LESSON 18 Word Forms (1) (PETERSON’S TOEFL SUCCESS)

(PETERSON’S TOEFL SUCCESS)

LESSON 18

Word Forms (1)

By far, the most common type of written expression error involves word forms. As many as eight or nine items per test may be word form problems. Most errors of this type involve using one part of speech in place of another. Both the incorrect word and the correction come from the same root (rapid and rapidly, for example, or inform and information). The four parts of speech generally involved are verbs, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs. The most common problems are adjectives in place of adverbs and adverbs in place of adjectives. Nouns in place of adjectives and adjectives in place of nouns are also commonly seen. In some word form problems, different forms of the same form of speech may be involved. For example, a noun that refers to a person (leader) may be used in place of the field (leadership). A gerund (a verbal noun) may also be used in place of an ordinary noun (judging and judgment, for example). Parts of speech can often be identified by their suffixes (word endings). Common Noun Endings -tion -sion -ence -ance -ity -hood -dom -th information provision independence acceptance creativity childhood wisdom health -ery -ship -tude -ism -cracy -logy -ness -ment recovery scholarship multitude capitalism democracy biology happiness experiment Endings for nouns that refer to people -er explorer -ee employee -or sailor -ic comic -ist psychologist -ian technician -ent student -ant attendant Common Verb Endings -ize realize -ify justify -en shorten -ate incorporate -er recover Common Adjective Endings -ate moderate -y sunny -ous dangerous -ic economic -al normal -ical logical -ial remedial -ory sensory -able comfortable -less hopeless -ible sensible -ive competitive -ish sluggish -ly friendly -ant resistant -ful colorful Common Adverb Endings -ly quickly -ally historically ADJECTIVE/ADVERB ERRORS The most common type of word form problem involves the use of an adverb in place of an adjective or an adjective in place of an adverb. A few points to remember: √ Adjectives modify nouns, noun phrases, and pronouns. √ Adjectives often come before nouns. an important test a quiet evening a long letter √They often answer the question What kind? She is a brilliant doctor. (What kind of a doctor is she? A brilliant one.) √ Adjectives also follow the verb to be and other linking verbs. The glass was empty. That song sounds nice. They look upset √ Adverbs may modify verbs, participles, adjectives, prepositions, adverb-clause markers, and other adverbs. For example: Ann eagerly accepted the challenge. (adverb modifying the main verb accepted) It was a rapidly changing situation. (adverb modifying the present participle changing) She wore a brightly colored scarf. (adverb modifying the past participle colored) Ted seemed extremely curious about that topic. (adverb modifying the adjective curious) We arrived at the airport shortly before our flight left. (adverb modifying the adverb-clause marker before) We arrived at the airport shortly before noon. (adverb modifying the preposition before) The accident occurred incredibly quickly. (adverb modifying the adverb quickly) √Sometimes adverbs are used at the beginning of sentences, usually followed by a comma. These adverbs sometimes modify the entire sentence rather than one word in the sentence. For example: Generally, I like my classes. Usually, Professor Ingram’s lectures are more interesting. √Most adverbs tested in this section are adverbs of manner. They are formed by adding the suffix -ly or -ally to an adjective. quick ➔ quickly comic ➔ comically comfortable ➔ comfortably historic ➔ historically √Adverbs of manner answer the question How? She treated her employees honestly. (How did she treat her employees? Honestly.) √A few adverbs (fast, hard, and high, for example) have the same form as adjectives. He bought a fast car. (adjective) He was driving so fast that he got a speeding ticket. (adverb) √Well is the irregular adverb form of the adjective good. Juan is an exceptionally good student. He did very well on the last test. √Some adjectives also end in -ly: friendly, yearly, costly, and lively, for example. That was a costly mistake. I found Houston a very friendly city. Sample Items The (A) Black Hills of South Dakota are (B) covered with (C) densely (D) pine forests. The correct answer is (D). An adjective, dense, not an adverb, is required to modify the noun phrase pine forests. Crows and ravens are members (A) of a family (B) of birds that includes exact (C) 100 species (D). The correct answer is (C). The adverb exactly is needed in place of the adjective exact. INCORRECT FORMS OF WORDS CONNECTED WITH CERTAIN FIELDS This error involves a confusion between the names of fields (biology, for example) and the name of a person who practices in that field (biologist) or between one of those terms and the adjective that describes the field (biological). Sample Item First specializing (A) in industrial (B) photography, Margaret Bourke-White later became a famous news photographer (C) and editorial (D). The correct answer is (D). The adjective editorial is used to describe the field of editing. However, a noun referring to a person (editor) is needed in this sentence. OTHER WORD FORM PROBLEMS There are many other word form problems. Some examples are given here: Sample Items Corn played an (A) important role in (B) the cultural (C) of the cliff-dwelling (D) Indians of the Southwest. The correct answer is (C). The noun culture, not the adjective cultural, is needed. The galaxy (A) Andromeda is the most distance (B) object visible (C) to observers (D) in the Northern Hemisphere. The correct answer is (B). The adjective distant is needed in place of the noun distance. Scientists belief (A) that the continents once formed (B) a single continent surrounded by (C) an enormous (D) sea. The correct answer is (A). In this sentence, the verb believe is needed in place of the noun belief. Bunsen burners are used (A) to hot (B) materials in (C) a chemistry (D) lab. The correct answer is (B). The verb heat is needed in place of the adjective hot. A sudden (A) freezing (B) can destroy (C) citrus crops (D). The correct answer is (B). Rather than the gerund (-ing) form, the noun freeze is required. EXERCISE 18.1 Focus: Correctly providing word forms for different parts of speech that are commonly confused in written expression problems. Directions: Fill in the lines in the blanks below with the appropriate word forms. In some cases, there may be more than one correct answer. The first one is done as an example. Verb Noun Adjective Adverb 1 differ difference different differently 2 compete ____________ ____________ ____________ 3 ____________ ____________ ____________ deeply 4 ____________ decision ____________ ____________ 5 beautify ____________ ____________ ____________ 6 prohibit ____________ ____________ ____________ 7 ____________ ____________ emphatic ____________ 8 ____________ ____________ inconvenient ____________ 9 ____________ glory ____________ ____________ 10 mystify ____________ ____________ ____________ 11 ____________ ____________ general ____________ 12 ____________ ____________ ____________ simply EXERCISE 18.2 Focus: Providing word forms related to the names of fields, to adjectives describing those fields, and to people involved in those fields. Directions: Fill in the blanks in the chart below with the appropriate form. The first one is done as an example. Field Person Adjective 1 music musician musical 2 ________________ surgeon ________________ 3 ________________ ________________ poetic 4 ________________ architect ________________ 5 administration ________________ ________________ 6 ________________ ________________ financial 7 ________________ photographer ________________ 8 theory ________________ ________________ 9 ________________ ________________ athletic 10 grammar ________________ ________________ 11 ________________ philosopher ________________ 12 ________________ criminal ________________

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