verbb Flashcards
1.He did nothing but cursed his fate.
1.See the sentence like this. He did nothing but ….But here is not a conjunction, but a preposition. As a preposition it means except. So the blank above raises an expectation: nothing except what? But should therefore be followed by a noun. Now let us remember the rule Prepositions but and except take the infinitive without to. So, Correct:He did nothing but curse his fate.
2.I intended to have punished him yesterday.
2.This sentence wrongly uses the perfect infinitive (to + have + V3). The perfect infinitive is used to indicate an arrangement that was made but not carried out. Here we are not being given any information regarding the not-carrying-out of the action. So, the simple infinitive (to + V1) has to be used. Correct:I intended to punish him yesterday. Note: If we had the information that the punishment was intended but not carried out, the sentence would have been something like I intended to have punished him yesterday but his father intervened (came in between) and saved him.
3.What is wanted are bats that can score runs.
3.This sentence can be corrected if we categorically know what the subject is. It is what is wanted. Now, the thing or things being wanted may be singular or plural. But the verb that follows does not show any consideration for this. It is invariably singular because what is wanted gives the idea of one whole. Correct:What is wanted is bats that can score runs. Note: Be careful that you do not assume bats to be the subject. It is the complement of the verb is.
4.Leaves felled incessantly last autumn.
4.Felled is obviously the past tense of fell. This verb means cause to fall. In other words, fell is the causative of fall. When the leaves fall in autumn, falling is a natural process. No one causes the leaf to fall. The correct verb is, therefore, fall. Since the past tense is expected here, it takes the form fell. Correct:Leaves fell incessantly last autumn.
5.He would better play than studying withoutconcentration.
“5.Would better is one of those expressions which are followed by infinitive without to. (For other such words and expressions go back to The Infinitive.) This is obvious even from the given sentence which begins ““He would better play (not to play) …”” Now, since than compares similar parts of speech, studying is not the proper word. The gerund should be substituted by the infinitive. And this infinitive, like play above, should be without to. Correct:He would better play than study without concentration.”
6.Not a man was hurt, not a thing damaged.
6.The sentence is correct. It satisfies the rule: If we have a compound sentence a single verb can be made to do duty for two subjects, (only) when the form of the verb is such as to permit of it. Here was applies to—a man and a thing. Not a thing damaged actually means not a thing was damaged. This is something similar to taking the common factor in mathematics. 6a + 9a = a(6 + 9) Compare a in the above equation to was in the given sentence.
7.The girl put a noose around her neck and hung herself insheer desperation.
7.Some of the verbs differ in their forms according to their meanings. Hang is one of them. In its simple sense of cause thing to be supported from above the past tense (V2) and past participle (V3) forms are hung. But when used in the sense of kill by suspending from rope round neck, the V2 and V3 forms are hanged. The given sentence obviously means that the girl committed suicide. She killed herself by hanging. So, the latter form would apply. Correct:The girl put a noose around her neck and hanged herself in sheer desperation.
8.Considered the proposal, I accepted it.
8.In such sentences the participle refers to the noun (or pronoun) at a distance. Here the participle (considered as in the given sentence) refers to I. Now, in such sentences, whether the participle would be present or past depends upon whether the noun (or pronoun) referred to is the subject or the object of the participle verb. It is present participle if I (subject) am considering and past participle if I (object) am being considered. So, Correct:Considering the proposal, I accepted it.
9.The captain has been saddened, other team membersrefused to comment.
9.Remember the rule: When there is only one auxiliary to two principal verbs, it should be such that it may be correctly associated with both. Now, apply this to the given sentence. Has been is the auxiliary with principal verb saddened. But does it also go along with refused? Let us see. The latter part then would be Other team members has been refused to comment. This is incorrect. The correct form is Other team members have refused to comment. So, has been cannot be used as a common factor. Correct:The captain has been saddened, other team members have refused to comment.
10.I doubt that he will not turn up.
10.To doubt means to feel uncertain about. That un- itself is negative. So, why use not again? Correct:I doubt that he will turn up.
11.He saw I laughing.
11.Read the solution to Q. 8 again. So, I is the subject of laughing. But note that laughing is only a participle. The verb is saw. And I is the object of the verb. So, the objective case should be used. Correct:He saw me laughing.
12.He never has and never will take action.
12.Remember the rule : Two auxiliaries can be used with one principal verb, only when the form of the principal verb is appropriate to both the auxiliaries. The two auxiliaries here are has and will. The principal verb is take. Now, will take is alright. But what about has take? The V3 form of take is taken. So, has taken. Thus, take cannot be taken as a common factor. Correct:He never has taken and never will take action. Note: Q. 6, 9 and 12 are similar in nature. They are all based on taking the common factor.
13.The hen lay eggs yesterday.
13.Look at the word yesterday. This means the verb is in past tense. Lay is the past tense of lie. If we take the given sentence to be correct, we would conclude that the hen lies eggs, which is incorrect. The hen lays eggs. The past tense of lay is laid. So, Correct:The hen laid eggs yesterday.
14.He is tired to play cricket.
14.When you get bored or fed up with a thing, the correct expression is tired of. So, Correct:He is tired of playing cricket.
15.The quality of the fruits were not satisfactory.
15.Here we have to be careful about the subject-word. It is quality, not fruits. Don’t get deceived by the nearness of the latter to the verb were. Now, quality is singular. So, the verb were should be changed to singular was. Correct:The quality of the fruits was not satisfactory.
16.The prime minister decided to categorically deny thestatement.
16.This is a disputed sentence. Conservative grammarians would not allow to split the infinitive. According to them, to deny or any such infinitive has such a strong bond that no other word is allowed to enter. But with the changing of times, it is difficult to absolutely check (see how the adverb comes in between) such entries. So, you may take the given sentence to be correct for a general purpose. However, in an error detection or sentence correction test, to be on the safe side, change the sentence as follows. Correct:The prime minister decided to deny the statement categorically.
17.She hoped to have won the game yesterday.
17.The perfect infinitive should be changed to the simple infinitive. See Q. 2 above. Correct:She hoped to win the game yesterday.
18.The beauty of his clothes seem to outdo his personalelegance.
18.Here again we have the error of proximity. See Q. 15 above. The subject-word is beauty, not clothes. So, Correct:The beauty of his clothes seems to outdo his personal elegance.
19.He never has and never will go for a picnic.
19.See Q. 12 above. Correct:He never has gone and never will go for a picnic.
20.He does nothing but loitering in the corridor.
20.See Q. 1 above. Replace the gerund after but by infinitive without to. Correct:He does nothing but loiter in the corridor.
21.Is your parents coming for the festival?
21.Note that the subject-word here is parents. When we say parents, we mean father and mother. Parent means only one of the two. Correct:Are your parents coming for the festival?
22.It is him that I have been looking for.
“22.22.For this error let us go back to the rule we came across while discussing Case in the chapter titled ““Noun””. We also came across it again in ““Pronoun””. The rule says: ““The complement of the verb to be, when it is expressed by a pronoun, should be in the nominative (subject) form.”” Is is a form of to be. Him, which is in the objective case, should therefore be changed to he. Correct:It is he that I have been looking for.”
23.Being a nice day, we decided to go out.
23.The sentence gives the impression that being is the participle used for the pronoun we. If so, we would conclude: we are a nice day. Absurd! The insertion of the indefinite pronoun it makes things clear. So, Correct:It being a nice day, we decided to go out.
24.The horse and carriage are at the door.
24.We are not here being told about the horse grazing in one corner of a field and the carriage lying idle in another. No, the two are not being considered two different entities. They are together and part of a (one) system. Note that the article the has been used only once. So, a singular verb is required. Correct:The horse and carriage is at the door.
25.He is one of the servants who hardly ever works.
25.The relative pronoun who does not refer to one, but to servants. So, the verb should be plural. Correct:He is one of the servants who hardly over work.
26.He would sooner to quit the job than bear suchinsult.
26.See Q. 5 above. Would sooner is followed by an infinitive without to. Correct:He would sooner quit the job than bear such insult.
27.My friend and brother have come.
“27.If two persons were being talked about, the sentence would go as follows: My friend and my brother … As it is, we conclude that one man is being talked about who is both ““my brother”” and ““my friend””. Hence, the verb should be singular. Correct:My friend and brother has come.”
28.The courtyard is infested by flies.
28.When we form the passive of infest, there is a deviation in the preposition that follows from the usual by. The proper usage is infested with, which means overrun in large number by harmful persons or things, especially vermin. Correct:The courtyard is infested with flies.
29.Learn respecting your parents.
29.Learn is followed by the infinitive. Correct:Learn to respect your parents.
30.The crowd have no answer to what the culprit says.
30.The crowd is a collective noun. In the given sentence, it behaves as one whole. So, the verb should be singular. Correct:The crowd has no answer to what the culprit says.
