LESSON 18 Word Forms (2) (PETERSON’S TOEFL SUCCESS)

(PETERSON’S TOEFL SUCCESS)

LESSON 18

Word Forms (2)

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 18.3 Focus: Identifying errors and recognizing correct use of adjectives and adverbs Directions: Underline the form that correctly completes the sentence. 1 In any animal community, herbivores (great/greatly) outnumber carnivores. 2 Floods cause billions of dollars worth of property damage (annual/annually). 3 (Regular/Regularly) airmail service in the United States began in 1918. Writer Ernest Hemingway was known for his (simple/simply) language and his lively dialogue. The tiny coral snake is (beautiful/beautifully) but deadly. 4 5 6 (General/Generally), bauxite is found near the surface, so it is relatively (simple/simply) to mine. The colony of New Hampshire was (permanent/permanently) separated from the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1692. The most numerous and (wide/widely) distributed of all insectivorous animals are the shrews. 7 8 9 The endocrine system functions in (close/closely) relationship with the nervous system. A gap in the Coast Range of California provides (easy/easily) access to the San Francisco Bay Area. Mushrooms are found in an (incredible/incredibly) range of sizes, colors, and shapes. 10 11 12 Some airplanes have an automatic pilot that is connected to the airplane’s controls and (automatic/ automatically) keeps the plane on course. EXERCISE 18.4 Focus: Identifying which parts of speech are appropriate in sentences Directions: Underline the form that correctly completes the sentence. Then, identify the part of speech of the word you chose. You can use these abbreviations for parts of speech as follows: N   = noun V    = verb PN = “person” noun G   = gerund (-ing) noun ADJ = adjective ADV = adverb The first one is done as an example. 1 Sinclair Lewis’ novel Babbitt is set in the (fiction/fictional) town of Zenith. ( ___ADJ____ ) 2 By-products from chicken eggs are used by (industry/industrial) in manufacturing such (produces/ products) as soap and paint. (________) (________) 3 The daylily is an attractive, (fragrance/fragrant) flower. (________) 4 An equation is a (mathematics/mathematical) statement that says that two expressions are (equal/ equality). (________) (________) 5 The Richter scale measures the (severely/severity) of earthquakes. (________) 6 Justin Winsom promoted the (developing/development) of libraries throughout the United States in the nineteenth century. (________) 7 Scientists (differ/different) in their opinions of how snow crystals (originate/origin). (________) (________) 8 Harry Blackstone was a famous (magic/magician). (________) 9 Glass sponges are found in oceans at a (deep/depth) of 300 feet or more. (________) 10 Colorado shares with Wyoming the (distinction/distinctly) of having four (perfect/perfectly) straight borders. (________) (________) 11 Rose Han Lee wrote a number of (scholar/scholarly) accounts about the effects of (immigrant/ immigration) on mining towns in the western United States. (________) (________) 12 Most snails venture out to look for (feed/food) only after sunset or on (rain/rainy) days. (________) (________) 13 Hats may (symbolic/symbolize) social status or (occupation/occupational), as well as being fashion items. (________) (________) 14 Analgesics are used to (relieve/relief) pain and reduce fever. (________) 15 A (member/membership) of the Paiute tribe of Nevada, Sarah Winnemuca worked as a guide and an (interpret/interpreter). (________) (________) 16 The earth’s (out/outer) shell is divided into sections called plates, which are (constant/constantly) in motion. (________) (________) EXERCISE 18.5 Focus: Identifying errors involving word form problems. (Note: One or two items in this exercise do not focus on word form errors. These are marked in the answer key with an asterisk.) Directions: Decide which of the four underlined words or phrases —(A), (B), (C), or (D)—would not be considered correct, and write the letter of the expression in the blank at the beginning of the sentence. Then, on the line following the sentence, write the correction for the underlined phrase. ___________ 1 Liberal arts colleges cultivate (A) general intellectually (B) abilities (C) rather than technical or professional (D) skills. ___________ 2 Goats are extremely destruction (A) to natural (B) vegetation (C) and are often responsible (D) for soil erosion. ___________ 3 Wild (A) plants were of considerable (B) important (C) to early settlers, and many are still used medicinally (D) and as foods. ___________ 4 One important branch (A) of linguistics (B) is semantics, which analysis (C) the meaning (D) of words. ___________ 5 Unlike folk dancers (A), which are the product (B) of a single culture (C), ballet is an international (D) art form. ___________ 6 The strong (A) of a rope is directly (B) proportional (C) to its cross-sectional (D) area. ___________ 7 Black bears can move rapidly (A) when necessary (B) and are skilful (C) tree climbers for their size and weigh (D). ___________ 8 In an arboretum, trees are cultivated (A) for scientific (B) and educational (C) purpose (D). ___________ 9 In most Western states, the first major industry (A) was mining, which was gradually (B) supplemented (C) by farms (D). ___________ 10 Peach trees grow (A) good (B) in a variety of (C) soil types, but do best in sandy (D) loam. ___________ 11 The unit (A) of measuring (B) called the foot was originally (C) based on the length (D) of the human foot. ___________ 12 Philosopher (A) Theodore A. Langerman was interested (B) in the fields of literary (C) and music (D). ___________ 13 A chemical (A) react (B) that absorbs (C) heat (D) is called endothermic. ___________ 14 One characteristic (A) of the poems (B) of Emily Dickinson is the sharp (C) of her images (D). ___________ 15 Luther Gulick was a teacher (A) and physician (B) who spent much of his live (C) promoting physical fitness (D). ___________ 16 A dog should be checked regularly (A) by a veterinarian to ensure (B) that it remains (C) in good healthy (D). ___________ 17 Southwestern (A) Boston is made up of Hyde Park, West Roxbury, and other pleasant (B) residential (C) neighbors (D). ___________ 18 Pure (A) nitric acid is colorless, but it acquires (B) a yellow color (C) when it is exposed of (D) air. ___________ 19 Hunting and fishing techniques were highly developed (A) among the North American Indians, particularly (B) in regions where agriculture (C) was less success (D). ___________ 20 Science (A) requires the careful (B) collect (C) and organization (D) of data.

ANSWER KEY