Caps and capes have the same plural /s/ sound because although the silent e makes the a long, it plays no role in the pronunciation of the plural ending. Just pretend that final silent e is not there when you pronounce the /sA. The pronunciation of the plural in regular nouns is determined by the final sound of the singular form of the noun according to the following three rules | 146 Verb Phrases Or the past time can be defined by some other event as expressed in a past-tense subordinate clause. For example past progressive past tense We were watching TV when the lights went out. past past tense progressive When you called we were working in the garden. past past progressive tense They were driving to Richland when they had the accident. The past progressive can also be used for a past-time action or event that spans a defined period of past time. For example All last week my boss was meeting with the sales reps. From noon on I was raking leaves in the backyard. All the time he was talking I was looking at my watch. Exercise Examine each verb in italics in the following sentences. Rewrite the verb as a past progressive. At midnight I sleep. At midnight I was sleeping. 1. The chef bake the pie when the guests came. 2. As she walk down the street yesterday she noticed the stray dog. 3. All last month the teacher grade tests. 4. At the time of the hurricane they live on the west side of the city. 5. The police control the rioters when the convention began. Verb Tenses 147 Future progressive The future progressive F Prog consists of the future tense FT of the verb be will be followed by a verb in the present participle form. The present progressive describes some activity that will be carried out at some future time. The future time can be a specific moment or period in time. For example At noon I will be flying to Houston. Next week the kids will be staying with their grandparents. During the school year she will be living in a dorm. Or the future time can be defined as taking place during some future-time event that is expressed in a present-tense subordinate clause. For example PT F Prog While you are in California I will be working on my thesis. F Prog PT He will be arranging more interviews while you enter the data. F Prog FT I will be working from home when they repaint my office. 10 Simple Verb Complements In this chapter we cover .
