Download Exercise 16, Chapter 11, “Verbs and Verbals”

Exercises 16 to 22
Exercise 16, Chapter 12, Verbs and Verbals
Chapter 13, Subject-Verb Agreement
(Handbook 93-116 and 117-130)
I. Select the correct word from each of the following sentences.
1. Staunton is the only one of the seniors who (a. are
high honors.
b. is) graduating with
2. The advertising manager, along with three assistants, (a. assign
b. assigns) all work to be completed by staff members.
3. Trapped in a collapsed building, victims of the explosion (a. clang
b. clinged c. clung) to the hope they would be rescued.
4. Neither the county fairs nor the state fair (a. are
b. is) expected to draw big
crowds this week because of the extreme heat, the commissioner of agriculture
said.
5. Attorneys, not attornies, (a. are
school graduates.
b. is) the correct plural spelling for law
6. The advertisers, by far the convention’s largest group, (a. are
expected to arrive today.
b. is)
7. The fullback (a. dragged b. drug) two defenders more than 10 yards
before they pulled him down at the 20-yard line.
8. All of the magazines (a. are
b. is) in good financial condition.
9. The survivor said when the earthquake started, she (a. dived
under the kitchen table.
10. The producer and director (a. are
voting.
b. dove)
b. is) preparing the series on illegal
11. When he became sick before reaching the finish line, the long-distance
runner regretted having (a. drank b. drunk) so much water before the race.
12. A number of legislators (a. are
b. is) submitting bills this week.
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Exercises 16 to 22
13. The communications law class usually (a. began
14. Three hundred dollars a day (a. are
a hotel room at the convention.
15. Each computer and printer (are
manufacturer promised.
b. is) too much for students to pay for
b. is) in perfect condition, the
16. “Better look busy because here [a. come
vice president.”
17. The data for the study (a. are
the country.
b. comes] the public relations
b. is) coming in from universities throughout
18. Staunton is one of the seniors who (a. are
19. The news media (a. are
b. begun) on time.
b. is) graduating in May.
b. is) not always popular with the public.
20. “I informed the city manager that my news director, not I, [a. am
c. is] responsible for the major error in the news report.”
b. are
II. Write five separate complete sentences as directed by the following
instructions.
21. A sentence in which one subject of a compound subject is used
affirmatively and the other subject is used negatively.
22. A sentence with a compound subject. Put the word either before one
subject and or before the other and follow the last subject with a singular verb.
23. A sentence with the word majority as the subject and are used as a plural
verb.
24. A sentence with a compound subject. Put the word neither before one
subject and nor before the other. Make the subject singular and the other
subject plural.
25. A sentence with a singular subject and a compound predicate adjective.
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Exercises 16 to 22
Exercise 17, Subject-Verb Agreement
(Handbook 117-130 and 317-320)
I. Select the correct word from each of the following sentences.
1. The public relations intern (a. lead
the company’s facilities.
b. led) the visiting officials on a tour of
2. The news report indicated that three-fourths of the flood water (a. has
b. have) drained and should represent no additional problems.
3. The attorneys general (a. plan b. plans) to endorse the proposal being
considered by members of Congress.
4. All the news about the economy (a. has
president said.
b. have) been encouraging, the
5. The convicted murderer was (a. hanged
b. hung) this morning.
6. The photographer should have (a. gone
us.
7. The professor (a. laid
his 9 a.m. class.
b. went) on the assignment with
b. lay) in bed too long and was 15 minutes late for
8. Members of the Air Force Academy’s graduating class (a. flang b. flinged
c. flung) their caps into the air at the end of the commencement ceremony.
9. Even though she broke the Olympic record, she said she could have
(a. swam b. swum) faster.
10. As soon as the alarm sounded, the firefighters (a. swang
action.
11. The cornerstone of the library building was (a. laid
than a century ago.
12. The interns will (a. raise
president enters the room.
b. swung) into
b. lain) in place more
b. rise) from their seats when the network
13. Although she was anxious about the outcome, she (a. sat
in the race.
14. Neither of the candidates has (a. proved
attainable.
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b. set) a record
b. proven) his goals are
Exercises 16 to 22
15. The large number of graduates (a. are
academics as well as athletics.
b. is) proof that the coaches stress
16. The governor’s entire family, along with many politicians and reporters,
(a. was b. were) present when she announced she is retiring at the end of her
term.
17. She has (a. strived
b. striven c. strove) to do a good job as mayor,
the candidate said as she announced her plans to run for re-election.
18. The mass murderer (a. slay
was shot by police.
19. The memoranda (a. was
meeting.
20. The artist (a. strived
happened.
b. slayed
c. slew) five teenagers before he
b. were) distributed throughout the four-day
b. striven
c. strove) to reproduce the event as it
II. Write five separate complete sentences as directed by the following
instructions.
21. A sentence with the word series used as the subject and is as the verb.
22. A sentence with the word none used as a plural subject.
23. A sentence in which the members or parts of a compound are considered
one item, one unit or one substance and take a singular verb.
24. A sentence with the word curricula used as the subject.
25. A sentence in which the subject has a plural form but the verb is singular.
Exercise 18, Transitive, Intransitive and Linking
(Handbook 97-102)
I. Determine whether each of the boldfaced verbs is a. transitive,
b. intransitive or c. linking.
1.Three ships sank during the hurricane.
2. Many news reporters register as independent voters.
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Exercises 16 to 22
3. The intern missed his first deadline.
4. It was she who discovered the error.
5. The winning photography display was fantastic, according to the judges.
6. The victim fainted.
7. The defendant lied on the witness stand, the prosecuting attorney claimed.
II. Write three separate complete sentences as directed by the following
instructions.
8. Use the word smell as a transitive verb.
9. Use the word are as an intransitive verb.
10. Use the word smell as a linking verb.
Exercise 19, Tense
(Handbook 105-111)
Ia. Determine the tense of the boldfaced verb in each of the following
sentences.
a. present
b. present perfect progressive
c. past
d. present progressive
e. past perfect
1. The coach loved this Page 1 headline: Acme wins conference title.
2. Markel took the unusual step of starting his political career by running for a
seat in the U.S. Senate.
3. “I am hoping we can win the award again this year.”
4. “I have been applying for jobs with big-city advertising agencies.”
5. Asked how he had gotten to the hospital so quickly after the plane crash, the
off-duty emergency room physician said he had heard the report on his car
radio.
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Exercises 16 to 22
Ib. Determine the tense of the boldfaced verb in each of the following
sentences.
6. “If you had lost a libel suit as I have, you’d appreciate my warning,” the editor
said.
7. Brinkman, who has served three terms in the legislature, said he plans to
seek re-election.
8. “By this time next year, I will have graduated,” the news director of the
campus radio station said.
9. ”I had been hoping our newsletter would be chosen best in the region, but it
wasn’t,” the director of public relations said.
10. The mayor is carrying a pager so that he may be contacted quickly in case
of emergency.
II. Write five separate complete sentences as directed by the following
instructions.
11. A sentence using the past participial principal part of the word cling.
12. A sentence using the present principal part of the word ride.
13. A sentence using the past participial principal part of the word lie.
14. A sentence using the past principal part of the verb spit.
15. A sentence using the past principal part of the word forsake.
Exercise 20, Mood
(Handbook 108-111)
I. Determine whether each of the following sentences is in the
a. indicative, b. imperative or c. subjunctive mood.
1. “Had I known you were hiring, I would have applied for the job.”
2. “Apply for the job.”
3. “Check with me before you accept any new assignments,” the news director
said.
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Exercises 16 to 22
4. The president said he regretted having to order military action.
5. “Why can’t I run for public office and still cover the election?” the reporter
asked.
6. “Vote.”
7. ”I move that the nominations be closed.”
8. What is the application deadline?
9. The governor was shocked by the reporter’s question.
10. The editorial page editor wishes she were a feature writer.
II. Write five separate complete sentences as directed by the following
instructions.
11. A sentence in which the subjunctive mood is expressed in a dependent
clause that begins with the word if.
12. A sentence with the helping word could or would used to express a
speculation or a condition.
13. A sentence expressing a parliamentary motion.
14. A sentence expressing a request or a mild command but put in question
form to be polite.
15. A sentence using the words as if or as though to express uncertainty or
doubt.
Exercise 21, Voice
(Handbook 102-103)
I. Determine which verbs are in the a. active voice and which are in the
b. passive voice.
1. The photographers have finished their assignments.
2.-3. Costello hated leaving the basketball game, but when he committed his
fourth foul, he was taken out by the coach.
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Exercises 16 to 22
4. Rutledge was given a dangerous assignment.
5. Autry received a Pulitzer Prize.
II. Provide brief answers or examples as directed by the following
instructions.
6. One problem with using passive voice is that it sometimes causes the writer or
the speaker to leave out explanatory information. What is missing in the following
sentence containing a passive-voice verb?
Harrison was not selected.
7.-8. Another problem with passive voice is that it is wordier and less direct than
active voice. Rewrite the following sentence containing a passive-voice verb.
Make it active voice and eliminate the wordiness.
The test was taken by the students.
9. Explain why active voice is preferred over passive voice. Provide an example.
10. Some authorities consider all verbs to be either in the active or in the passive
voice. Why are the following sentences considered by some authorities to be in
neither the active nor the passive voice?
The students are in the classroom.
That leaky boat could sink.
Exercise 22, Verbals
(Handbook 111-116)
1. Provide brief answers to the following questions.
1.-2.-3. Infinitives may serve as what parts of speech?
4. Gerunds always serve as what part of speech?
5. Participles always serve as what part of speech?
II. Identify each of the boldfaced verbals as a. a participle, b. a gerund or
c. an infinitive.
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Exercises 16 to 22
6. Preparing for tests is not students’ favorite activity.
7. “My last-resort tactic, cramming, is not something encouraged by my
professors.”
8. During the final examination period, college students give sleeping less time
than anything else.
9. ”Please help me prepare for the final exam.”
10. To prepare for the examination, Wickline placed all his class notes on his
desk.
III. Identify the verbal phrases (the verbals and all related words such as
modifiers and complements) in the following sentences.
11. Knocking on the door at every voter’s house in his district, Kluzewski gained
an upset victory in the election.
12. Cramming for examinations is not a wise habit.
13. Taken just a day before the contest deadline, the photograph of the cultural
arts center won first place.
14. Department of Tourism employees are seeking funds to increase their
advertising campaign.
15. “I can’t take the additional assignment because I have too much to do today.”
IV. Errors involving dangling verbals are made in the five sentences that
follow. Correct the errors by rewriting each of the sentences.
16. To be eligible for the coming school year, the financial aid forms must be
completed by May 10.
17. Having no choice, the game was forfeited by Acme University’s coach.
18. Running as a write-in candidate, Johnson’s name will not appear on the
ballot.
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Exercises 16 to 22
19. Campaigning tirelessly, victory still seemed beyond the candidate’s grasp.
20. Being a first cousin, there was no chance I would get to cover the mayor’s
speech.
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