Practice Makes Perfect

17·2
EXERCISE
Use your dictionary to find the meaning of the following irregular verbs and vocabulary 
words needed for this exercise before you begin. Write the words in your language in the 
space provided.
to speak 
→
spoke
to draw 
→
drew
to hold 
→
held 
to leave 
→
left 
to pay 
→
paid 
to swear 
→
swore
to steal 
→
stole
to sit 
→
sat 
to hang 
→
hung
to hear 
→
heard
to shoot 
→
shot 
to see 
→
saw 
to begin 
→
began
to give 
→
gave
to dig 
→
dug 
niece 
plastic
front 
broom
store 
great 
whistle swing
thing 
speech
pantry calculator
bored 
problem
witch 
tunnel
The Simple Past Tense with Irregular Verbs: 1
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 68
practice makes perfect Basic 
English
midnight
crossing guard
party 
pink flamingo 
stop sign nephew 
shoplifter underground
Complete the following sentences in the simple past tense using the irregular past tense form of the verb 
indicated in parentheses.
1. The teachers (to speak) about the computer problems in detail.
2. I (to begin) my homework after school.
3. He (to give) money to his niece and nephew for their birthdays.
4. She (to hang) the whistle around her neck.
5. I (to see) the shoplifter in the store.
6. We (to sit) on the swings and talked about many things.
7. Somebody (to steal) my calculator and pencils at school.
8. I (to pay) a lot of money for the plastic pink flamingos on my 
front lawn.
9. Cheyenne (to draw) a nice picture of a witch on a broom.
10. David (to swear) in class today.
11. The workers (to dig) a big underground tunnel.
12. The crossing guard (to hold) the stop sign in her left hand.
13. The police (to shoot) the man in the leg.
14. We (to hear) your speech last night, and it was great.
15. They (to leave) the party at midnight because they were bored.
16. We (to see) a mouse in the pantry last night.
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