PRACTICE

Look at this paragraph and underline or highlight all of the “ed” endings you see. Which way is each “ed” pronounced?

Enid was an engineer noted for her research in computer network security systems. Although she often analyzed complicated attacks on computers, the security system for her house baffled her. When she first installed her own alarm system, she avoided turning it on because it beeped at regular intervals and bothered her. She believed that a system wasn’t needed for her house. She felt her neighborhood was safe. But after hearing that a thief had climbed through a neighbor’s back window and robbed him of $500, she finally asked a technician for help. An alarm system rep visited her house and realized that Enid had bought such a complicated system that it was nearly impossible to use every day. He changed some settings and customized her system so that it could be controlled from her computer. She cheered at that news because she felt more comfortable using her computer than the control box that had been installed in her home. After the tech fixed it, she thanked him and offered to give him a free security upgrade for his computer. He declined because he claimed he didn’t need computer security. She was astonished, but understood...she used to think the same thing about her home security!