
I bought some new toys for the kids
...
Mom buys whichever brand is cheapest
...
Will the students buy the idea?
I don’t buy that at all
...
I don’t buy into his money-making scheme
...
We bought out our competitors
...
EXPRESSIONS
buy for a song purchase cheaply
buy on credit/time purchase now
She bought this new rocking chair for a song
...
without looking at first
buy (some) time delay an action/decision The owner wants to buy some time while he considers
in hopes that a situation will improve all his options
...
I am casting
we are casting
you are casting
you are casting
he/she/it is casting
they are casting
I am casting the play this week
...
I was casting
we were casting
you were casting
you were casting
he/she/it was casting
they were casting
We were casting off by 6 a
...
Present Perfect … have | has cast
… had cast
Past Perfect
… will cast
Future
Future Progressive … will be casting
… will have cast
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was cast
you were cast
he/she/it was cast
The dice were cast
...
cast throw
object
The fishermen cast their nets off their boats
...
The boys cast stones into the pond
...
He cast a quick glance at his audience
...
cast convey
object adverb of place
Recent events cast doubt on our decision
...
cast choose actors for
object
Roberta has already cast the play
...
Senator Blather cast his opponent as a reckless spender
...
Sally cast Harry in the role of best friend
...
We cast wax candles with the children
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
cast aside/away/off discard,
throw away
sep
cast back direct to the past
cast off push away from the dock
sep
cast out expel
Lisa cast aside her winter clothes
...
The retired teacher cast his thoughts back to happier days
...
The club cast Ollie out for failure to pay dues
...
I tried to catch him on the last lap
...
I caught sight of Cary on the subway platform
...
catch attract and hold
object
Lori’s poster will catch everybody’s attention
...
PHRASAL VERBS
catch from get [a disease] from
The whole class caught
[someone/something] the flu from Jimmy
...
catch [someone]’s eye get [someone’s] attention
sep
catch up in interest/involve [someone] in
I caught her eye from across the room
...
[someone/something])
Dexter finally caught on to what Delia had meant
...
Her husband caught her up in his latest scheme
...
I hope to catch up on my reading when I retire
...
Will supply ever catch up to demand?
The taxi caught up with the bus at Skinker Blvd
...
catch a whiff of smell
I caught a whiff of sweet perfume
...
catch dead see at any time
You wouldn’t catch me dead in that place
...
catch napping surprise [someone who
is unprepared]
catch off balance/guard surprise
The enemy caught our platoon napping
...
catch [one’s] breath rest after intense activity
I just ran four miles—let me catch my breath!
catch [one’s] death of cold become sick with
a severe cold
catch red-handed discover [someone]
Put on a jacket or you’ll catch your death of cold
...
The police caught the thief red-handed
...
discover [someone] in an
embarrassing situation
catch wind of
We just caught wind of the new energy proposal
...
I am catching
we are catching
you are catching
you are catching
he/she/it is catching
they are catching
I am catching the last train
...
Present Perfect … have | has caught
… had caught
Past Perfect
I was catching
we were catching
you were catching
you were catching
he/she/it was catching
they were catching
The kids were catching minnows in the pond
...
COMPLEMENTS
catch begin to burn/operate
The leaves and twigs finally caught
...
catch become entangled
My sleeve caught on a hook
...
catch capture, seize, trap, snag, entangle
object
passive
They caught the thief
...
The bushes caught my jacket
...
Basil was caught in a hailstorm
...
catch understand, comprehend
object
I caught the joke
...
catch discover [someone doing something wrong]
object present participle
passive
catch board [a vehicle]
object
catch become sick with
object
catch go to see
object
catch watch, listen to
object
catch meet with
object
I caught them sleeping on the job
...
Zack was caught breaking into a car
...
I’ll catch a taxi at the hotel
...
We caught the last performance of the day
...
We will catch him at the meeting tomorrow
...
I am chiding
we are chiding
you are chiding
you are chiding
he/she/it is chiding
they are chiding
We are chiding them about their terrible coffee
...
Present Perfect … have | has chid/chidden
… had chid/chidden
Past Perfect
I was chiding
we were chiding
you were chiding
you were chiding
he/she/it was chiding
they were chiding
I was chiding him for spending all his money
...
COMPLEMENTS
chide express disapproval/displeasure He is an old grouch who chides
constantly
...
”
chide reprimand, scold
object
passive
direct quotation
Too many teachers chide their students over nothing
...
We were chidden for expressing unpopular opinions
...
“Well,” the senator chid, “we’ll see about that!”
chide goad, nag
object into present participle
The manager chid the tenants into cleaning up the yard
...
passive
We were chid into filling out a questionnaire
...
Past
I am choosing
we are choosing
you are choosing
you are choosing
he/she/it is choosing
they are choosing
They are choosing someone right now
...
Present Perfect … have | has chosen
… had chosen
Past Perfect
I was choosing
we were choosing
you were choosing
you were choosing
he/she/it was choosing
they were choosing
They were choosing a new secretary
...
COMPLEMENTS
choose make a selection
You need to choose
...
You may choose between lemon and cherry Danish
...
The delegates chose Senator Blather
...
The bride chose satin for her wedding dress
...
My son chose his mother a present
...
My son chose a present for his mother
...
They chose Sue as captain
...
She chose Sarah for her maid of honor
...
They chose her to give the keynote address
...
You should choose Kay to design your book
...
He is choosing what to take
...
We chose flying to Denver over driving there
...
pick and choose select carefully
Co-op members can pick and choose from a wide
variety of Dina’s produce
...
Past
I am cleaving
we are cleaving
you are cleaving
you are cleaving
he/she/it is cleaving
they are cleaving
The boat is cleaving the waves at full speed
...
Present Perfect … have | has cleft/cloven
… had cleft/cloven
Past Perfect
I was cleaving
we were cleaving
you were cleaving
you were cleaving
he/she/it was cleaving
they were cleaving
The war was cleaving the nation
...
note: This irregular verb should not be confused with the unrelated regular verb cleave (to),
meaning “stick/adhere (to),” as in His tongue cleaved to the roof of his mouth
...
We found some slate that clove perfectly
...
The jet clove through the clouds
...
They then clove the cedar for roof shakes
...
cleave penetrate/pierce, as if by splitting
object
passive
A bolt of lightning cleft the night sky
...
The shield was cloven by the Viking in a single stroke
...
Past
I am clinging
we are clinging
you are clinging
you are clinging
he/she/it is clinging
they are clinging
He is clinging to life by a thread
...
Present Perfect … have | has clung
… had clung
Past Perfect
I was clinging
we were clinging
you were clinging
you were clinging
he/she/it was clinging
they were clinging
The passengers were clinging to the handrails
...
COMPLEMENTS
note: The verb cling, when not used with an object, is always followed by together
...
The socks were clinging together when I removed
them from the dryer
...
The climbers were clinging to the rope
...
The ivy was clinging to the wall
...
The molecules cling to each other
...
cling have a strong emotional attachment
to object
to wh-clause
Believers cling to their faith
...
They will cling to whoever their prophet is
...
36
clothe
clothe | clothes · clothed · have clothed
clothe | clothes · clad · have clad
Present
regular
irregular
Present Progressive
I clothe
we clothe
you clothe
you clothe
he/she/it clothes
they clothe
He clothes his models in the latest fashions
...
Past Progressive
I clad
we clad
you clad
you clad
he/she/it clad
they clad
She clad herself in a dressing gown
...
… will clothe
Future
Future Progressive … will be clothing
… will have clad
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was clad
we were clad
you were clad
you were clad
he/she/it was clad
they were clad
The king was clad in beautiful ermine robes
...
He was clad in dirty shorts and a rumpled T-shirt
...
He could hardly feed and clothe his own family
...
The flood victims were clad by relief agencies
...
I am coming
we are coming
you are coming
you are coming
he/she/it is coming
they are coming
I’m coming as fast as I can
...
I was coming
we were coming
you were coming
you were coming
he/she/it was coming
they were coming
The ships were just coming into view
...
COMPLEMENTS
come move toward the speaker
Please come here
...
come fare, get along
How’s Harry coming in his new job?
arrive/appear in space/time
come
adverb of time
adverb of place to/from
( adverb of time)
The deadline has come all too soon
...
The class came to the chapter on ancient Rome
...
come extend, reach
adverb of place to/from
Her skirt comes below her knees
...
come originate
adverb of place to/from
Doris comes from a large family
...
come be available
adverb of manner
The new model comes in three colors
...
The computer comes without a keyboard
...
Barney came to his senses at last
...
We came to enjoy walking to school
...
come arrive in a particular condition
predicate adjective
He came ready to work
...
come become
predicate adjective
The steering wheel came loose and
he lost control of the car
...
top
verb
30
37
come
come | comes · came · have come
irregular
PHRASAL VERBS
come away/forward/in/out/up/etc
...
Melinda came in through the back door
...
We came upon a deer in the clearing
...
come along make progress
come (along) with accompany
The project is coming along fairly well
...
come back be popular again
come between cause trouble between
Smaller cars are coming back
...
come down be demolished
The historic inn will come down for urban renewal
...
come down with become sick with
come from be caused by
A third of my classmates came down with a cold
...
The new encyclopedias will come in tomorrow
...
come in finish a contest
come of result from
come off become separated from
Jayne may come along with us to the grocery
...
He eventually came around to my point of view
...
We can’t let a silly quarrel come between us
...
John’s problems come from his lack of control
...
A fender came off my bike today
...
come on be illuminated
The streetlights come on at dusk
...
come out declare oneself
Senator Blather came out in favor of wind farms
...
come out with introduce [a product]
come through survive
come to regain consciousness
come to be a matter of
come up increase [of prices]
top
verb
30
come up appear for
consideration
come up against
encounter, confront
come up for
Your repair bill comes out to $227
...
All of Ellery’s efforts came to nothing
...
Randall came through the ordeal of boot camp
...
When it comes to idioms, we are the experts
...
The issue comes up every few months
...
be in line for
These antique lamps don’t come up for sale very often
...
come up with
find, produce
She came up with two quarters for the parking meter
...
Past
I am costing
we are costing
you are costing
you are costing
he/she/it is costing
they are costing
The delay is costing us a fortune
...
Present Perfect … have | has cost
… had cost
Past Perfect
I was costing
we were costing
you were costing
you were costing
he/she/it was costing
they were costing
You were costing the company a lot of money
...
COMPLEMENTS
cost be expensive
Going to college really costs
...
Lack of training costs dearly
...
cost have a price of
object
The new house cost half a million dollars
...
cost cause the loss of
object
indirect object direct object
Starvation costs 25,000 lives a day
...
It cost his self-respect
...
The accident cost me a fortune
...
cost cause suffering/loss to
object
My hesitation certainly cost me
...
We were costing out the Johnston contract
...
cost a pretty penny be very expensive
I’ll bet that car cost a pretty penny
...
38
39
creep
creep | creeps · crept · have crept
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I creep
we creep
you creep
you creep
he/she/it creeps
they creep
Time creeps by when you’re bored
...
Past Progressive
I crept
we crept
you crept
you crept
he/she/it crept
they crept
Old age crept up on us
...
… will creep
Future
Future Progressive … will be creeping
… will have crept
Future Perfect
Past Passive
Creep is never used in the passive voice
...
The lion crept toward the antelope
...
I crept into the kids’ room, trying not to wake them
...
creep shiver from fear/dread
creep advance slowly
The scream made my flesh creep
...
Water from the clogged drain crept across the floor
...
PHRASAL VERBS
creep by pass slowly
The years crept by when Lawrence
was in prison
...
Negativity crept into his later writing
...
EXPRESSIONS
creep out of the woodwork appear after
Well, look who’s crept out of the
being gone for a long time woodwork—it’s Percy!
cut | cuts · cut · have cut
irregular
Present
cut
40
Present Progressive
I cut
we cut
you cut
you cut
he/she/it cuts
they cut
He cuts the lawn every weekend
...
Past Progressive
I cut
we cut
you cut
you cut
he/she/it cut
they cut
I cut myself shaving
...
Present Perfect … have | has cut
… had cut
Past Perfect
… will cut
Future
Future Progressive … will be cutting
… will have cut
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was cut
we were cut
you were cut
you were cut
he/she/it was cut
they were cut
Our budget was cut substantially
...
He really knows how to cut
...
His ax cuts like a razor
...
object
Jill cut her finger on a knife
...
)
object
I cut the cake
...
I need to cut my fingernails
...
The backhoe cut a trench for a new waterline
...
We have to cut the budget
...
The coach cut three players from the squad
...
adverb of place to/from
Cut to the right just before the railroad tracks
...
cut remove [from a group]
object
cut change direction suddenly
cut go directly, take a shortcut
adverb of place to/from
We can cut across Mr
...
The highway cuts through a national park
...
cut dilute
object
That bartender cuts whiskey with tap water
...
Please cut all the noise
...
cut skip without permission
object
cut record
object
We cut class to watch the inauguration
...
cut fill out and issue
object
cut handle [usually negative]
object
present participle
The secretary cut a check for $50
...
I can’t cut the 45-minute drive to work anymore
...
PHRASAL VERBS
cut across transcend
The president’s economic proposal
cuts across party lines
...
We must cut back the shrubs after they flower
...
sep
cut down chop/saw and cause to fall
Our neighbors cut two elm trees down
...
cut in begin operating
We pulled the crank six times before the motor cut in
...
cut in move into a line out of turn
The motorist cut in just before his lane ended
...
cut in on interrupt
The actress cut in on the director
...
sep
cut off move suddenly in front of,
A driver cut me off at the curve
...
sep
cut off shorten
Gerry cut off the knotty end of the board
...
cut off/out stop suddenly, shut off
The water heater cuts off at 120 degrees
...
sep
cut out eliminate
I will cut out afternoon snacks for two weeks
...
sep
cut up separate into sections with
Cut the mushrooms up, and then we’ll add them
a sharp object to the sauce
...
He wasn’t feeling well, so the boss cut him some slack
...
cut [one’s] teeth on
learn/do as a
The journalist cut her teeth on writing obituaries
...
deal
deal | deals · dealt · have dealt
irregular
Present
Present Progressive
I deal
we deal
you deal
you deal
he/she/it deals
they deal
He deals in antique furniture
...
we are dealing
you are dealing
they are dealing
Past Progressive
I dealt
we dealt
you dealt
you dealt
he/she/it dealt
they dealt
I dealt myself a bad hand
...
… will deal
Future
Future Progressive … will be dealing
… will have dealt
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was dealt
we were dealt
you were dealt
you were dealt
he/she/it was dealt
they were dealt
Justice was dealt to everyone
...
deal engage in bargaining/negotiation
The union will never deal
...
deal distribute [cards]
object
indirect object direct object
to paraphrase
I will deal five cards to each player
...
You dealt me an awful hand
...
You dealt a bad hand to me
...
deal sell [illegal drugs]
object
He deals marijuana to teenagers
...
deal deliver, administer
indirect object direct object
to paraphrase
Spike dealt the intruder a blow to the head
...
Life has dealt them some bad times
...
Life has dealt some bad times to them
...
sep
deal in allow to take part
sep
deal out distribute piece by piece
deal with behave toward, treat
The coach dealt fairly with his players
...
deal with have to do with, concern
deal with try to accept/reconcile
Maurice has free time; let’s deal him in
...
The article deals with early French-American customs
...
41
42
dig
dig | digs · dug · have dug
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I dig
we dig
you dig
you dig
he/she/it digs
they dig
He really digs in at suppertime
...
Past
Past Progressive
I dug
we dug
you dug
you dug
he/she/it dug
they dug
They dug up a lot of information
...
Present Perfect … have | has dug
… had dug
Past Perfect
… will dig
Future
Future Progressive … will be digging
… will have dug
Future Perfect
Past Passive
—
—
—
—
it was dug
they were dug
The foundation was dug last week
...
We will dig tomorrow
...
I am digging everywhere I can think of
...
dig create [a hole] by removing soil
object
The road crew was digging a trench
...
They have dug the foundation
...
Miners can dig coal from the slopes
...
Kids don’t dig classical music
...
Did you dig who was in that movie?
PHRASAL VERBS
dig at criticize
dig down/deep be generous
dig in start to work intensively
dig in start eating
dig into investigate thoroughly
dig into start eating
sep
dig out uncover by digging
sep
dig out obtain by searching
up uncover by digging
dig sep
sep
dig up obtain by searching
He’s always digging at me for my conservatism
...
There were 23 court cases to study, and the lawyers dug in
...
Dig in!
The detectives dug into the suspect’s background
...
Tim dug his car out with a snow shovel
...
We dug 23 arrowheads up in one afternoon
...
dive
dive | dives · dived · have dived
dive | dives · dove · have dived
regular
irregular
Present
Present Progressive
I dive
we dive
you dive
you dive
he/she/it dives
they dive
The market dives after bad economic news
...
Past Progressive
I dove
we dove
you dove
you dove
he/she/it dove
they dove
I never dove from the highest board
...
… will dive
Future
Future Progressive … will be diving
… will have dived
Future Perfect
Past Passive
Dive is never used in the passive voice
...
I dove from the 10-meter board
...
Michael has been diving since he was four years old
...
The ducks were diving in the pond
...
We were diving in wet suits
...
The temperature dives at nightfall
...
dive plunge quickly, lunge
for object
The soldiers dove for cover
...
PHRASAL VERBS
dive in start doing something energetically
We put the craft materials on the
table and told the kids to dive right in
...
New arrivals are diving right into the discussion
...
His car can do 100 miles an hour
...
I did three years in the Navy
...
It will never do to come in over budget
...
A nap will do you some good
...
The artist is doing portraits of famous people
...
PHRASAL VERBS
do away with eliminate did away with my landline phone at home
...
do away with murder
sep
do in make very tired
He did away with three wives before he was caught
...
The mob tried to do in the entire police force
...
Driving for three hours does me in
...
from getting
sep
do over repeat
I misspelled a word and had to do the sign over
...
sep
do up decorate, dress up
We will do up the office for the boss’s birthday
...
do without get along without
We can’t do without your help
...
EXPRESSIONS
could do with want, need could do with some ice cream
I
right now
...
The committee did a number on his budget proposal
...
do for a living earn money on which
“What does she do for a living?” “She does web
to live by doing design
...
This pocketknife will do the trick
...
be lucky in doing
Gordon did well to escape the fire uninjured
...
do | does · did · have done
irregular
Present
do
44
Present Progressive
I do
we do
you do
you do
he/she/it does
they do
He always does his best
...
Past
we are doing
you are doing
they are doing
Past Progressive
I did
we did
you did
you did
he/she/it did
they did
I did everything you asked
...
Present Perfect … have | has done
… had done
Past Perfect
… will do
Future
Future Progressive … will be doing
… will have done
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was done
we were done
you were done
you were done
he/she/it was done
they were done
The job was done in record time
...
• to emphasize what one is saying
I do wish Mary would attend
...
”
do be adequate/right
A couple of hours will do
...
Your blue suit will do for the party
...
I was just doing my job
...
The kids should do their homework soon
...
We will do whatever job we are assigned
...
He did them a good deed
...
Do a favor for me
...
They did a real service for the company
...
I did a nice roast for dinner
...
My husband does the laundry
...
She does my hair
...
Past
I am drawing
we are drawing
you are drawing
you are drawing
he/she/it is drawing
they are drawing
The play is drawing well
...
Present Perfect … have | has drawn
… had drawn
Past Perfect
I was drawing
we were drawing
you were drawing
you were drawing
he/she/it was drawing
they were drawing
We were drawing up a new will
...
COMPLEMENTS
draw create a picture
draw attract an audience
draw show a handgun
draw create [a picture]
object
indirect object direct object
for paraphrase
draw create a picture of
object
draw drag, pull, extract
object
draw move steadily
adverb of place to/from
draw attract
object
draw form
object
She draws beautifully
...
Costume dramas rarely draw well
...
The children drew pictures of their families
...
The children drew them pictures
...
The children drew pictures for them
...
The artist drew the Taj Mahal
...
The teacher drew the children away from the window
...
The archers drew their bows
...
He drew the winning number
...
My business day was drawing to a close
...
He usually draws a big crowd
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
draw up write, formulate
A young attorney drew up my will
...
regular
irregular
dream | dreams · dreamed · have dreamed
dream | dreams · dreamt · have dreamt
Present
dream
46
Present Progressive
I dream
we dream
you dream
you dream
he/she/it dreams
they dream
He dreams of getting rich
...
Past
Past Progressive
I dreamt
we dreamt
you dreamt
you dreamt
he/she/it dreamt
they dreamt
I dreamt that I ate a giant marshmallow
...
… will dream
Future
Future Progressive … will be dreaming
… will have dreamt
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was dreamt
we were dreamt
you were dreamt
you were dreamt
he/she/it was dreamt
they were dreamt
It was never even dreamt of 50 years ago
...
We can all dream, can’t we?
I must have been dreaming
...
dream have [thoughts and images] while one sleeps
about object
that-clause
about present participle
Last night I dreamt about my grandmother
...
I never dream about my childhood
...
Cinderella dreamt that she had met her prince
...
He dreamt about their moving back home
...
Everyone dreams of world peace
...
People always dream that tomorrow will be better than today
...
Actors always dream of getting the big break
...
He would never dream of eating meat
...
sep
dream up invent, concoct
Our board dreamt up a plan to avoid bankruptcy
...
47
drink
drink | drinks · drank · have drunk
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I drink
we drink
you drink
you drink
he/she/it drinks
they drink
John drinks white wine
...
Past Progressive
I drank
we drank
you drank
you drank
he/she/it drank
they drank
I drank two cups of coffee
...
… will drink
Future
Future Progressive … will be drinking
… will have drunk
Future Perfect
Past Passive
—
—
—
—
it was drunk
they were drunk
Orange juice was always drunk at breakfast
...
Don’t try to drink too soon
...
They never drink
...
drink consume [a liquid]
object
wh-clause
I like to drink sparkling water
...
Their kids never drink soda pop
...
I’ll drink whatever is on tap
...
The college students drank themselves into a stupor
...
He drank himself stupid
...
I drank myself senseless
...
sep
drink down swallow [a liquid] completely Mother told me to drink the syrup down in one gulp
...
The tourists drank in the mountain scenery
...
drink to make a toast to
Let’s drink to the couple’s health and happiness
...
Drink up!
My teenage sons drank up all the milk
...
I am driving
we are driving
you are driving
you are driving
he/she/it is driving
they are driving
I’m driving home this afternoon
...
I was driving
we were driving
you were driving
you were driving
he/she/it was driving
they were driving
We were driving to Seattle
...
COMPLEMENTS
drive operate a vehicle
Who can drive?
My grandmother never drives at night
...
The army drove forward relentlessly
...
We drove a rented convertible in Hawaii
...
Can you drive me home?
The waves drove the boat onto the rocks
...
The company drives its sales force hard
...
drive force into a specific condition/behavior
object to object
object predicate adjective
object infinitive
drive shape, propel
object
Reading Dr
...
You are driving me crazy
...
The bad reviews drove the author to entirely revise the play
...
National interest always drives foreign policy
...
Oil prices now drive the value of the dollar
...
Limiting oil production will drive prices up
...
49
eat
eat | eats · ate · have eaten
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I eat
we eat
you eat
you eat
he/she/it eats
they eat
He only eats cereal for breakfast
...
Past Progressive
I ate
we ate
you ate
you ate
he/she/it ate
they ate
I ate breakfast early this morning
...
… will eat
Future
Future Progressive … will be eating
… will have eaten
Future Perfect
Past Passive
—
—
—
—
it was eaten
they were eaten
Only a third of the cat food was eaten
...
I eat too much when I get stressed
...
Let’s eat!
eat consume [food]
object
wh-clause
The kids love to eat pizza
...
Can we eat what was left over from last night?
The dog eats whatever the children drop on the floor
...
They are just going to eat the overhead costs
...
eat make as if by eating
object
The paint remover ate a hole in my glove
...
Rust was eating away at the exterior of my car
...
The weather is awful
...
I don’t feel like cooking
...
Dinner is getting cold
...
The boss’s lavish lifestyle ate up the company’s profit
...
My aunt ate up everything she read in the tabloids
...
fall | falls · fell · have fallen
irregular
Present
fall
50
Present Progressive
I fall
we fall
you fall
you fall
he/she/it falls
they fall
Night falls early this time of year
...
we are falling
you are falling
they are falling
Past Progressive
I fell
we fell
you fell
you fell
he/she/it fell
they fell
The market fell like a rock yesterday
...
… will fall
Future
Future Progressive … will be falling
… will have fallen
Future Perfect
Past Passive
Fall is never used in the passive voice
...
He fell to his knees
...
fall become lower/weaker/less
The temperature has fallen into the 20s
...
Their expectations are falling
...
The market fell today
...
fall be wounded/killed in battle
Fifty thousand soldiers fell at the Battle of Gettysburg
...
Ursula fell sick after eating potato salad at the picnic
...
PHRASAL VERBS
fall away/back/down/in/off/out/etc
...
My hat fell off when I stood up
...
fall back retreat
fall back on turn back to for help
fall behind (on ) lag behind
The regiment fell back to the new fort
...
On the third lap, the American swimmers fell behind
...
My roommates and I are falling behind on the rent
...
fall off decline, diminish
fall on happen on
Attendance at our church has fallen off dramatically
...
fall (up)on/to become the duty of
Organization of the meeting fell to the secretary
...
Our son fell in with computer nerds at school
...
The meeting falls on my day off
...
51
feed
feed | feeds · fed · have fed
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I feed
we feed
you feed
you feed
he/she/it feeds
they feed
He feeds the birds every day
...
Past
Past Progressive
I fed
we fed
you fed
you fed
he/she/it fed
they fed
I fed the cat two hours ago
...
Present Perfect … have | has fed
… had fed
Past Perfect
… will feed
Future
Future Progressive … will be feeding
… will have fed
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was fed
we were fed
you were fed
you were fed
he/she/it was fed
they were fed
The children were fed earlier
...
Lions only feed when they are hungry
...
Don’t feed too fast, or the shredder will jam
...
You should only feed the goldfish once a week
...
Feed me some more rope
...
feed send [an electric current, a signal]
object
passive
feed foster, support
object
passive
feed supply
indirect object direct object
to paraphrase
The sensor feeds a signal to the computer
...
The current is fed to the circuit breaker
...
Rumors are feeding the confusion
...
The mind can only be fed by education
...
The company fed the press misleading information
...
This cable feeds the factory its power
...
The company fed misleading information to the press
...
This cable feeds power to the factory
...
The tourist fed quarters into the vending machine
...
I am feeling
you are feeling
he/she/it is feeling
I’m feeling tired
...
I was feeling
we were feeling
you were feeling
you were feeling
he/she/it was feeling
they were feeling
We were feeling our way through the cave
...
COMPLEMENTS
feel perceive oneself to be
predicate noun
predicate adjective
past participle
Sally felt a complete fool
...
John felt foolish
...
The situation felt all wrong
...
The team felt defeated after losing their best pitcher
...
feel have an emotion/opinion
adverb of manner
He felt badly about what had happened
...
feel seem
it feel predicate adjective
infinitive
feel seem to the sense of touch
predicate adjective
It felt good to go to class again
...
The water feels too cold
...
He felt in his pockets for the key
...
feel seek by touching
object
The burglars felt their way along the corridor
...
The detective felt the suspect for a gun
...
feel be aware of, sense
object
They felt the impact of the explosion
...
Ron felt a pang of jealousy
...
I felt myself getting sick
...
feel believe, think
object infinitive
that-clause
The coach felt the team to be ready for the game
...
I always felt myself to be a good sport
...
We feel that we should go ahead as planned
...
feel experience, have grief/pity because of
object
We felt Grandma’s death keenly
...
She was feeling around in the dark for her glasses
...
I really feel for the team that lost
...
I feel it in my bones that he’s going to hit a home
intuition run tonight
...
I feel like drinking lemonade
...
It feels like January, even though it’s only September
...
We feel as if we’re never going to pay off the mortgage
...
feel like a new person feel refreshed/
After a shower and shave, the hobo felt like a new
renewed person
...
feel like [oneself ] perceive oneself
to be in a normal state
After having a cold for a week, I feel like myself again
...
feel [one’s] oats be lively
The salesman danced a jig around the office; he’s feeling
his oats since he landed that big contract
...
feel the pinch have too little money
My parents want to vacation in Spain, but they’re feeling
the pinch
...
I am fighting
we are fighting
you are fighting
you are fighting
he/she/it is fighting
they are fighting
I’m fighting a nasty cold
...
Present Perfect … have | has fought
… had fought
Past Perfect
I was fighting
we were fighting
you were fighting
you were fighting
he/she/it was fighting
they were fighting
They were fighting a rearguard action in the hills
...
COMPLEMENTS
fight engage in combat/argument
It is useless to fight with City Hall
...
It is noble to fight for one’s country
...
What married couple doesn’t fight occasionally?
She was fighting against other committee members
...
I am fighting a terrible sore throat
...
We will fight the takeover bid
...
The opposition is fighting Senator Blather’s amendment
...
They will fight whomever we nominate
...
fight wage, be engaged in
object
We are fighting a war on poverty
...
They fought a running battle for a week
...
sep
fight back resist, struggle against
sep
fight off repel an attack by
fight on continue to fight
sep
fight out settle by struggle
fight over struggle to obtain
Ruth fought back her tears after hearing about his death
...
The platoon fought off a much larger force
...
The rival gangs fought it out with guns
...
The classmates fought over who would get the award
...
54
find
find | finds · found · have found
irregular
find declare as a legal verdict
object predicate adjective
The jury found the defendant guilty
...
Charlotte and Kathy found an apartment on
Walnut Street
...
Grandma finds comfort in her photo albums
...
find out learn the truth
Your mother will find out
...
sep
find out learn
I found out what makes Jason tick
...
My attorney found a way around the regulation
...
The moderator found fault with both candidates’
arguments
...
We found it in our hearts to forgive them
...
have the courage/compassion
find neither hide nor hair of
The detectives found neither hide nor hair of the
fail to detect any sign of suspect
...
find [one’s] tongue/voice determine what
The candidate finally found her voice, but it was too
to say late
...
find [oneself ] become aware of what
Melanie found herself in her sophomore year of college
...
find the/[one’s] mark discover a way to
She found her mark midway through the second period
win / defeat someone and scored four goals after that
...
Past
I am finding
we are finding
you are finding
you are finding
he/she/it is finding
they are finding
I’m finding it hard to concentrate
...
Present Perfect … have | has found
… had found
Past Perfect
I was finding
we were finding
you were finding
you were finding
he/she/it was finding
they were finding
They were finding more support than expected
...
COMPLEMENTS
find discover, come upon by chance
object
indirect object direct object
for paraphrase
object infinitive
object present participle
object past participle
that-clause
wh-clause
I finally found my missing wallet
...
Astronomers found a new moon orbiting Jupiter
...
We found the kittens a nice home
...
We found a nice home for the kittens
...
Larry found the restaurant to get a lot of repeat customers
...
They found the kids playing in the backyard
...
I found the dog covered with mud
...
I found myself drained by the experience
...
We all find that we get tired more easily as we get older
...
I find that the new job has its limitations
...
I never found why the computer failed
...
find consider
object (to be) predicate noun
I found him (to be) a poor listener
...
They found the car (to be) a piece of
junk
...
We found him (to be) amused at it
...
top
verb
30
55
fit
fit | fits · fit · have fit
fit | fits · fitted · have fitted
Present
irregular
regular
Present Progressive
I fit
we fit
you fit
you fit
he/she/it fits
they fit
The theory fits all the facts
...
Past
Past Progressive
I fit
we fit
you fit
you fit
he/she/it fit
they fit
We fit eight people at the table before
...
… will fit
Future
Future Progressive … will be fitting
… will have fit
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was fit
we were fit
you were fit
you were fit
he/she/it was fit
they were fit
Millions of transistors were fit onto a single chip
...
fit be the right size and shape
fit be accommodated
fit be the right size and shape for
object
fit be appropriate/suitable for
object
fit accommodate
object
fit manage to insert
object
The sweater fits perfectly
...
The new suit fits me perfectly
...
Your hat fits the rest of your outfit
...
The punishment must fit the crime
...
note: For the following four meanings, fit may be used in the progressive tenses
...
measure for the right size
fit
object
passive
fit make appropriate/suitable
object to object
The tailor is fitting Dad for a new suit
...
Does a songwriter fit words to music or music to words?
fit supply, equip
object with object
The shipyard will fit the boat with everything it needs
...
The hostess will fit the two unexpected guests in
...
Past
I am fleeing
we are fleeing
you are fleeing
you are fleeing
he/she/it is fleeing
they are fleeing
They are fleeing as fast as they can
...
I was fleeing
we were fleeing
you were fleeing
you were fleeing
he/she/it was fleeing
they were fleeing
The animals were fleeing from the forest fire
...
COMPLEMENTS
flee move/run away from danger/
The fish fled when my shadow fell
unpleasantness, escape across the pond
...
The birds fled before the coming storm
...
The soldiers were fleeing back into the trenches
...
Civilians were fleeing from the rampaging soldiers
...
The ghostly shape fled from view
...
flee run away from
( from) object
The survivors quickly fled (from) the scene of the explosion
...
The entire city fled (from) the rapidly rising floodwaters
...
I fled (from) the noisy, overcrowded arena
...
Past
I am flinging
we are flinging
you are flinging
you are flinging
he/she/it is flinging
they are flinging
The dog is flinging dirt everywhere
...
Present Perfect … have | has flung
… had flung
Past Perfect
I was flinging
we were flinging
you were flinging
you were flinging
he/she/it was flinging
they were flinging
The kids were flinging toys out the car window
...
COMPLEMENTS
fling move suddenly, scatter
adverb of place to/from
Roberta flung out of the room
...
fling throw recklessly
object adverb of place to/from
The kids had flung their books everywhere
...
The rioters had flung the furniture in every direction
...
fling cast, throw
object adverb of place to/from
He flung a rope over a tree limb
...
I flung a blanket over the shivering children
...
The guards flung him into an empty cell
...
fling devote oneself entirely to
reflexive pronoun into object
I flung myself into jazz
...
Freshmen tend to fling themselves into too many
activities
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
fling around/aside/away/down/
The burglar flung away his loot as
in/off/out/up/etc
...
direction
Bill opened the car door and flung his jacket in
...
fling [one’s] head back tilt one’s head
back suddenly
Don flung his head back and laughed
...
Past
I am flying
we are flying
you are flying
you are flying
he/she/it is flying
they are flying
I am flying back tonight
...
Present Perfect … have | has flown
… had flown
Past Perfect
I was flying
we were flying
you were flying
you were flying
he/she/it was flying
they were flying
The kids were flying kites in the park
...
COMPLEMENTS
fly move through the air
My hat flew into the air
...
The plane was flying at 36,000 feet
...
When are you flying to Paris?
Whoever thought that we could fly to the moon?
fly wave/float in the air
Flags were flying in the breeze
...
fly move/spread/go/pass quickly
The wood chips flew as the chain saw bit into the log
...
Rumors were flying everywhere
...
My, how time flies
...
“Do you think the plan will fly?” “I think it will fly
...
I flew United to Chicago
...
They flew the engine back to the manufacturer
...
fly cause to move through the air
object
Didn’t you fly paper airplanes when you were a kid?
We always fly the flag on Memorial Day
...
fly in a specified direction
The robin flew down from its nest
...
fly by go quickly past
Did you see the wild geese fly by, heading home again?
January really flew by
...
Past
I am forbearing
we are forbearing
you are forbearing
you are forbearing
he/she/it is forbearing
they are forbearing
We are forbearing from taking any action
...
Present Perfect … have | has forborne
… had forborne
Past Perfect
I was forbearing
we were forbearing
you were forbearing
you were forbearing
he/she/it was forbearing
they were forbearing
The critics were forbearing in their comments
...
COMPLEMENTS
forbear be patient/tolerant
We know there have been some problems,
but please forbear
...
Where someone else might seek revenge, he forbears
...
She forbears mention of his name around her ex-boyfriend
...
( from) present participle
We are forbearing (from) saying anything about the accident
...
Only a saint would forbear (from) getting angry
...
Past
I am forbidding
we are forbidding
you are forbidding
you are forbidding
he/she/it is forbidding
they are forbidding
Sally’s mother is forbidding any more parties
...
Present Perfect … have | has forbidden
… had forbidden
Past Perfect
I was forbidding
we were forbidding
you were forbidding
you were forbidding
he/she/it was forbidding
they were forbidding
The company was forbidding smoking in the area
...
COMPLEMENTS
forbid prohibit, not allow
object
passive
object infinitive
passive
present participle
passive
The law forbids the sale of alcohol to minors
...
My parents forbid books at the dinner table
...
Campfires are forbidden in this area
...
Some churches forbid priests to marry
...
I was forbidden to take pictures there
...
The rules of soccer forbid tripping an opponent
...
Space forbids covering all the issues
...
EXPRESSIONS
God/Heaven forbid! I hope it will
God forbid that Mark should fall asleep
not happen
...
“Your ex-boyfriend is coming to the party
...
Past
I am forecasting
we are forecasting
you are forecasting
you are forecasting
he/she/it is forecasting
they are forecasting
The weather bureau is forecasting more snow
...
Present Perfect … have | has forecast
… had forecast
Past Perfect
I was forecasting
we were forecasting
you were forecasting
you were forecasting
he/she/it was forecasting they were forecasting
Economists were forecasting a strong market
...
COMPLEMENTS
forecast make a prediction
Who can forecast in such a turbulent economy?
He is reluctant to forecast until more data is available
...
Most economists have forecast a good fourth quarter
...
that-clause
Computer models have forecast that the earth will get warmer
...
passive
That the dollar would weaken has long been forecast
...
They are trying to forecast how much rain we will get
...
Scary music in a movie always forecasts danger
...
forget | forgets · forgot · forgotten
irregular
Present
forget
62
Present Progressive
I forget
we forget
you forget
you forget
he/she/it forgets they forget
He always forgets to put the milk away
...
Past Progressive
I forgot
we forgot
you forgot
you forgot
he/she/it forgot
they forgot
I forgot his first name
...
Present Perfect … have | has forgotten
… had forgotten
Past Perfect
… will forget
Future
Future Progressive … will be forgetting
… will have forgotten
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was forgotten
we were forgotten
you were forgotten
you were forgotten
he/she/it was forgotten
they were forgotten
The incident certainly wasn’t forgotten
...
They won’t forget, will they?
forget fail to remember
object
infinitive
that-clause
wh-clause
wh-infinitive
present participle
I forgot his e-mail address
...
Don’t forget the flowers
...
Don’t forget to run the dishwasher
...
We forgot that we were having dinner with the Smiths tonight
...
She forgot that she had to pick up the cat at the vet
...
He forgot where he had put his car keys
...
The author forgot where to put the quote marks
...
I can’t forget taking her to the hospital
...
Did he forget running into a tree?
forget leave behind
object
Darn it
...
Don’t forget your hat when you leave
...
forget neglect, disregard
(about) object
Don’t forget (about) your friends when you send holiday cards
...
EXPRESSIONS
Forget it! Disregard it
...
”
63
forgive
forgive | forgives · forgave · have forgiven
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I forgive
we forgive
you forgive
you forgive
he/she/it forgives
they forgive
He forgives anything his daughter does
...
Past Progressive
I forgave
we forgave
you forgave
you forgave
he/she/it forgave
they forgave
I forgave him for forgetting my birthday
...
… will forgive
Future
Future Progressive … will be forgiving
… will have forgiven
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was forgiven
we were forgiven
you were forgiven
you were forgiven
he/she/it was forgiven
they were forgiven
You were forgiven for making such a mistake
...
She can forgive without being superior about it
...
forgive excuse, pardon, stop feeling angry/punitive about/toward
object
passive
object for object
object for present participle
I tried to forgive his insensitive behavior
...
My sister was always forgiven, no matter what she had done
...
Please forgive me for this interruption
...
forgive cancel payment of [a debt]
object
Many parents forgive their children’s loans
...
Some schools will forgive a percentage of student loans
...
[proverb]
You could punish him forever—
Pardon an offense, and forget it ever or just forgive and forget
...
irregular
forgo | forgoes · forwent · have forgone
Present
forgo
64
Present Progressive
I forgo
we forgo
you forgo
you forgo
he/she/it forgoes
they forgo
He forgoes dessert when he is dieting
...
Past Progressive
I forwent
we forwent
you forwent
you forwent
he/she/it forwent
they forwent
No college student ever forwent free food
...
… will forgo
Future
Future Progressive … will be forgoing
… will have forgone
Future Perfect
Past Passive
—
—
—
—
it was forgone
they were forgone
The registration fee was forgone to boost attendance
...
(1)
(2) n archaic verb forego (always spelled with e and meaning “to go before”) survives only as a
A
present participle / adjective (as in The foregoing statement was a paid political announcement)
and as a past participle (in the phrase foregone conclusion)
...
The doctor told him that he must forgo all fatty foods
...
The accused has forgone his right to a jury trial
...
I couldn’t forgo seeing how the movie turned out
...
65
forsake
forsake | forsakes · forsook · have forsaken
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I forsake
we forsake
you forsake
you forsake
he/she/it forsakes
they forsake
The movie forsakes any semblance of plot
...
Past Progressive
I forsook
we forsook
you forsook
you forsook
he/she/it forsook
they forsook
They forsook allegiance to their country
...
… will forsake
Future
Future Progressive … will be forsaking
… will have forsaken
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was forsaken
we were forsaken
you were forsaken
you were forsaken
he/she/it was forsaken
they were forsaken
This principle was forsaken in their greed for power
...
He would never forsake Susan
...
…” [wedding vow]
All of his promises were forsaken
...
I will forsake eating meat for a month
...
Because of my knee injury I have forsaken playing tennis
...
Past
I am freezing
you are freezing
he/she/it is freezing
I’m freezing out here
...
Present Perfect … have | has frozen
… had frozen
Past Perfect
I was freezing
we were freezing
you were freezing
you were freezing
he/she/it was freezing
they were freezing
They were freezing raspberries from their garden
...
COMPLEMENTS
freeze harden into ice, become solid
due to cold
The muddy roads would soon freeze
...
freeze become uncomfortably/
dangerously cold
Put on a hat or your ears will freeze
...
The mountain climbers nearly froze to death
...
freeze be preserved in a very cold place
Girl Scout cookies freeze well
...
His face froze when he heard us coming
...
freeze cause (the contents of ) to harden into ice or other solid
object
We froze a couple of trays of ice
...
freeze chill, make uncomfortably/dangerously cold
object
The wind was freezing my fingers
...
freeze preserve in a very cold place
object
freeze cause to become motionless
object
freeze fix at a certain level
object
freeze prohibit, restrict
object
We can freeze the leftover vegetable soup
...
The peace agreement froze the armies in place
...
The Federal Reserve froze the interest rate today
...
PHRASAL VERBS
freeze up stop functioning
If there is a power surge,
my computer completely freezes up
...
67
gainsay
gainsay | gainsays · gainsaid · have gainsaid
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I gainsay
we gainsay
you gainsay
you gainsay
he/she/it gainsays
they gainsay
He gainsays every proposal to raise taxes
...
Past Progressive
I gainsaid
we gainsaid
you gainsaid
you gainsaid
he/she/it gainsaid
they gainsaid
They gainsaid whatever we wanted to do
...
… will gainsay
Future
Future Progressive … will be gainsaying
… will have gainsaid
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was gainsaid
we were gainsaid
you were gainsaid
you were gainsaid
he/she/it was gainsaid
they were gainsaid
The defendant’s statement was gainsaid by three witnesses
...
Nobody is gainsaying your conclusions
...
The high risk is being gainsaid by informed people
...
Even his opponents don’t gainsay that he is trying to do the right thing
...
I am not gainsaying how risky the venture is
...
get | gets · got · have got/gotten
irregular
Present
get
68
Present Progressive
I get
we get
you get
you get
he/she/it gets
they get
He gets to sleep late on weekends
...
Past Progressive
I got
we got
you got
you got
he/she/it got
they got
We got good feedback on the proposal
...
… will get
Future
Future Progressive … will be getting
… will have got/gotten
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was got/gotten
we were got/gotten
you were got/gotten
you were got/gotten
he/she/it was got/gotten
they were got/gotten
Permission was gotten from the authorities
...
get past participle
The burglar got caught by police
...
Bobby got sent to the principal’s office
...
get receive, obtain
object
passive
They got permission to leave early
...
I got a traffic ticket last night
...
I’m getting a busy signal
...
Permission to leave early was gotten
...
Get a coffee for me, will you?
I will get a blanket for her
...
”
I got what he was trying to say
...
I got sick on the way back
...
get begin, start
Let’s get going
...
The kids get to stay up late tonight
...
I got the computer screen dirty
...
We finally got the truck to start
...
It got me thinking about a new solution
...
We got our house painted
...
We can get to the office in 15 minutes
...
Can you get me to the airport in 30 minutes?
I got the car out of the garage
...
Can you get the flu from a flu shot?
note: For the following two meanings, get is used only in the present perfect tense
...
I’ve only got about $20 on me
...
He has got to be more careful
...
move in a specified direction
sep
get in/out/etc
...
She opened the car door and told him to get in
...
The news got around that they were divorced
...
The company got away with selling pirated software
...
Lots of people have gotten behind on their mortgages
...
Our neighbors get by with just one car
...
Harold got out of doing dishes four nights in a row
...
from
get up rise
It’s 7 o’clock—time to get up
...
get up cause to rise Mom got us up before dawn
...
Past
I am girding
we are girding
you are girding
you are girding
he/she/it is girding
they are girding
The centurion is girding his cloak before leaving
...
Present Perfect … have | has girt
… had girt
Past Perfect
I was girding
we were girding
you were girding
you were girding
he/she/it was girding
they were girding
The army was girding itself for battle
...
COMPLEMENTS
gird fasten with a belt/strap/cord
object
passive
He girt his sword around his waist
...
The garment was girt tightly around her
...
Trees have completely girt the old barn
...
gird prepare [oneself/someone] [ for action / a challenge]
object for object
The president is girding the nation for war
...
(reflexive pronoun ) for object
The soldiers girt (themselves) for the summer campaign
...
I girt (myself) for a confrontation with my boss
...
(reflexive pronoun ) for wh-clause We all girt (ourselves) for whatever was to come
...
(reflexive pronoun ) infinitive
He girt (himself) to cross the shaky footbridge
...
The government is girding (itself) to take action against
counterfeiters
...
70
give
give | gives · gave · have given
give perform
object
irregular
The symphony gave a concert last night
...
give cause to have
indirect object direct object
give pay
object
give administer
indirect object direct object
to paraphrase
Loud music gives me a headache
...
Freddie gave the guard a punch in the mouth
...
Darla’s mom gave some cough syrup to her
...
He gave Jackson to believe that the problem was solved
...
give sacrifice
object for object
“It is sweet and right to give your life for your country
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
give away betray
A club member gave away our
secret meeting place
...
After arguing for two hours, our opponents gave in
...
My boss really gave it to me when I walked in late
...
The laptop gives off a lot of heat
...
give out wear out, stop operating
sep
give out distribute
After 203,000 miles, our 1979 Oldsmobile finally gave out
...
sep
give up stop, cease
up surrender, yield
give sep
Mom and Dad gave up smoking at the same time
...
I tried four times to reach Lisa, then gave up
...
J
...
This old furnace gives out a lot of heat
...
An hour later, he gave himself up
...
give | gives · gave · have given
irregular
Present
give
70
Present Progressive
I give
we give
you give
you give
he/she/it gives
they give
He gives 10% of his income to charity
...
we are giving
you are giving
they are giving
Past Progressive
I gave
we gave
you gave
you gave
he/she/it gave
they gave
The company gave me a car to use
...
… will give
Future
Future Progressive … will be giving
… will have given
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was given
we were given
you were given
you were given
he/she/it was given
they were given
All of the employees were given entry cards
...
give yield, collapse
For the deadlock to be broken, something has to give
...
give make a gift of, donate
indirect object direct object
to paraphrase
Terry gave Dan a new computer
...
Terry gave a new computer to Dan
...
give convey physically
object
indirect object direct object
to paraphrase
She gave a little smile at the news
...
She gave the boys a dirty look
...
She gave a dirty look to the boys
...
Give me a chance to prove myself
...
The boss gave his cousin a job
...
give host
object
indirect object direct object
for paraphrase
passive
We will give the reception in his honor
...
We gave the seniors a graduation party
...
We gave a graduation party for the seniors
...
The seniors were given a graduation party
...
top
verb
30
71
go
go | goes · went · have gone
irregular
go engage in [a sport/leisure activity]
present participle
We plan to go skiing in Idaho
...
go do [something inadvisable] [used only in the negative; informal]
present participle
Don’t go telling everyone about it
...
go belong
adverb of place
Coats go in the closet, not on the floor
...
go be given/sold
to object
The prize goes to the lady in the blue sweater
...
17
...
move in a specified direction
go against oppose, be contrary to
go along with agree with
go away end
go back to date back to
go back to resume
go by be known as
go down decrease
go down stop functioning
go for be attracted by
go for do [an activity]
go for sell for [an amount]
go into begin a career in
go off explode, fire
go off take place, happen
go on be switched on
go on happen
He went back to check the furnace
...
She’ll go against the incumbent in the fall election
...
The president went along with his staff on the issue
...
The New Year’s Eve custom goes back to Druid times
...
His real name is Meredith, but he goes by Snuffy
...
The temperature went down 18 degrees in one hour
...
She goes for men with beards
...
How much did the dining room set go for?
Steve went into electronics, and Stuart went into medicine
...
The surprise party went off as planned
...
What went on at yesterday’s meeting?
What’s going on?
go on ( ) continue ([doing])
Forrest Gump just went on running
...
She went through her mail during supper
...
Our son goes through two gallons of milk a week
...
A new mall is going up on the edge of town
...
This tie would go well with your blue suit
...
The prisoners went without food for nine days
...
Past
I am going
you are going
he/she/it is going
I’m going now
...
I was going
we were going
you were going
you were going
he/she/it was going
they were going
The party was going very well
...
In sentences like He is gone,
gone is a past participle functioning as an adjective
...
I’m going as soon as I can get packed
...
go function
The engine won’t go
...
For most athletes, the knees are the first thing to go
...
go be worded/sung
go travel
The song goes like this … la la di la la, la la di da
...
We are going to lunch now
...
I’m going as fast as I can
...
Delta goes everywhere in the Southeast
...
The evening went too quickly
...
How is it going?
The soldiers went hungry for days
...
How many banks have gone bankrupt?
My e-mails to her have all gone unanswered
...
I
...
Sidney went to Harvard Law School
...
Let’s go to a movie tonight
...
I am grinding
we are grinding
you are grinding
you are grinding
he/she/it is grinding
they are grinding
They are grinding their rusty swords and spears
...
I was grinding
we were grinding
you were grinding
you were grinding
he/she/it was grinding
they were grinding
I was grinding my teeth in my sleep
...
COMPLEMENTS
grind crush, sharpen/smooth/press
The wheels of justice grind slow, but
by rubbing they grind exceeding fine
...
The gears ground whenever I tried to shift
...
The axle wheels were grinding and squeaking
...
The miller is grinding the corn into meal
...
The corn is ground into meal
...
The lens maker ground the glass until it was smooth
...
grind press/rub with a circular motion
object
He ground the black widow spider under his heel
...
grind oppress
object
The tyrant ground the colonists with excessive taxes
...
This job really grinds me down
...
The Vietnam War ground on for six more years
...
churn out
sep
grind up reduce to small pieces
Bill grinds the coffee beans up very fine
...
Past
I am growing
you are growing
he/she/it is growing
He is growing up
...
Present Perfect … have | has grown
… had grown
Past Perfect
I was growing
we were growing
you were growing
you were growing
he/she/it was growing
they were growing
The passengers were growing angry at the delay
...
COMPLEMENTS
grow develop, mature
Weeds were growing in the driveway
...
grow become taller
My, how you’ve grown!
The kids are sure growing
...
grow become bigger, expand
Our investments have grown about eight percent a year
...
The company is growing through mergers with smaller firms
...
grow raise [plants, a crop]
object
wh-clause
We will grow more corn next year
...
It isn’t good to grow the same crop in a field year after year
...
They grow whatever crops can tolerate the heat
...
grow begin
infinitive
grow become
predicate adjective
The company has grown its profits effectively
...
I have grown to like broccoli
...
The driver grew tired as evening approached
...
They grew accustomed to the boss’s angry outbursts
...
grow into develop into
Your son has grown into a fine young man
...
She has grown up to be a poised and confident woman
...
Past
I am hamstringing
we are hamstringing
you are hamstringing
you are hamstringing
he/she/it is hamstringing
they are hamstringing
Endless delay is hamstringing our progress
...
Present Perfect … have | has hamstrung
… had hamstrung
Past Perfect
I was hamstringing
we were hamstringing
you were hamstringing
you were hamstringing
he/she/it was hamstringing they were hamstringing
They were hamstringing attempts to pass the bill
...
COMPLEMENTS
hamstring cripple by cutting the hamstring muscle
Ranchers would often hamstring dangerous animals
...
object
passive
hamstring hinder, make more difficult
object
passive
wh-clause
passive
Bad weather hamstrung the rescue efforts
...
Development of the property was hamstrung by local opposition
...
Bureaucratic inertia will always hamstring whatever we do
...
hang
hang | hangs · hung · have hung
hang | hangs · hanged · have hanged
irregular
regular
Present
75
Present Progressive
I hang
we hang
you hang
you hang
he/she/it hangs
they hang
His picture hangs in the boardroom
...
Past Progressive
I hung
we hung
you hung
you hung
he/she/it hung
they hung
We hung all the ornaments on the tree
...
… will hang
Future
Future Progressive … will be hanging
… will have hung
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was hung
we were hung
you were hung
you were hung
he/she/it was hung
they were hung
The stockings were hung by the chimney
...
”
hang be suspended by the neck until dead
hang be suspended, droop
adverb of place
He will hang for his crimes
...
The gulls hung above the fishing boats
...
Wet laundry hung everywhere in the small apartment
...
His suit hangs a little too loosely
...
adverb of place
Before the battle, tension hung in the air
...
We hung our wet clothing on branches
...
passive
The bridge was hung from steel cables
...
I hung the photograph in the spring exhibition
...
adverb of manner
hang be prevalent
hang suspend/fasten without support from below, let droop
hang exhibit [artwork]
passive
hang suspend by the neck until dead
object
passive
They hanged the convict at dawn
...
PHRASAL VERBS
hang around/out loiter, linger
hang on wait
hang on to keep
Leo hung around, waiting for Josh
...
76
have
have | has · had · have had
irregular
have experience, undergo
object
He had chicken pox when he was a child
...
They are having an argument about visitation rights
...
We have doubts about the new employee
...
have host
object
The restaurant is having a grand opening this Saturday
...
Tim had a refill on his soft drink
...
object
Terry had three years of Spanish in high school
...
The graduate had a parent on either side of him
...
invite and host [someone] at a specified
location
have against have as a reason
to dislike
have on be operating
sep
have on be wearing
sep
have out have removed
We had the Smiths over for dinner
...
She has the radio on when she’s at home
...
I had one of my upper molars out
...
have a big mouth gossip a lot,
reveal secrets a lot
have a bone to pick (with ) have
Don’t tell Joanie your troubles; she has a big mouth
...
something to argue about (with [someone])
have [one’s] cake and eat it too / have
Denny wants to live in the country, but he wants a
it both ways have the advantages of grocery store next door
...
have it good be rich
The bank executive really has it good—a Mercedes,
a mansion, and a vacation home in California
...
settle an argument (with
[someone])
have it that
Rumor has it that Glenda is getting married
...
concern, involve
have
have | has · had · have had
irregular
Present
Present Progressive
I have
we have
you have
you have
he/she/it has
they have
November only has 30 days
...
Past
Past Progressive
I had
we had
you had
you had
he/she/it had
they had
We had a really great time
...
Present Perfect … have | has had
… had had
Past Perfect
… will have
Future
Future Progressive … will be having
… will have had
Future Perfect
Past Passive
Have is not used in the passive voice except
in idiomatic expressions
...
have past participle
She has read all six of Jane Austen’s novels
...
Ted has an interesting news item for us
...
Does the meeting room have a projection screen?
The department store has mattresses on sale
...
The knitters’ club has 525 members
...
He has a quick temper
...
have must
infinitive
I have to be at the office by 8 o’clock
...
You will have to make up your minds soon
...
For example, Do you have to go now? may be contracted
to Do you have to? Have to is sometimes pronounced /hafta/
...
He had me reprint the document
...
object present participle
He had his crew working on the addition
...
The coach had the team running wind
sprints
...
Aunt Jenny had her hip replaced this fall
...
76
77
hear
hear | hears · heard · have heard
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I hear
we hear
you hear
you hear
he/she/it hears
they hear
He only hears what he wants to
...
Past Progressive
I heard
we heard
you heard
you heard
he/she/it heard
they heard
I heard that there was a problem
...
… will hear
Future
Future Progressive … will be hearing
… will have heard
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was heard
we were heard
you were heard
you were heard
he/she/it was heard
they were heard
All witnesses were heard in one afternoon
...
Sam hears pretty well for someone his age
...
hear perceive by ear
object
passive
object infinitive [used only
in the passive]
object base-form infinitive
object present participle
I just heard the telephone
...
The dog’s barking was heard by everyone in the building
...
The senator was heard to make promises he couldn’t keep
...
We heard the kids turn on the TV
...
I heard him starting the car
...
He heard someone talking on the phone
...
John has just heard the results of his test
...
Did you hear that they are going to have a baby?
Have you heard who won the game?
I heard what you said
...
PHRASAL VERBS
hear from receive a message from
hear of learn of the existence of
hear out listen to everything
[someone] has to say
We heard from the Ellners last week
...
Simon heard her out, but he didn’t change his mind
...
Past
I am hewing
we are hewing
you are hewing
you are hewing
he/she/it is hewing
they are hewing
We are hewing wood to make the fence posts
...
Present Perfect … have | has hewn
… had hewn
Past Perfect
I was hewing
we were hewing
you were hewing
you were hewing
he/she/it was hewing
they were hewing
The farmers were all hewing their winter firewood
...
COMPLEMENTS
hew chop off / cut down / hack through with a sharp tool
[often with down]
object
Crews hewed down hundreds of trees for the new roadway
...
passive
hew make/shape by cutting/chopping
object
passive
We hewed a narrow trail along the side of the mountain
...
A path had been hewn through the jungle
...
hew adhere/conform strictly
to object
Candidates must hew to the party line
...
Many artists do not hew to traditional forms
...
rough-hewn unrefined
These rough-hewn alphabets are from the 19th century
...
79
hide
hide | hides · hid · have hidden
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I hide
we hide
you hide
you hide
he/she/it hides
they hide
Our cat always hides in the closet
...
we are hiding
you are hiding
they are hiding
Past Progressive
I hid
we hid
you hid
you hid
he/she/it hid
they hid
I hid a house key outside
...
… will hide
Future
Future Progressive … will be hiding
… will have hidden
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was hidden
we were hidden
you were hidden
you were hidden
he/she/it was hidden
they were hidden
The photos were hidden in a closet
...
The birds hide in the trees if there is a hawk nearby
...
The thief hid in an abandoned warehouse
...
The burglars hid themselves carefully
...
He hid the stolen property in the basement
...
They hid their business losses by altering the records
...
The senator hid who had actually made the campaign
contribution
...
Allison never hid what she was going to do
...
wh-clause
hide keep from being seen
object
passive
A sign hid the entrance to his office
...
PHRASAL VERBS
hide out conceal oneself for a period
Jesse and Frank James hid out in
of time Meramec Caverns
...
hide [one’s] light under a bushel
Share your suggestions, Donna
...
hit | hits · hit · have hit
irregular
Present
hit
Present Progressive
I hit
we hit
you hit
you hit
he/she/it hits
they hit
He always hits his target
...
Past
Past Progressive
I hit
we hit
you hit
you hit
he/she/it hit
they hit
The storm hit us pretty hard
...
Present Perfect … have | has hit
… had hit
Past Perfect
… will hit
Future
Future Progressive … will be hitting
… will have hit
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was hit
we were hit
you were hit
you were hit
he/she/it was hit
they were hit
Our car was hit by a pickup truck
...
The storm will hit sometime tomorrow morning
...
The batter hit the pitch sharply
...
The bullet hit him in the left shoulder
...
A terrible drought has hit the entire Midwest
...
He hit the brakes in a panic
...
Do you think oil will hit $100 a barrel?
Sales could hit our goal of 2,000 units this week
...
We should hit Kansas City around noon
...
The pilot hit a headwind 120 miles from Singapore
...
The smell of garlic hit me as soon as I entered the house
...
PHRASAL VERBS
hit on/upon discover
She hit upon the idea of extending
Medicare to people 55 and over
...
I hold him (to be) fully responsible for the accident
...
For years, the tobacco industry held that cigarettes
didn’t cause cancer
...
We held a seminar for the interns
...
They will hold a special exhibit on pre-Columbian art
...
hold have as one’s own
object
Amelia Earhart holds the title of first woman to fly
solo across the Atlantic Ocean
...
hold keep in one’s mind, maintain
object
They held the belief that the earth is flat
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
hold back/down/in/out/up/etc
...
The auctioneer held up an antique butter churn
...
sep
hold back keep secret, withhold
The juror held back the fact that he knew the defendant
...
sep
hold off keep away, resist
The old woman held the robber off until police arrived
...
Jake holds down two jobs and takes college classes too
...
hold on manage to keep one’s position
Although our team was outscored in the final period,
we held on and won the game
...
hold out last, endure
How long will our food hold out?
The settlers held out until the cavalry arrived
...
The union held out for better working conditions
...
sep
hold over keep for more
performances
hold together keep united
top
verb
30
It was Mom who held the family together
...
Sales of soccer balls are holding up in spite of the
economy
...
Three teenagers held the store up in broad daylight
...
hold | holds · held · have held
irregular
Present
hold
81
Present Progressive
I hold
we hold
you hold
you hold
he/she/it holds
they hold
A barrel holds 55 U
...
gallons
...
Past
Past Progressive
I held
we held
you held
you held
he/she/it held
they held
She held that position for years
...
Present Perfect … have | has held
… had held
Past Perfect
… will hold
Future
Future Progressive … will be holding
… will have held
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was held
we were held
you were held
you were held
he/she/it was held
they were held
The plane was held for transfer passengers
...
We hope the tent holds in this wind
...
Our market share is still holding
...
Please hold still
...
Your call is important to us
...
object
I held the hammer in my right hand
...
Hold my hand while we cross the street
...
The runners held a five-mile-per-hour pace
...
Will you hold the elevator for a minute?
The framework holds the entire structure together
...
How long can you hold your breath?
The movie completely held my attention
...
The scream held everyone frozen in place
...
hold keep for later use
object
passive
The hotel will hold the room for us until 10 p
...
Hold my calls, please
...
hold contain, have room for
object
The safe deposit box holds the deed to
our house
...
The auditorium can hold 400 people
...
Past
I am hurting
we are hurting
you are hurting
you are hurting
he/she/it is hurting
they are hurting
The auto industry is really hurting
...
I was hurting
we were hurting
you were hurting
you were hurting
he/she/it was hurting
they were hurting
Lack of money was hurting our program
...
COMPLEMENTS
hurt be a source of pain
Mommy, my stomach hurts
...
This injection may hurt a little
...
hurt be in a bad situation
hurt injure, cause pain/harm to
The entire economy is hurting
...
Listening to such loud music hurts my ears
...
Would it hurt you to wash the dishes once in a while?
Her feelings were hurt by what they said
...
The unusually cold summer has hurt vacation rentals
...
The recession is hurting sales
...
The dollar has been hurt by high oil prices
...
Past
I am keeping
we are keeping
you are keeping
you are keeping
he/she/it is keeping
they are keeping
I am keeping his letters
...
Present Perfect … have | has kept
… had kept
Past Perfect
I was keeping
we were keeping
you were keeping
you were keeping
he/she/it was keeping
they were keeping
We were keeping the grandchildren for the week
...
COMPLEMENTS
keep remain in good condition,
remain the same
The yogurt will keep for days
...
Will the work keep until tomorrow?
keep hold in one’s possession, retain
object
We kept all of our children’s letters
...
The quarterback kept the ball
...
Where do you keep the potato chips?
We’re keeping the extra envelopes in this drawer
...
Are you going to keep your subscription to the magazine?
You need to keep good records
...
Keep warm!
Amazingly, the children kept quiet
...
The company kept losing money
...
Kids! Keep your hands to yourselves
...
object as predicate noun
The president kept Wilson as ambassador
to Great Britain
...
The new company kept Chris as custodian
...
Keep your feet dry!
Please try to keep the room clean
...
The sergeant kept the men digging trenches
...
Keep me informed about the merger
...
keep adhere to, fulfill
object
John always keeps his word
...
Keep away from the edge
remain in a specified location of the bluff
...
cause to remain in a specified location
keep after/at nag, harass
Can you keep the squirrels away from the corn?
It’s raining; keep the children in
...
Keep at it!
Keep on writing—the paper’s due tomorrow
...
This report is wonderful
...
sep
keep down limit
sep
keep down not vomit
keep ([oneself ]) from prevent oneself
We’re trying to keep our grocery bill down
...
sep
keep out provide protection from
keep out of not become involved in
This jacket should keep out the rain and wind
...
sep
keep up maintain
It’s not easy for Grandpa to keep up a large house
...
Keep your spirits up
...
When I had the flu, I couldn’t keep food down
...
from [doing something]
I tried to keep myself from screaming at him
...
from [doing something]
sep
keep in/inside suppress
She kept her anger inside until he left
...
It’s cold in here; I’ll keep my coat on
...
Be sure to keep this to yourself
...
irregular
regular
kneel | kneels · knelt · have knelt
kneel | kneels · kneeled · have kneeled
Present
kneel
84
Present Progressive
I kneel
we kneel
you kneel
you kneel
he/she/it kneels
they kneel
The priest always kneels before the altar
...
Past Progressive
I knelt
we knelt
you knelt
you knelt
he/she/it knelt
they knelt
The clergy all knelt in prayer
...
… will kneel
Future
Future Progressive … will be kneeling
… will have knelt
Future Perfect
Past Passive
Kneel is never used in the passive voice
...
The policeman was kneeling on one knee when he fired
his pistol
...
The nuns knelt before the cross
...
They all knelt in prayer
...
We all had to kneel down to get through the low doorway
...
Past
I am knitting
we are knitting
you are knitting
you are knitting
he/she/it is knitting
they are knitting
I am knitting a wool baby blanket
...
Present Perfect … have | has knit
… had knit
Past Perfect
I was knitting
we were knitting
you were knitting
you were knitting
he/she/it was knitting they were knitting
He was knitting his hands together
...
COMPLEMENTS
knit create fabric/clothing by interlocking
loops of yarn/thread together with needles
She knits as a full-time occupation
...
My mother knits when she watches TV
...
Our neighborhood gradually knit into a close
community
...
Could you knit a pair of socks for me?
The afghan was knit by my grandmother
...
I knit my fingers to form a shallow bowl
...
The major had knit the unit into an effective force
...
That scarf pattern knits up quickly
...
”
[shakespeare]
EXPRESSIONS
knit [one’s] brow(s) wrinkle one’s eyebrows
Colin knits his brow when he’s thinking
...
Past
Know is never used in the progressive tenses
...
Present Perfect … have | has known
… had known
Past Perfect
Know is never used in the progressive tenses
...
COMPLEMENTS
know be aware / have knowledge of
something
know be aware
about/of object ( infinitive)
“How old is she?” “I don’t know
...
”
We have known about his cancer for several months
...
know be aware of, realize, have information about
object
passive
object infinitive
passive
that-clause
wh-clause
wh-infinitive
I know the answer
...
We know the place you mean
...
I know him to be an honest person
...
The company has been known to take big risks before
...
They should have known that we were leaving early
...
Do the tourists know where they are going?
Do you know why he lied to you?
I don’t know how much it costs
...
Do you know where to go?
I know how to do it
...
know be acquainted/familiar with
object
object as object
I knew your father in college
...
We knew her as Liddy when we were kids
...
87
lead
lead | leads · led · have led
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I lead
we lead
you lead
you lead
he/she/it leads
they lead
He leads the accounting department
...
Past
Past Progressive
I led
we led
you led
you led
he/she/it led
they led
Our policy led to considerable success
...
… will lead
Future
Future Progressive … will be leading
… will have led
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was led
we were led
you were led
you were led
he/she/it was led
they were led
The orchestra was led by a young German conductor
...
I can’t lead until I know where we are going
...
lead be first/ahead (in a competition)
The Giants are leading for the first time
...
lead be ahead of, be at the head of
object
lead be in charge of
object
lead go [in a direction, to a place]
adverb of place
lead guide, conduct
object adverb of place to/from
passive
lead cause, influence
object infinitive
passive
lead result in
to object
lead live, spend [time]
object
He leads the league in goals scored
...
Admiral Butler is leading the task force
...
This road leads to my Uncle’s farm
...
His proposal will lead to disaster
...
He will lead you wherever you want to go
...
The weather forecast led them to cancel their trip
...
We were led to believe that we could get dinner here
...
Four years of college leads to a bachelor’s degree
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
lead away/back/down/in/on/
out/etc
...
The sergeant led the soldiers out
...
Past
I am leaping
we are leaping
you are leaping
you are leaping
he/she/it is leaping
they are leaping
The frogs are leaping all over the place
...
Present Perfect … have | has leapt
… had leapt
Past Perfect
I was leaping
we were leaping
you were leaping
you were leaping
he/she/it was leaping
they were leaping
They were leaping out of the basket
...
COMPLEMENTS
leap jump, spring
He leaps whenever anybody says “Boo!”
The kids were all leaping with excitement
...
The fish were leaping like crazy
...
He hurt his leg
...
The defensive player leapt and intercepted the ball
...
I leapt as high as I could
...
The horses leapt the fence easily
...
PHRASAL VERBS
leap down/in/off/on/out/over/up/
The wagon slowed down, and the boys
etc
...
We were leaping up and down, trying to get their attention
...
The club leapt at Kyle’s offer to bring cupcakes
...
EXPRESSIONS
leap for joy be extremely happy
Tad won the spelling bee, and his parents
leapt for joy
...
noticed (by [someone])
The unemployment statistics leapt off the page at her
...
leap to [one’s] feet jump up excitedly
The audience leapt to its feet and shouted, “Encore!”
leap to conclusions make a hasty
Until you have read the entire article, don’t leap to
judgment without knowing the facts conclusions
...
I am leaving the waiter a big tip
...
They left a message for you
...
We left some cookies for the kids
...
The boss will leave the decision to his assistant
...
object to object
leave give at one’s death (often by a will)
object to object
Grandfather left his stamp collection to his granddaughter
...
Plavsik left all his money to charity
...
Please leave the window up when
allow to remain in a specified position you’re finished in the room
...
leave off ( ) stop temporarily
Now, where did we leave off at yesterday’s meeting?
The staff left off trying to organize a company picnic
...
She left her coat on because it was chilly inside
...
(from [something])
Mrs
...
sep
leave on not switch off
Leave the light on when you leave the room
...
leave a bad taste in [one’s] mouth
The argument over immigration left a bad taste in
cause one to have a lingering bad my mouth
...
leave alone/be not disturb
Leave me alone—I’m trying to study
...
leave out in the cold not keep
The rest of the staff left her out in the cold with regard
[someone] informed to the new project
...
be left (over) remain
Is there any chocolate cake left?
Some potato salad is left over from the picnic
...
top
verb
30
leave
leave | leaves · left · have left
irregular
Present
89
Present Progressive
I leave
we leave
you leave
you leave
he/she/it leaves
they leave
He always leaves home by eight
...
Past Progressive
I left
we left
you left
you left
he/she/it left
they left
I left you a little surprise
...
Present Perfect … have | has left
… had left
Past Perfect
… will leave
Future
Future Progressive … will be leaving
… will have left
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was left
we were left
you were left
you were left
he/she/it was left
they were left
Water stains were left all over the ground floor
...
When can you leave?
I am not leaving until this is settled
...
The train will leave the station at 10:13 a
...
I left the office early that day
...
Ray has just left his wife
...
leave cause/allow to remain behind
object
object adverb of place
passive
Red wine always leaves a stain
...
The surgery will leave a little scar
...
The kids left footprints on the tile floor
...
Somebody’s tickets were left on the counter
...
The fire left the building a ruined shell
...
object predicate adjective The movie left me confused
...
The incident left us speechless
...
Riding a bicycle leaves Bill out of breath
...
The comedian left the audience roaring
with laughter
...
Leave the engine running
...
Past
I am lending
we are lending
you are lending
you are lending
he/she/it is lending
they are lending
I am lending the truck to Anne for the weekend
...
I was lending
we were lending
you were lending
you were lending
he/she/it was lending
they were lending
The banks were not lending at that time
...
COMPLEMENTS
lend give money on condition of
repayment (plus interest)
Banks are not lending now
...
I can lend you $25
...
I can lend $25 to you
...
For example, they would say “The bank will loan you the money” rather than “The bank will
lend you the money
...
lend make available to
indirect object direct object
to paraphrase
lend add
object to object
The Red Cross lent the flood relief effort its services
...
The confetti and beads lend gaiety to the Mardi Gras parade
...
PHRASAL VERBS
lend itself to be suitable for
The gathering room lends itself to
intimate conversation
...
EXPRESSIONS
lend an/[one’s] ear (to ) listen
(to [someone])
The president is speaking; lend an ear
...
”
[shakespeare]
let | lets · let · have let
irregular
Present
let
91
Present Progressive
I let
we let
you let
you let
he/she/it lets
they let
He lets us know if there is a problem
...
Past Progressive
I let
we let
you let
you let
he/she/it let
they let
I let the dogs run in the backyard
...
… will let
Future
Future Progressive … will be letting
… will have let
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was let
we were let
you were let
you were let
he/she/it was let
they were let
Several staff members were let go recently
...
We let the kids watch TV for a while after dinner
...
Let me go!
let’s [contraction of let us; a way to suggest doing something]
base-form infinitive
Let’s go home now
...
Let’s not do that
...
allow to come/go in a specified
direction
Let the children in
...
Let the dog out
...
sep
let down disappoint
off (easy) (with ) forgive/
let sep
release (with [little/no punishment])
let off/out release, emit
Son, you’ve let your parents down again
...
let out end
When does the movie let out?
let up slow down, diminish
The rain appears to be letting up
...
The teacher let me off easy
...
Charlotte never let on that she was my sister
...
I don’t have time to read a chapter, let alone the
whole book
...
Let her be
...
let go/loose of release, stop gripping
If we let go of the rope, we’ll fall into the river
...
Past
I am lying
we are lying
you are lying
you are lying
he/she/it is lying
they are lying
The cat is lying asleep on the couch
...
Present Perfect … have | has lain
… had lain
Past Perfect
I was lying
we were lying
you were lying
you were lying
he/she/it was lying
they were lying
The book was lying on your desk
...
note: The irregular verb lie is presented here
...
COMPLEMENTS
note: The verbs lie and lay are often confused, in part because the past tense form
of lie (lay) is the same as the present tense form of lay
...
”
In other words, lay always requires a direct object, while lie is never used with a direct object
...
The report is lying right in front of you
...
His few hairs lay across his bald head
...
lie be/stay in a horizontal position
predicate adjective
The ocean lay flat as far as we could see
...
lie be/stay in a certain state/condition
predicate adjective
The cat lay motionless, watching the bird
...
The nurse told him to lie still while she examined him
...
lie be, exist
in object
with object
lie affect
on object
The confusion lies in our conflicting goals
...
The wrongful conviction lies heavily on the prosecutors
...
PHRASAL VERBS
lie ahead/around/back/behind/below/
down/etc
...
I’ll lie down for an hour
...
I am lighting
you are lighting
he/she/it is lighting
I am lighting a fire
...
Present Perfect … have | has lit
… had lit
Past Perfect
I was lighting
we were lighting
you were lighting
you were lighting
he/she/it was lighting
they were lighting
Only candles were lighting the dining room
...
COMPLEMENTS
light catch fire
The pile of dry leaves and twigs finally lit
...
The damp wood never lit
...
We should light the lantern before it gets dark
...
I lit them a candle
...
I lit a candle for them
...
light illuminate
object
passive
We used torches to light the path
...
The golden moon lit the southern sky
...
light guide with a light
object adverb of place to/from
We lit the children to their rooms with the lantern
...
” [shakespeare]
PHRASAL VERBS
light up brighten
The black night lit up with occasional
flashes of lightning
...
EXPRESSIONS
light a fire under cause to
The coach’s tirade lit a fire under his
move/work faster/harder sluggish team
...
I am losing
we are losing
you are losing
you are losing
he/she/it is losing
they are losing
I am losing patience with them
...
I was losing
we were losing
you were losing
you were losing
he/she/it was losing
they were losing
We were losing money on every transaction
...
COMPLEMENTS
lose not win, be defeated
The team has never lost this season
...
The Patriots lost by 14 points
...
You can win a battle, but still lose the war
...
We lost some dear friends in the war
...
The senator has lost their support
...
The guide lost his way in the woods
...
The mountain climbers were lost in the avalanche
...
My watch is losing time
...
The boat was losing speed
...
lose fail to keep/maintain
object
lose get rid of
object
lose fail to make use of
object
lose cause to be deprived of
indirect object object
I finally lost some weight
...
Don’t lose any time getting to the bookstore
...
PHRASAL VERBS
lose out (to ) be unsuccessful
I applied for the job, but I lost out
[in a competition (with [someone])] to a younger applicant
...
I am making
we are making
you are making
you are making
he/she/it is making
they are making
I’m making some coffee
...
I was making
we were making
you were making
you were making
he/she/it was making
they were making
We were making pretty good time
...
COMPLEMENTS
make prepare, build, create, produce
object
passive
indirect object direct object
for paraphrase
wh-clause
I am going to make a tuna salad
...
I made a bookcase out of mahogany
...
I can make a booklet of your favorite quotations
...
The president’s children make their own beds
...
His masterpiece was made in 1683
...
The florist made Ruth a terrific centerpiece
...
His company made some custom cabinets for us
...
I will make whatever you want for your birthday
...
Make a left turn at the second traffic light
...
The two parties made a deal
...
make cause to be, appoint, give a job/position to
object predicate noun
He made the company a household name
...
The board made Boyd the CEO
...
object predicate adjective
The new job made Janet very happy
...
Long meetings after lunch make me sleepy
...
The officials made the teams replay the game
...
The sculpture was made entirely of driftwood
...
We made about 500 miles driving today
...
Three feet make a yard
...
object
Do you think we can make the 2 o’clock flight?
Three students didn’t make the deadline for submitting
papers
...
They made off with my briefcase too
...
make out succeed
sep
make out distinguish, decipher
Gavin made out very well during the dot-com bubble
...
Dad made like a dinosaur and tromped around the room
...
The bank teller couldn’t make out the signature on
the check
...
sep
make out understand
We couldn’t make out what the professor was saying
...
sep
make
of
make [someone] out describe
[someone], usually falsely
Dixie’s parents made her out to be a perfect student
...
make up form, be the parts of
These servers make up the backbone of our network
...
sep
make up put together, prepare
up invent
make sep
sep
make up
I made up a pot of chili in 30 minutes
...
The artist made her up to look like a witch
...
Jan was sick and has to make up the test on Monday
...
Past
I am meaning
we are meaning
you are meaning
you are meaning
he/she/it is meaning
they are meaning
We are meaning to go to town tomorrow
...
Present Perfect … have | has meant
… had meant
Past Perfect
I was meaning
we were meaning
you were meaning
you were meaning
he/she/it was meaning
they were meaning
I was meaning to fix that
...
we were meant
you were meant
they were meant
COMPLEMENTS
note: The verb mean is used in the progressive tenses only in the sense “intend, plan
...
A rainbow means good luck
...
Thanks
...
This means war!
The flare means that there has been an accident
...
A heavy snowfall means that there will be no school
...
It means whatever you want it to mean
...
He was meaning (for) us to finish up here
...
We meant to stop off and do some shopping
...
I was meaning to tell you about that
...
He meant that he might have made a mistake
...
mean everything / the world to
be very important to
mean nothing to not be very
Jeanine’s fiancé means everything to her
...
Her criticism means nothing to me
...
mean well have good intentions
Ed is a little eccentric, but he means well
...
I am meeting
we are meeting
you are meeting
you are meeting
he/she/it is meeting
they are meeting
Excuse me, I am meeting someone
...
I was meeting
we were meeting
you were meeting
you were meeting
he/she/it was meeting
they were meeting
We were meeting in the conference room
...
COMPLEMENTS
meet come together for a particular
purpose
meet be joined
We will meet next Tuesday
...
The hiking paths meet at the top of the hill
...
meet come into contact
It is amazing that we never met before
...
Their lips met tenderly
...
meet come together by arrangement
object
with object
I met Carrie for lunch today
...
You will meet with the search committee this afternoon
...
Can he meet the deadline for the grant application?
Her organization works to meet the needs of the homeless
...
They might not be able to meet their mortgage payment
...
meet be present at the arrival of
object
Someone needs to meet the train
...
Everyone will meet the boats when they cross the finish line
...
My great-great-grandfather met his death in the Great War
...
mistake | mistakes ·
mistook · have mistaken
irregular
Present
mistake
Present Progressive
I mistake
we mistake
you mistake
you mistake
he/she/it mistakes
they mistake
He always mistakes peoples’ names
...
Past
Past Progressive
I mistook
we mistook
you mistook
you mistook
he/she/it mistook
they mistook
I mistook what he said
...
Present Perfect … have | has mistaken
… had mistaken
Past Perfect
… will mistake
Future
Future Progressive … will be mistaking
… will have mistaken
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was mistaken
we were mistaken
you were mistaken
you were mistaken
he/she/it was mistaken
they were mistaken
They were mistaken for spies
...
Everyone mistakes him for his brother
...
We were mistaken for another couple
...
Did you mistake the answer?
I badly mistook the nature of their relationship
...
I mistook what was going on
...
99
mow
mow | mows · mowed · have mowed
mow | mows · mowed · have mown
Present
regular
irregular
Present Progressive
I mow
we mow
you mow
you mow
he/she/it mows
they mow
He mows the lawn on the weekends
...
Past Progressive
I mowed
we mowed
you mowed
you mowed
he/she/it mowed
they mowed
I mowed the grass before it rained
...
… will mow
Future
Future Progressive … will be mowing
… will have mown
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was mown
we were mown
you were mown
you were mown
he/she/it was mown
they were mown
The lawn was mown just yesterday
...
How often do you have to mow?
My neighbor can’t get his lawn tractor to mow evenly
...
] with a machine
object
passive
The city hired me to mow all of the playing fields
...
I can’t mow the lawn until it gets dry
...
In the fields, farmers were mowing, raking, and bundling hay
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
mow down knock/shoot down
An SUV swerved onto the sidewalk
and mowed three pedestrians down
...
overcome | overcomes ·
overcame · have overcome
irregular
Present
overcome
100
Present Progressive
I overcome
we overcome
you overcome
you overcome
he/she/it overcomes they overcome
He always overcomes his problems
...
Past Progressive
I overcame
we overcame
you overcame
you overcame
he/she/it overcame they overcame
She always overcame obstacles
...
… will overcome
Future
Future Progressive … will be overcoming
… will have overcome
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was overcome
we were overcome
you were overcome
you were overcome
he/she/it was overcome they were overcome
He was overcome with emotion
...
” [gospel song]
They have finally overcome
...
The children were overcome with excitement
...
Darcy was overcome by Elizabeth’s goodness
...
[used only in the passive]
overcome prevail over, defeat, get control of
object
The prisoners overcame their guards
...
She overcame her addiction to cigarette smoking
...
Mr
...
passive
The guards were overcome by the prisoners
...
Past
I am overtaking
we are overtaking
you are overtaking
you are overtaking
he/she/it is overtaking
they are overtaking
Laptops are overtaking desktops
...
Present Perfect … have | has overtaken
… had overtaken
Past Perfect
I was overtaking
we were overtaking
you were overtaking
you were overtaking
he/she/it was overtaking
they were overtaking
A motorcycle was overtaking the convoy
...
COMPLEMENTS
overtake catch up with and pass
object
The police overtook the speeding car at the next exit
...
Do you think that digital books will overtake traditional books?
Internet advertising has already overtaken TV advertising
...
Cancer overtook my boss when he was only 53 years old
...
I am pleading
we are pleading
you are pleading
you are pleading
he/she/it is pleading
they are pleading
I am pleading innocent, Your Honor
...
I was pleading
we were pleading
you were pleading
you were pleading
he/she/it was pleading they were pleading
The prisoners were pleading with the guards
...
COMPLEMENTS
note: The past tense and past participle form is ordinarily pleaded for all meanings
of plead except “formally declare oneself [innocent/guilty] in court
...
Standing proudly, the men refused to plead
...
plead present/argue [a law case, one’s position]
object
The lawyer will plead your case
...
The state’s attorney will plead the government’s case
...
The gang members will plead innocent
...
We pleaded for them to be careful
...
They pleaded with the manager to reconsider his decision
...
He pleaded to come with us
...
I pleaded to get a bigger budget
...
The tobacco company heads pleaded ignorance of the
addictive properties of cigarette smoking
...
Brandon pleaded that he didn’t see the speed limit sign
...
Past
I am proving
we are proving
you are proving
you are proving
he/she/it is proving
they are proving
Cal is proving to be a bit of a problem
...
Present Perfect … have | has proven
… had proven
Past Perfect
I was proving
we were proving
you were proving
you were proving
he/she/it was proving
they were proving
Francine was proving to be a great success
...
COMPLEMENTS
prove demonstrate that something is true/correct
object
For homework, Johanna told the students to prove
the theorem
...
passive
The validity of the will was proven in court
...
Emily has proven herself as a teacher
...
Her boyfriend’s subsequent behavior proved him
(to be) a complete loser
...
object (to be) predicate adjective
Our analysis proved the plan (to be) feasible
...
to object that-clause
He proved to us that he had been right all along
...
The police proved that the driver was lying
...
prove turn out [to be]
(to be) predicate noun
(to be) predicate adjective
Our guide proved (to be) a stranger to the region
...
Her suggestion proved (to be) a stroke of pure genius
...
Their claim proved (to be) false
...
put | puts · put · have put
irregular
Present
put
104
Present Progressive
I put
we put
you put
you put
he/she/it puts
they put
He always puts his car in the garage
...
Past Progressive
I put
we put
you put
you put
he/she/it put
they put
I put the package on his desk
...
Present Perfect … have | has put
… had put
Past Perfect
… will put
Future
Future Progressive … will be putting
… will have put
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was put
we were put
you were put
you were put
he/she/it was put
they were put
The documents were put into the safe
...
We put the new rug in the living room
...
She put her hand under the kitten to lift it
...
The clerk put a price of $49
...
The coach put pressure on the team
...
put insert
object adverb of place to/from
passive
I put the key into the lock and turned it
...
The telephone company will put a new satellite into orbit
...
The suitcases were put into the closet
...
The CEO’s decision put 3,000 people out of work
...
He always puts me in a good mood
...
put express, say
object adverb of manner
I thought he put it very well
...
I put my comments in writing
...
104
put
put | puts · put · have put
irregular
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
put across communicate successfully
aside save
put sep
He managed to put across the complexity of the plan
...
Would you put the ketchup away, please?
sep
put away eat/drink a lot of
down overcome with force,
put sep
suppress
sep
put down write down
Steve can really put away the potato chips
...
”
put forth grow [plants]
sep
put forth/forward propose, suggest
We put aside the income tax refund for our retirement
...
It’s important to put everything down on paper
...
You can put 10% down and pay the rest in 90 days
...
She put forward her plan to save endangered species
...
put on deceive [someone]
sep
put on dress in [clothing]
sep
put on add
Don’t believe him; he’s just putting you on
...
working
sep
put out extinguish
sep
put out publish, issue
We put in more shelves for our books
...
Drake put in for the vacant Senate seat
...
Ron put on his fake French accent, and we all laughed
...
She puts lipstick on in the morning and after lunch
...
Mom put a pot of coffee on for us
...
They put out 40 titles a year
...
put out generate a lot of
sep
put out make unconscious
Your laptop puts out a lot of heat
...
The anesthesia will put you out, and you won’t
remember the surgery
...
We can put your parents up for one night
...
Our neighbors put their house up for sale
...
They put up a new drugstore in just four months
...
put up with
Martha couldn’t put up with the noise anymore
...
quit | quits · quit · have quit
irregular
Present
quit
105
Present Progressive
I quit
we quit
you quit
you quit
he/she/it quits
they quit
He usually quits around 5 o’clock
...
Past
Past Progressive
I quit
we quit
you quit
you quit
he/she/it quit
they quit
I quit my job last year
...
Present Perfect … have | has quit
… had quit
Past Perfect
… will quit
Future
Future Progressive … will be quitting
… will have quit
Future Perfect
Past Passive
Quit is never used in the passive voice
...
The engine quits if you give it too much gas
...
quit stop working at the end of a work
period
When do they quit for the day?
I am getting tired
...
quit resign from a job
That’s it
...
quit admit defeat, give up
You beat me again
...
No matter how bad things look, we will never quit
...
quit voluntarily stop doing [a job, school, activity]
object
wh-clause
present participle
I am going to quit my job at the end of the year
...
Mike quit college to join the Marines
...
You need to quit what you are doing and get a better job
...
The company is going to quit paying overtime
...
quit leave, move away from
object
They quit the suburbs and moved into the city
...
quit on stop functioning while
The lawn mower quits on me when I get into the tall grass
...
106
read
read | reads · read · have read
irregular
read learn from printed/on-screen material
that-clause
I read that the company may be up for sale
...
We read that the parade may be cancelled
...
He is very good at reading people’s body language
...
Diplomatic experts read the implications of every
government action
...
Everyone read his press release as an announcement
of his candidacy
...
The thermometer reads 32 degrees Celsius
...
”
PHRASAL VERBS
read in/into infer [additional ideas/
What did you read into Senator
messages] from reading Blather’s remarks?
sep
read off read aloud [a list]
The teacher read off the names of students who had
won awards
...
EXPRESSIONS
read between the lines understand the
She is good at reading between
intended but not explicit meaning of the lines of politicians’ speeches
...
Read my lips
...
” [president george h
...
tell you
...
[someone’s] legal rights to [someone who
has been arrested]
read [someone] like a book understand
His calm manner doesn’t fool me; I can read him like
[someone] well a book
...
top
verb
30
read [someone’s]
How did you know I wanted pizza for dinner?
mind/thoughts You must have read my mind
...
Past
I am reading
you are reading
he/she/it is reading
Be quiet! I’m reading
...
Present Perfect … have | has read
… had read
Past Perfect
I was reading
we were reading
you were reading
you were reading
he/she/it was reading
they were reading
I was just reading your note
...
note: The present form of read rhymes with seed; the past forms of read rhyme with bed
...
of printed material
I always read on the airplane
...
DJ reads with a different voice for each character
...
object
Thank you
...
Paul read the memo in a perfect imitation of the boss’s
voice
...
to paraphrase
Can you read a story to me?
The teacher reads a book to the class for the last 15 minutes
...
read decode and get information from [a set of letters/numbers/symbols]
object
I can’t read her handwriting
...
The gas man came to read the meter this morning
...
Will my computer be able to read this file?
read look at and understand the content of [written/printed/on-screen material]
object
I read the newspaper every morning at breakfast
...
passive
Julius Caesar was read in every
tenth-grade classroom
...
You need to read what is in the fine
print very carefully
...
top
verb
30
107
rend
rend | rends · rent · have rent
rend | rends · rended · have rended
Present
irregular
regular
Present Progressive
I rend
we rend
you rend
you rend
he/she/it rends
they rend
It rends my heart to see her so unhappy
...
Past Progressive
I rent
we rent
you rent
you rent
he/she/it rent
they rent
The howling of wolves rent the night air
...
… will rend
Future
Future Progressive … will be rending
… will have rent
Future Perfect
Past Passive
—
—
—
—
it was rent
they were rent
The quiet was rent by a loud explosion
...
The dryer had rent the delicate fabrics to shreds
...
The drapes were rent from top to bottom
...
passive
The night was rent by the wolves’ howling
...
Her heart was rent by the dreadful sight
...
Past
I am ridding
we are ridding
you are ridding
you are ridding
he/she/it is ridding
they are ridding
The store is ridding itself of unsold merchandise
...
Present Perfect … have | has rid
… had rid
Past Perfect
I was ridding
we were ridding
you were ridding
you were ridding
he/she/it was ridding
they were ridding
I was ridding myself of all my junk
...
COMPLEMENTS
rid free from [someone/something not wanted]
object of object
They hoped to rid the world of nuclear weapons
...
You must rid yourself of all debt
...
The alderman wants to rid the city of one-way streets
...
“Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?” [henry ii,
leading to the murder of thomas becket in 1170]
passive
The tent was rid of all mosquitoes
...
I am riding
we are riding
you are riding
you are riding
he/she/it is riding
they are riding
Our hopes are riding on the new government
...
Present Perfect … have | has ridden
… had ridden
Past Perfect
I was riding
we were riding
you were riding
you were riding
he/she/it was riding
they were riding
He was riding in the first race
...
COMPLEMENTS
ride sit on a horse/bicycle/motorcycle/
etc
...
You never forget how to ride
...
ride move along in a vehicle
He never rides when he can walk
...
They rode in a school bus to the meeting
...
We rented horses and rode them all afternoon
...
I usually ride the bus to work
...
ride be carried along on/by
object
The surfers were riding the waves
...
The TV networks were still riding the fad of reality TV
...
I had better get back to work
...
PHRASAL VERBS
ride away/down/off/out/up/etc
...
We rode out to the ferry landing this morning
...
Can our company ride out these perilous economic times?
ride up move upward out of place
His jeans rode up as he jogged across the parking lot
...
All his hopes are riding on being promoted to news anchor
...
I am ringing
we are ringing
you are ringing
you are ringing
he/she/it is ringing
they are ringing
Your alarm clock is ringing
...
Present Perfect … have | has rung
… had rung
Past Perfect
I was ringing
we were ringing
you were ringing
you were ringing
he/she/it was ringing
they were ringing
The phone was ringing all morning
...
note: The irregular verb ring is presented here
...
COMPLEMENTS
ring make the sound of a bell
All of the church bells were ringing
...
ring call for service by telephone/bell
If you need help, just ring
...
Please ring for service
...
ring be filled with sound
The halls rang with laughter as the students left for the holiday
...
ring cause [a bell/alarm] to sound
object
passive
I knocked and rang the doorbell
...
The bells are always rung on Easter
...
Harry’s apology rang hollow
...
sep
ring up record the price of
[something] on a cash register
The cashier rang up the cauliflower at $1
...
EXPRESSIONS
ring a bell seem familiar
You’re right—that name rings a bell
...
the new year
ring off the hook ring constantly
I got nothing done this morning—the phone was ringing
off the hook
...
I am rising
we are rising
you are rising
you are rising
he/she/it is rising
they are rising
His temperature is still rising
...
Present Perfect … have | has risen
… had risen
Past Perfect
I was rising
we were rising
you were rising
you were rising
he/she/it was rising
they were rising
Prices were steadily rising
...
COMPLEMENTS
rise go to a higher level
The tide will be rising until four
...
A loud cheer rose from the spectators
...
The Beatles rose to fame overnight
...
He rose from office boy to company director
...
We usually rise before dawn
...
The Roman Empire rose and fell
...
My income has not risen as much as inflation has
...
The hills steadily rose as we drove northward
...
His voice rose to a pitiful squeak
...
The wind rose to near gale force
...
rise up (against ) rebel/revolt
(against [someone/something])
The colonists rose up against George III and his army
...
rise to the occasion succeed in dealing
The president rose to the occasion and delivered
with a difficult situation a forceful, inspiring speech
...
I am running
we are running
you are running
you are running
he/she/it is running
they are running
He is running in the Boston Marathon
...
I was running
we were running
you were running
you were running
he/she/it was running
they were running
The program was running a little late
...
COMPLEMENTS
run go by moving one’s legs faster
than in walking
The kids never stop running
...
The tiger has escaped! Run!
run flow [of liquids]
The Missouri River runs into the Mississippi River at St
...
The paint was too thin
...
A murmur ran through the crowd
...
The train runs three times a day
...
The network servers are not running
...
He runs the local supermarket
...
I need to run to the bank
...
The ferry runs from Modoc to Ste
...
object adverb of place to/from Can you run me back to the office?
I will run you over to the station
...
The fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30
...
This path runs up the bluff to Deer Pond
...
The logging company ran a gravel road
out to the camp
...
The shipping will run $8
...
The trip will run you about $500
...
Our company ran an ad in the July issue
...
We ran late getting to the theater
...
We ran across old photos of Great-grandfather
...
She ran against another alderman in the primary
...
approval for [something] from
sep
run down drain all the power from
Tara runs around with her friends from high school
...
Stop trying to start the car; you’ll run the battery down
...
run for support [someone] as a
candidate for
run into collide with
The party ran an unknown businessman for mayor
...
run on use for power
Our hybrid car runs on gasoline and an NiMH battery
...
run out come to an end, be used up
Time is running out, and I still have an essay to write
...
They ran out of popcorn before the second show
...
My sister ran into a deer on the highway
...
run over overflow
Quick! The bathtub is running over
...
run over exceed a limit
sep
run over bring [something]
The class was supposed to last an hour, but it ran over
...
top
verb
30
Would you run the latest proposal over to my office?
The grocery bill runs to $123
...
Homer’s Odyssey runs to more than 12,000 lines
...
run up against
encounter
He finally ran up against a problem he couldn’t solve
...
The Cobras ran up a big lead, then benched their starters
...
Past
I am sawing
we are sawing
you are sawing
you are sawing
he/she/it is sawing
they are sawing
I am sawing fence posts
...
I was sawing
we were sawing
you were sawing
you were sawing
he/she/it was sawing
they were sawing
He was sawing as fast as he could
...
COMPLEMENTS
saw cut using a saw
We have been sawing all afternoon
...
Look out for nails when you saw
...
saw be cut using a saw
These pine two-by-fours saw very easily
...
When he jumped off the cliff, his arms sawed up and down
...
I will saw the sheets of fiberglass with a special blade
...
They have sawn a lot of timber this week
...
The lumber had been sawn against the grain
...
bars with a table knife
...
sep
saw off cut off
up cut into pieces
saw sep
She sawed off the branches that she could reach
...
114
say
say | says · said · have said
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I say
we say
you say
you say
he/she/it says
they say
He always says that he is too busy
...
Past
Past Progressive
I said
we said
you said
you said
he/she/it said
they said
She said something I couldn’t understand
...
… will say
Future
Future Progressive … will be saying
… will have said
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was said
we were said
you were said
you were said
he/she/it was said
they were said
They were said to be in the oil business
...
They said nothing about it
...
He said to go ahead without him
...
The recipe said to use only the egg whites
...
They said that they would come back later
...
He said that we should expect snow
...
Did he say when they were coming?
The instructions say how to attach the handlebars
...
“We’re glad you’re here
...
His expression said it all
...
My instinct says to me that we should really be cautious
...
be said be commonly reported [used only in the passive]
infinitive
She was said to be one of the best lawyers around
...
EXPRESSIONS
have to say for yourself be able
to say in one’s favor/defense
say the word give a signal
say yes/no (to ) agree/disagree
(with [someone/something])
The defendant had nothing to say for himself
...
Just say no to drugs
...
Past
I am seeing
we are seeing
you are seeing
you are seeing
he/she/it is seeing
they are seeing
I am seeing them at 10 o’clock
...
Present Perfect … have | has seen
… had seen
Past Perfect
I was seeing
we were seeing
you were seeing
you were seeing
he/she/it was seeing
they were seeing
We were seeing some friends last night
...
COMPLEMENTS
see use the sense of sight
Ray can’t see anymore
...
see understand [something previously said]
Oh, I see! [usually spoken emphatically]
see acknowledge [something previously said] I see
...
We saw the documentary on TV last night
...
Sam saw the wind rip the roof off the house
...
We saw Charles walking to school
...
I didn’t see you standing there
...
Someone must have seen the car stolen
...
I see that you bought a new car
...
You bought a new car, I see
...
Did anybody see where the kids went?
object
I see your point
...
Nobody saw the magnitude of the risk
...
[used only in the passive]
The judge was seen to favor the
prosecution
...
Our lawyer saw that they were on
shaky legal ground
...
No one saw how risky the plan was
...
Guess whom I saw today?
Would you stop by and see Aunt Tillie?
You will be seen by the next available doctor
...
Steve saw a cancer specialist today
...
see find out
wh-clause
See who’s at the door, please
...
see have a romantic relationship with [used only in the progressive tenses]
object
Paul is seeing a friend of mine
...
Are you seeing anyone?
see accompany
object adverb of place to/from
Louise saw her guests to the door
...
see consider
object as predicate noun
object as predicate adjective
They saw Laura as a threat
...
We see her as inexperienced and unreliable
...
Traders will see the economic picture as unstable
...
We asked the janitor to see (to it) that the boxes are
removed from the hallway
...
The price of milk has seen a large increase
...
accompany in a specified direction
see about take care of
May I see you back to your office?
The receptionist will see you out
...
My secretary will see about ordering new carpet
...
of departure]
see out look outside
The windows were papered over so we couldn’t see out
...
His wife finally saw through all his lies
...
An extra $100 a week will see us through
...
Past
I am seeking
we are seeking
you are seeking
you are seeking
he/she/it is seeking
they are seeking
We are only seeking the truth
...
Present Perfect … have | has sought
… had sought
Past Perfect
I was seeking
we were seeking
you were seeking
you were seeking
he/she/it was seeking
they were seeking
The birds were seeking suitable nesting places
...
COMPLEMENTS
seek look for
object
passive
seek ask for
object
passive
Ruby was seeking a good place for the family reunion
...
We sought anybody who could answer our questions
...
You need to seek professional advice
...
We should seek help on this problem
...
seek try, attempt
infinitive
We sought to find a better solution to the problem
...
We never sought to cause any problems
...
seek try to get/achieve
object
The plaintiff is seeking damages of $2 million
...
She sought perfection in everything she did
...
EXPRESSIONS
Seek and ye shall find
...
find it
...
117
sell
sell | sells · sold · have sold
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I sell
we sell
you sell
you sell
he/she/it sells
they sell
Our store sells sports equipment
...
Past
Past Progressive
I sold
we sold
you sold
you sold
he/she/it sold
they sold
We sold the desk on craigslist
...
Present Perfect … have | has sold
… had sold
Past Perfect
… will sell
Future
Future Progressive … will be selling
… will have sold
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was sold
we were sold
you were sold
you were sold
he/she/it was sold
they were sold
That house was sold last week
...
His proposal will never sell
...
He finally sold his jewelry business
...
How much did you sell the table for?
We sold them some lawn furniture
...
We sold some lawn furniture to them
...
He sold us just what we had in mind
...
sell be given in exchange [ for money]
for object
sell offer for purchase
object
passive
object for object
The Picasso painting sold for $104 million
...
The hardware store sells electrical and plumbing supplies
...
They sell fish sandwiches on Friday
...
The boutique is selling scarves for as little as $7
...
50 a gallon
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
sell off liquidate
sell out of sell all of
We sold off our clothing division two years ago
...
We are sold out of chocolate ice cream
...
Past
I am sending
we are sending
you are sending
you are sending
he/she/it is sending
they are sending
I am sending you an e-mail
...
Present Perfect … have | has sent
… had sent
Past Perfect
I was sending
we were sending
you were sending
you were sending
he/she/it was sending
they were sending
She was sending her children to a private school
...
COMPLEMENTS
send mail, dispatch
object
They forgot to send the letter
...
send cause to go / be carried
object adverb of place to/from
passive
indirect object direct object
to paraphrase
We sent our luggage on ahead
...
The wizard sent Dorothy back to Kansas
...
The package was sent to the wrong office
...
We sent them a wedding present
...
We sent a wedding present to them
...
cause to go in a specified direction
The publisher sent my manuscript back unread
...
send (away/back/down/off/out/up)
for summon, request
Send for the school nurse immediately
...
Let’s send out for pizza
...
sep
send off cause to go away
sep
send off say farewell to [someone
leaving on a trip]
sep
send out issue, distribute
Send the children off so that we can talk privately
...
The coach sent Hopkins in for Busam
...
The town sent the soldiers off with a parade
...
Good economic news sent the stock market up
...
put in a specified position and went to lunch
...
set about begin
set against cause to disagree with
The Scouts set about repairing the holes in the tent
...
His budget policies set the president against Congress
...
They set their differences aside and became close friends
...
The Supreme Court set aside the appellate court ruling
...
The president’s order set genetic research back six years
...
set down to blame [something] on
The boss set Hank’s mistake down to inexperience and
naiveté
...
set in begin
Decay has already set in
...
set off/out depart, start out
Three hundred pioneers set off from St
...
Refugees set out in overcrowded boats for the mainland
...
sep
set off cause to explode
set on/upon attack
Quarrymen set off 150 pounds of dynamite
...
My son set the metal detector off with his belt buckle
...
sep
set out display
The store sets out its Christmas items right after
Halloween
...
Farmers set to plugging the hole in the dike
...
set to order to
sep
set up arrange
up build, erect
set sep
My parents set me to vacuuming the dining room
...
sep
set up
Our group set up a web-based discussion forum
...
Gerry set up a miniature railroad in the living room
...
She set her mom’s computer up to do e-mail
...
[someone] the target
of a joke/deception
sep
set up with
Would you set me up with your roommate?
arrange a date for
[someone] with
set | sets · set · have set
irregular
Present
set
119
Present Progressive
I set
we set
you set
you set
he/she/it sets
they set
The auctioneer sets a minimum bid
...
m
...
Present Perfect … have | has set
… had set
Past Perfect
I was setting
we were setting
you were setting
you were setting
he/she/it was setting
they were setting
We were setting a new direction for the company
...
COMPLEMENTS
set sink below the horizon
The sun will set at 6:43 tonight
...
Orion was setting behind the snowy hills
...
The cement in the patio was setting nicely
...
The glue sets in just a few seconds
...
I set my foot on the bottom rung of the ladder
...
The house was set well back from the road
...
The album had been set on a shelf in the living room
...
I have set the clock for daylight saving time
...
Last winter, we set the thermostat at 62 degrees
...
set establish, fix
object
The track team set a record for the 400-meter relay
...
Sarah and Lucas have set the date of their wedding
...
The real estate agent set the price of our house at $235,000
...
set cause to be in a certain state/condition
object predicate adjective
Lincoln set the slaves free
...
object to present participle
The speech set us to thinking about
harnessing the sun’s energy
...
I am sewing
we are sewing
you are sewing
you are sewing
he/she/it is sewing
they are sewing
He is sewing his own Halloween costume
...
… will sew
Future
Future Progressive … will be sewing
… will have sewn
Future Perfect
Past Passive
—
—
—
—
it was sewn
they were sewn
All clothes by this company were sewn in the United States
...
Don’t bother Mom—she’s sewing
...
sew stitch together, fasten with stitches
object
passive
object past participle
passive
indirect object direct object
for paraphrase
The seamstress can sew a jacket in a single day
...
The costumes have already been sewn for the play
...
The pockets were sewn shut
...
Birds sewed Cinderella a gown to wear to the ball
...
Birds sewed a gown for Cinderella to wear to the ball
...
The intern sewed the surgical patient up
...
We can sew up the entire deal by noon
...
Past
I am shaking
you are shaking
he/she/it is shaking
My hands are shaking
...
Present Perfect … have | has shaken
… had shaken
Past Perfect
I was shaking
we were shaking
you were shaking
you were shaking
he/she/it was shaking
they were shaking
He was shaking his head in disbelief
...
COMPLEMENTS
shake tremble, vibrate
His voice shakes whenever he gets excited
...
My legs were beginning to shake from the strain of lifting
the box
...
I shook David by the shoulder to wake him up
...
We shook the rugs and put them back on the floor
...
Shake the dressing well before using
...
The sudden increase in oil prices shook the financial markets
...
She was visibly shaken when she returned
...
The gardener shook the apples down
...
direction
sep
shake down get money from The politician shook down corporations for campaign
by using threats contributions
...
sep
shake off get rid of
out clean by shaking
shake sep
sep
shake out straighten by
shaking
sep
shake up mix by shaking
sep
shake up change greatly
It took me a week to shake off a cold
...
Lydia shook the shirts out before hanging them up
...
The new department head shook up the staff with a round
of hiring and firing
...
Past
I am shaving
we are shaving
you are shaving
you are shaving
he/she/it is shaving
they are shaving
Can you get the phone? I’m shaving
...
Present Perfect … have | has shaven
… had shaven
Past Perfect
I was shaving
we were shaving
you were shaving
you were shaving
he/she/it was shaving
they were shaving
He was shaving by the time he was 16
...
COMPLEMENTS
shave cut off one’s beard
I need to shave
...
When was the last time you shaved?
shave cut off the hair of with a razor
object
passive
Before the surgery, a nurse shaved my back
...
Competitive swimmers shave their whole bodies
...
shave cut a thin slice from
object
passive
We shaved dark chocolate to get chocolate curls
...
Thin slices of prosciutto were shaven for the appetizers
...
The factory shaved costs by turning the heat down five degrees
...
The injury shaved the odds of our winning
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
shave off cut [ from]
He shaved off a little sliver from the edge
of the table with a plane
...
Past
I am shearing
we are shearing
you are shearing
you are shearing
he/she/it is shearing
they are shearing
We are shearing all this week
...
Present Perfect … have | has shorn
… had shorn
Past Perfect
I was shearing
we were shearing
you were shearing
you were shearing
he/she/it was shearing
they were shearing
She was shearing the plants almost to the ground
...
COMPLEMENTS
shear remove fleece from sheep
Nobody can shear all day long without
getting exhausted
...
shear break off under stress
The wing sheared off in the crash
...
shear remove [hair, wool, grass, etc
...
Very few ranches shear their own sheep these days
...
After the sheep have been shorn, the wool is weighed
...
The roof of the truck was shorn off in the collision
...
A hospital gown sheared me of all dignity
...
124
shed
shed | sheds · shed · have shed
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I shed
we shed
you shed
you shed
he/she/it sheds
they shed
The tree sheds its leaves all over the patio
...
Past Progressive
I shed
we shed
you shed
you shed
he/she/it shed
they shed
The cats shed all over my black sweater
...
… will shed
Future
Future Progressive … will be shedding
… will have shed
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was shed
we were shed
you were shed
you were shed
he/she/it was shed
they were shed
Our coats were shed as soon as we stepped onto the plane
...
Most reptiles shed whenever they get too big for their old skin
...
shed cast off / lose [ fur/skin/leaves] naturally
object
passive
Most long-haired dogs shed a lot of fur in the spring
...
Most shade trees shed their leaves
...
shed take off, get rid of
object
passive
The kids shed their clothes and put on their bathing suits
...
Many people never shed their fear of public speaking
...
Their fear of foreign travel has never really been shed
...
Our tent didn’t seem to shed a drop of water
...
shed let flow
object
We shed many tears over her death
...
EXPRESSIONS
shed crocodile tears pretend that
The banks were shedding crocodile tears
one is crying for depositors who lost money
...
I am shining
we are shining
you are shining
you are shining
he/she/it is shining
they are shining
A light is shining in the window
...
Present Perfect … have | has shone
… had shone
Past Perfect
I was shining
we were shining
you were shining
you were shining
he/she/it was shining they were shining
Their eyes were shining with excitement
...
COMPLEMENTS
note: The irregular form shone is used both with and without an object, except in the
sense “make bright by polishing”; the regular form shined is used only with an object
...
The jewels shone in the display case
...
Their swords and spears shone in the moonlight
...
The lighthouse shone through the mist, guiding us to port
...
shine do very well
shine cause to give off light
Melissa shines in social studies
...
The policeman is shining his headlights on the abandoned
car
...
passive
Bright lights were shone on the prisoners’ faces all night long
...
I shined my shoes carefully before the interview
...
The sun shone down on us as we
give off light in a specified direction walked along the beach
...
Shine the flashlight up a little higher
...
126
shoe
shoe | shoes · shod · have shod
shoe | shoes · shoed · have shoed
Present
irregular
regular
Present Progressive
I shoe
we shoe
you shoe
you shoe
he/she/it shoes
they shoe
He only shoes horses on the weekends
...
Past Progressive
I shod
we shod
you shod
you shod
he/she/it shod
they shod
I shod their horses last fall
...
Present Perfect … have | has shod
… had shod
Past Perfect
… will shoe
Future
Future Progressive … will be shoeing
… will have shod
Future Perfect
Past Passive
—
—
—
—
it was shod
they were shod
Racehorses were often shod with aluminum shoes
...
A professional blacksmith usually shoes horses
...
shoe furnish/fit with footwear [only in the passive]
passive
In Hawaii, most kids are shod only in flip-flops
...
shoot | shoots · shot · have shot
irregular
Present
shoot
127
Present Progressive
I shoot
we shoot
you shoot
you shoot
he/she/it shoots
they shoot
MacInnis shoots and scores!
I am shooting
we are shooting
you are shooting
you are shooting
he/she/it is shooting
they are shooting
The guards are shooting from the perimeter
...
I was shooting
we were shooting
you were shooting
you were shooting
he/she/it was shooting
they were shooting
They were shooting the scene in our neighborhood
...
Louis
...
I picked up the bow and shot
...
[basketball]
Beckham shoots from just outside the penalty area
...
[hockey]
shoot make a photograph/film
Just point the camera and shoot
...
shoot fire [a gun]
object
Can you shoot a rifle?
Revelers shot pistols into the air on New Year’s Eve
...
We were shooting tin cans behind the barn
...
You can only shoot what is in season
...
shoot photograph, film
object
passive
We want to shoot the boats in the harbor
...
The dream sequence was shot in black and white
...
The song shot straight to the top of the charts
...
move very quickly in light turned green
...
D
...
shoot up grow quickly
The daffodils shot up overnight
...
128
show
show | shows · showed · have shown
show | shows · showed · have showed
irregular
regular
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
show around/away/down/in/out/
Sam was showing the White House
up/etc
...
A guide showed us down to the cafeteria
...
show off do something to attract attention
Ronny was always showing off in front of the girls
...
show up appear
The Republican ratings show up as the red line on your
screen
...
Fred showed everybody up at the math contest
...
show [one’s] hand reveal one’s intentions
He never showed his hand while discussing free trade
...
show signs of give indications of
The patient shows signs of bipolar disorder
...
show [someone] the ropes show
Don’t worry; the secretary who’s retiring will show you
[someone] how to do something the ropes
...
top
verb
30
irregular
regular
show | shows · showed · have shown
show | shows · showed · have showed
Present
show
128
Present Progressive
I show
we show
you show
you show
he/she/it shows
they show
The picture shows a vase of sunflowers
...
Past Progressive
I showed
we showed
you showed
you showed
he/she/it showed
they showed
He showed no emotion as he spoke
...
… will show
Future
Future Progressive … will be showing
… will have shown
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was shown
we were shown
you were shown
you were shown
he/she/it was shown
they were shown
The theory was shown to be seriously flawed
...
The buds are just beginning to show
...
The wine stain doesn’t show
...
When is the movie showing?
He never lets his feelings show
...
show display
object
passive
indirect object direct object
to paraphrase
You must show your ID card before you can enter
...
Her paintings have been shown all over the world
...
The realtor showed some prospective buyers the house
...
Show the money to me
...
They always showed real consideration to their employees
...
The map showed the city to be smaller than we had been told
...
(object ) that-clause
The concert shows that Louise has made enormous progress
...
(object ) wh-clause
The X-ray showed what had happened
...
(object ) wh-infinitive
The chart showed how much to invest
...
Lou will show them where to park
...
I am shrinking
we are shrinking
you are shrinking
you are shrinking
he/she/it is shrinking
they are shrinking
Our margin of error is shrinking
...
Present Perfect … have | has shrunk
… had shrunk
Past Perfect
I was shrinking
we were shrinking
you were shrinking
you were shrinking
he/she/it was shrinking
they were shrinking
The laundry was always shrinking my shirts
...
COMPLEMENTS
shrink become smaller
Hot metal shrinks as it cools
...
Average take-home pay has shrunk over the last five years
...
My waist has shrunk a bit, thanks to my diet
...
We waterproofed the wet barrels by shrinking them
in the sun
...
passive
Our profits have been shrunk by rising costs
...
The president does not shrink from his role as
commander-in-chief
...
Scientists don’t shrink from examining all the data
...
as in fear
The cats shrank back at the sight of the dogs
...
m
...
Past
Past Progressive
I shut
we shut
you shut
you shut
he/she/it shut
they shut
He shut himself in his office
...
Present Perfect … have | has shut
… had shut
Past Perfect
… will shut
Future
Future Progressive … will be shutting
… will have shut
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was shut
we were shut
you were shut
you were shut
he/she/it was shut
they were shut
The gates were shut by the guard
...
The gate shut with a loud crash
...
The lid shut on my fingers
...
All government offices shut at five
...
President Roosevelt shut all the banks temporarily to prevent
failures
...
The Navy is going to shut the entire shipyard
...
passive
The entrance was shut after the last worker arrived
...
The blockade shut the enemy fleet inside the port
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
shut down close permanently
Producers shut the play down after
only 10 performances
...
sep
shut in surround, enclose
The cowboys shut the cattle in
...
sep
shut off turn off
They shut off the gas before leaving on vacation
...
and out of
Authorities shut off the downtown area because of a bomb
threat
...
shut up stop talking [informal]
Would you shut up and listen to me?
sep
shut up lock up
Guards shut the prisoners up in their cells
...
I am singing
we are singing
you are singing
you are singing
he/she/it is singing
they are singing
The birds are singing in the trees
...
I was singing
we were singing
you were singing
you were singing
he/she/it was singing
they were singing
The group was singing around the campfire
...
COMPLEMENTS
sing make musical sounds with one’s
voice
sing make musical sounds, hum,
buzz, whistle
Do you like to sing?
Everybody can learn to sing
...
Jeff sang at his and Susan’s wedding
...
The engine’s vibration was making some metal part sing
...
The teakettle began to sing
...
The Beatles sang their own compositions
...
The national anthem is sung before every baseball game
...
EXPRESSIONS
sing a different tune have changed
He used to favor the death penalty;
one’s opinion now he’s singing a different tune
...
The whole office is singing the praises of the new copier
...
sink
sink | sinks · sank · have sunk
irregular
Present
132
Present Progressive
I sink
we sink
you sink
you sink
he/she/it sinks
they sink
Productivity sinks in the summer
...
Past
Past Progressive
I sank
we sank
you sank
you sank
he/she/it sank
they sank
The stock market sank again today
...
… will sink
Future
Future Progressive … will be sinking
… will have sunk
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was sunk
we were sunk
you were sunk
you were sunk
he/she/it was sunk
they were sunk
The boat was sunk in 50 feet of water
...
My boots were sinking in the soft mud
...
sink go down gradually
The hot air balloon was sinking to the earth
...
The sun was sinking in the west
...
Senator Blather’s poll numbers were steadily sinking
...
My heart sank when I heard the bad news
...
sink become weaker
sink cause to go below the surface
object
An explosion in the engine room sank the fishing boat
...
passive
The barges were sunk by the storm
...
The dog sank its teeth into my leg
...
sink go gradually [into a certain state/condition]
into object
sink ruin
object
passive
The family sank into poverty
...
His widow and orphans sank into despair
...
The defeat sank all our hopes for the championship
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sink back lean back and relax
After work, I poured a drink and sank
back on the sofa
...
133
sit
sit | sits · sat · have sat
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I sit
we sit
you sit
you sit
he/she/it sits
they sit
The cat always sits by the window
...
Past Progressive
I sat
we sat
you sat
you sat
he/she/it sat
they sat
We sat on a park bench in the sun
...
… will sit
Future
Future Progressive … will be sitting
… will have sat
Future Perfect
Past Passive
Sit is rarely used in the passive voice
...
The plane can’t take off until you sit and fasten your seat belt
...
We trained the dog to sit on command
...
The budget committee is sitting this afternoon
...
I sat next to him at dinner
...
We are sitting on the runway, waiting to take off
...
When I got to the office, a new computer was sitting on my desk
...
object
Our dining room table sits eight
...
We sat back and enjoyed the show
...
Momma sat us kids down and told us that Grandma had died
...
sit back relax
sit in (on ) attend ([an event]) The board meeting is tomorrow morning, and I’d like to sit in
...
Senator Blather sits on the Committee on Appropriations
...
I’m going to sit this dance out
...
Kristen sat up knitting half the night
...
slay | slays · slew · have slain
slay | slays · slayed · have slain
irregular
irregular
Present
slay
134
Present Progressive
I slay
we slay
you slay
you slay
he/she/it slays
they slay
His jokes always slay me
...
Past Progressive
I slew
we slew
you slew
you slew
he/she/it slew
they slew
The killer slew his victim in cold blood
...
… will slay
Future
Future Progressive … will be slaying
… will have slain
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was slain
we were slain
you were slain
you were slain
he/she/it was slain
they were slain
Hundreds of soldiers were slain in the attack
...
”
slay kill violently
object
passive
Some meat processing plants slay a thousand cows a day
...
How many people are slain by drunk drivers every year?
The victims were slain in their beds
...
You slay me, you really do!
He can slay a crowd just by looking at them
...
Past
I am sleeping
we are sleeping
you are sleeping
you are sleeping
he/she/it is sleeping
they are sleeping
I am not sleeping very well lately
...
Present Perfect … have | has slept
… had slept
Past Perfect
I was sleeping
we were sleeping
you were sleeping
you were sleeping
he/she/it was sleeping
they were sleeping
Our guests were sleeping in the spare bedroom
...
COMPLEMENTS
sleep not be awake
We all need to sleep
...
He only slept a few hours last night
...
sleep be inactive
New York never sleeps
...
The security force never sleeps
...
We usually sleep at a motel when we visit my grandparents
...
If I get home late, I sleep downstairs so I don’t wake anybody
...
The studio apartments only sleep two people
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sleep in sleep after one’s normal time Sorry, I slept in this morning
...
sleeping
sleep on delay a decision on
sleep through be asleep and
I’ll sleep on the matter and give you an answer tomorrow
...
unaware of
EXPRESSIONS
sleep a wink sleep briefly
[usually negative]
I didn’t sleep a wink last night
...
slide | slides · slid · have slid
irregular
Present
slide
136
Present Progressive
I slide
we slide
you slide
you slide
he/she/it slides
they slide
The glass door slides easily now
...
Past
Past Progressive
I slid
we slid
you slid
you slid
he/she/it slid
they slid
The car slid into the ditch
...
Present Perfect … have | has slid
… had slid
Past Perfect
… will slide
Future
Future Progressive … will be sliding
… will have slid
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was slid
we were slid
you were slid
you were slid
he/she/it was slid
they were slid
The logs were slid down the hill
...
The bag of groceries slid from my hand
...
slide gradually become worse
His reputation is beginning to slide
...
slide move/glide smoothly over a surface
adverb of place to/from
The car slid into a snowbank
...
The canoes slid into the water
...
The drawer slides on side-mounted tracks
...
The company gradually slid into mediocrity
...
The temperature slid into the twenties overnight
...
I slid my hands gently under the kitten and lifted it up
...
The refrigerator was slid into place
...
The cook slid me a bowl of soup
...
The cook slid a bowl of soup to me
...
slide in a specified direction
sep
slide around/back/down/in/off/
out/up/etc
...
The roofer lost his balance and slid off
...
The goalie slid the puck back to a defenseman
...
137
sling
sling | slings · slung · have slung
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I sling
we sling
you sling
you sling
he/she/it slings
they sling
He slings mud in every campaign he’s in
...
Past Progressive
I slung
we slung
you slung
you slung
he/she/it slung
they slung
He slung a rope over a branch for a swing
...
… will sling
Future
Future Progressive … will be slinging
… will have slung
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was slung
we were slung
you were slung
you were slung
he/she/it was slung
they were slung
A blanket was carelessly slung across the door opening
...
David slung a stone at Goliath
...
A volley of steel balls was slung at the attackers
...
The waiter slung some food on the table and walked away
...
passive
Our supplies were slung onto the counter without a glance
from the clerk
...
A bridge had been slung across the river far below
...
slink | slinks · slunk · have slunk
slink | slinks · slinked · have slinked
irregular
regular
Present
slink
138
Present Progressive
I slink
we slink
you slink
you slink
he/she/it slinks
they slink
The senator always slinks from controversy
...
Past Progressive
I slunk
we slunk
you slunk
you slunk
he/she/it slunk
they slunk
He slunk back, embarrassed by his error
...
… will slink
Future
Future Progressive … will be slinking
… will have slunk
Future Perfect
Past Passive
Slink is never used in the passive voice
...
The homeless man slunk from alley to alley
...
The dancers were slinking around the stage seductively
...
PHRASAL VERBS
slink around/away/off/out/etc
...
The thief slunk away from the sudden light
...
139
slit
slit | slits · slit · have slit
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I slit
we slit
you slit
you slit
he/she/it slits
they slit
He slits letters open with a pocketknife
...
Past Progressive
I slit
we slit
you slit
you slit
he/she/it slit
they slit
She slit the tape and opened the package
...
… will slit
Future
Future Progressive … will be slitting
… will have slit
Future Perfect
Past Passive
—
—
—
—
it was slit
they were slit
The victim’s throat was slit
...
A friend of mine slit her wrists, but we got her to the emergency
room in time
...
passive
The birds’ throats are slit and then the feathers are removed
...
The prisoner slit the sheet into strips to be fashioned into a rope
...
The banana leaves had been slit into strips
...
I am sneaking
we are sneaking
you are sneaking
you are sneaking
he/she/it is sneaking
they are sneaking
The prisoners are sneaking past the guards
...
I was sneaking
we were sneaking
you were sneaking
you were sneaking
he/she/it was sneaking
they were sneaking
I was sneaking a quick snack in the kitchen
...
COMPLEMENTS
sneak move quietly and secretly in order not to be noticed
adverb of place to/from
They were trying to sneak into the game
...
Apparently, the prisoners had snuck over the wall
...
sneak take/bring quietly and secretly in order not to be noticed
object adverb of place to/from
passive
I snuck a recorder into the meeting
...
They had snuck some friends into the hotel pool
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sneak along/around/away/in/out/
up/etc
...
sneak [someone/something]
in a specified direction
sneak up on approach quietly
Nobody likes people who sneak around
...
I wasn’t invited, but my friends snuck me in
...
Sandy snuck up on me and tapped me on the shoulder
...
I am sowing
we are sowing
you are sowing
you are sowing
he/she/it is sowing
they are sowing
They are sowing rumors about our candidate
...
Present Perfect … have | has sown
… had sown
Past Perfect
I was sowing
we were sowing
you were sowing
you were sowing
he/she/it was sowing
they were sowing
The farmers were sowing their fields this week
...
COMPLEMENTS
Farmers sow in straight lines so they
can weed between the rows
...
”
Many farmers in the United States only sow genetically
engineered seeds
...
” [bible]
passive
When seeds were sown by hand, birds ate half of them
...
Agitators sowed fear among the townspeople
...
EXPRESSIONS
sow [one’s] (wild) oats behave
Gary was sowing his wild oats the summer
wildly/recklessly in one’s youth before he started college
...
sow the wind and reap the
whirlwind start trouble that becomes
worse than one expected
“They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind
...
Past
I am speaking
we are speaking
you are speaking
you are speaking
he/she/it is speaking
they are speaking
I am speaking at the luncheon this afternoon
...
Present Perfect … have | has spoken
… had spoken
Past Perfect
I was speaking
we were speaking
you were speaking
you were speaking
he/she/it was speaking
they were speaking
They were speaking French at the time
...
COMPLEMENTS
speak talk, say words
Are you hurt? Can you speak?
Most children start speaking before their second birthday
...
speak have a conversation
They need to find a place where they can speak privately
...
After their argument, they weren’t speaking for months
...
It takes a lot of practice to speak in public
...
speak say, express
object
speak have a conversation with
to object
speak talk in [a specific language]
object
passive
They are speaking the truth about what happened
...
We spoke to the police about the break-in
...
Huntleigh?
She can speak German and Dutch pretty well
...
PHRASAL VERBS
speak for say something on
behalf of
I am speaking only for myself
...
“I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues
...
seuss]
speak for ask for
I’d like to speak for the last slice of cheesecake
...
speak of speak about
Grandpa spoke of hardships during the Great Depression
...
speak up speak more loudly
Speak up! We can’t hear you in the back row
...
143
speed
speed | speeds · sped · have sped
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I speed
we speed
you speed
you speed
he/she/it speeds
they speed
He speeds when he gets on the freeway
...
Past Progressive
I sped
we sped
you sped
you sped
he/she/it sped
they sped
The sailboat sped before the wind
...
… will speed
Future
Future Progressive … will be speeding
… will have sped
Future Perfect
Past Passive
Speed is rarely used in the passive voice
...
The skiers sped down the slope toward the lodge
...
The rescuers were speeding to the scene of the accident
...
He was speeding in a construction zone and had to pay
a huge fine
...
Some men will try anything to speed hair growth
...
PHRASAL VERBS
speed along/away/down/over/past/
An ambulance sped past with its siren
up/etc
...
Teens were speeding up and down Main Street
...
past/up/etc
...
speed up go/move faster
Ricky sped up when he saw the police car
...
sep
speed up cause to go/move faster
We really need to speed up the production line
...
Past
I am spending
we are spending
you are spending
you are spending
he/she/it is spending
they are spending
We are spending too much time on this project
...
Present Perfect … have | has spent
… had spent
Past Perfect
I was spending
we were spending
you were spending
you were spending
he/she/it was spending
they were spending
We were spending a week in Phoenix
...
COMPLEMENTS
spend pay out money
They just love to spend
...
They spend and spend until they are broke
...
They spend over half their income on housing
...
The insurance settlement had already been spent
...
The kids spent half the summer at camp
...
A horse spends three hours a day sleeping
...
The storm finally spent itself during the night
...
Your talent would be better spent writing textbooks
...
I am spinning
we are spinning
you are spinning
you are spinning
he/she/it is spinning
they are spinning
The senator’s office is spinning the story
...
I was spinning
we were spinning
you were spinning
you were spinning
he/she/it was spinning
they were spinning
Our wheels were spinning on the ice
...
COMPLEMENTS
spin whirl around quickly
spin seem to be whirling around
quickly, as if to make someone dizzy
spin cause to whirl around quickly
object
passive
The altimeter was spinning fast
...
Your wheels will spin in this slush
...
4-degree axis
...
I have to sit down; my head is spinning
...
I spun the propeller to get the engine started
...
I showed the kids how to spin their new top
...
The wheel was spun by the next contestant
...
The cashmere yarn had been spun by hand
...
spin interpret in a way favorable to oneself
object
passive
The aides were busily spinning the election results
...
The story was spun until it was unrecognizable
...
spin in a
specified direction
sep
spin away/off/out/etc
...
He spun himself away from the computer
...
The chemical company spun off its herbicide division
...
Past
I am spitting
we are spitting
you are spitting
you are spitting
he/she/it is spitting
they are spitting
The victim is spitting blood
...
Present Perfect … have | has spit/spat
… had spit/spat
Past Perfect
I was spitting
we were spitting
you were spitting
you were spitting
he/she/it was spitting
they were spitting
They were spitting watermelon seeds
...
COMPLEMENTS
spit force something [often, saliva]
from one’s mouth
Rinse out your mouth and spit, please
...
I have such a bad taste in my mouth that I’m spitting
all the time
...
The defendant was spitting with sudden rage
...
object
The diner spit a chicken bone across the table
...
spit throw out [liquid, fire]
object
The engine was spitting oil
...
The bonfire was spitting sparks high into the night air
...
He spat an oath and slammed the door
...
147
split
split | splits · split · have split
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I split
we split
you split
you split
he/she/it splits
they split
Pine always splits along the grain
...
Past
Past Progressive
I split
we split
you split
you split
he/she/it split
they split
We split the cost equally
...
Present Perfect … have | has split
… had split
Past Perfect
… will split
Future
Future Progressive … will be splitting
… will have split
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was split
we were split
you were split
you were split
he/she/it was split
they were split
The prize was split among the winning contestants
...
The ice was heaving and splitting
...
The class split into three groups
...
Jayne got into a fight with her boyfriend and they decided
to split
...
split cause to separate/divide into parts
object
We split the logs for firewood
...
passive
Diamonds are still split by hand
...
split share/divide among participants
object
We need to split the workload more fairly
...
Rhonda split a pizza with Stan
...
passive
Overtime hours must be split among all workers
...
We will split whatever we win
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
split up (into ) divide
He split the class up into three groups
(into [groups, etc
...
sep
split off separate
The forum moderator split the topic off from the main thread
...
[someone/something])
irregular
spread | spreads · spread · have spread
Present
spread
148
Present Progressive
I spread
we spread
you spread
you spread
he/she/it spreads
they spread
He spreads peanut butter on his bagels
...
Past Progressive
I spread
we spread
you spread
you spread
he/she/it spread
they spread
We spread a blanket on the grass
...
Present Perfect … have | has spread
… had spread
Past Perfect
… will spread
Future
Future Progressive … will be spreading
… will have spread
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was spread
we were spread
you were spread
you were spread
he/she/it was spread
they were spread
The seeds were spread by a mechanical applicator
...
The floodwater was spreading by the minute
...
spread extend [over/to an area]
adverb of place to/from
The ripples spread across the pond
...
The impact of deflation spread throughout the economy
...
The forest fire spread to several hilltop villages
...
The senator hopes to spread the blame for the mistake
...
spread open/stretch out
object
The bird spread its wings
...
Spread the jam on every corner of the bread
...
They spread the payments over five years
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
spread around publicize
They spread the news around that
her campaign staff had been fired
...
EXPRESSIONS
spread it on thick exaggerate praise/
The car salesman was really spreading
blame it on thick
...
149
spring
spring | springs · sprang · have sprung
spring | springs · sprung · have sprung
Present
irregular
irregular
Present Progressive
I spring
we spring
you spring
you spring
he/she/it springs
they spring
He springs out of bed in the morning
...
Past Progressive
I sprang/sprung
we sprang/sprung
you sprang/sprung
you sprang/sprung
he/she/it sprang/sprung
The door sprang open
...
… will spring
Future
Future Progressive … will be springing
… will have sprung
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was sprung
we were sprung
you were sprung
you were sprung
he/she/it was sprung
they were sprung
The trap was sprung by a raccoon
...
The soldiers sprang up when the captain came into the room
...
The car sprang forward, nearly hitting us
...
spring suddenly appear
adverb of place to/from
A dog suddenly sprang out of the fog
...
The robbers sprang out of nowhere
...
A cry sprang from her throat
...
PHRASAL VERBS
spring for pay for
I’ll spring for a new coat for you
...
A new fast-food restaurant sprang up on the corner
...
spring a leak begin to leak
Our boat sprang a leak in the middle of the lake
...
EXPRESSIONS
spring to mind be thought of
Which president springs to mind when I say
“father of our country”?
stand | stands · stood · have stood
irregular
Present
stand
150
Present Progressive
I stand
we stand
you stand
you stand
he/she/it stands
they stand
The treasurer stands by the CEO
...
Past Progressive
I stood
we stood
you stood
you stood
he/she/it stood
they stood
We all stood for the national anthem
...
… will stand
Future
Future Progressive … will be standing
… will have stood
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was stood
we were stood
you were stood
you were stood
he/she/it was stood
they were stood
The pictures were all stood along the wall
...
Everyone stood when the funeral procession went by
...
stand remain undisturbed
[of food, liquid]
Let the tea leaves stand for a few minutes
...
The mixture should stand until all the liquid is absorbed
...
The judge let the lower court’s ruling stand
...
stand cause to be in an upright position
object adverb of place
passive
She stood the dolls against the dresser
...
Stand the children in front of a mirror
...
We stood the flagstaff in a big pot
...
stand be located
adverb of place
The church stands at the corner of Waterman and
Kingshighway
...
The train is standing at the station
...
The town stands on a little hill overlooking the bay
...
I stood to the side and let them pass
...
stand be [in a certain condition]
predicate adjective
He stood firm in his opposition to the plan
...
The house stood empty for many years
...
No one can stand his superior attitude
...
I can’t stand not knowing what happened
...
The horse stands 15 hands at the withers
...
stand in a specified position
Max stood aside and let the medics by
...
stand around loiter, be idle
stand at be at a specified amount/
They stood around with their hands in their pockets
...
Our team’s record stands at 11–4
...
stand by stand near but not involve oneself
Three people stood by and watched the robbery take
place
...
stand for represent
“U
...
A
...
”
tolerate [usually negative] We won’t stand for your nonsense any longer
...
stand up prove to be true/good
sep
stand up fail to keep a date with
This idea won’t stand up under scrutiny
...
My parents always stood up for immigrants’ rights
...
I can’t get any work done if you’re standing over me
...
EXPRESSIONS
stand a chance (of ) have a chance of
Does your team stand a chance of winning?
stand corrected admit that one is wrong
stand head and shoulders above
I stand corrected; there are two m’s in recommend
...
stand in [someone’s] way oppose/obstruct She beat every candidate who stood in her way to the
[someone] nomination
...
top
verb
30
stand [one’s] ground The politician stood his ground in spite of accusations
maintain one’s position by the opposition party
...
negative]
stand to reason
It stands to reason that interest rates are low in a
be sensible/reasonable recession
...
Past
I am stealing
we are stealing
you are stealing
you are stealing
he/she/it is stealing
they are stealing
I am stealing an idea from you—okay?
Past Progressive
I stole
we stole
you stole
you stole
he/she/it stole
they stole
Someone stole my wallet at the gym
...
… will steal
Future
Future Progressive … will be stealing
… will have stolen
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was stolen
we were stolen
you were stolen
you were stolen
he/she/it was stolen
they were stolen
The car was stolen right out of the garage
...
” [bible]
to one without paying for it / without
Fagin forced the children to steal
...
steal take without paying for / without permission
object
passive
Somebody stole my son’s bicycle
...
iPods are stolen out of backpacks every day
...
Can I steal your chair?
adverb of place to/from
The thieves stole into the garage and took some tools
...
The cavalry stole behind Union lines and attacked
from the rear
...
object
He managed to steal a look at the classified documents
...
steal take secretly and slyly
PHRASAL VERBS
steal away/down/in/out/up/etc
...
EXPRESSIONS
steal [someone’s] thunder say/do
Her opponent stole her thunder by
what [someone else] intended to say/do, appearing on TV an hour before she did
...
152
stick
stick | sticks · stuck · have stuck
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I stick
we stick
you stick
you stick
he/she/it sticks
they stick
The store sticks labels on fruit
...
Past
Past Progressive
I stuck
we stuck
you stuck
you stuck
he/she/it stuck
they stuck
A nurse stuck a bandage on Lynda’s knee
...
… will stick
Future
Future Progressive … will be sticking
… will have stuck
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was stuck
we were stuck
you were stuck
you were stuck
he/she/it was stuck
they were stuck
A note was stuck on my door while I was gone
...
Our wheels stuck in the soft earth
...
The transmission has stuck in first gear
...
Snow was sticking on the ground
...
stick attach, fasten, fix
object adverb of place
passive
We stuck a patch on the tire
...
They stuck the interns in a dingy basement office
...
stick poke, pierce, thrust
object adverb of place
passive
The nurse stuck a thermometer in his mouth
...
The little boy stuck a pin into the balloon
...
Political signs had been stuck on the lawn
...
extend in
a specified position
sep
stick away/back/down/in/on/
My toes were sticking out from under the quilt
...
Margaret stuck the report back in the drawer
...
thrust/attach in a specified I’ll stick the stamps on at the post office
...
stick around remain nearby
I asked Barb to stick around until I started my car
...
stick out be distinctive
That lime green shirt of his really sticks out
...
stick to adhere to
Everyone should stick to the point being discussed
...
stick up for
defend
Mom always stuck up for us kids
...
I am stinging
we are stinging
you are stinging
you are stinging
he/she/it is stinging
they are stinging
My hands are still stinging
...
Present Perfect … have | has stung
… had stung
Past Perfect
I was stinging
we were stinging
you were stinging
you were stinging
he/she/it was stinging
they were stinging
Sweat bees were stinging everyone at the picnic
...
COMPLEMENTS
sting hurt by pricking/piercing the skin
Wasps will sting if you get too close
to their nest
...
The insects sting when the wind dies down
...
Our throats were stinging from the exhaust
...
sting cause emotional pain
His criticisms stung at first
...
Man, what he said really stings!
sting hurt by pricking/piercing the skin of
object
A bee just stung me
...
passive
sting cause a sharp tingling/burning pain to
object
passive
sting cause emotional pain to
object
passive
The medicine stung my throat
...
The cold stung my ears and hands
...
Unjust criticism stings a writer
...
I was stung by her malicious attack
...
154
stink
stink | stinks · stank · have stunk
stink | stinks · stunk · have stunk
Present
irregular
irregular
Present Progressive
I stink
we stink
you stink
you stink
he/she/it stinks
they stink
The barn really stinks
...
Past
Past Progressive
I stank/stunk
we stank/stunk
you stank/stunk
you stank/stunk
he/she/it stank/stunk they stank/stunk
The whole economic situation stank
...
… will stink
Future
Future Progressive … will be stinking
… will have stunk
Future Perfect
Past Passive
Stink is never used in the passive voice
...
When tissue swells and stinks, it may be a sign of gangrene
...
You need to take out the garbage before it starts to stink
...
No one liked it
...
I think the plan stinks and should be junked
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
stink up fill with a strong,
unpleasant smell
Will hamsters stink up the house?
EXPRESSIONS
stink up the joint/place perform
very badly
Our team really stunk up the joint tonight
...
regular
irregular
strew | strews · strewed · have strewed
strew | strews · strewed · have strewn
Present
strew
155
Present Progressive
I strew
we strew
you strew
you strew
he/she/it strews
they strew
A flower girl strews petals down the aisle
...
Past Progressive
I strewed
we strewed
you strewed
you strewed
he/she/it strewed
they strewed
We strewed the dance floor with chalk
...
… will strew
Future
Future Progressive … will be strewing
… will have strewn
Future Perfect
Past Passive
—
—
—
—
it was strewn
they were strewn
The puppy’s food was strewn all around the kitchen
...
The rebels were strewing mines throughout the valley
...
Newspapers and magazines were strewn around the living room
...
Rusting cars and trucks strewed the front yard
...
Our neighbors are strewing their lawn with wrought iron furniture
...
The beach was strewn with rotting wood
...
Past
I am striding
we are striding
you are striding
you are striding
he/she/it is striding
they are striding
The horses are striding along at a fast clip now
...
Present Perfect … have | has stridden
… had stridden
Past Perfect
I was striding
we were striding
you were striding
you were striding
he/she/it was striding
they were striding
They were striding as though they were on parade
...
COMPLEMENTS
stride walk with long steps
He doesn’t walk, he strides
...
He was striding so fast that he was almost running
...
They strode angrily down the street and into the mayor’s
office
...
PHRASAL VERBS
stride along/away/down/in/out/
up/etc
...
Leon glared at the boss, then strode away
...
irregular
irregular
strike | strikes · struck · have struck
strike | strikes · struck · have stricken
Present
strike
157
Present Progressive
I strike
we strike
you strike
you strike
he/she/it strikes
they strike
The idea strikes us as promising
...
Past
Past Progressive
I struck
we struck
you struck
you struck
he/she/it struck
they struck
She struck her foot on a chair
...
Present Perfect … have | has struck/stricken
… had struck/stricken
Past Perfect
… will strike
Future
Future Progressive … will be striking
… will have struck/stricken
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was struck/stricken
we were struck/stricken
you were struck/stricken
you were struck/stricken
he/she/it was struck/stricken
they were struck/stricken
He was suddenly struck by a brilliant idea
...
Disaster struck when the ferry capsized in heavy seas
...
Many snakes hiss before they strike
...
We will strike if our demands are not met
...
strike hit forcefully
object
passive
A falling tree limb struck me on the shoulder
...
He struck the ball with his head
...
The Pinkston family was struck by tragedy today
...
strike occur to
object
it strike object that-clause
A great idea just struck me
...
It struck us that our problem had been solved
...
It struck everyone that it was getting very late
...
The attack struck the policeman as a suicide bombing
...
His scheme struck us as a stupid idea
...
Thomas struck her as nice but a little
strange
...
Their children struck us as well-behaved
...
You must strike the right balance between
compassion and assertiveness
...
PHRASAL VERBS
strike back/down/out attack in a specified
The hero struck back with his mighty
direction sword
...
specified direction
sep
strike down invalidate [a law]
The Supreme Court struck down the gay marriage
ban as unconstitutional
...
strike off/out (for ) set out
(to [someplace])
strike on realize suddenly
Thousands struck out for California in search of gold
...
strike out fail
Brandy struck out trying to convince the boss to give
her a raise
...
Sadie and Sally struck up a friendship at school
...
strike a bargain/deal reach agreement
The union and the company struck a bargain at the
eleventh hour
...
strike a nerve cause a strong negative
Your insensitive comment about immigration really
reaction struck a nerve
...
strike home make sense
His advice to save for a rainy day really strikes home
...
strike [one, two, … twelve / midnight]
The clock struck one, and the mouse ran down
...
top
verb
30
strike [someone’s]
fancy appeal to
[someone]
Miss Elizabeth Bennet struck Mr
...
strike while the iron is
The economy is booming, and the board
hot do something while recommends that the company strike while
one has the opportunity the iron is hot
...
Past
I am stringing
we are stringing
you are stringing
you are stringing
he/she/it is stringing
they are stringing
The kids are stringing beads
...
Present Perfect … have | has strung
… had strung
Past Perfect
I was stringing
we were stringing
you were stringing
you were stringing
he/she/it was stringing
they were stringing
We were stringing shells for a wall hanging
...
COMPLEMENTS
string hang/stretch [in a line]
object
We used to string popcorn and cranberries on our
Christmas tree
...
The decorating committee wanted to string lanterns in the hall
...
string thread (on a line/cord)
object
passive
Kids love to string different shapes of uncooked pasta
...
The beads were strung to make simple necklaces
...
It takes a great deal of strength to string a powerful bow
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
string along keep [someone] Jenny strung Reggie along for several
hoping for romance / a reward months before telling him to get lost
...
sep
string out prolong
up hang by the neck
string sep
The professor was stringing out his lecture on quantum gravity
...
159
strive
strive | strives · strove · have striven
strive | strives · strived · have strived
Present
irregular
regular
Present Progressive
I strive
we strive
you strive
you strive
he/she/it strives
they strive
He strives to do his very best
...
Past Progressive
I strove
we strove
you strove
you strove
he/she/it strove
they strove
We strove to get the job finished on time
...
… will strive
Future
Future Progressive … will be striving
… will have striven
Future Perfect
Past Passive
Strive is never used in the passive voice
...
We always strove to get the kids to school on time
...
If you don’t strive to succeed, you will surely fail in the long run
...
strive fight, struggle
for object
against object
We strive for peace and freedom
...
irregular
swear | swears · swore · have sworn
Present
swear
160
Present Progressive
I swear
we swear
you swear
you swear
he/she/it swears
they swear
He swears that he knew nothing about it
...
Past Progressive
I swore
we swore
you swore
you swore
he/she/it swore
they swore
The witness swore to tell the truth
...
Present Perfect … have | has sworn
… had sworn
Past Perfect
… will swear
Future
Future Progressive … will be swearing
… will have sworn
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was sworn
we were sworn
you were sworn
you were sworn
he/she/it was sworn
they were sworn
The appropriate oaths were sworn during the ceremony
...
Please don’t swear around the children
...
Peter swore his undying love to Héloïse
...
passive
The oath was sworn and witnessed
...
Criminals always swear to never commit another crime
...
“I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but
the truth
...
The defendant swore that he only shot in self-defense
...
“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office
of President of the United States‥‥” [oath of office]
PHRASAL VERBS
swear at curse at
swear by have great faith in
sep
swear in administer an oath to
He swore at me when I told him to leave the room
...
Trudy swears by yoga
...
The witness was sworn in by the bailiff
...
swear to it be absolutely certain
about something [usually negative]
I wouldn’t swear to it, but I think Elvis is still alive
...
Past
I am sweating
we are sweating
you are sweating
you are sweating
he/she/it is sweating
they are sweating
I am really sweating tomorrow’s exam
...
Present Perfect … have | has sweat
… had sweat
Past Perfect
I was sweating
we were sweating
you were sweating
you were sweating
he/she/it was sweating
they were sweating
We were all sweating by the time we finished
...
COMPLEMENTS
sweat perspire
sweat form drops of water
on its surface
sweat be worried/nervous
I always sweat when I work out
...
He sweats so much that he has to change his clothes after lunch
...
The plaster walls were actually sweating in the humid air
...
The police let him sweat overnight
...
Everything will be okay
...
sweat cause to perspire through exertion
object
The coach wants to sweat the football players at every practice
...
passive
The horses were sweat by the trainers and then allowed to slowly
cool off
...
Everyone sweats the final exam
...
Ruth was sweating over the upcoming conference in Montreal
...
Jeffrey sweat all last week over his essay
...
EXPRESSIONS
sweat blood work very hard
She was willing to sweat blood for a spot
on the Olympic team
...
worried/nervous
irregular
sweep | sweeps · swept · have swept
Present
sweep
162
Present Progressive
I sweep
we sweep
you sweep
you sweep
he/she/it sweeps
they sweep
He sweeps the leaves into the gutter
...
Past Progressive
I swept
we swept
you swept
you swept
he/she/it swept
they swept
The Giants swept the three-game series
...
… will sweep
Future
Future Progressive … will be sweeping
… will have swept
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was swept
we were swept
you were swept
you were swept
he/she/it was swept
they were swept
The room was swept this morning
...
I’ll sweep the carpet in the entryway
...
The archaeologist carefully swept dirt from the bones
...
The trash had been swept into a pile in the corner
...
The current swept the boat onto the rocks
...
We were swept out to sea by the offshore winds
...
The politician’s glance swept the crowd
...
A gust of rain swept down the empty street
...
Technicians swept the office for hidden electronic devices
...
object
Our party swept the fall election
...
sweep in a specified direction
sep
sweep along/aside/away/
back/in/off/out/past/up/etc
...
The motorcade swept past
...
His election swept in a host of governmental reforms
...
163
swell
swell | swells · swelled · have swelled
swell | swells · swelled · have swollen
Present
regular
irregular
Present Progressive
I swell
we swell
you swell
you swell
he/she/it swells
they swell
My ankles swell if I stand too long
...
Past
Past Progressive
I swelled
we swelled
you swelled
you swelled
he/she/it swelled
they swelled
The sails swelled in the wind
...
Present Perfect … have | has swollen
… had swollen
Past Perfect
… will swell
Future
Future Progressive … will be swelling
… will have swollen
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was swollen
we were swollen
you were swollen
you were swollen
he/she/it was swollen
they were swollen
The river was swollen by weeks of rain
...
The crowd in front of the gate was swelling by the minute
...
The balloon swelled and began to lift
...
The bad news swelled the rumors about layoffs
...
My lymph nodes were swollen
...
Tiny Tim swelled with gratitude
...
swim | swims · swam · have swum
irregular
Present
swim
164
Present Progressive
I swim
we swim
you swim
you swim
he/she/it swims
they swim
He swims three times a week
...
Past Progressive
I swam
we swam
you swam
you swam
he/she/it swam
they swam
I swam competitively in college
...
… will swim
Future
Future Progressive … will be swimming
… will have swum
Future Perfect
Past Passive
—
—
—
—
it was swum
they were swum
The English Channel was first swum in 1875
...
Do you know how to swim?
I could swim before I could ride a bicycle
...
After the accident, my head swam and my ears rang
...
swim travel through water by moving one’s arms and legs
adverb of place to/from
Let’s swim out to the reef
...
We had swum clear across the lake
...
swim cross by swimming
object
Salmon can swim most of the Columbia River
...
The kids are trying to swim the length of the pool under
water
...
swim be completely covered with [used only in the progressive tenses]
adverb of place
The lettuce was practically swimming in salad dressing
...
swim in a specified direction in the pond
...
EXPRESSIONS
sink or swim fail or succeed
Donna has a new job, and we are
wondering if she will sink or swim
...
165
swing
swing | swings · swung · have swung
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I swing
we swing
you swing
you swing
he/she/it swings
they swing
Watch out—the door swings toward you
...
Past Progressive
I swung
we swung
you swung
you swung
he/she/it swung
they swung
He swung his racket and missed
...
… will swing
Future
Future Progressive … will be swinging
… will have swung
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was swung
we were swung
you were swung
you were swung
he/she/it was swung
they were swung
The heavy beam was swung into place
...
The earthquake caused the chandeliers to swing
...
swing change suddenly
His moods were swinging more and more wildly
...
swing strike at something in a
sweeping motion
The batter swings and misses
...
A good golfer swings with his hips, not just with his arms
...
The children swung onto the wagon
...
He swung the bat and drove the ball into left field
...
He swung the golf club and topped the ball
...
Larry swung his suitcase onto the bed
...
The kids swung the rope over a limb
...
We hoped to swing enough undecided voters to win
...
The cowboy swung down from the saddle
...
sep
swing around/down/in/off/out/etc
...
swing by/over visit briefly
swing by/over visit briefly
Susan will swing by if she has a chance
...
Can you swing over to the grocery and buy some milk?
take
take | takes · took · have taken
irregular
Present
166
Present Progressive
I take
we take
you take
you take
he/she/it takes
they take
He always takes the bus to work
...
Past
Past Progressive
I took
we took
you took
you took
he/she/it took
they took
Someone took the last cup of coffee
...
… will take
Future
Future Progressive … will be taking
… will have taken
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was taken
we were taken
you were taken
you were taken
he/she/it was taken
they were taken
All of the seats were already taken
...
Our ID cards were taken by the police
...
Gerry took a jar of olives from the refrigerator
...
Take an umbrella in case it rains
...
Would you take these books to the library?
Amos took the package to the post office
...
take bring, lead
object adverb of place to/from
Bill is taking Fran to the dance
...
take travel by [a vehicle, route]
object ( adverb of place to/from) We can take the elevator or the stairs—you choose
...
Let’s take the scenic route
...
The kids took a shortcut through the woods
...
take move to [a position]
object
Gentlemen, please take your seats
...
take engage in [an activity]
object
Let’s take a 10-minute break
...
We took a nice walk in the park
...
top
verb
30
166
take
take | takes · took · have taken
irregular
take eat, drink, swallow
object
take capture, win
object
take subscribe to, rent
object
I’ll take a black coffee and two donuts, please
...
After a brief fight, the soldiers took the fort
...
They take several newspapers and magazines
...
take steal
object
take require, use up
object infinitive
take endure, suffer
object
Somebody took my wallet
...
It took a long time to repair the leak
...
They took two days to drive to Dallas
...
Football players take a lot of physical punishment
...
object
Uncle Cecil took pictures during the family reunion
...
take make by photography
take interpret
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
take along/aside/away/down/in/
out/up/etc
...
The elevator takes you down to the parking garage
...
sep
take in give shelter to
My husband takes in stray cats from the neighborhood
...
m
...
]
Sales of used cars have taken off like a rocket
...
sep
take out remove
The surgeon took Dad’s gallbladder out
...
Betty took me for my older brother
...
Today we’ll take in the zoo and the art museum
...
My company took 30 new employees on in March
...
sep
take over
A recent college graduate took over the programming
begin managing department
...
become fond of
take up
fill, occupy
sep
take up
become interested in
Susan has taken to Leonard in a big way
...
Stephanie has taken up knitting
...
I am teaching
we are teaching
you are teaching
you are teaching
he/she/it is teaching
they are teaching
I am teaching Introduction to Physics again
...
I was teaching
we were teaching
you were teaching
you were teaching
he/she/it was teaching
they were teaching
They were teaching him to play baseball
...
COMPLEMENTS
teach instruct professionally
I have been teaching for ten years
...
I would like to teach
...
I would like to teach English
...
She taught them the names of the constellations
...
I taught myself the basics of geometry
...
He taught world history to first-year students
...
teach provide training/instruction to
object
object infinitive
passive
(object ) wh-infinitive
Kathy teaches seventh graders
...
He teaches management trainees
...
The army taught them to be disciplined
...
Their religion teaches how to act
...
The book taught investors what to look for in a stock
...
My parents taught us that hard work never hurt anyone
...
EXPRESSIONS
teach a lesson show [someone] His mother taught him a lesson on the
the correct way to behave value of money by making him work for his allowance
...
I am tearing
we are tearing
you are tearing
you are tearing
he/she/it is tearing
they are tearing
Be careful—you’re tearing your shirt
...
Present Perfect … have | has torn
… had torn
Past Perfect
I was tearing
we were tearing
you were tearing
you were tearing
he/she/it was tearing
they were tearing
The kids were tearing into the chocolate brownies
...
note: The irregular verb tear, which rhymes with care, is presented here
...
”
COMPLEMENTS
tear rip, come apart
tear cause to rip / come apart
object
passive
tear make/punch [a hole, opening] in
object
passive
tear move with force/speed
adverb of place to/from
Darn it! My new jeans are tearing
...
I tore the envelope trying to open it
...
The documents had been torn in shipping
...
A hole was torn in his shield by a spear
...
The horses tore around the last curve
...
Soccer players often tear muscles in their knees
...
passive
tear damage greatly [used only in the passive]
object
The country was torn by war and famine
...
move with force/speed in a specified direction
sep
tear apart/away/down/off/out/up/
etc
...
forcefully
tear into scold severely
sep
tear up reject
The limousine tore away from the curb
...
Tear the coupons apart and organize them
...
Jackie is tearing into remodeling the kitchen
...
The boss tore into an employee who was late
...
irregular
regular
telecast | telecasts · telecast · have telecast
telecast | telecasts · telecasted · have telecasted
Present
telecast
169
Present Progressive
I telecast
we telecast
you telecast
you telecast
he/she/it telecasts
they telecast
They telecast in English and Spanish
...
Past Progressive
I telecast
we telecast
you telecast
you telecast
he/she/it telecast
they telecast
The station first telecast in 1983
...
… will telecast
Future
Future Progressive … will be telecasting
… will have telecast
Future Perfect
Past Passive
—
—
—
—
it was telecast
they were telecast
The first TV programs were telecast before World War II
...
The station is telecasting live from Civic Center
...
Networks are required to telecast a certain number of public
service programs
...
passive
The royal wedding was telecast live around the world
...
Past
I am telling
we are telling
you are telling
you are telling
he/she/it is telling
they are telling
I’m telling the whole world that I love you
...
We were just telling them what happened
...
COMPLEMENTS
tell reveal secret/confidential information
tell have a definite effect
tell know the outcome/result [used in
questions and negative sentences]
tell put into words, express
object
indirect object direct object
to paraphrase
tell inform
object that-clause
passive
object wh-clause
object wh-infinitive
passive
Please don’t tell
...
The long hours are beginning to tell
...
Who can tell?
I certainly can’t tell
...
He told a story about growing up in Greece
...
Who wants to tell them the bad news?
I told a ghost story to the kids
...
I told everyone that we were engaged
...
The consultant told us what we should do
...
The taxi driver told us where to go
...
tell order, command
object infinitive
I told her to return the book as soon as she could
...
tell recognize, determine with certainty [usually with can or could]
that-clause
wh-clause
I couldn’t tell that anything had happened
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
tell off scold, criticize
She told my brother off for not keeping his room clean
...
Past
I am thinking
we are thinking
you are thinking
you are thinking
he/she/it is thinking
they are thinking
Don’t rush me—I’m thinking
...
I was thinking
we were thinking
you were thinking
you were thinking
he/she/it was thinking
they were thinking
They were thinking that the worst had happened
...
COMPLEMENTS
think use one’s mind, reason
think believe, expect
that-clause
think consider, judge
Think twice before you do anything
...
” [rené descartes]
I thought that dinner was good, but a little too heavy
...
The public thought Clark (to be) a dashing hero
...
object (to be) predicate adjective Everyone thought Thomas (to be) promising
...
passive
The car was thought (to be) quite overpriced
...
passive
He was thought to own several Renoirs
...
Did you think to lock the back door?
Who thought to bring some insect repellent?
We couldn’t think what his name was
...
I couldn’t think what to say
...
The board was thinking of Rex for secretary
...
Anne was thinking of asking Wentworth to the concert
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
think over consider carefully
up invent, plan
think sep
I need to think your proposal over before making a decision
...
They thought up a clever way to trick Bart and Jacob
...
Past
I throve
you throve
he/she/it throve
regular
irregular
I am thriving
we are thriving
you are thriving
you are thriving
he/she/it is thriving
they are thriving
The children are thriving in their new school
...
… will thrive
Future
Future Progressive … will be thriving
… will have thriven
Future Perfect
Past Passive
Thrive is never used in the passive voice
...
Children need stability to thrive
...
The young lettuce plants throve in spite of the hard frost
last week
...
I thrive on hard work
...
irregular
throw | throws · threw · have thrown
Present
throw
173
Present Progressive
I throw
we throw
you throw
you throw
he/she/it throws
they throw
He throws great parties
...
Past
Past Progressive
I threw
we threw
you threw
you threw
he/she/it threw
they threw
I threw another log on the fire
...
Present Perfect … have | has thrown
… had thrown
Past Perfect
… will throw
Future
Future Progressive … will be throwing
… will have thrown
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was thrown
we were thrown
you were thrown
you were thrown
he/she/it was thrown
they were thrown
A rope was thrown to the people in the canoe
...
I couldn’t throw because I had injured my shoulder
...
Kids love to throw rocks
...
The pitcher could throw the ball sidearm
...
Josh threw the report on my desk
...
Someone threw a chair against the wall
...
The driver was thrown into the ditch
...
The lantern threw light around the barn
...
throw toss, give
indirect object direct object
to paraphrase
throw host [an event]
object
He threw the dog a bone
...
Throw that notebook to me, will you?
The church threw a potluck dinner
...
They are going to throw us a going-away
party
...
They are going to throw a going-away
party for us
...
His remarks threw the audience into hysteria
...
toss/hurl in a specified
direction
The players were throwing a Frisbee around
...
He threw his book bag down
...
sep
throw away discard, get rid of
Don’t throw the lamp away; I’m going to fix it
...
sep
throw in add as an extra
They will throw in a medium pizza for free
...
sep
throw on put on in haste
I’ll throw on a jacket and be ready to go
...
sep
throw out expel
The teacher threw him out for using profanity
...
sep
throw out offer
Dave is always throwing out suggestions
...
We can throw a scale model together in a week
...
sep
throw up build quickly
A developer threw up a flimsy apartment building
on the corner
...
throw a fit/tantrum display anger
throw [a lot of / some] light on
clarify, give details about
throw cold water on discourage
Johnny throws a fit when I ask him to wash his hands
...
The committee threw cold water on our ideas for
reducing waste
...
[someone]
throw good money after bad waste even
Frank threw good money after bad by buying 100 more
more money on something shares of the worthless stock
...
throw [one’s] hands up quit in despair
After losing eight straight Solitaire games, Dad threw
his hands up and decided to read the newspaper
...
top
verb
30
throw [oneself] into
involve oneself
in [something] eagerly
Paul threw himself into basketweaving
...
with as many crimes
as possible
irregular
thrust | thrusts · thrust · have thrust
Present
thrust
174
Present Progressive
I thrust
we thrust
you thrust
you thrust
he/she/it thrusts
they thrust
He thrusts the note in his pocket and sighs
...
Past Progressive
I thrust
we thrust
you thrust
you thrust
he/she/it thrust
they thrust
I thrust through the crowd frantically
...
… will thrust
Future
Future Progressive … will be thrusting
… will have thrust
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was thrust
we were thrust
you were thrust
you were thrust
he/she/it was thrust
they were thrust
A gun was thrust into my hand
...
Batman thrust his elbow into the villain’s stomach
...
My head was thrust into a barrel of water
...
thrust move forward forcefully
adverb of place to/from
A tugboat was thrusting through the waves
...
thrust jut, extend out
adverb of place to/from
A long wharf thrust into the river
...
PHRASAL VERBS
thrust back/down/in/out/up/etc
...
sep
thrust aside/away/back/down/
in/out/up/etc
...
The police thrust the protesters aside
...
175
tread
tread | treads · treaded · have trod/trodden
tread | treads · trod · have trod/trodden
Present
irregular
irregular
Present Progressive
I tread
we tread
you tread
you tread
he/she/it treads
they tread
He treads lightly for such a big man
...
Past Progressive
I trod
we trod
you trod
you trod
he/she/it trod
they trod
The soldiers trod along the muddy path
...
… will tread
Future
Future Progressive … will be treading
… will have trod/trodden
Future Perfect
Past Passive
—
—
—
—
it was trod/trodden
they were trod/trodden
The snow in town was trodden into a dirty slush
...
“Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread
...
Don’t tread on the new lawn
...
The children are treading carefully past the sleeping dogs
...
“I have spread my dreams beneath your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams
...
b
...
The judge warned the prosecutor to tread carefully
...
The deer had trod a route through the forest
...
irregular
understand | understands ·
understood · have understood
Present
understand
176
Present Progressive
I understand
we understand
you understand
you understand
he/she/it understands they understand
He understands the situation perfectly
...
Past Progressive
I understood
we understood
you understood
you understood
he/she/it understood they understood
They understood only a few words
...
Future
Future Progressive
Future Perfect
… will understand
… will be understanding
… will have understood
Past Passive
I was understood
we were understood
you were understood
you were understood
he/she/it was understood they were understood
The tour guide was easily understood
...
understand comprehend, know the meaning of
object
passive
wh-clause
wh-infinitive
The doctor understood the nature of the patient’s symptoms
...
The assembly instructions must not have been understood
...
Did you understand where we were going?
We need to understand how much this is going to cost
...
Do you understand where to pick up your passengers?
understand know what makes [something] work/happen
object
It takes students a long time to really understand evolution
...
passive
The role of washing hands to control disease was not understood
at the time
...
understand know and be sympathetic to the feelings/attitudes of
object
My boyfriend doesn’t understand me
...
Older people never understand the younger generation
...
We understand them to be having lunch with us
...
I understand that you are applying for a job with us
...
It is understood that the parents will have joint custody
...
Past
I am upholding
we are upholding
you are upholding
you are upholding
he/she/it is upholding
they are upholding
The Marines are upholding centuries of tradition
...
Present Perfect … have | has upheld
… had upheld
Past Perfect
I was upholding
we were upholding
you were upholding
you were upholding
he/she/it was upholding
they were upholding
We were upholding our end of the bargain
...
COMPLEMENTS
uphold confirm/support [a decision, opinion]
object
The courts will usually uphold lower court rulings unless there
is a demonstrable error of fact or law
...
The Supreme Court upheld the plaintiff in Brown v
...
passive
The decision was upheld unanimously by the appeals court
...
Sadly, the school has not been able to uphold its superior image
...
passive
The honor of the Corps had been upheld
...
Past
I am upsetting
we are upsetting
you are upsetting
you are upsetting
he/she/it is upsetting
they are upsetting
I’m sorry that I’m upsetting you
...
Present Perfect … have | has upset
… had upset
Past Perfect
I was upsetting
we were upsetting
you were upsetting
you were upsetting
he/she/it was upsetting
they were upsetting
The weather was upsetting our arrangements
...
COMPLEMENTS
upset knock over
object
passive
The dogs upset some potted plants on the patio
...
A whole gallon of paint had been upset
...
Thunderstorms upset the dogs terribly
...
He delights in upsetting the administrators
...
upset disturb the order/working of
object
The kids are really good at upsetting my daily routine
...
Global warming is upsetting many delicate ecosystems
...
passive
The orderly transfer of power was totally upset by the prince’s
unexpected death
...
Harry Truman upset Thomas Dewey in the 1948 presidential
election
...
179
wake(n)
wake | wakes · waked · have waked
wake | wakes · woke · have woken
waken | wakens · wakened · have wakened
Present
regular
irregular
regular
Present Progressive
I wake
we wake
you wake
you wake
he/she/it wakes
they wake
He usually wakes at seven
...
Past
Past Progressive
I woke
we woke
you woke
you woke
he/she/it woke
they woke
I woke just before the alarm went off
...
… will wake
Future
Future Progressive … will be waking
… will have woken
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was woken
we were woken
you were woken
you were woken
he/she/it was woken
they were woken
We were woken in the middle of the night by a dog barking
...
They are similar to awake/awaken (verb No
...
wake quit sleeping
We need to be quiet because the children wake so easily
...
In the springtime, I wake long before I need to get up
...
Don’t wake me unless it is an emergency
...
I was woken by the sound of dripping water
...
wake stir up
object
Spring woke the slumbering land
...
His good fortune wakened feelings of envy in the little
village
...
Fritz woke up after the heart attack and started exercising
and eating right
...
This report will wake citizens up to the importance of
alternative energy sources
...
wear | wears · wore · have worn
irregular
Present
wear
180
Present Progressive
I wear
we wear
you wear
you wear
he/she/it wears
they wear
He always wears a coat and tie
...
Past
Past Progressive
I wore
we wore
you wore
you wore
he/she/it wore
they wore
She wore her little black dress to the party
...
COMPLEMENTS
wear remain in good condition after
much use
wear have/carry on one’s body
object
passive
wh-clause
wear have [a certain hairstyle]
object adverb of manner
passive
That fabric won’t wear very well
...
The kids wear jeans most of the time
...
Men are required to wear ties when meeting with clients
...
Casual clothing is worn nearly everywhere
...
I give up; wear whatever you want to
...
He wore his hair in a ponytail
...
wear have [a certain facial expression]
object
He was wearing a silly grin when he made the announcement
...
Why are you wearing such a sad face?
wear damage/erode gradually, usually by friction
object
passive
Wagon wheels wore ruts along the Oregon Trail
...
A path had been worn through the forest
...
wear off go away gradually
The effects of the painkiller wore off after a few hours
...
It got more cloudy as the day wore on
...
Our son has worn out his winter coat
...
wear out become exhausted/useless
sep
wear out use until exhausted
sep
wear out exhaust, tire out
181
weave
weave | weaves · wove · have woven
weave | weaves · weaved · have weaved
Present
irregular
regular
Present Progressive
I weave
we weave
you weave
you weave
he/she/it weaves
they weave
She weaves baskets from birch bark
...
Past
Past Progressive
I wove
we wove
you wove
you wove
he/she/it wove
they wove
The spider wove a web across the doorway
...
… will weave
Future
Future Progressive … will be weaving
… will have woven
Future Perfect
Past Passive
—
—
—
—
it was woven
they were woven
These wall hangings were woven by hand
...
weave pass threads/strips/etc
...
Children learn by watching their mothers weave
...
weave move in and out / side to side
A red SUV weaved through the bridge traffic
...
] over and under one another [to form something]
object
They wove palm fronds to make a thatched roof
...
We wove the reeds into a simple boat
...
over and under one another
object
passive
The mill wove beautiful linen tablecloths
...
The women wove a crown from flowers they had picked
...
weave combine to make a whole
object
A good story weaves a number of plot lines
...
weave make by combining into a whole
object
“Oh! what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to deceive
...
weave form [a web] [of a spider]
object
A spider wove a beautiful web between those two trees
...
Past
I am wedding
we are wedding
you are wedding
you are wedding
he/she/it is wedding
they are wedding
The composer is wedding folk and rock music
...
Present Perfect … have | has wed
… had wed
Past Perfect
I was wedding
we were wedding
you were wedding
you were wedding
he/she/it was wedding
they were wedding
He was wedding the design to other brochures
...
COMPLEMENTS
wed marry
When did they wed?
John and Marcia wed after a tumultuous engagement
...
wed marry
object
She wed her childhood sweetheart
...
wed perform the marriage ceremony for
object
passive
I have wed hundreds of people over the years
...
They were wed in the garden, if I remember correctly
...
The building weds Spanish and modernist styles
...
183
weep
weep | weeps · wept · have wept
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I weep
we weep
you weep
you weep
he/she/it weeps
they weep
He always weeps at weddings
...
Past Progressive
I wept
we wept
you wept
you wept
he/she/it wept
they wept
They wept when they heard the news
...
… will weep
Future
Future Progressive … will be weeping
… will have wept
Future Perfect
Past Passive
—
—
—
—
it was wept
they were wept
No tears were wept for him
...
The whole family was weeping during the service
...
The walls were weeping in the humid air
...
The damp air weeps when it comes into contact with the cold metal
...
He wept bitter tears for what he had done
...
wet | wets · wet · have wet
wet | wets · wetted · have wetted
irregular
regular
Present
wet
184
Present Progressive
I wet
we wet
you wet
you wet
he/she/it wets
they wet
She always wets her lips before she speaks
...
Past Progressive
I wet
we wet
you wet
you wet
he/she/it wet
they wet
He wet his fingers before taking the ball
...
… will wet
Future
Future Progressive … will be wetting
… will have wet
Future Perfect
Past Passive
—
—
—
—
it was wet
they were wet
Once the insulation was wet by the storm, it was useless
...
You should wet the cork before putting it back in the bottle
...
The oily pavement had been wet by the mist, making it slippery
...
We will need to change his pajamas; he wet them again
...
PHRASAL VERBS
sep
wet down put water on
After every game, they wet the infield down
...
185
win
win | wins · won · have won
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I win
we win
you win
you win
he/she/it wins
they win
He wins most card games he plays
...
I was winning
we were winning
you were winning
you were winning
he/she/it was winning
they were winning
They were winning most of their games
...
COMPLEMENTS
win be victorious in a contest/competition
I never win
...
Who’s winning?
win be victorious in [a contest, competition]
object
passive
Alice and Albert won the dance competition
...
Heather always wins the argument
...
win receive as the result of a contest/conflict/bet
object
indirect object direct object
for paraphrase
We won a week’s vacation in Hawaii
...
They hope to win the Rose Bowl this year
...
You could win yourself a prize
...
Excellent coaching won them the championship
...
The victory won a little more time for us
...
win gain [affection, support, admiration, etc
...
The comedian won the audience’s applause
...
Faint heart never won fair lady
...
sep
win over convert, persuade
The president won congressional leaders over to his point
of view
...
Past
I am winding
we are winding
you are winding
you are winding
he/she/it is winding
they are winding
The press conference is winding down
...
Present Perfect … have | has wound
… had wound
Past Perfect
I was winding
we were winding
you were winding
you were winding
he/she/it was winding
they were winding
She was winding the clock with a key
...
note: The verb wind, which rhymes with kind, is presented here; its irregular past form wound rhymes with
sound
...
COMPLEMENTS
wind coil, move in twists and turns
adverb of place to/from
wind wrap, cover by circling
object adverb of place to/from
passive
wind tighten the spring of
object
passive
wind wrap around a center/core
object adverb of place to/from
passive
We wound in and out through the trees
...
Vines wound around the old oak tree
...
The wire wound across the ceiling and out the window
...
He wound his shirt over his fist and broke the window
...
She wound her arms around her daughter and consoled her
...
Did you remember to wind the clock?
Wind the top and put it on the floor
...
We wound the videotape to where the game started
...
The film had been wound to the end of the reel
...
twist in a specified direction
The creek winds along for several miles
...
Mike was beginning to wind down after a hectic day at work
...
The acrobat wound up in the hospital with a broken leg
...
Let’s wind this meeting up, okay?
wind down relax
wind up end
sep
wind up bring to an end
187
wring
wring | wrings · wrung · have wrung
Present
irregular
Present Progressive
I wring
we wring
you wring
you wring
he/she/it wrings
they wring
He wrings his hands when he’s nervous
...
Past Progressive
I wrung
we wrung
you wrung
you wrung
he/she/it wrung
they wrung
Betty wrung Alice’s hand excitedly
...
Present Perfect … have | has wrung
… had wrung
Past Perfect
… will wring
Future
Future Progressive … will be wringing
… will have wrung
Future Perfect
Past Passive
—
—
—
—
it was wrung
they were wrung
The towel was wrung out until it stopped dripping
...
My hands wrung uncontrollably as we waited for the verdict
...
Every Saturday, my grandmother wrung a chicken’s neck
for Sunday dinner
...
wring obtain/extract by exerting pressure
object from object
passive
The police wrung a confession from the suspect
...
A few concessions were wrung from the mayor’s office
...
Wring out the clothes before you hang them up to dry
...
EXPRESSIONS
wring [one’s] hands twist/squeeze
The boss was wringing his hands as he
one’s hands in distress announced the layoffs
...
irregular
write | writes · wrote · have written
Present
write
188
Present Progressive
I write
we write
you write
you write
he/she/it writes
they write
He never writes anymore
...
Past
Past Progressive
I wrote
we wrote
you wrote
you wrote
he/she/it wrote
they wrote
Jane Austen wrote Emma before 1816
...
… will write
Future
Future Progressive … will be writing
… will have written
Future Perfect
Past Passive
I was written
we were written
you were written
you were written
he/she/it was written
they were written
The letter was written to a family friend
...
Please write neatly
...
write compose and send a letter
People don’t write nearly as much as they used to
...
write compose and send [a letter]
object
John and Abigail Adams wrote each other frequently
...
indirect object direct object
George wrote Marcia a touching letter
...
write compose [a text, work]
object
Donizetti apparently wrote The Elixir of Love in three
weeks
...
Hilary wrote poetry in Ascona one summer
...
write put in writing
object
I wrote a check for $40
...
Please write your name and address in the space
provided
...
He wrote me that they might move
back to California
...
Sam wrote his parents what he
thought of the camp food
...
”
top
verb
30
188
write
write | writes · wrote · have written
irregular
PHRASAL VERBS
write (away/off ) for request in writing
Andy wrote away for the new
seed catalogs
...
Gerry wrote the lyrics down while they were still
fresh in his mind
...
Newman
[his/her] name in a special place on a ballot in for president
...
sep
write off consider lost/hopeless/
The hotel manager wrote off the missing towels
...
Many fans write the Cubs off before September
...
sep
write off deduct from one’s taxes
We wrote the computer off as an itemized deduction
...
”
abbreviation]
Be sure to write out all abbreviations
...
Harper finally wrote up his review of the best pizza
restaurants in St
...
sep
write up prepare a written/printed
The sales clerk will write your order up
...
A form followed by an asterisk (*) is a past form that is spelled like the base form of the verb;
except for read, the past form is also pronounced like the base form
...
He was the founding chairperson of the ESL department at the University of Hawaii, considered one of the best ESL programs in the
United States
...
Mark obtained a B
...
in Philosophy and English Literature at Pomona College and a Ph
...
in Linguistics from the University of California–Berkeley
...
B
...
from the University of Hawaii
...
Daniel obtained a B
...
in Latin at Eastern Illinois University and did graduate
work in linguistics at Harvard University
...
Terry obtained a B
...
and M
...
in Spanish Language and Literature at Washington University in St
...
She is coauthor, with Mark and Daniel, of The Big Book of
English Verbs
...