LESSON 20 VERBS (PETERSON’S TOEFL SUCCESS)

(PETERSON’S TOEFL SUCCESS)

LESSON 20

VERBS

Whenever the verb is underlined in a Structure problem, you should check for the common verb errors outlined in this lesson. ERRORS IN SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT If a subject is singular, the verb must be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. Most problems involving subject-verb agreement on the TOEFL test are simple, but a few are tricky. Sample Items Minerals in (A) seawater exists (B) in the same proportions (C) in all of the oceans of the (D) world. The correct answer is (B). The plural subject minerals requires a plural verb, exist. You might have found this question tricky because the singular noun seawater comes between the subject and the verb, and you may have mistaken that word for the true subject. Bowling, one of (A) the most popular (B) indoor sports, are (C) popular all over the United States and in other (D) countries. The correct answer is (C). The subject of the sentence is bowling, not sports. The singular verb form is should therefore be used. There are some special rules about subject-verb agreement with which you should be familiar: √ A sentence with two subjects joined by and takes a plural verb. The chemistry lab and the physics lab are . . . √ Some words end in -s but are singular in form. Many of these words are the names of fields of study (economics, physics, and so on). News is another word of this kind. Economics is . . . The news was . . . √ Irregular plurals (children, feet, mice, and so on) do not end in -s but take plural verbs. The women were . . . His feet are . . . √ When a clause begins with the expletive there, the verb may be singular or plural depending on the grammatical subject. There was a loud noise . . . There were a few problems . . . √ Subjects with each and every take singular verbs. (This includes compound words such as everyone and everything.) Each state has . . . Each of the representatives was . . . Every person was . . . Everyone wants . . . √ The verb in relative clauses depends on the noun to which the relative pronoun refers. The house that was built . . . The students who were selected . . . √ The phrase the number of + plural noun takes a singular verb. The phrase a number of + plural noun takes a plural verb. The number of trees is . . . A number of important matters have . . . √ Singular subjects used with phrases such as along with, accompanied by, together with, as well as, and in addition to take singular verbs. The mayor, along with the city council, is . . . Together with his friends, Mark has . . . √ Quantities of time, money, distance, and so on usually take a singular verb. Five hundred dollars was . . . Two years has . . . Ten miles is . . . ERRORS INVOLVING TENSE Most tense errors involve the simple present tense, the simple past tense, and the present perfect tense. √ The simple present tense is a general-time tense. It usually indicates that a condition is always true or that an action always occurs. It may also indicate that an action regularly occurs. The atmosphere surrounds the earth. Dana often stays at this hotel. In general, the lectures in this class are very interesting. √ The simple past tense indicates that an action took place at a specific time in the past. They moved to Phoenix five years ago. This house was built in the 1920s. Dinosaurs lived millions of years ago. √ The present perfect tense usually indicates that an action began at some time in the past and continues to the present. It may also indicate that an action took place at an unspecified time in the past. Mr. Graham has worked for this company since 1990. She hasn’t been to a doctor for a year. Jennifer has recently returned from Europe. Sample Items The most important (A) period of physical growth (B) in humans occurred (C) during their (D) first two years. The correct answer is (C). The simple present tense, not the past tense, should be used because the situation described in this sentence always occurs. Personal (A) taxes for (B) Americans rose (C) sharply (D) since 1945. The correct answer is (C). The time phrase since 1945 means from 1945 until now. Therefore, the present perfect (have risen) is required in place of the past tense. INCORRECT VERB FORMS Some of the verb errors are errors in form. Most verb form problems involve main verb forms: An –ing form may be used in place of a past participle, a past participle in place of a past tense form, a simple form in place of an -ing form, an infinitive in place of a simple form, and so on. Some involve irregular verbs that have different forms for the past tense and the past participle—took and taken—for example. The following information may help you chose the correct form of the main verb. √ The simple form follows all modal auxiliaries. might be must know can remember could go should study may follow (Certain similar auxiliary verbs require infinitives.) ought to attend             used to play                 have to hurry √ The past participle is used after a form of have in all perfect forms of the verb. has done have run had called will have read should have said could have made √ The -ing form is used after a form of be in all progressive forms of the verb. is sleeping was working has been writing had been painting should have been wearing will be waiting √ The past participle is used after a form of be in all passive forms of the verb. is worn is being considered were told has been shown had been promised will have been missed would have been lost might have been canceled Verb form problems may also involve auxiliary verbs: has may be used in place of did, is in place of does, and so on. Sample Item The first (A) bicycle race on record (B) in the United States taken (C) place in (D) 1883. The correct answer is (C). The correct verb is the past tense form (took), not a past participle. The Michigan Dunes, located (A) on Lake Michigan’s eastern (B) shore, may to reach (C) a height (D) of 200 feet. The correct answer is (C). After a modal auxiliary, the simple form of the verb (reach) should be used in place of the full infinitive (to reach). Dextrose does not taste (A) as sweet (B) as (C) table sugar is (D). The correct answer is (D). The correct auxiliary verb in this sentence is does, not is. The auxiliary does replaces the present tense verb tastes. EXERCISE 20.1 Focus: Structure problems involving subject-verb agreement. Directions: Underline the form that correctly completes each sentence. 1 Ethics (is/are) the study of moral duties, principles, and values. 2 The first bridge to be built with electric lights (was/were) the Brooklyn Bridge. There (is/are) two types of calculus, differential and integral. 3 4 George Gershwin, together with his brother Ira, (was/were) the creator of the first musical comedy to win a Pulitzer Prize. 5 In a chess game, the player with the white pieces always (moves/move) first. Earth and Pluto (is/are) the only two planets believed to have a single moon. A number of special conditions (is/are) necessary for the formation of a geyser. Each of the Ice Ages (was/were) more than a million years long. 6 7 8 9 The battery, along with the alternator and starter, (makes/make) up the electrical system of a car. Teeth (is/are) covered with a hard substance called enamel. 10 11 The more-or-less rhythmic succession of economic booms and busts (is/are) referred to as the business cycle. 12 The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom (varies/vary) from element to element. EXERCISE 20.2 Focus: Recognizing and correcting errors in verb tense and form. Directions: If the underlined form is correct, mark the sentence C. If the underlined form is incorrect, mark the sentence X, and write a correction for the underlined form in the blank after the sentence. ________ 1 Coal, grain, steel, and other products are often shipping by barge on inland waterways. __________________________________________________________________________ ________ 2 The first cotton mill in Massachusetts has built in the town of Beverly in 1787. __________________________________________________________________________ ________ 3 Physician Alice Hamilton is known for her research on industrial diseases. __________________________________________________________________________ ________ 4 When scientists search a site for fossils, they begin by examining places where the soil has wore away from the rock. __________________________________________________________________________ ________ 5 The popularity of recreational vehicles has been grown over the last few decades. __________________________________________________________________________ ________ 6 Experts have estimated that termites cause as much property damage every year as fire has. __________________________________________________________________________ ________ 7 In music, a chord is the sound of two or more notes that are playing together. __________________________________________________________________________ ________ 8 The white pine is the most commercially important forest tree in North America until the beginning of the twentieth century. __________________________________________________________________________ ________ 9 In 1846, the Swiss naturalist Louis Agassiz come to the United States to give a series of lectures. __________________________________________________________________________ ________ 10 Parrots and crows are considered the most intelligent birds. __________________________________________________________________________ ________ 11 The first experimental telegraph line in the United States run from Baltimore to Washington, D.C., a distance of 40 miles. __________________________________________________________________________ ________ 12 Portable fire extinguishers generally containing liquid carbon dioxide. __________________________________________________________________________ ________ 13 The first seven American astronauts were chose in 1959. __________________________________________________________________________ EXERCISE 20.3 Focus: Structure problems involving verbs (Note: Several items in this exercise do not focus on verbs. These sentences are marked in the answer key with asterisks.) Directions: For Sentence Completion items, mark the answer choice that correctly completes the sentence. For Error Identification items, decide which of the four underlined words or phrases—(A), (B), (C), or (D)—would not be considered correct, and circle that letter. 1 Medical students must to study (A) both (B) the theory (C) and the practice of medicine (D). 2 R. M. Bartlett of Philadelphia ___________ the first private business college in the United States in 1843. (A) founding (B) founded (C) was founded (D) has founded 3 The seal, like (A) the sea lion and the walrus, is (B) a descendant (C) of ancestors that once live (D) on the land. 4 In 1989, the space probe Voyager 2 ____________ by the planet Neptune. (A) fly (B) having flown (C) flying (D) flew 5 The top (A) layer of the ocean stores (B) as much heat (C) as does (D) gases in the atmosphere. 6 A cupful of stagnant water may __________ millions of microorganisms. (A) contains (B) to contain (C) contain (D) containing 7 Sarah Knight __________ a fascinating account of a journey she made from Boston to New York in 1704. (A) written (B) writes (C) wrote (D) writing 8 Every one of the body’s billions (A) of cells require (B) a constant (C) supply (D) of food and oxygen. 9 In (A) Colonial times, flax and wool required (B) months of preparation before they could (C) be dyed and spin (D) into cloth. 10 Although some people find (A) bats terrifying, they are (B) actually beneficial because (C) they ate (D) harmful insects. 11 All animals __________ on other animals or plants. (A) feed (B) feeds (C) fed (D) feeding 12 Chromium __________ in the manufacture of stainless steel. (A) using (B) is used (C) uses (D) is using 13 Each of the (A) four types of human tooth (B) are suited (C) for a specific (D) purpose. 14 The Masters, one of the most important of all golf tournaments, __________ every year in Augusta, Georgia, since 1934. (A) has held (B) held (C) is held (D) has been held 15 Porous rocks, such as chalk and sandstone, allow water__________ through them. (A) soaks (B) is soaked (C) to soak (D) can soak 16 Electric milking (A) machines have made (B) dairy farming (C)a much easier job than it once did (D). 17 Playwright (A) Frank Shin has often describes (B) the lives (C) of Chinese Americans in his dramas (D). 18 Weavers are social birds that __________ complex nests housing hundreds of families. (A) build (B) are built (C) are building (D) built 19 Cans of paint must be shaking (A) to mix (B) the pigments with the medium in which (C) they are suspended (D). 20 The American dancer Maria Tallchief first __________ prominent in Europe. (A) to become (B) become (C) has become (D) became

ANSWER KEY