Review: verb forms

Directions: Complete the sentences by writing the correct form of the verb in parentheses.

What is your most (embarrass)….embarrassing….experience? Let me tell you what happened to my Uncle Ernesto when he (go) … to Norway for a business meeting last year.

First, I must tell you about my uncle. He (be) …a businessman from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He (manufacture) …a new kind of computer compass for ships. Computer compasses (make) …by many companies in the world, so my uncle (have) …a lot of competition for his product. In order to sell his product, he (need) … (meet) …with companies that might want to buy it. He (travel) …frequently to other countries.

Last year, he (go) … to Norway (meet) … with a shipping company. It was his first trip to Scandinavia. My Uncle Ernesto (speak) … Spanish, of course, and also (know) … a little English, but he (know, not) … any Norwegian. While he (stay) … in Norway, he (have) … a problem.

Uncle Ernesto (stay) … at a small hotel in Oslo. One morning, while he (get) … ready to take a shower, he (hear) … a knock at the door. He (walk) … to the door, (open) … it, and (find) … no one. He (take) … a step out of his room and (look) … down the hall. He (see) … no one. So he (turn) … (go) … back into his room, but the door (close) …! It (lock) … and he (have, not) … his key. This was a very big problem for my unfortunate uncle because he (dress, not) … properly. In fact, he (wear) … nothing but a towel. Poor Uncle Ernesto! "What (I, do) …?" he asked himself.

Instead of (stand) … in the hallway with only a towel, he (decide) … (get) … help. So he (start) … (walk) … down the hall toward the elevator. He thought about (knock) … on someone else's door (ask) … for help, but decided it was better (ask) … the hotel personnel. He hoped the elevator would be empty.

When he (reach) … the elevator, he (push) … the down button and (wait) … When it (come) …, Uncle Ernesto (take) … a deep breath and (get) … in even though the elevator wasn't empty. The other people in the elevator (surprise) … when they (see) … a man who (wrap) … in a towel.

Uncle Ernesto (think) … about (try) … (explain) … his problem, but unfortunately he (know, not) … any Norwegian. He said, in English, "Door. Locked. No key." A businessman in the elevator (nod) … but he (smile, not) … Another man (look) … at Uncle Ernesto and (smile) … broadly.

After an eternity, the elevator (reach) … the ground floor. Uncle Ernesto (walk) … straight to the front desk and ( look) … at the hotel manager helplessly. The hotel manager (have to understand, not) … any language (figure) … out the problem. My uncle (have to say, not) … a word. The manager (grab) … a key, (take) … my uncle by the elbow, and (lead) … him back to the nearest elevator.

My uncle (embarrass, still) … about this incident. But he (laugh) … a lot when he (tell) … the story.

Betty Schrampfer Azar, "English Grammar"

When you finish the completion of the sentences, reread again the whole story. Isn't it fun? What is your most .embarrassing experience? Think about any funy situation you or your friend/relatives/whoever got in and tell us about it in comments area to this story. Thanks a lot for stopping by.