Answer :
To complete the story using the simple past tense, we need to transform the verbs in the parentheses correctly. Here's how the story should look with the verbs filled in:
Last summer, my family and I went (go) to Colorado for a vacation. We 1 rented a house in Glenwood Springs, in the western part of Colorado, about 150 miles from Denver. The weather 2 was fantastic, hot, and sunny during the day, but cold at night. We 3 did different things every day. Sometimes we 4 went to Vail or Aspen and 5 visited parks and art galleries. On other days we 6 stayed in the house. It 7 had a swimming pool in the yard, so the children 8 were happy. One afternoon an old woman 9 arrived at the door.
"Good afternoon," she 10 said. "I'm your neighbor. Are your children at home?" "Yes," I 11 answered. "I think so. Why?" "Because about an hour ago I 12 saw a small boy near town. I think he was your son." I 13 looked out of the window. My daughter 14 was in the swimming pool, but my son 15 was not there. "Where 16 did you see him?" I 17 asked. "18 Did you talk to him?" "He was on the road to town, but I 19 did not speak to him," the old woman 20 said. "Come on," I 21 told my husband. "We need to go to town." The old woman 22 waited at the house with my daughter and we 23 went to town. My son 24 was outside a café. He 25 had a big ice-cream cone in his hand. "Why 26 did you leave the house?" I asked him. "We 27 were really worried." "I 28 wanted an ice-cream cone," he said.
When putting verbs into the simple past tense, regular verbs typically end in "-ed," while many irregular verbs require memorization of their distinct past forms. Being aware of these forms enriches your storytelling and helps in writing coherent and accurate narratives. The past tense structures illustrate actions or states completed at specified times in the past, which is vital for engaging, clear, and meaningful prose.
