Practice with English Verb Tenses -- Chicago Biographies

MEANING * FORM * AUXILIARIES * LEXICAL ASPECT
Labor Day * Martin Luther King, Jr. * FIFA * Fathers' Day * Chicago

After you have looked at the verbs in these biographies of people connected with Chicago, (ignoring the verbs with modal auxiliaries .. can / may / must , etc ....), look at the discussion of them below.

Marshall Field
(all simple past verbs except for one event told out of order,
and then at the end a shift to the present to talk about the museum that exists today
(including some background information about a scientist in the past.)

when?
past
  present  
  future  
comments
(when he was alive)
began
were
brought
    intro; (he's no longer living.)
1834
(at 17)

1856

(in 5 yrs)
was (born)
became
became
was (hired)
became
attained
    
events in his life; told in order
|
|
V
1865

1867

1868
1871


(1873)
joined
was
withdrew
became
rented
was (destroyed)
were (saved)
opened
returned
became
     
1881

1895



(1952)
bought out
changed
increased
stressed
introduced
led
was (published)
   





(book, comment outside story)
1906


1893
1906
died
left
received
had established
bequeathed
   

OUT OF ORDER
(Field Museum)


(Carl Akeley)


(museum)



was
invented
instituted
is
houses
pertain



has
  the museum exists today


Akeley is no longer living


back to the museum

Jane Addams
(all simple past verbs except for two events told out of order at the end,
and then a shift to the present to talk about the continuation of her work and ideas.)

when?
past
  present  
  future  
comments
19th century
led
brought
sought
championed
supported
helped
    intro; (she's no longer living.)
1860


(infancy)
(after graduation)
was (born)
was
was
suffered
failed
was
   
events in her life; told in order
|
|
V
1883
went
found
impressed
was (confirmed)
     
1889
settled
called
was (adopted)
   
(soon)
were
saw
was
were
contributed
     
(cont'd)
fed
guided
became
campaigned
helped
 
   
(cont'd)
became
presented
came
heard
     
(WWI)

after WWI
1931
faced
urged
continued
was (awarded)
     
--> 1935
(1929)
pre 1935
1961
managed
had been forced
had been expanded
were (laid)
   
OUT OF ORDER (before 1935)
1963
were (sold)
was (preserved)

has continued		  

(from 1935/63 to NOW)
(today)
 
are
   her books, available today

Al Capone
(all simple past verbs except for one past progressive for a repeated action in progress, and two past perfects serving as kind of summaries at the end of chapters in his life (before prison and after). Also one reference to present-day memory of an event.

when?
past
  present  
  future  
comments
(when he was alive)
ran
    intro; (he's no longer living.)
1899

6th grade
was (born)
responded
beat
left
chastised
joined
   
events in his life; told in order
|
|
V
1918
killed
called
was
moved
     
(next)
carried
broke
evicted
   
(next)


(early?) 1920
after May 1920
did not bring
received
ran
was harrassing
became
became
   


(duration at that time)
(next)
1925

(next)
became
was (wounded)
stepped
ran
was
had
 
   
1929
made

killed
was
changed

is (known)		  
(today)
pre Feb. 1929


Nov. 1929
had been gathering
ran
told
was (sentenced, etc.)
    OUT OF ORDER (+duration)
1939
(pre 1939)
after that
1947
was (released)
had deteriorated
entered
died
died
   
OUT OF ORDER

Richard J. Daley
(all simple past verbs, events told in order (except for one comment about his son, as background, not part of the narrative.)

when?
past
  present  
  future  
comments
(1953-1976)
was
won
was
    intro
1902
1918
(1918-1921?)
next
1936
after 1936
(1989)
was (born)
was (graduated)
worked
worked
married
had
(served)
   
events in his life; told in order
|
|
V


(extra -- comment about his son)
before 1955
held
served
     
1955-1976

Dec. 1976
remained
was (marred)
died
     

Look at the verbs in some other biographies, including people who are still living.

Return to the tenses overview.
Go to the class homepage
Go to the IEI Home Page

Ann Salzmann
Intensive English Institute
University of Illinois