Explanations:In English, verbs are categorized into regular and irregular verbs based on how their past tense forms are constructed. Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern: the past tense is formed by adding "-ed" to the base form of the verb. For example, the past tense of "walk" is "walked," and the past tense of "talk" is "talked."
Irregular verbs, on the other hand, do not follow this pattern. They have unique past tense forms that must be memorized. The verb "read" is a classic example of an irregular verb. Its base form is "read," and its past tense form is also "read." This can be confusing for students because the past tense form looks identical to the base form.
The sentence "I read a book last night" uses the past simple tense to describe a completed action in the past. The past simple tense is formed by using the base form of the verb for the first-person singular (I) and third-person singular (he, she, it) subjects, and the past tense form for all other subjects. Since "read" is an irregular verb, its past tense form is the same as its base form, "read."
It is important to note that the past simple tense is used to describe actions that were completed at a specific time in the past. In this case, the action of reading a book was completed last night. The other options provided in the question do not fit the context of the sentence:
Option B, "reads," is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb "read." It is used to describe a habitual action in the present, not a completed action in the past.
Option C, "reading," is the present participle form of the verb "read." It is used to form continuous tenses, such as the present continuous ("I am reading") or the past continuous ("I was reading"). It does not fit the context of the sentence, which requires a simple past tense form.
Option D, "readed," is not a valid form of the verb "read." The past tense form of "read" is "read," not "readed." This is a common mistake made by students who treat "read" as a regular verb and add "-ed" to form the past tense.
Understanding the correct forms of irregular verbs is crucial for constructing grammatically correct sentences in English. It is important to memorize the past tense forms of common irregular verbs to avoid making mistakes in writing and speaking.