E32: Teacher Certification Podcast | FTCE | General Knowledge | English | Standard Verb Forms

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Welcome to episode 32 of FTCE seminar, a teacher certification podcast. I'm your host Mercedes Musto. In today's episode, I'll be talking about the FTCE general knowledge English language skills subtest. We're going to focus on standard verb forms and how to correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense. Inappropriate shifts?

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Is it getting past tense in here or is it just the verbs? I know, I know, I had to. Okay, let's get started. Concept one, standard verb forms. And concept two, correcting inappropriate shifts in verb tense. Today, we are talking about the verb, but more technically, about being able to identify when an infinitive, past tense, or past participle verb is being used incorrectly in a sentence.

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Well, we're all familiar with verbs because they are words that describe the action of the sentence, and they are a part of the predicate of the sentence. But then verbs can get a little bit complicated because, well, I mean, life is complicated. Oh, wow, that was deep, yeah. Oh, okay, crash course on infinitive past tense and irregular verbs

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simply put infinitive verbs are the base form of a verb plus the word to to like to to as In to dance or to sing or to celebrate Next we can make most infinitive verbs past tense by adding the suffix ed as in this example last weekend past tense because it already happened we danced we singed we celebrated what what we singed that doesn't sound right well you're right it doesn't sound right that's because sing is an example of an irregular verb what are irregular verbs I'm glad you asked. Irregular verbs just can't get the standard ed ending

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when shifting to past tense. Instead, irregular verbs change into different words completely. And we have low key mastered the memorization of hundreds of these irregular verbs throughout our lifetime. Now let's go back and correct that unruly verb in the previous sentence.

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The sentence was, last week we danced, we singed, and we celebrated. It's so hard to say that. Singed? No, we sang. Because sang is the simple past tense of sing. But isn't sung a word too? Yes.

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In fact, the transition goes sing, sang, sung, making sang the past tense of sing and sung the past participle of sang. And we have it. Sing sang sung. Voila! Other irregular verbs follow the same pattern from infinitive to past tense and from past tense to past participle like in these examples. To know shifts like this. Know, knew, known. To rise, shifts like this, rise, rose, risen. To take, shifts like this, take, took, taken. Here's a good one though, the verb go. The go shift is like this, go, went, gone. Hint, a lot of times when an irregular verb shifts to its third form, you can recognize it by the presence of a helping verb more on that next is Is this getting complicated?

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Yes, but let's try some examples example number one Chris should have went to the coffee shop the base form of the verb being used here is to go and the verb shift Follows go went gone. So which is the correct verb form, went or gone? Notice the words should have right before the verb went. Words like could, should, would, have, had, did, do, has,

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and does are helping verbs, meaning that they can come before the verb to help establish its tense. So in this case, Chris should have went is incorrect. The correct verb is gone. Chris should have gone to the coffee shop. Now remember the shift is go, went, gone. As in I go to work every day. He went to work and she has gone to work in the past. Whoo, I admit. Now I gave you the most and I mean the most challenging example first.

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So let's try another one. Number two, Chris had knew my favorite drink was espresso. The base form of the verb being used here is to know, and the verb shift follows know, knew, known. So which is it, knew or known? One more time. Chris had knew my favorite drink was espresso. Wait a minute, I have spotted the helping verb had

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prior to the verb knew, and based on what I learned that last time that helping verbs often precede the third form. So therefore, the connection should read, Chris had known my favorite drink was espresso. Woo, yeah. Okay, let's review. Remember that infinitive verbs are the base form

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of a verb plus the word to, as in to dance, or to sing, and to celebrate. And most of the time we can make regular verbs past tense by adding ed, like with dance and celebrate. But then comes along those irregular verbs who've got to have their own thing going. This is where we need to listen to the sentence and notice if there's any of those could, would, should,

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have, has, did, does, do, helping verbs around and that will help us determine whether the third form, also known as past participle form, will be used or if it's just a simple shift tense like sing, sang, and sung. Being able to identify standard verb forms and make corrections to inappropriate shifts in verb tense will help you on the English portion of the general knowledge test. In fact, being able to use verb tenses correctly will

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help you in your academic writing or like when you're grading papers. How cool is that? For more practice with English language skills, visit ftceseminar.com and download one of our podcasting study guides. The important thing is to start studying. And start studying today so you can pass the teacher certification exam. Well, what are you waiting for? Check us out on YouTube at FTCE Seminar and start studying today. This podcast was recorded at the Pickens Multimedia Studio at the University of West Florida.

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This podcast is listener supported. Contributions can be made via the listener support link on Spotify. This is your host Mercedes Musto. Join me again on FTCE seminar, a teacher certification podcast so you can pass the FTCE.

Transcribed with Cockatoo