Question

1. I placed a lid on top of the waste basket.
2. The medium-sized rooster had to experience death. We ate chicken together.
3. I could write fast with shorthand.
4. He quit/quitted collecting coins.
[Are they all grammatical?]

Answer 1

All are fine as long as you use only "quit" in #4.

<i>Quit</i> is a verb that doesn't have a separate spelling for past tense. Some other verbs in English that are like this are <i>cost, cast, forecast,</i> and <i>burst</i>. You should notice any others in a good dictionary entry that includes the different parts of speech. These words will have the -s and -ing endings that are normal for 3rd person singular and for progressive tenses, but no -ed or other endings or forms for past tenses.

Answer 2

#2 is very haiku-like!

Answer 3

Very true, Steve!
=)