Auxiliary Verb Practice Set
I. Choose the correct form of the verb in the following sentences:
1. The ship with its crew (was/were) lost.
2. Sanskrit as well as Urdu (is/are) easy to learn.
3. I have a pair of glasses which (is/are) grey and red in colour.
4. Ajay, Vijay, Akshay none (appear/appears) to be bright and wise.
5. He and I (am/is/are) great pals.
6. A couple of boys (disturbs/ disturb) the whole class.
7. The majority (want/wants) to go to Goa and not to Nainital.
8. Tennis (is/are) a popular game in the United States.
9. The staff (is/are) happy with their new pay rise.
10. Manju’s spectacles (was/were) lost in the school.
11. None (seem/seems) to be serious in the class.
12. I, Pooja Sood, (is/am) a student of Bal Bharati Public School.
13. I wish I (was/were) a millionaire.
14. If I (was/were) you, I would have forgiven him.
15. ‘The Three Musketeers’ (is/are) an interesting read.
16. Both the trains (go/goes) to Punjab.
17. His knowledge of cars (is/are) amazing.
18. Pliers (is/are) made of iron.
19. Aerobics to him (is/are) both relaxation and entertainment.
20. Dramatics (is/are) my passion.
21. The news (was/were) better than she expected.
22. The audience (was/were) spellbound by Arti’s speech.
23. The furniture which was bought in the auction sale (has/have) been resold.
24. No nook or corner (is/was) left unexplored.
25. The minister with his deputies (is/are) about to arrive.
The jury(is/are) divided over the opinion.
26. The book which was sold by the scouts (were/was) about Baden Powell.
27. (Is/Are) your socks wet?
28. Scissors (is/are) used for cutting things.
29. White trousers (is/are) not allowed in the school.
II. Fill in the blanks by supplying a verb in agreement with its subject: (Use be/have forms)
1. The quality of the fruits not good.
2. your father and mother at home?
3. He and I playing.
4. The car with its accessories insured.
5. The animals which escaped from the zoo been captured.
6. The students as well as the teacher excited about the project.
7. Neither bus nor taxi available that day.
8. The doctor as well as the nurse gone home.
9. The doctor as well as the nurses gone home.
10. A pen or a pencil required.
11. My salary twenty thousand rupees.
12. One lakh rupees a large sum.
13. The media to be more responsible.
14. The formation of paragraphs very important.
15. The cost of all these goods risen.
16. All possible means been tried.
17. The committee issued its report.
18. The United States a big navy.
19. Gulliver’s Travels written by Swift.
20. Ten kilometers a long distance.
21. Either of the colours good.
22. Neither of the students going to pass.
23. Each painting worth a million rupees.
24. Everyone sitting quietly.
25. Mrs. Sharma with all her friends gone to watch a movie
Circle the helping verbs and Underline the main verb:-
[1] Just before noon, the siren in the fire station sounded.
[2] The fire department had received news of a major forest fire.
[3] The fire had been raging for two hours already.
[4] It was out of control.
[5] The people at the scene called for help from the fire department.
[6] It responded quickly.
[7] The firefighters drove their trucks fifteen miles.
[8] At the scene of the fire, they rushed their equipment into action.
[9] They put their hoses into the river.
[10] With the pumps on the trucks, they sprayed water onto the fire.
[11] Because of the smoke, the firefighters could not breathe easily.
[12] The smoke also made their eyes red.
[13] Still, they fought the fire bravely.
[14] Despite all their efforts, the heat from the fire forced the firefighters back.
[15] Slowly, however, a change came over the sky.
[16] Then, suddenly, rain poured down.
[17] Torrents of rain quickly soaked the forest.
[18] The firefighters rejoiced!
[19] Without the rain the forest fire could have been a great disaster.
[20] Instead, the fire was brought under control.
Circle the helping verb and underline the main verb. Then find out the subject and predicate of
these sentences:--
1) This new car is a blue-and-white four-door sedan.
2) It has a sunroof and an automatic transmission.
3) The leather seats feel comfortable.
4) Dual air bags make the car very safe.
5) Our family’s new car is a small one with a big trunk.
6) It gets thirty miles per gallon of gas.
7) Consumers don’t like to spend too much on gasoline.
8) Small cars use less gasoline than large vehicles.
9) Some owners of large cars have traded them for smaller models.
10) Many larger vehicles have an extra tax on them.
11) . In history class we discussed Sacagawea’s role in the Lewis and Clark expedition.
12) Some people can speak both French and English.
13) The cut on Harry’s foot kept him out of the game.
14) At a nearby table sat the actor Cuba Gooding, Jr.
15) . Hardly any news reporters were present.
16) 6. The lights in the houses along the shore came on one by one. 7. The lighthouse could be seen
from the boat.
17) 8. Two detectives questioned the suspect.
18) 9. Down toward the pond a goose with six goslings waddled.
19) Did Ron Arias write The Road to Tamazunchale?
20) Four of my friends had won tickets to the Whitney Houston concert.
21) This car is powered by solar batteries.
22) At the back of your literature book is a glossary of literary terms.
23) The world’s second-largest continent is Africa.
24) George will have already left for the movies.
25) Do you ever watch the game show Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego?
26) At the bookstore the mystery writer will autograph copies of her new novel.
27) . 8. One of our favorite sports is basketball.
28) Tonight we can sleep in our tents.
29) Jorge sent the package to me by parcel post.
30) Throughout history, many people have feared the wolf.
31) Fables such as “Little Red Riding Hood” have given wolves a bad reputation.
32) The loud, mournful howling of wolves can be frightening, too. 4. Packs of wolves greet each
other with howls before a hunt
33) . The howls of the wolves can also warn other wolves to stay away.
34) The quick, tireless, and clever wolves are excellent hunters.
35) The wolves strengthen elk and deer herds by eliminating weak animals
36) . . Ranchers in areas with wolves dislike the animals for attacking their livestock
37) . Large numbers of wolves have been killed in the United States.
38) The endangered species is being reintroduced in some areas of the country.
39) . Their sudden appearance quickly aroused the townspeople’s curiosity.
40) This quiet desert town had never seen such a sight.
41) With keen interest the townspeople observed the prospectors’ movements.
42) Nobody in the town knew anything about the strangers off.
43) Down the street trudged the exhausted strangers.
44) They went straight to the county clerk’s office.
45) Nothing could stop the hungry, thirsty men.
46) Each of the prospectors filed a claim.
47) These new claims lay together in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
48) Several curious townspeople questioned the prospectors. _
49) The prospectors’ answers did not satisfy the townspeople’s curiosity.
50) The exact location of their claims remained a secret.
51) The silent, secretive group stayed in town.
52) An ambitious young reporter from Taos met with the prospectors.
53) The reporter’s newspaper wanted their story.
54) The editor of the paper promised the reporter a large bonus.
55) The prospectors would not discuss their claims.
56) The reporter’s interview with the prospectors was unproductive.
57) The secret of the seven prospectors was kept. © Houghton Mifflin Harco
58) Pilar Hernández, a local artist, painted a picture of our school.
59) She titled the painting Nuestra Escuela.
60) She brought the painting to our school.
61) The artist asked a student for directions to the principal’s office.
62) The principal’s office had been moved.
63) The busy student had forgotten about the move.
64) He quickly gave the artist the wrong directions.
65) The principal noticed the confused stranger in the hallway.
66) The artist introduced herself.
67) The principal graciously accepted the beautiful painting.
68) Many art lovers and collectors visit Sedona, Arizona, each year.
69) Mother and I prepared biriyani for dinner last night.
70) The lights of the neon sign flashed brightly.
71) The headlights of the oncoming cars were blinding.
72) Tables and chairs were turned upside down
73) Jagged rocks and pieces of dirt fell on the roof.
74) A clown and a juggler rode at the head of the Cinco de Mayo parade.
75) Gordon and Pasqual dress as bears and serve as our team’s mascoparad
76) Two hawks soared above the valley.
77) A firefighter leaned out the window and dropped a small dog safely into the net below