0002 - FOV - Verbs & Adverbs Flashcards
Explain compound verbs.
Multiple verbs occurring together to express more information or nuance about a sentence. Takes the form of a verb + one or more helping verbs, sometimes separated by an adverb.
Ex: will be there, had taken, is writing, should have said, has been raining, etc.
Explain moods.
Ways of expressing language that demonstrate the intent of what is being said.
Explain the different types of moods.
1) Indicative - indicating something; most common type. Ex: The boy runs down the hill.
2) Imperative - commanding something. Ex: Hurry up! Ex2: Be here tomorrow at 7 AM. Ex3: Consider the impact of your words.
3) Subjunctive - expressing a wish, emotion, or something that hasn’t yet occurred. Ex: I wish you WERE mine. Ex2: I suggest that you BE on time.
Explain the different categories of verbs.
1) Action verbs - express the action performed by a subject. Ex: The boy speaks to his mother. Ex2: The children laughed as they left the room.
2) Linking verbs - link the subject to a noun or adjective. Ex: Otto is a funny dog. Ex2: He seems nice.
3) Helping verbs - [is, was, has, does, will, should, can] help other words to become complete compound verbs. Most often with ‘-ing’ words.
Ex: He is planning to attend. Ex2: She will be there.
Explain separated compound verbs.
When the verb and its helping verbs are separated.
1) Interposition of an adverb. Ex: He can always eat more cake. Ex: Sally is quickly walking inside.
2) Sentences structured as questions. Ex: Will you be taking any leftovers? (the subject ‘you’ interrupts the compound verb; as a statement, it would read ‘you will be taking leftovers’ with the compound verb ‘will be taking’)
What is a common GMAT error involving present perfect tense?
Meaning errors due to conversion from present perfect tense to past tense.
Ex: He has frequently defaced public property. (he still does it).
Ex: He frequently defaced public property. (he did it in the past, but doesn’t anymore).
What is the split between went and gone?
Both are derivations of the verb “to go”. Went is past tense (Ex: Bob went to the market), while gone is present perfect tense (Ex: Bob has gone to the market).
Explain gerunds. How can one identify them?
An ‘-ing’ word used as a noun. Gerunds can be the subjects of sentences (Overeating causes weight gain) or objects of verbs or prepositions (I love dancing; This is a seminar about writing).
To identify: look for a helper verb to every ‘-ing’ word; if there isn’t one, it’s not really a verb, but a gerund. Method 2: substitute the ‘-ing’ word for a noun and see if it works. (I love dancing; I love cake).
Demonstrate how an ‘-ing’ word can function as three different parts of speech.
1) Compound verb; Ex: I am boxing. Ex: She will be singing tonight.
2) Gerund; Ex: Losing stinks. Ex: The act of writing is therapeutic.
3) Adjective; Ex: I need to buy a bowling bag. Ex: Sue is a cycling expert.
What are two types of sentence structure that may look like verbs, but aren’t?
1) Gerunds
2) Infinitives
Explain infinitives. How can one identify them?
Infinitives are abstract versions of verbs. They appear in the format ‘to __’, and can act like nouns, be the subjects of sentences, or the objects of verbs. Ex: to be, to love, to go, to start, to win, etc.
Ex: I hate to pay my taxes.
Ex: To be or not to be, that is the question.
ID them by subbing for a noun. Ex: To love is divine –> Chocolate cake is divine.
Explain present perfect tense.
A tense using has/have to explain an event that began in the past, but which extends into the present in its effects or consequences. This tense is used to describe actions that occurred at an UNSPECIFIED time before the present (do NOT use specific time expressions like yesterday, last week, etc.)
Ex: It has rained; Ex: Scientists have discovered a cure for polio. Ex: Has she taken ballet for a long time? Ex: I have been waiting all afternoon.
Explain past perfect tense.
A tense that uses ‘had’ verbs to express that something in the past occurred before something else in the past. The event with the had verb occured BEFORE before the other verb (whether or not it’s first in the sentence structure).
Ex: I had decided that I didn’t like Dave, until he bought flowers for me. Ex: By the time I found the hair, I had eaten most of the sandwich.
Why is past perfect tense necessary?
When time order is important, and there’s a need to express interrupted action or change (otherwise two past tense verbs should be used).
Ex: I had nearly run out of food when help arrived. (interrupted action) vs: Ex: Last year, I attended college and worked part-time. (order is not important)
Fix this sentence: The doctor told me I had a heart attack.
The doctor told me I HAD HAD a heart attack. (the first ‘had’ is the past tense of have, the second ‘had’ indicates the heart attack happened before the doctor told me about it). In other words: The doctor told me I had suffered a heart attack.
