Correct Verb Forms – ICSE Practice questions
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15 Verb Forms (Tense) Practice Sets (Class IX, X)
Instructions: Fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct form of the word given in brackets. Do not copy the passage, but write in correct serial order the word or phrase appropriate to the blank space.
ICSE Practice Set 1
Example: (0) shone
The morning sun (0) ________ (shine) through the tall deodars as Rusty stepped out. He (1) ________ (walk) along the damp forest trail, listening to the birds that (2) ________ (begin) their morning chorus. Suddenly, a barking deer (3) ________ (dash) across the clearing. Rusty (4) ________ (stop) dead in his tracks so as not (5) ________ (alarm) the timid animal. He (6) ________ (not see) one so close to the cottage since last winter. Before he could move, the creature (7) ________ (vanish) into the thick brush. "Where (8) ________ (you go)?" he whispered softly to himself.
ICSE Practice Set 2
Example: (0) entered
When the doctor (0) ________ (enter) the room, the elderly patient was sleeping peacefully. A night nurse (1) ________ (sit) beside the bed, quietly reading a book. She said that the fever (2) ________ (subside) an hour ago. The physician (3) ________ (examine) the chart and smiled with relief. "He (4) ________ (need) complete rest now," he said in a low voice. "Do you think he (5) ________ (recover) in time for the journey?" the nurse asked. The doctor replied, "If he (6) ________ (follow) instructions, he (7) ________ (be) on his feet by next week." With that, he (8) ________ (leave) the room quietly.
ICSE Practice Set 3
Example: (0) stopped
The express train (0) ________ (stop) with a loud hiss of steam. Hari (1) ________ (pick) up his small bundle and hurried towards the exit. For months, he (2) ________ (dream) of visiting the great port city. As he stepped onto the platform, a huge crowd of passengers (3) ________ (surge) past him. Vendors (4) ________ (shout) their wares at the top of their voices. Hari (5) ________ (never witness) such chaos in his village. He hesitated, wondering which way (6) ________ (lead) to the main street. Just then, an old porter (7) ________ (call) out to him, "Where (8) ________ (you want) to go, young man?"
ICSE Practice Set 4
Example: (0) began
A sudden gale (0) ________ (begin) to blow from the hills. The fishermen who were mending nets quickly (1) ________ (haul) their boats onto the high shingle. Old Manuel (2) ________ (know) the signs of the sea better than anyone. He warned that the storm (3) ________ (break) before nightfall. While the young men (4) ________ (secure) the moorings, Manuel (5) ________ (hurry) home to shutter his windows. The dark clouds (6) ________ (already gather) across the horizon. "We (7) ________ (lose) the boats if the ropes snap," he muttered, as the first drops of rain (8) ________ (strike) the roof.
Answer Key — ICSE Sets (1 to 15)
Set 1: (1) walked, (2) had begun / were beginning, (3) dashed, (4) stopped, (5) to alarm, (6) had not seen, (7) vanished, (8) are you going
Set 2: (1) was sitting, (2) had subsided, (3) examined, (4) needs, (5) will recover, (6) follows, (7) will be, (8) left
Set 3: (1) picked, (2) had dreamed / had dreamt, (3) surged, (4) were shouting, (5) had never witnessed, (6) led, (7) called, (8) do you want
Set 4: (1) hauled, (2) knew, (3) would break, (4) were securing, (5) hurried, (6) had already gathered, (7) will lose, (8) struck
Set 5: (1) depicted, (2) shone, (3) has remained, (4) was photographing, (5) froze, (6) hear, (7) is moving, (8) retreat
Set 6: (1) huddled / were huddling, (2) had disappeared, (3) fetched, (4) hesitated, (5) sniffing, (6) stepped, (7) had saved, (8) will look
Set 7: (1) sat / was sitting, (2) had been studying, (3) yawned, (4) Have you found / Did you find, (5) is, (6) wore / has worn, (7) brings, (8) will prove
Set 8: (1) was stalking, (2) spotted, (3) uttered, (4) scattered, (5) crouched, (6) had passed, (7) remained, (8) turning
Set 9: (1) had already lit / had already lighted, (2) drifted / was drifting, (3) jumped, (4) have woken, (5) handing, (6) finish, (7) arrives, (8) sparkling
Set 10: (1) threw, (2) had been sleeping / had slept, (3) do I owe, (4) was, (5) steered, (6) have plied / have been plying, (7) disembarked, (8) gathering
Set 11: (1) would ring / was ringing, (2) slipped, (3) got, (4) were stained, (5) called, (6) was jogging, (7) reset, (8) will be
Set 12: (1) crumbled, (2) had been feeding / had fed, (3) tilted, (4) arrived, (5) were pecking, (6) clapped, (7) will not catch, (8) chuckled
Set 13: (1) was knitting, (2) had not received, (3) greeted, (4) handing, (5) sign, (6) beating, (7) tore, (8) had longed / had been longing
Set 14: (1) had been falling, (2) stood / was standing, (3) failed, (4) struck, (5) losing, (6) shouted, (7) was sweeping, (8) carried
Set 15: (1) had pushed / had been pushing, (2) was sinking / had sunk, (3) seized, (4) to lose, (5) listened, (6) heard, (7) follow, (8) will lead
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Portions of this article were developed with the assistance of AI tools and have been carefully reviewed, verified and edited by Jayanta Kumar Maity, M.A. in English, Editor & Co-Founder of Englicist.
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