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Verbs Test
Reading Level 2
Part One | Verb Phrases
Directions: Read each sentence and identify the complete verb phrase
(main verb and any helping verbs). Circle your answer.
1.

Ladybug's sparkly shoes shimmered in the sun.

a)
c)

shimmered
shoes shimmered

2.

Cricket will be playing his violin by your window all night long.

a)
c)

playing
will be playing

3.

Flea and his ten thousand brothers were afraid of Dragonfly.

a)
c)

were
afraid of

4.

Bee's mother had warned him about Hornet and Wasp's bad influence on his life.

a)
c)

had
warned

5.

Ladybug put on her favorite spotted dress and went to the spring dance.

a)
c)

put
put and dance

6.

Ant could lift 50 times his weight in stale pizza crusts.

a)
c)

could
could lift

7.

Hornet and Wasp are not allowed at the picnic with Ant and Ladybug.

a)
c)

are
are allowed

8.

Mantis brushed her teeth and washed her hands after the meal with her boyfriend.

b)
d)

b)
d)

b)
d)

b)
d)

b)
d)

b)
d)

b)
d)

shimmered in
shimmered in the

be playing
will be playing his

were afraid
were afraid of

had warned
had warned him

went to dance
put and went

lift
could lift in

allowed
are allowed at

a)
c)

brushed
brushed and washed

9.

Bee will be buzzing by flowers and through showers this spring.

a)
c)

buzzing
be buzzing

10.
a)
c)
11.
a)
c)
12.
a)
c)
13.
a)
c)
14.
a)
c)

b)
d)

b)
d)

brushed her
brushed her and washed her

will be
will be buzzing

Tick is having a warm, refreshing drink of camper's blood.

is
drink of

b)
d)

drink
is having

Butterfly fluttered by a fly beside a butter knife.

fluttered
fluttered by

b)
d)

by
fluttered by the

Mantis invited her boyfriend over for a tasty snack.

invited
invited for an

b)
d)

invited her
invited for snack

Hornet and Wasp were flying around and looking for trouble.
were flying
flying and looking

b)
d)

were flying and looking

were flying around and looking

Can you hear Cricket's song in your lawn?

hear
Can you hear

b)
d)

Can hear
song

Part Two | Conjugation, Tense, and Aspect

Directions: Read each sentence. Choose the answer that best completes it based on conjugation,
tense, and aspect. Circle your answer.
15.
a)
c)

Ant ________ his crumbs with his friend Lady Bug until that hungry Spider showed
up.
were going to share
was going to share

b)
d)

we're going to share

will be sharing

16.
a)
c)
17.
a)
c)
18.
a)
c)
19.
a)
c)
20.
a)
c)
21.
a)
c)
22.
a)
c)
23.
a)
c)
24.
a)

Wasp and Hornet ________ around the yard and looking for some luckless fool to
sting.
flew
had flown

b)
d)

was flying
were flying

"If I ________ Bee, I'd mind my own beeswax," said Hornet to his troublesome friend
Wasp.
were
was

b)
d)

we're
where

If Ant ________ that it was going to rain so much, he wouldn't have even came to the
picnic.
knew
had known

b)
d)

had knew
knows

Mantis ________ at her bigheaded boyfriend and licking her lips.

looks
had looked

b)
d)

looked
was looking

Tick ________ very thirsty when he saw the campers setting up their tents.
is
had been

b)
d)

will be
has been

After Grasshopper smashed up Spider's bedroom, Spider ________ that it was time to
build a new home.
decide
decides

b)
d)

decided
will decide

Flea ________ of his ten-thousand brothers taking his things without asking.
sick
were sick

b)
d)

was sick
we're sick

Fly ________ the cookie crumbs, but he flew off to find a stinkier treat.
could a ate
could a eaten

b)
d)

could of eaten
could have eaten

Spider ________ a new room to his home below the gutter.

be busy adding

b)

we're busy adding

c)
25.
a)
c)
26.
a)
c)
27.
a)
c)
28.
a)
c)
29.
a)
c)
30.
a)
c)
31.
a)
c)
32.
a)
c)
33.
a)
c)

was busy adding

d)

were busy adding

Wasp ________ Bee with the flowers, but Wasp was much too busy scaring children.
would a helped
would of help

b)
d)

would of helped
would have helped

"________ too busy eating this dog," said Flea to his parasitic friend Tick.
Were
We're

b)
d)

We's
We was

Fly ________ by Butterfly under summer sunshine.

flew
flyed

b)
d)

flied
flown

b)
d)

dances and prancing

danced and prancing

Mantis ________ pantless.

dances and prances
dancing and prances

Ant ________ more food for the winter, but he was busy playing with Grasshopper.
should a stored
should of stored

b)
d)

should of store
should have stored

Spider ________ before he took a rejuvenating nap.

is tired
had been tired

b)
d)

has been tired

was going to be tired

Flea, Moth, and Tick ________ a really cool insect party in your sweater.
throwing
be throwing

b)
d)

is throwing
are throwing

Fly ________ the pungent scent of my locker.

love
be loving

b)
d)

loves
loving

Ladybug, Bee, and Mantis ________ an afternoon tea party.

planning
are planning

b)
d)

is planning
was planning