Fill in the blanks.
1Edison always ............... to make things that would improve people's lives.
Wrong!
Use the past simple "wanted" for a completed fact about Edison’s life.
2One day, while selling newspapers at a railway station, Edison ............... the life of a child.
Wrong!
Use the past simple "saved" for a completed event in the story.
3That child ............... the son of a station official.
Wrong!
Use "was" because the sentence describes one child in a past-time narrative.
4To express his gratitude, the child’s father ............... Edison how to use the telegraph.
Wrong!
Use the past simple "taught" for the father’s completed action.
5When Edison was sixteen, he ............... to Canada to be a telegraph assistant.
Wrong!
Use the past simple "moved" for a completed move at a specific age.
6His first invention was an automatic telegraph that made it possible for him to send signals while he ...............
Wrong!
Use the past continuous "was sleeping" for an action in progress at the same time as sending signals.
7The telegraph always ............... Edison.
Wrong!
Use the past simple "fascinated" to describe Edison’s past interest in the telegraph.
8A few years later, he ............... his first job to become a full-time inventor.
Wrong!
Use the past simple "quit" for a completed decision later in the story.
9His first attempts at selling his products were not successful, but he ............... give up.
Wrong!
Use "did not" to make a negative past simple sentence.
Answers
- Edison always wanted to make things that would improve people’s lives.
- One day, while selling newspapers at a railway station, Edison saved the life of a child.
- That child was the son of a station official.
- To express his gratitude, the child’s father taught Edison how to use the telegraph.
- When Edison was sixteen, he moved to Canada to be a telegraph assistant.
- His first invention was an automatic telegraph that made it possible for him to send signals while he was sleeping.
- The telegraph always fascinated Edison.
- A few years later, he quit his first job to become a full-time inventor.
- His first attempts at selling his products were not successful, but he did not give up.
