Sentence Structure/Subject Verb Agreement/Verbs 2
Practice
Answers
LIN 1670C
Corrections are in bold; explanation follows in parentheses.
The worst job I ever had was working under arduous conditions (phrase modifies "working"; should directly follow it) on a small farm in Alabama. For example, I had (subject and verb needed) to shovel cow manure every Thursday for three hours under the hot sun. The pile of manure was almost as tall as I was, but (insert comma before one of the "FANBOYS") I still was required to fill the dump truck and then unload it in the field next door. The sun was (consistent verb tense) blaring down on me, causing (insert comma) severe sunburn and dehydration. Since I was almost ready to black out from the heat, I (insert comma after dependent clause) finished slower than expected and really upset my boss. He was prone to verbal tirades that seemed (consistent verb tense) to last forever. In addition, I had to clean out the pigpen every day. While the pigs were (subject verb agreement) feeding, I washed out their pen until (omit comma before dependent clause) the pig dung was swept (verb form) away. Then I had to scrub the floor until all of the stains were removed. As soon as the pigs finished eating, I (insert comma after dependent clause) let them back in their pen. They (period needed to separate run-on) trampled me almost every time as (omit comma) they rushed back into their pen. The stench emanating from this entire area was (subject verb agreement) practically unbearable. Another responsibility I had was building sheds and digging ditches. In (period needed to correct comma splice) the midst of a hot summer day, I could be found in the middle of a treeless field, either (insert comma) hammering nails or clutching a shovel at the bottom of a four foot deep ditch. Since I was not used to manual labor, I (insert comma after dependent clause) had blisters all over my hands. I was also subject to severe sunburn because (omit comma before dependent clause) my boss did not believe in taking breaks to reapply sunscreen. If any chore was not completed, the next day meant double chores for me. At the end of a long day, it took (consistent verb tense) three long showers for me to remove the cow manure, pig dung, and grimy dirt from my exhausted body. I realize now that I am (consistent verb tense) not made for hard, manual labor, especially under arduous conditions. I think it is vital for me to go to school and get an education.