Page 29 - Grammar for Great Writing B

2.4 Negative Past Forms

Form Example

did not + verb The essay did not provide supporting examples.

was / were + not There were not many battles during that time.

was / were + not + verb + -ing The product was not selling well in 2015.

Note
Contractions of negative forms are rare in academic writing.

ACTIVITY 1

Fill in the blank with the correct simple past form of the verb in parentheses. Use not when it is
given.

1. A study by Manhattanville College (find) that
pet owners (be) more satisfied with their lives.

2. On August 5, 1914, workers (install) the first electric
traffic signal in Cleveland, Ohio.

3. In the experiment, psychologists (ask) participants to

rate people’s friendliness by the color of their clothing.

4. Alexis de Tocqueville, a French sociologist, (come)
to the United States in 1831. In 1835, he (write)
Democracy in America, a book about Americans’ views on business, politics, and religion.

5. Because Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak (not, have)

enough money to start Apple, they (sell) some of
their personal belongings in order to raise money.

6. While he (be) in prison in the 1930s, the infamous
Chicago criminal Al Capone (begin) to suffer from

dementia. He (die) of cardiac arrest in Miami in 1947.

7. When the stock market prices (decrease) in 2007,
many investors panicked and (begin) selling their
stock.

8. In 2012, the U.S. men’s soccer team (not, qualify) for
the Olympics.

Grammar Forms 19

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Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
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