Verbal Flashcards
Additive Phrases
Begin with “along with”, “as well as”, “in addition to”, “accompanied by” and “together with”.
Example: Estella, in addition to Frisky and Molly, was sleeping on the soft couch.
It does not create a plural verb.
Subject-verb with Or, Nor, either…, Or and Neither
The verb must agree with the subject noun to which it is closest.
The Prime minister or her assistants are in the meeting.
Her assistants or the prime minister is in the meeting.
Phrase
A collection of words that cannot stand alone as a sentence because there is no subject-verb agreement
Clause
Clause = [subject]+[finite verb]
Finite verb answers the question - when did the action occur?
Subject - the person or thing performing the action in the sentence
Independent Clause
A clause that can stand alone as a sentence. Every sentence has an independent clause.
The finite verb in an independent clause is called the main verb.
There must be no words the remove the clauses independence.
Dependent Clause
Cannot constitute a sentence on its own. Serves to enhance or modify an independent clause.
3 types of dependent clauses:
- Subordinate clauses
- Relative clauses
- Noun clauses
Subordinate Clauses (Dependent)
Subordinating conjunctions: because, since, whenever, although, whereas, unless, once, if after, before, until, though, even though, as much as, just as
They take away the independence of a clause creating a subordinate clause
because the crowd laughed
although Scott is typing fast
whereas Douglas may complain about the strict rules
Relative Clause (Dependent)
Must follow the noun the clause is modifying.
Begins with relative pronouns: that, which, who, whom, whose, where, when.
Cannot stand alone as a sentence.
Every relative clause has a subject and finite verb.
Relative clause = [relative pronoun as subject]+[finite verb]
Relative clause = [relative pronoun not as subject] + [subject] + [finite verb] *in these cases you don’t necessarily need the relative pronoun
The man who solved the problem is smiling happily. who = subject, solved = verb
The baboon that Irving was feeding had an angry look about it.
The baboon Irving was feeding had an angry look about it.
Irving = subject, was = verb (that is a pronoun, not the subject)
Noun Clause (Dependent)
Many noun clauses begin with: that, which, how, who whom, where, whether, what, why
They introduce the clause and do not relate to a noun.
The clause be the subject of a sentence or a direct object that is receiving the action.
4 Sentence Types
- Simple Sentence - Single independent clause
- Compound Sentence - At least 2 independent clauses (connected by ,[coordinating conjunction])
- Complex Sentence - Independent clause and at least 1 subordinate clause
- Compound-complex Sentence - more than one independent clause and at least one subordinating clause
Coordinating Conjunctions - FANBOYS
Connect 2 or more independent clauses to make a compound sentence. F - For A - And N - Nor B - But O - Or Y - Yet S - So
*a comma MUST precede the conjunction
Run-on Sentence
2 independent clauses with no intermediary or only a coordinating conjunction with no comma.
I ran I fell
or I ran and I fell
Should be I ran, and I fell
Comma Splice
Linking 2 independent clauses with a comma.
I ran, I fell
Semicolon
Use a semicolon to connect two independent clauses
Colon
What precedes a colon must be able to stand on its own as a complete sentence.
It can be followed by an independent clause but it can also be followed by an example or series of examples.
Preposition/prepositional phrase
A proposition must be followed by a noun, pronoun, or noun clause.
Prepositions: About, by, for, in, on, with, along, to, during
A prepositional phrase - a modifying phrase that begins with a preposition.
Appositive
An element in a sentence that modifies or describes another element of a sentence by renaming it.
My brother John….
My brother - noun
John - appositive
Major Types of Sentence Correction Errors
- Subject - Verb Agreements
- Pronouns and Antecedents
- Modifiers
- Verb Tense, Mood, and Voice
- Parallelism
- Logical Comparisons
- Sentence Structure
- Idioms
- Logic and Meaning
Subjects with Certain Preceding Elements become singular or plural
Subject composed of a noun preceded by - every, each, many a - is always singular
Many a & each do not have to be at the beginning of a sentence for the rule to hold.
Pronoun
Takes the place of a noun.
The noun to which the pronouns refers is called the pronoun’s antecedent or referent.
Robert said that he will be able to attend the party.
Robert = antecedent
he = pronoun
Relative Pronouns
Which, that, who - can be singular or plural depending on their referents.
When the relative pronoun refers to a singular noun, the relative pronoun is singular.
When the relative pronoun refers to a plural noun, it is plural.
Indefinite Pronoun
A pronoun that doesn’t refer to any one thing in particular.
Some are singular and some are plural. You need to memorize them.
Singular Indefinite Pronouns
anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone, neither, nobody, no one, nothing, one, somebody, someone, something, whatever, whoever
Plural Indefinite Pronouns
Both, few, many, several
Indefinite Pronouns that are sometimes singular and sometimes plural - SANAMM Pronouns
some, any, none, all, more, most.
When a SANAMM pronoun refers to a singular noun, it takes a singular verb.
When a SANAMM pronoun refers to a plural noun, it takes a plural verb.
Unusual Singular & Plural Forms
Singular - Plural:
Alumnus - Alumni
Criterion - Criteria
Datum - Data *("Data" can be plural and singular on the GMAT)
Fungus - Fungi
Medium - Media *("Media" can be referred to as a collective noun, A Medium who talsk to spirits can be plural "mediums" and also the side medium can be plural "mediums")
Phenomenon - Phenomena
Nucleus - Nuclei
Syllabus - Syllabi
These words appear plural but are singular:
Mathematics, politics, economics, ethics, statistics, linguistics (fields of study)
news
Diabetes
Measles
*Politics and other can also be referred to as beliefs and become plural (a set of something) - Her politics get in the way of…
Antecedent
What a pronoun refers to
“Each” or “Every” - What pronouns should refer to them?
Singular Pronouns
- They will photograph each of the houses before they paint it.
- Each poet may submit up to five of his poems.
- Every cyclist on the team was tested for drug use regardless of how she had placed.
Demonstrative Pronouns and Demonstrative Adjectives
this, that, these, and those
Present Tense
Things that happen routinely, that are true over time, exist continuously.
Policies, laws, rules, regulations that still have their effects today.
Simple Past Tense
Even that occurred and ended in the past (“ed”)
Future Tense
Events that have not yet occurred but will in the future.
“Will” + verb
“to be” + “going to” + “verb”
Tenses
Present, Past, Future
Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Perfect
Continuous/Progressive - Present, Past, Future
Verb Moods
- Indicative
- Subjunctive (and command subjunctive)
- Conditional Mood
- Active vs Passive voice
Present Perfect
When an event began in the past and continues into the present (“has”/”have” + verb).
When since is used.
When for, over, during is used.
Past Perfect
A past action that occured before another past action.
“had” + past participle (had happened)
An action or event completed by a specified time period/date
Unnecessary when: sequence of events is clear, before, or after is used.
Future Perfect
“Will + have + past participle”
An event that has not yet happened will be completed before another event that has not yet happened or before a specific time in the future
Present continuous
Ongoing in the present temporarily
form of “to be” + present participle
Past continuous
Action or event that was ongoing but ended
“to be” (past tense) + present participle (ending in -ing)
Future continuous
Action or event that will be ongoing but has not yet begun
will be playing
Subjunctive Mood
Hypothetical situations - dreams, wishes, desires, doubts,
Or/and
Commands, requests, suggestions
“were” not was
If/as if/were/as though
“were” + infinitive (were to decide)
Do not use subjunctive where there is uncertainty
Command subjunctive - request, suggestion, command followed by “that”
Conditional Mood
Would or could + finite verb
Results that are purely hypothetical
