ENG - PREFINALS

Question 1

Structural Roles of Be [2]

Answer 1

as linking verb

as helping/auxiliary verb

Question 2

Structural Roles of Be

- links nonverbal predicates (nouns, adjectives and certain adverbials) with their subjects
- serves as a carrier for tense and subject-verb agreement

John is in Boston.

Answer 2

As a copula or linking verb

Question 3

Structural Roles of Be

- always occurs in conjunction with another verb
- combines with –ing to make the action denoted by the main verb more limited (progressive aspect)

Answer 3

As an auxiliary or helping verb

Question 4

Why the copula be is different from other verbs

Answer 4

1. most frequent verb in English
2. It may be followed by adjective phrases, noun phrases and adverbial prepositional phrases, making it the most grammatically flexible copular verb.
3. Its syntactic behavior is like an auxiliary verb and has operator function with regard to question formation, negotiation and other constructions. This differs from that of other verbs which require addition of a do auxiliary as the operator if none is present
4. It does not occur in all languages, but all languages have verbs. Many have nothing equivalent to the copula be; speakers of such languages simply express the literal equivalent of sentences.

Question 5

all English verbs have a number, except for the verb __

Answer 5

be

Question 6

Types of copula

Answer 6

perception copulas
state
change of state

Question 7

Types of copula

mental or sensory

Answer 7

perception copulas

Question 8

Types of copula

tend to take participial adjectives

Answer 8

state copula

Question 9

Types of copula

often only one or two adjectives go with a given copula

Answer 9

change of state copula

Question 10

Most of the other copular verbs can be followed only by adjective phrases except for the change-of-state copulas ____ and ___ which can be followed by noun and adjective phrases.

Answer 10

become and turn

Question 11

Fractions and percentages take a ____ verb inflection when modifying a noncount noun and the plural verb inflection when they modify a plural noun; either singular or plural inflection may be used when they modify a collective noun, depending on the speaker’s meaning.

Answer 11

SINGULAR

Question 12

Fractions and percentages take a ____ verb inflection when they modify a plural noun;

Answer 12

PLURAL

Question 13

Fractions and percentages take a ____ verb inflection when they modify a collective noun, depending on the speaker’s meaning.

Answer 13

either singular or plural inflection

Question 14

majority and minority
an abstract or generic meaning that refers to superiority of numbers; reference can be human or nonhuman, but the number is always__

Answer 14

singular

Question 15

majority vs minority
a specific meaning where one or two or more sets has a numerical plurality (majority) or a numerical inferiority (minority)

Answer 15

depends on the meaning

Question 16

majority vs minority
a specific meaning where most (majority) or less than half (minority) of an explicit set of persons is being referred to. Here, Fowler claims the number argument should be ___

Answer 16

plural

Question 17

Arithmetical operations take the __ because they are perceived as reflecting a — numerical entity on both sides of the equation or equal sign.

Answer 17

singular

Question 18

The quantifiers all (of), a lot of, lots of, and plenty of take ___ verb agreement if the subject head noun is noncount but plural verb agreement if the subject head noun is plural.

Answer 18

singular

A lot of nonsense was published about that incident.

Question 19

The quantifiers all (of), a lot of, lots of, and plenty of take ___ verb agreement if the subject head noun is plural.

Answer 19

plural

A lot of people were present when it happened.

Question 20

Noncount noun subjects take a ____ verb.

Answer 20

singular

ex. The food is good.

Question 21

Subject nouns that are derived from adjectives and describe people take ___ verbs.

Answer 21

plural

ex. The rich are in favor of a tax cut.

Question 22

Clausal subject are ___ even if the nouns referred to are plural.

Answer 22

singular

ex. What we need is more reference books.

Question 23

Gerund (verb + -ing) and infinitive (to + verb) subjects take a —- verb.

Answer 23

singular

Question 24

With none as subject, use a – verb.

Answer 24

singular

Question 25

With either or neither as a subject, use a – verb.

Answer 25

singular

ex. Either was acceptable to me.

Question 26

. With correlative subjects either… or or neither… nor, the verb agrees with the ____

Answer 26

closest subject.

ex. Either Bob or my cousins are going to do it.

Question 27

In _____ the event or state is viewed as some portion of a whole and where there is room for further development or change.

Answer 27

present progressive

Question 28

refers to events that are conceptualized as complete wholes

not presented as allowing further development (in contrast to progressive aspect)

Answer 28

simple aspect