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Present In Context

Identify present tense verbs

car+mobile phone= driver distraction

 

 

 

 

Drive Now Talk Later

BERKELEY -- The city of Berkeley wants the California Highway Patrol to note in each accident report if a mobile phone was in use.  The City Council is deciding whether to pass a law requiring the CHP to track the use of mobile phones as a possible cause of car crashes.

"This is an issue whose time has come,'' said Bock.

"We all have seen brainless drivers who are busy in conversation and are not giving full attention to their driving,'' she said. "And heaven knows, many of us are guilty.''

 There has been growing impatience with people who talk on mobile phones in movie theaters, restaurants and cars.

SACRAMENTO -- Senator Joe Simitian of California is proposing to raise the penalty for using a mobile phone while driving from $20 to $50  for the first offense and from $50 to $100 for the second offense. 

His proposal also adds a "point" on the motorist's driving record for the violation.

Mobile phones are causing fewer accidents since California outlawed the use of handheld devices behind the wheel, but the senator behind the law says too many people are still driving distracted.

"Driving a car is not the time to be multi-tasking," said CHP spokeswoman Fran Clader.

Debra Levi Holtz, "Berkeley Wants CHP to Note Mobile Phone Use in Car Crashes" Chronicle,2000 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/07/27/MN95787.DTL

 

Thompson, Don. "Calif Bill Boosts Fines for Illegal Cell Phone Use. AP.2010, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/04/04/state/n100029D96.DTL#ixzz0kGDO4Ddq

 

 

 

 

 

 

Practice 1

Sentence Analysis

 

 

 

Identify the present tense verbs.

  1. Select the option that identifies the present tense verb.
  2. Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" button to the right.

 

1.
The city of Berkeley wants the California Highway Patrol to note in each accident report if a mobile phone was in use. 

The present tense verb is:
           

infinitive complements

2.
The City Council is deciding whether to pass a law requiring the CHP to track the use of mobile phones as a possible cause of car crashes.

The present tense verb is:
           

shortened clauses

3.
This is an issue whose time has come,'' said Bock.

The present tense verb is:
   

"Be" Copula Verb

4.
We all have seen brainless drivers who are busy in conversation and not giving full attention to their driving,'' she said. '

The present tense verb is:
             

brainless (Adj) – thoughtless; guilty (N) – do something that is wrong

5.
There is a growing impatience with people who talk on mobile phones in movie theaters, restaurants and cars.

The present tense verb is:
       

Participial adjectives  

6.
Senator Simitian of California is proposing to raise the penalty for using a mobile phone while driving from $20 to $50  for the first offense and from $50 to $100 for the second offense.

The present tense verb is:
         

raise (V) – increase; penalty (N) – the price to pay for doing something wrong or breaking the law; Present–Scheduled

7.
His proposal also adds a "point" on the motorist's driving record for the violation.

The present tense verb is:
       

point (N) – a point system is used is used to track a person's driving history. After 4 points the license ( licence) may be taken away. Also the driver's insurance increases.

8.
Mobile phones are causing fewer accidents since California outlawed the use of handheld devices behind the wheel, but the senator says too many people are still driving distracted.

The present tense verb is:
       

devices (N) – electronic items such as mobile phones; distracted (Adj) – not having full attention on one's work

9
Driving a car is not the time to be multi-tasking," said CHP spokeswoman Fran Clader..

The present tense verb is:
       

multi-tasking (N) – doing more than one thing at a time ;  Gerund Activites