ESL Blogs

Dear friends! Today I am starting a new blog. This time it is a test where you should fill in the blanks with the appropriate Problem Verbs.

Here is some theory for you to be able to succeed. There are three pairs of problem verbs:

Raise (regular) – rise (rose-risen);

Lay(regular) – lie(lay- lian);

Set(set-set) – sit (sat-sat).

The first verb in each pair is transitive, the other is intransitive. Let me remind you that a transitive verb can be used both in the active and the passive voices. So, in the active voice such a verb is always followed by a complement (object).  An intransitive verb can be used only in the active voice and there are not any complements after it. For example:

The crane raised a car (the active voice, a car is a complement).

A car was raised by the crane (the passive voice, again, there is a complement, i.e., the crane).

The sun rises every morning (the active voice only, there is no complement).

Now, here is your task: fill in the blanks with the appropriate Problem Verbs in the appropriate English Tenses or Verbal Forms.

1. We ___ up an appointment at 6p.m.
2. The editor decided to ___the picture in the upper left corner
3. They tried to ___ the explosion in the corner of the pantry.
4. He was ___ in the big city.
5. The carpenters ___ their instruments into the bow before they went for dinner.
6. The client ___ fire to his lawyer’s house because the attorney had lost the case.
7. ___ the flag the major delivered a speech.
8. If you ___ in such a pose for long, you may have cramp in your leg.
9. The manufacturer ___ the prices as a result of high demand for his production.
10. The food prices highly ___ during a few years.
11. He ___ from the chair.
12. Willing to answer the child ___ his hand.
13. The gas station ___ to the left of the supermarket.
14. Many workers were ___ off after the strike.
15. I like to ___ the table.
16. He ___ towards his guests.
17. Your framed picture ___ on my bedside table.
18. She ___ the cake into the oven.
19. Having looked for his glasses for 20 minutes he realized they had been ___ on the table all that time.
20. The doctor advised him to ___ in bed for a few days.

Of course, we will help you as usual leading you to the correct answers.

Let the deadline be May 23.

Good luck, my friends! Have a great weekend!

Hi, my friends! Today is the deadline for this test, so, I am posting the correct answers. Here they are:

1. We set up an appointment at 6p.m.
2. The editor decided to set the picture in the upper left corner
3. They tried to set the explosion in the corner of the pantry.
4. He was raised in the big city.
5. The carpenters had laid their instruments into the box before they went for dinner.
6. The client set fire to his lawyer’s house because the attorney had lost the case.
7. Having raised the flag the major delivered a speech.
8. If you sit in such a pose for long, you may have cramp in your leg.
9. The manufacturer raised the prices as a result of high demand for his production.
10. The food prices have highly risen during a few years.
11. He rose from the chair.
12. Willing to answer the child raised his hand.
13. The gas station lies to the left of the supermarket.
14. Many workers were laid off after the strike.
15. I like to lay/set the table.
16. He rose towards his guests.
17. Your framed picture sits on my bedside table.
18. She set the cake into the oven.
19. Having looked for his glasses for 20 minutes he realized they had been lying on the table all that time.
20. The doctor advised him to lie in bed for a few days.

Thanks everyone for taking part! I hope, it was useful plactice.