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Use these flashcards to practice the verb tenses: present simple, present continuous, past simple, past continuous, future simple, and future continuous. (N) means negative. (Q) means question.
appear: to come into sight, to seem A motorcycle appeared in his rearview mirror. She appears to be a little nervous.
claim: to say as a fact He claims to be your father’s son from another marriage. She claims to be telling the truth, but I don’t believe her.
conflict: to be in disagreement or opposition His story conflicts with her story, so who’s telling the truth? Her part-time job does not conflict with her university studies.
debate: to argue in favor of one thing or of another thing They debated what kind of government was the best. The students debated various solutions to the problem of homelessness.
devise: to create, invent We devised a plan to trap the mice. He devised a simple system to purify water.
excel: to do better than most others My son excels in math and science. She got a raise because she excels at work.
flash: to show quickly The police officer flashed his badge before entering the room. She flashed him a big smile as she left the room.
hinder: to stop (someone) from doing (something) He went to the library because the noise at home was hindering his studying. That big tree across the street hinders our view of the ocean.
improvise: to do without any preparation She wasn’t prepared, so she had to improvise a speech at her sister’s graduation. The actor forgot his lines but improvised well enough to continue.
legalize: to make legal Canada legalized marijuana for use as a medicine. There are no plans to legalize gambling in this state.
mourn: to feel sad (usually when someone dies) The children mourned the loss of their of their father in the war. For months afterwards, he mourned the death of his dog.
provoke: to make (something) happen (often anger) The crowd provoked the police into taking strong action. If you talk about politics, it will provoke my brother into an argument.
recruit: to get (someone) to join (a group) We need to recruit one more person to join our study group. He’s trying to recruit me into his gang.
signify: to represent, mean The blinking lights in the theater signified that intermission was over. Those dark clouds signify the coming of a storm.
strive: to try hard, make a great effort The airline strives to make sure every customer has a good experience. He is always striving to better himself.
Study this page and when you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.
adapt: to make changes when things around you change He found it hard to adapt to his new job, so he quit after two weeks. Immigrants have to adapt to a new language and culture.
blend: to mix together To make this mocha, she blends dark-roasted coffee with Swiss chocolate. Oil and water don’t blend well because the oil floats on top of the water.
commend: to praise, approve, admire I want to commend you on your win in last Sunday’s poker game. Although he wasn’t successful, everyone commended him for his effort.
depict: to describe, represent in words or pictures The novel depicts a young family’s survival in the old west. On the wall was a mural depicting homeless people.
endure: to continue to exist, to last How much pain can one person endure? The words in the Constitution will endure forever.
grin: to make a big smile showing teeth It’s not a good idea to grin at a bear. I knew he was teasing because he was grinning.
inspire: to motivate, influence in a positive way Terry Fox inspired many people to give to cancer research. Her grandmother inspired her to become a doctor.
manipulate: to unfairly influence (someone) to get what you want She manipulated her parents into agreeing to send her to summer camp. He knows how to manipulate his parents into giving him money.
pierce: to make a hole or opening in (someone / something) The child pierced the balloon with scissors. The arrow pierced his heart, killing him instantly.
prosecute: to take (someone) to court for a wrongdoing Shoplifters will be prosecuted. His company prosecuted him for stealing money.
reinforce: to make stronger by adding something The building was reinforced against earthquakes five years ago. The general decided to reinforce the third brigade on the front lines.
stimulate: to encourage someone to do something The government lowered interest rates to stimulate the economy. He says that alcohol stimulates his creativity.
unify: to make or become a single unit, unite The two motorcycle clubs voted to unify. Many people believe this leader will unify their political party.
venture: to do something risky He ventured into the stock market in his early twenties. Although he had a bicycle, he never ventured outside his neighborhood.
wiggle: to move quickly from side to side The shoes were so tight she couldn’t wiggle her toes. Her father wiggled her tooth and told her she would lose it in a couple of days.
I’m having trouble accessing my bank account. Students can easily access their marks online.
bargain: to make an agreement so both sides are satisfied The union bargained a new three-year contract. They bargained for half an hour before agreeing on a price for the car.
clarify: to make clear and understandable The candidate was asked to clarify his position on immigration. The company posted regulations to clarify how men should treat women in the workplace.
correspond: to communicate regularly They corresponded for years with emails before meeting face to face. She corresponds regularly with other scientists around the world.
devote: to give lots of time and attention (to something or someone) He devoted his time every summer to taking care of his aging parents. She has devoted her life to her children.
fidget: to move around nervously or impatiently She fidgets with her hair when she’s lying. He fidgeted with his keys as he waited for his interview.
impress: to cause admiration or approval He impressed her with his ability to play the piano. Her family was impressed with her fiance’s future plans.
linger: to stay longer than usual They lingered after the party so they could help clean up. The students all lingered after the basketball game was over.
observe: to watch for a while The park is a good place to observe birds. The student-teachers wanted to observe a class in action.
propose: to suggest (something) to be considered The committee proposed that future meetings should be recorded. She proposed that the family go on vacation together.
refrain: to not do (something) Please refrain from smoking in the car when children are present. He couldn’t refrain from laughing when he saw the look on her face.
shriek: to make a loud, high sound Many were shrieking in pain after the bus crash. She shrieked when she saw the snake on the floor.
squander: to use wastefully and have no more It only took him two weeks to squander the money his parents gave him. He squandered his time watching cartoons on TV.
undergo: to go through an unpleasant experience For a year he had to undergo radiation treatment for his bone cancer. The baby underwent three surgeries in the first year of his life.
withdraw: to move back or take back Every Friday she withdraws $200 dollars from her bank account. The police were ordered to withdraw from the building.
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the vocabulary above on the audio file below.
Use these flashcards to help you study.
When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.
attempt: to try, make an effort The man will attempt to walk on a wire between the two buildings. Every year climbers attempt to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
balance: to make two sides equal She needs to balance her checkbook. He never seems to be able to balance his work life and his home life.
confide: to tell a secret, discuss private matters The only person he confides in is his wife. She was too embarrassed to confide in her parents.
defy: to not follow orders After a strong warning, the gang defied the police and called a meeting. Teenagers often defy their parents and do what they want.
dwindle: to become smaller and smaller. As the number of jobs dwindled, more and more people were out of work. The fish off the east coast have dwindled to a very low number.
function: to work, operate, do the job The computer won’t function properly. We need to call tech support. I can’t function in the morning without two cups of coffee first.
invade: to enter forcefully He felt that the government had invaded his privacy. Napoleon invaded Spain in 1808.
migrate: to move in groups to another place far away In the late fall the birds migrate south to warmer places. The very first people in north America migrated from Asia.
perish: to die, be completely destroyed All his paintings perished in the fire. Millions of people perished from the Spanish flu of 1918.
recline: to lie down He reclined on the couch after dinner and turned on the TV. They reclined on the grass and looked up at the stars.
shiver: to shake from the cold, fear or excitement The children were shivering from the lack of heat in the classroom. He shivered at the thought that he could have been killed in the accident.
specify: to say or state clearly The recipe doesn’t specify what kind of oil to use. The directions specify that the product not be used indoors.
tend: to do naturally She tends to be lazy when she’s alone. Unlike dogs, cats tend to be independent.
vomit: to throw up, empty your stomach through your mouth After drinking more than six beers, he usually vomits. When the police officer discovered the headless body, she wanted to vomit.
wrinkle: to make lines or folds in (clothing, skin) so it’s no longer smooth He wrinkled his clothes by sleeping in them all night. This new shirt doesn’t wrinkle as much as cotton does.
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the vocabulary above on the audio file below.
Use these flashcards to help you study.
When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.
applaud: to clap hands in appreciation The audience applauded wildly at the end of the concert. I applaud her courage in leaving her husband.
benefit: to be good for A national health program benefits everyone. A house with more bedrooms would benefit us a lot.
concern: to be of interest to, be worried A shortage of water concerns all the farmers in the area. I’m concerned about my father’s health.
deprive: to stop from having As a good mother she deprives her children of candy. Because he studied all night, he was deprived of sleep.
ensure: to make sure, guarantee This new investment will ensure the success of the company. Please ensure that the door is locked after you leave.
glance: to look at very quickly She glanced at the clock and saw it was midnight. The child glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone was following him.
infuriate: to make very angry It infuriates me when my wife takes a long time to get ready to go. When the president cancelled elections, it infuriated the citizens.
magnify: to make larger He just needs reading glasses to magnify the words so he can see them. You don’t want to magnify the problem, so just be quiet.
oppose: to try to stop by doing things against There are many people who oppose war. The church opposes the new “right to die” law.
recommend: to say someone should do (something) My friends recommend that we go eat at the new Mexican restaurant downtown. What treatment does the doctor recommend for this patient?
regret: to be sorry about I hurt your feelings, and I regret that very much. After he bought the motorcycle, he regretted his purchase.
seal: to close up tight to keep the air out When he was finished, he sealed the letter in the envelope. You need to seal that container better if you want the food to last.
sponsor: to be responsible for, support with money This show is sponsored by the Ford Motor Company. Senator Cohen helped sponsor a bill to legalize marijuana.
terrify: to greatly scare The boy terrified his sister with a snake he found in the garden. When he thinks about losing his family, it terrifies him.
verify: to prove something is true She verified that the painting was a real Van Gogh. The bank verified his signature and gave him the money.
Use these flashcards to help you study.
When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.
abolish: to make illegal, stop forever, eliminate Canadians should either abolish the Senate or make it more democratic. Many countries have abolished the death penalty.
beckon: to gently make someone come He beckoned her to come to the back of the bus and sit with him. Canada’s north with its high salaries beckons single young men and women.
collide: to hit, run into The truck lost its brakes and collided into a tree. They say the meteor will collide with the earth in four days.
consist: to be composed of These cookies consist of flour, sugar, eggs and butter. The test consisted of all multiple choice questions.
diminish: to reduce, lessen, make smaller Drinking three beers diminished his ability to drive. His apology did nothing to diminish her anger.
estimate: to make an educated guess It’s hard to estimate the cost of building a second bathroom. His wealth is estimated at over $3 billion.
intend: to plan on doing We intend to have a picnic this weekend. I intend to graduate next year and apply to Harvard University.
mount: to become more and more After a week of rain, the number of deaths started to mount. As his debts mounted, the phone calls from his creditors increased.
penetrate: to go into or through, enter The noise from the party penetrated the walls and bothered our quiet evening. The arrow penetrated his chest but missed his heart.
pursue: to chase after, follow She plans on pursuing a career in acting. The hunter pursued the deer for kilometers before he got a good shot.
reject: to refuse to accept The bank rejected his business plan and he didn’t get the loan. Many countries reject the death penalty even for murder.
reveal: to show or tell after being hidden Magicians never reveal their tricks to the public. The bank promises not to reveal any of your personal information.
scatter: to break up or throw in different directions When the police arrived, the crowd scattered. He scattered grass seeds all over his yard.
strangle: to kill by squeezing the neck, choke The killer strangled the man with his bare hands. I almost got strangled when a rope fell into the water when I was swimming.
ventilate: to move fresh air through We need to ventilate this room; it smells like a gym. A cool breeze ventilated the house.
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the vocabulary above on the audio file below.
Use these flashcards to help you study.
When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.
alter: to make different for some reason Her mother altered her wedding gown so it would fit her better. His excuse doesn’t alter the fact that he missed an important test.
bar: to prevent, exclude, close He was barred from the poker club for cheating. The police barred the exits so the thief couldn’t escape.
comply: to follow directions or requests The police asked them to leave and they complied. She failed to comply with the judge’s orders.
decline: to say no, refuse Although he was rich and handsome, she declined his invitation. He declined the offer on his house because it was too low.
disturb: to bother, interrupt Please don’t disturb me when I’m working at the computer. Your father is in the study and doesn’t want to be disturbed.
exaggerate: to make it sound better or bigger than it really is Richard always exaggerates his real estate sales. He wouldn’t be the first fisher to exaggerate the size of his catch.
ignore: to not notice or consider It’s hard to ignore the crime rate in this city. He asked them to ignore his weaknesses and hire him on his strengths.
limit: to keep something small We need to limit the number of people we invite to the party. He limits the amount of money he spends on clothes.
overlook: to not notice or consider, disregard Although his second novel was a bestseller, people overlook his first. The youngest child in the family, he was often overlooked.
predict: to say what will happen in the future I can’t predict what will happen if you don’t tell her the truth. The meteorologist predicts snow for this coming weekend.
rehearse: to practice for a public performance She said she’ll be late today because she has to rehearse with the band. All week he rehearsed for his speech.
sigh: to let out your breath noisily The class sighed from relief when the teacher postponed the exam. She sighed when she found out she still had a lot more work to do.
stretch: to make longer, extend He stretched in bed before getting up. She stretched a rope between two trees to hang her laundry.
thaw: to become unfrozen, melt It took an hour for the frozen fish to thaw. When Spring came, the rivers and lakes started to thaw.
wager: to bet, put money on a result I’ll wager that you can’t make that basketball shot from this distance. He never wagers on the outcome of an election.
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the vocabulary above on the audio file below.
Use these flashcards to help you study.
When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.
The simple past is used for an action or actions that are finished in the past. For most verbs you add –ed to the end of the basic verb.
Examples:
She arrived back home before dinnertime.
They hated the whole movie from start to finish.
He cleaned the bathroom and vacuumed the carpet.
If the verb is negative, then use didn’t (did not) with the basic verb.
Examples:
She didn’tarrive back home until midnight.
They didn’thate the movie, but they didn’tlike it either.
He didn’tclean the bathroom or vacuumthe carpet.
If the verb is interrogative (question), then use did before the subject and the basic verb.
Examples: Did she arrive back home before dinnertime? Did they hate the whole movie from start to finish? Did he clean the bathroom and vacuumthe carpet?
There are many irregular verbs whose past tense does not add –ed. These verbs must be memorized. They are:
be (am, are, is) was, were lose lost become became make made begin began mean meant bite bit meet met blow blew pay paid break broke ride rode bring brought ring rang buy bought rise rose catch caught run ran choose chose say said come came see saw creep crept seek sought deal dealt sell sold dig dug shake shook do did shoot shot draw drew shrink shrank drink drank sing sang drive drove sink sank eat ate sit sat fall fell sleep slept feed fed slide slid feel felt speak spoke fight fought spit spit / spat find found spring sprang flee fled stand stood fly flew steal stole forbid forbade stick stuck forget forgot sting stung forgive forgave stink stank freeze froze strike struck get got swear swore give gave sweep swept go went swim swam grow grew swing swung hang hung take took have had teach taught hear heard tear tore hide hid tell told hold held think thought keep kept throw threw kneel knelt understand understood know knew wake woke lay laid wear wore leave left weep wept lead led win won lie (down) lay write wrote light lit / lighted
Verbs that have the same present and past forms:
beat beat let let bet bet pet pet broadcast broadcast put put burst burst quit quit cost cost read read cut cut set set fit fit shut shut hit hit split split hurt hurt spread spread
Verbs that end in -d that change to -t:
bend bent send sent build built spend spent lend lent
annoy: to bother (someone) When I check my email, all the spam really annoys me. The flies at the beach were annoying us so much that we had to leave.
book: to make a reservation For our lunch I booked a table at the Japanese restaurant down the street. It was impossible to book a room for this long weekend, so can I stay with you?
bruise: to cause a black and blue mark under the skin He fell off his bike and bruised his arm. He was lucky. All he did was bruise his lip.
compare: to say what is similar and different about two things When I compare prices, Super Store’s are the lowest. You can’t compare her present boyfriend to her last one.
contain: to have inside That bottle of pop contains a lot of sugar. The fish tank contained a variety of colorful fish.
develop: to become better. I’ve watched you develop as a basketball player over the last few years. She practices hard to develop her skills.
examine: to look at very closely Let the doctor examine you to find out what’s wrong. When the detective examined the scene of the murder, he found a single earring.
forgive: to no longer be angry at someone It may take her a while to forgive you for lying to her. Please forgive me. I should never have taken your bike without asking.
involve: to be part of (an activity) Your problems don’t involve me, so find a solution yourself. Were you involved in that disturbance downtown on Friday?
matter: to be important It matters that she’s your sister and she needs help.. It doesn’t matter if I’m there tomorrow or not.
prefer: to choose (over something else) What day would you prefer to go out for dinner? I prefer to stay quiet and keep my opinions to myself.
raise: to grow, to mature We were both raised in southern California. They raise corn on that farm.
remain: to stay behind (when most have left) There were only two chocolates remaining in the box. He remained after class to talk to the teacher.
spoil: to go or make bad She spoiled the surprise party by telling her sister. By the time the fruit got to market, most of it had spoiled.
supply: to provide with needed things: That company supplies the army with boots. The teacher supplied the answers to the test the following day.
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.
Use these flashcards to help you study.
When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.
