Instructions: Read and study each rule and do the exercises for the rule. If you fail any of the exercises, you will fail the lesson.  Simply restudy and redo the lessons to pass to the next lesson.

Rules 1-10

. Rule 1:. lie and lay

Lie and lay have different forms:

A. Lie has the forms lie, lay, lying, and lain.  Use these forms when you speak of sleeping or resting.  These forms have nothing to receive the action in the sentence.

•     All he wanted to do was lie down and go to sleep.

•     He lay down a minute ago and now he is sleeping. (past tense)

•     He is lying down because he needs the rest.

•     He has lain in the same place for three hours.

Choose the correct answer:

1. All he wanted to do was (lie, lay) down and go to sleep.

2. He (lay, laid) down a minute ago and now he is sleeping.  (past tense)

3. He is (lying, laying) down because he needs the rest.

4. He has (laid, lain) in the same place for three hours.

B. Lay has the forms lay, laying, and laid.  These forms must have something that can be put down.  Use these forms when you speak of putting or placing something.

•      Lay the book on the table.

•      I have been laying the books on the table every day.

•      The book has lain on the table all day.

•      Where have you laid my book?

•      We will lay the bathroom tile tomorrow.

Choose the correct answer:

5. (Lay, Lie) the book on the table.

6.I have been (laying, lying) the book on the table every day this week.

7. The book has (laid, lain) on the table all day.

The form lay causes the most problems because it is the past tense of lie (resting) and the present tense of lay (putting something down):

(lay, present tense)

•     Lay the book on the table.

•     Put the book in the table.

•     Lay the board down next to the house.

•     Put the board down next to the house.

(lie, past tense)

•     He lay down and went to sleep an hour ago.

•     He has been sleeping for an hour.

•     I lay down for only two minutes before the phone rang.

•     I had been resting two minutes before the phone rang.

Choose the correct answer:

8. (Lay, Lie) the board down next to the house.

9. He (lay, laid) down and went to sleep an hour ago. 

..Rule 2:. sit and set

 Sit has the forms sit, sitting, and sat.  Use these forms when you speak of someone or something resting in the upright position.

•    Sit by the door.

•    Who sat on the couch?

•    The dog is sitting by the window.

Choose the correct answer:

10. (Sit, Sat) by the door.

11.  Who (sat, set) on the couch?

12.  The dog is (sitting, setting) by the window.

Set has the forms set and setting.  Use these forms when you speak of putting or placing something.  The form set needs something that can be put down.

•    Set the pot on the stove.  (pot is put down)

•    Do not set a place at the table for me tonight.  (place is set)

•    Mom is setting the table now.  (table is set)

•    Please set it on the table next to the stove.  (it is set)

Choose the correct answer:

13. (Set, Sit) the pot on the stove.

14. Do not (set, sit) a place at the table for me tonight.

15. Mom is (sitting, setting) the table now.

16. Please (sit, set) it on the table next to the stove.

..Rule 3:. Do not use helping verbs with the word ought.

•     You ought to leave now.

•     You ought not to go by yourself.

Choose the correct answer:

17. You (ought, had ought) to stay home.

18. You (had ought, ought) not to eat so much.

19. You (had ought, ought) to leave.

20. You (hadn’t ought, shouldn’t) go.

..Rule 4:. Avoid the confusion of the shifting tense.

•    He scored three points and tied the game.

Choose the correct answer:

21. He scored three points and (tied, ties) the game.

..Rule 5:. Don’t use ain’t in a sentence.

•   I’m not going to the gym today.

Choose the correct answer:

22. I (ain’t, am not) going to the mall today.

..Rule 6:. Don’t say “I says.”

•      I said, “Put that down.”

Choose the correct answer:

23. I (says, said) put that down.

..Rule 7:. Use a single verb with a single subject.  The single verb usually ends in s.

•     The flower grows in the garden.

•     The student lives here.

Choose the correct answer:

24. The flower (grow, grows) in the garden.

25.  The teacher (live, lives) here.

..Rule 8:. Use a plural verb with a plural subject.  The plural verb usually does not end in s.

•     The flowers grow in the garden.

•     The students live here.

Choose the correct answer:

26. The flowers (grow, grows) in the garden.

27. The teachers (live, lives) here.

..Rule 9:. Use are, were, have, and do with a plural subject.  Use is, was, has, or does with a single subject.

•      These shoes are old.

•      My sisters were here.

•      My brothers have new coats.

•      The boys do well in football.

Choose the correct answer:

28. These shoes (are, is) old.

29. My sisters (was, were) here.

30. My brothers (have, has) new coats.

31.  The boys (do, does) well in football.

•        The car is black.

•        The boy was here.

•        My brother has a backpack.

•        That student does well in school.

Choose the correct answer:

32. The car (is, are) black.

33.  The boy (was, were) here.

34.  My brother (have, has) a backpack.

34.  That student (do, does) well in school.

..Rule 10:. Use the contractions isn’t, wasn’t, hasn’t, and doesn’t with singular subjects.  Use aren’t, weren’t, haven’t, and don’t with plural subjects.

•     That book isn’t mine.

•      The grapes weren’t very sweet.

•      The players haven’t left the field.

•      These cookies don’t go very well with soda.

Choose the correct answer:

36. The grapes (wasn’t, weren’t) very sweet.

37. The players (hasn’t, haven’t) left the field.

38. These cookies (don’t, doesn’t) go very well with soda.