Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the word from the options provided after each. The first one has been done for you. A farmer (0) LIVED (live) on the same farm all his life. It (1) __________ (be) a good farm. As the years (2) __________ (pass), the farmer (3) __________ (begin) to tire and he (4) __________ (long) for a change, for something better.
(2) __________ (pass)
Topic: Tenses — correct form of the verb
Try it
Pick an option and check your answer. The full worked answer is below either way.
Answer
(a) passed.
Simple past: "As the years PASSED". The subject "the years" is plural, but the simple past form of a regular verb is the same for all subjects — passed — so agreement raises no difficulty here.
Option (c) is the trap and is a spelling distinction worth fixing permanently: PASSED is the past tense of the VERB to pass — the years passed, he passed the exam. PAST is a noun, adjective or preposition — in the past, past experience, he walked past the shop. They sound identical and are among the commonest errors in written English.
Option (b) "passing" would need an auxiliary (were passing) to be grammatical.
passed.