Marcus ______ his gloves at the park last weekend, and he has not found them yet.
Vocabulary and Grammar in Context · ELPAC Grades 3–5 reading. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
Extra practice, not a separate task on the real test: a sentence with one word missing, testing the vocabulary and grammar the passages assume.
The question
Read the sentence. Choose the word that best completes it.
Marcus ______ his gloves at the park last weekend, and he has not found them yet.
- loses
- lostCorrect answer
- losing
Why “lost” is correct
This tests the past-tense form of an irregular verb. The time phrase 'last weekend' places the action in the past, so the past form 'lost' is required. Point out to the child that it is the time phrase, not the rest of the sentence, that decides the tense here.
Why the other answers are wrong
- loses — 'Loses' is present tense and contradicts the time phrase 'last weekend'.
- losing — 'Losing' needs a helping verb such as 'was' in front of it before it can serve as the main verb.
Practice more of this
More reading practice for Grades 3–5, or see the ELPAC practice test for grades 3–5. For other grades, see free ELPAC practice tests by grade.
This is an independent study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the California Department of Education or the official ELPAC program. All questions here are original practice material written to match the published task formats.