Verbs which form the past tense by adding ed, d, or t, to the present are called regular; all others, irregular. The following list contains the present and past tenses and the past participle of certain verbs in each class that are often illtreated.

Exercises

280. Study the principal parts of every one of these verbs until you know them thoroughly and can use them mechanically. Be prepared to write as well as to recite them.

281. In each of the following sentences, insert the required form of the verb:

1. The child (awake, - present perfect, active).

2. The side of the vessel (beat, - past, passive) in by the force of the waves.

3. The bells (begin, - future, active) to ring at eleven o'clock.

4. The girl (break, - present perfect, active) the pitcher.

5. The messenger (bring, - past, active) good news.

6. Many are called, but few (choose, - present, passive).

7. The horseman (firing, - past, active) good news from Ghent.

8. She (choose, - past, active) to stay at home.

9. He (do, - past perfect, passive) his work well.

10. When the class (do, - present perfect, active) that exercise, I will give out the next lesson.

11. Now that the work (do, - present, passive), it is easy to find fault.

12. The traveler (drink, - past, active) the water eagerly.

13. Four generations (drink, - past perfect, active) from this well.

14. He (eat, - past, active) in haste.

15. The iron (eat, - past perfect, passive) away by the acid.

16. Many of the fugitives (flee, - past, active) to the mountains.

17. Summer (go, - perfect, active) and the birds (fly, - present perfect, active).

18. The sap (flow, - future, active) freely if the weather continues warm.

19. As the chicken (flee, - past, active) from the hawk, a kingbird (fly, - past, active) in haste from his airy perch to attack the pursuer.

20. The royal cook (forget, - past perfect, active) the cakes, and they were burned.

21. His hands (freeze, - past, passive) with the cold.

22. Right on our flank the crimson sun (go, - past, active) down.

23. He (go, - present perfect, active) home, but his brother (go, - future, active) with you.

24. Never foot had firmer tread.

On the field where Hope (lie, - past, active) dead.

25. This old tree (lie, - present perfect, active) here many years.

26. You (lay, - past, active) the book there yourself.

27. Wherever you (lead, - present, active) the party, we will follow.

28. The path (lead, - past, active) to the meadows.

29. He thinks that he (lead, - future, active) the team to victory.

30. The knights (ride, - future, active) in all their pride.

Along the streets to-day.

31. The horse (ride, - past, passive) by an Indian chief.

32. As the sexton (ring, - past, active) the bell, the straggling congregation (begin, - past, active) to assemble.

33. The teacher {ring, - past perfect, active) the bell.

34. In the Bay of Fundy the tide (rise, - present, active) rapidly.

35. The sun (rise, - past perfect, active) before we left the camp.

36. The clock (run, - future perfect, active) down, before we return from our vacation.

37. The traveler (see, - past perfect, active) many strange lands.

38. He (see, - past, active) the same old faces that he (see, - past perfect, active) so often before.

39. The horse (shoe, - past perfect, passive) by an inexperienced blacksmith, and limped badly as Carleton (ride, - past, active) him to the hunt.

40. She (sing, - present perfect, active) in every great city in Europe and America.

41. The birds (sing, - past, active) in merry tune.

42. I (set, - past, active) the lamp on the table and then (sit, - past, active) down to write.

43. The house (sit, - present, active) back from the road among a grove of trees.

44. Webster (speak, - past perfect, active) continuously for two hours.

45. Suddenly the tiger (spring, - past, active) towards his keeper.

46. The trap (spring, - present perfect, passive) by the mouse.

47. The Oxford crew (strive, - past perfect, active) too hard at the first of the race, and were now beginning to fall behind.

48. He (strive, - past, active) night and day to succeed.

49. The prisoners (take, - past, passive) to another stockade.

50. All the summer birds (take, - present perfect, active) flight.

51. The sails (tear, - past, active) to tatters by the violence of the wind.

52. When Gibbon (write, - past perfect, active) the last words of his great history, he felt like a prisoner who (burst, - present perfect, active) his prison bars and is free.

282. Write sentences containing the following forms of the verbs on pages 163-164: (1) awake to break (inclusive), past participle: (2) bring to eat, perfect indicative active; (3) fly to ride, present participle; (4) ring to sit, past indicative; (5) slay to write, past perfect active.