Question

correct use of verb tenses indicates clearly when an event occurred. it is often best to stay with a single tense. mixing tenses can confuse and distract your reader.

six basic verb tenses
present: he arrives today.
past: he arrived yesterday.
future: he will arrive tomorrow.
present perfect: he has arrived already.
past perfect: he had arrived earlier than expected.
future perfect: he will have arrived by next week.

write the appropriate form of each verb in parentheses on the line provided.

1. i ___ about life without friends. (wonder, present perfect)
2. now i ___ it is no life at all. (conclude, present perfect)
3. i ___ at this conclusion by a simple experiment. (arrive, present perfect)
4. until yesterday, i ___ to no one for thirty days. (talk, past perfect)
5. i ___ no calls. (answer, past perfect)
6. i ___ no one. (visit, past perfect)
7. for thirty days, i ___ without friends. (live, past perfect)
8. i finally ___ what friendship means. (learn, present perfect)

Explanation:

The present perfect tense is formed as 'have/has + past - participle' and is used to show an action that started in the past and has a connection to the present. The past perfect tense is 'had + past - participle' and is used to show an action that was completed before another past action. We apply these rules to fill in the blanks.

Answer:

1. have wondered
2. have concluded
3. have arrived
4. had talked
5. had answered
6. had visited
7. had lived
8. have learned