Final -s Word Endings: Practice Exercise 1

In each of the following sentences, there are blank spaces where verb forms should be. Choose the pair of verb forms from the options presented and click on the appropriate button. Submit the quiz using the SUBMIT APPLICATION button at the end of the exercise. Your score will be returned to you in a few seconds.

Quizzes labeled "Practice Exercise" or "Additional Practice" are taken from the ancillary materials for Sentence Sense: A Writer's Guide, by Evelyn Farbman, and are used by the Guide for Grammar and Writing with the kind permission of the book's author and the publisher, Houghton Mifflin.

1.  Each year, the town committee members ________ to prohibit ________ on the public beach.
votes, parties
vote, parties
2.  The baby ________ soundly even when the ________ next door play noisily.
sleep, childs
sleeps, children
3.  I've discovered he ________ too much when I ________ his chain saw.
worries, borrow
worrys, borrows
4.  She often ________ people the proper way to attach the hooks, and she ________ to be patient with those who have trouble understanding.
shows, trys
shows, tries
5.  The winters ________ to get longer and colder every year, whereas the summers ________ to get shorter and cooler.
seem, appear
seems, appears
6.  I ________ been expecting my supervisor to say something about the error, but she ________ seem to be aware of it.
have, does not
have, do not
7.  After taking so many wrong ________ , we ________ arrived back where we started.
turns, has
turns, have
8.  Tourists ________ been visiting the old fort for years, but this year crowds ________ even larger than usual.
have, were
has, were
9.  When he ________ guitar for his friends, they ________ and admire his talent and ability.
plaies, sits
plays, sit
10.  Patricia ________ want to go on the tour; she wonders how many other ________ are going, though.
does, women
do, women
11.  The street cleaner ________ our street about once a week; the town administrator ________ that such frequent street cleaning is unnecessary.
washes, says
washs, says
12.  Three of the ________ in town are going to be repainted; ________ for the jobs have already been bought.
churchs, supplys
churches, supplies
13.  Many people ________ convinced that our planet ________ been visited by creatures from outer space.
is, have
are, has
14.  Although travel to the stars ________ not possible today, scientists ________ believe that someday the necessary technology will be developed and used.
are, does
is, do
15.  Chess ________ becoming a more popular game as more people ________ realizing how exciting and challenging it is.
is, are
are, are
16.  Board games like checkers and chess ________ been around for thousands of years; many find that playing board games ________ them.
have, relaxes
has, relaxs
17.  Her ________ are so sharp that she ________ most of the tournaments.
reflexs, wins
reflexes, wins
18.  As the movers ________ the heavy sofa up the stairs, they ________ that stairway is too narrow.
carry, discover
carries, discover
19.  On long car ________ , Brenda and Carla ________ to see how many different license plates they can count.
journeys, like
journeies, like
20.  Of all the ________ he has ever gotten himself into, this one ________ the worst.
mess, are
messes, is

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