Part Of Speech

VERB

Introduction: The Olympics

The word "olympic" comes from the name of the town Olympia in Greece,
where the ancient Olympic Games were always held. The frrst recorded
Olympic Games were held in 776 a.c.; the Games took place every fourth year
after that date until they were abolished by a Roman emperor in A.D. 394.

It was not until 1875, when archeologists discovered the ruins of the
Olympic Stadium in Greece, that interest in the Games was renewed.
Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a French scholar and educator, proposed that the
Games should be revived as an international competition to encourage both
sport and world peace.

The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896. Like
their classical predecessors, the athletes were men only; women were admitted
to the Games in 1900. Since that time, the Games have been held at four-year
intervals as in ancient Greece. However, since de Coubertin's dream of world
peace has not been realized, the two World Wars prevented those of 19 16,
1940, and 1 944 from being held.

The Olympic Games have been confmed to amateur athletes despite a

few recent exceptions. There are pressures on the Olympic authorities to
admit other professionals to the Games. Such a step would damage the entire
concept of the Olympics. The following words appear on the scoreboard at
every Olympic opening: "The most important thing is not to win but to take
part." In contrast, the aim of every professional is to win.
EXERCISE 1
Verb forms are tested on the TOEFL® Test.
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.
1. The word "olympic" (come) Comes from Olympia in Greece.
2. In A.D. 394, a Roman emperor (abolish) Abolished the Olympic Games.
3. In 1875 archeologists (discover) Discovered the ruins of the Olympic
Stadium in Greece.
4. The French educator Pierre de Coubertin (propose) Proposed that the
Games be revived.
5. Since 1896 the Olympic Games (be held) Have beeb held every four
years
with some exceptions.
6. In the Olympic Games of 1896 the athletes (be) were men only.
7. Women (be admitted) Were Admitted in 1 900.

EXERCISE 2
1. The Olympics took place every four years between 776 B.C. and
A.D. 394.
2. Women have started to participate in the Games in 1900.
3. From 1896 to the present, the Olympic Games have been held every four
years.
4. With a few recent exceptions, professional athletes do not take part in
the Olympic Games.
5. With this international competition, Pierre de Coubertin has wanted to
encourage both sport and world peace.
6. In 1916, 1940, and 1944 the Olympic Games did not taken place.
Grammar: Verbs
Verbs are tested in both the Structure and the Written Expression
sections of the exam.

Strategy
It is important to:
1. Recognize the verb in a sentence (the verb is the action). Words that look
like verbs such as gerunds, inAnitives, and participles are nat verbs.
2. Check if the verb agrees with the subject (see Chapter 3).
3. Check if the tense of the verb is correct. The time words and the context
will help you do this.

TENSES
The following tables review verb tenses:

Usage Example
Present Continuous Tense
1. An activity that is in progress at Mary is watching TV right now.
the moment
2. A general activity that takes place I'm training for the Olympics.
this week, this month, or this year I'm going to Sweden next winter.
3. Future arrangements
Simple Present Tense
1. A habitual action I run every morning.
2. A general fact The sun rises in the east.
3. Future timetables The ticket office opens at 9:00.
Simple Past Tense
1. An action that began and ended at We won a gold medal last year.
a specific time in the past
2. An action that occurred over a She skated for fifteen years.
period of time and was completed
in the past
3. An activity that took place She trained every morning before
regularly in the past work.
Usage Example
Past Continuous Tense
1. An interrupted action I was watching the Olympics on
TV, when he walked in.
2. A repeated or continuous state in I was making many new friends at
the past the Olympic Village.
Future Tense (going to)
1. Expressing a prior plan My brother is going to go with me
next week.
2. Predicting something that is likely We are going to win. I know it.
to happen in the future
Future Continuous Tense
1. An action that will be continuing This time next week I will be
at a particular time in the future training for the race.
Present Perfect Tense
1. An action that happened at an I have seen him on television.
unspecified time in the past
2. An action that has happened She has just gone out.
recently
3. An action that began in the past She has been training for two
and continues in the present years.
(usually with "for" or "since")
4. Repetition of an action before now He has been to the Olympics several
times.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
1. Expressing the duration of an John has been swimming for two
action that began in the past and hours.
continues in the present (with "for,
"since," "all morning," "all day")
2. A general action in progress· I have been thinking about
recently for which no specific time is competing next year.
mentioned
3. An action that began in the past Have you been crying? Your eyes
and has just recently ended are red.
Past Perfect Tense
1. A past action that occurred before She had just left when I arrived
another action in the past there.
2. An action that was expected to I had hoped to get their decision
occur in the past before today.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
1. Expressing the duration of an She had been competing for six
activity that occurred before another years before she tried out for
action in the past year the Olympics last year.
2. An action occurring recently He looked tired because he had
before another action in the past been running for six hours.
Future Perfect Tense
1. Expressing the duration of time By next May I will have been
that has occurred before a specific training at this gym for eleven years.
time in the future

MODALS
A modal is always followed by the base form of a verb. The following is a list
of some modals:
Can may will shall must had better
Could might would should have to ought to
MODALS
A modal is always followed by the base form of a verb. The following is a list
of some modals:
Ability: She can run in the race.
Possibility: She could run in the race.
She might run in the race.
She may run in the race
Advisability: She had better run in the race.
She ought to run in the race.
She should run in the race.
Necessity: She must run in the race.
She has to run in the race.
Intention: She shall run in the race.
She will run in the race.
Past Habit: She would run in the race.

Strategy
Remember the correct word order for modals.
Correct word order: She would run in the race. Incorrect word order: She
run would in the race.

EXERCISE 3
Circle the letter of the word or phrase that correctly completes the sentence.

1. When archeologists 5. The winners received a wreath

discovered the ruins of the Olympic _________ from the branches of the
Stadium, interest in the Games sacred olive tree.
. (A) made
(A) was renewed (B) was made
(B) were renewed (C) making
(C) they were renewed (D) to make
(D) renewed
6. After more than 1,500 years,
2. The ancient Olympic Games Athens _________ for the site of the
as amateur contests, but in time first modern Olympics.
became profes- sional. (A) were chosen
(A) begun (B) was chosen
(B) began (C) is chosen
(C) beginning (D) chosen
(D) they began
7. The marathon, first staged in
3. The Olympic Games are held _________ 1896, the legendary feat
every four years in a selected of a Greek soldier who carried news
country, and to athletes of all of victory from the battlefield at
nations. Marathon to Athens.
(A) they are opened (A) was commemorated
(B) are opened (B) commemorated
(C) they are open (C) commemorates
(D) it is open (D) commemorating

4. Winning first place in an event 8. The Olympic torch _________

was the only glory in the ancient throughout the Games and is then
Games because second and third extinguished at the closing
places ceremony.
(A) did not recognize (A) burning
(B) are not recognized (B) is burned
(C) was not recognized (C) burned
(D) were not recognized (D) burns

PASSIVE VOICE
Strategy
A frequent error is to use an active verb instead of passive or a passive instead
of an active. Remember that if the subject does the action, the verb is active; if
the subject receives the action, the verb is passive.

The passive is formed by be + a verb ending in ed (past participle or an

irregular past participle). In a passive sentence, the object of an active verb
becomes the subject of the passive verb. The passive is used when the person
or the thing done is more important, or when the agent who did the action is
not known.
Active: Archeologists discovered the ruins.
Passive: The ruins were discovered by archeologists.
The following table shows how to form the passive:

Active Voice Passive Voice

1. The flame opens the Games. The Games are opened by the
flame.
2. The flame is opening the Games. The Games are being opened by
the flame.
3. The flame has opened the Games. The Games have been opened by
the flame.
4. The flame opened the Games. The Games were opened by the
flame.
5. The flame was opening the Games The Games were being opened by
the flame.
6. The flame had opened the Games. The Games had been opened by the
flame.
7. The flame will open the Games. The Games will be opened by the
flame
8. The flame is going to open the The Games are going to be opened
Games by the flame
9. The flame will have opened the The Games will have been opened
Games by the flame

EXERCISE 4
Place the verbs in parentheses in passive voice to complete the following
Sentence.

1. The first modern Olympic series (hold) was held in Athens in 1896.
2. The first Olympic Village (build) was built for the Games in 1932.
3. The Olympic flag (fly) was flown for the first time in 1920.
4. In the 1936 Olympics, the orchestra (lead) was led by the composer
Richard Strauss.
5. The Olympic Games (cancel) were canceled in 1916 because of World War
I
6. The Summer Games (show) were shown on television for the first time in
1936.

GERUNDS
A gerund, an infinitive, or a participle is a verbal, not a verb. Gerunds or
infinitives con never toke the place J a main wrb in a sentence. When there is
a verb missing in -one of the 1e1t items, make sure you choose a verb and not
a verbal.
The gerund is formed by adding -ing to the base form of a verb. The gerund is
used as a noun. It can function as a subject, object, or object of a preposition.

Running is my favorite sport. (subject)

He tried running faster. (object)
She was afraid of losing. (object of preposition)

When the gerund is the subject of the sentence, the verb is singular.
1. Gerund after Noun + Prepositions.
The following are some nouns + prepositions that take gerunds:
choice of excuse for intention of
possibility of/for reason for method of/for
He has no intention of giving up now.
There was no reason for canceling the race.

2. Gerund after Adjectives + Prepositions

The following are some adjectives + prepositions that take the gerund:
accustomed to afraid of capable of
fond of good at interested in
successful in tired of
She is accustomed to training for many hours.
He is good at running the 200-meter race.
3. Gerunds after Verbs
The following are some verbs that take the gerund:

admit Deny postpone resume

advise discuss practice risk
anticipate enjoy quit suggest
appreciate excuse recall tolerate
avoid finish recommend try
can't help keep regret understand
consider mind resent imagine
delay miss resist

He kept running until the end.

She enjoys running for competition.
4. Gerund after Verb + Preposition (Two-Word Verbs)
The following are some two-word verbs that take the gerund:

approve of give up rely on

be better off insist on succeed in
call for keep on think about
confess to look forward to think of
count on object to worry about
Depend on Put off Prevent from
He succeeded in winning the race.
She did not give up hoping.

5. Gerund or Infinitive
Some verbs can take either a gerund or an infinitive, with no difference in
meaning. The following are verbs that can take either a gerund or infmitive:

advise dread mean remember

agree forget neglect start
allow hate permit Stop
attempt intend plan Study
begin leave prefer try
continue like propose
dislike love regret
I love to watch the track races.
I love watching the track races.

INFINITIVES
The infinitive is formed by adding to to the base form of a verb. The
infinitive can be used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.
To train ts bard work. (noun)
She always bas energy to spend. (adjective)
He ran to win. (adverb)
1. Verbs That Take the lnfinitive

agree decide hope prepare threaten

appear demand intend pretend tend
arrange deserve Jearn promise try
ask desire manage refuse volunteer
attempt expect mean regret wait
beg fail need seem want
care forget offer struggle wish
claim hire order
2. Verb + Noun/Pronoun + lnvinitive
The following verbs can be followed by a noun/pronoun and an infinitive:

advise convince force order teach

allow challenge hire permit tell
ask encourage instruct persuade want
cause expect invite remind warn
need require
He reminded me to keep calm.
I taught him to swim

3. Adjective + Invinitive
The following are some adjectives that are followed by the infinitive:

anxious easy hard ready

boring good pleased strange
Dangerous prepared usual
difficult
She was anxious to bear the results.
It is hard to lose.
EXERCISE 5
1. The authorities permitted women 4. Women were not allowed
in track and field events in the in more than
1928 Winter Games. three events in 1932.
(A) to take part (A) participating
(B) taking part (B) to participate

2. Because of a lack of snow, 5. The Roman Emperor Theodosius

three thousand Austrian soldiers ordered the Games _________
were hired in in A.D. 394.
snow for the ski trails in 1964. (A) stopping
(A) bringing (B) to stop
(B) to bring

3. In ancient Greece it was agreed 6. The two World Wars prevented

wars for the the Olympics from _________
Olympic Games. place.
(A) to stop (A) taking
(B) stopping (B) to take

ON THE TOEFL® TEST

In the Structure section, verb errors may involve the following:
1. A verb may not agree with its subject. A singular subject requires a
singular verb and a plural subject requires a plural verb.
2. A verb may be in the wrong tense. The time words and the context will
indicate the correct tense.
3. A verb may be in the active form instead of the passive or vice versa. If
the subject does the action, the verb must be active; if the subject receives
the action, the verb is passive.
4. A verbal is not a verb. A gerund or participle cannot be a main verb.
Example: Electronic timing ________ for the first time in the 1912
Olympics in Sweden.
(A) were used
(B) was used
(C) using
(D) used

The best answer is (B). (A) is incorrect because the subject is in

gerund form and therefore requires a singular verb. (C) is incorrect
because the -ing form is not a verb and a clause requires a verb. (D)
is incorrect because the verb is active and a passive verb is needed.

In the Written Expression section, verb errors often involve the following:
1. A main verb may be used instead of a participle or vice versa. The
main verb, for example eat or ate, may be used instead of eaten, or the
main verb is eating instead of eating.
2. The gerund may be used instead of the infinitive. For example, eating
instead of to eat.
3. The wrong infinitive form may be used. For example, make may be
used instead of to make.
4. The wrong form of the participle may be used. The present participle
may be used instead of the past participle or vice versa.
Example In the 1931 Winter Olympics many competitors were
A
prevented from to participate because of the economic depression.
B C D
The best choice is (C) because an infinitive cannot be used after a
preposition. The gerund form participating must be used.

Exercises on Verbs
From the four words or phrases, choose the one that best completes the
sentence.

1. The first systematic chart ever 4. During the Ice Age, glaciers
made of an ocean current _______ and retreated several
_______ by Benjamin Franklin. times over large areas of the
(A) published earth.
(B) was published (A) had been advanced
(C) publishing (B) were advanced
(D) has been published (C) have advanced
(D) advanced
2. Petroleum ________ on every
continent and beneath every 5. Some fish _______
ocean. distortions of electrical field
(A) is found through special receptors.
(B) found (A) sense
(C) are found (B) are sensing
(D) find (C) are sensed
(D) senses
3. Animals ________ on Earth
for at least 700 million years. 6. The widespread use of oil and
(A) living gas to make chemicals
(B) lived ________ during the 1920s.
(C) have lived (A) has begun
(D) have been lived (B) began
(C) beginning
(D) begun

From the four underlined words or phrases, ldentify the one that is not
correct.
7. The American architect, Frank lloyd Wright, developed a theory of
A
architecture that stressed the needs of the people who used it.
B C D

8. Pelicans have a long, straight bill with a flexible pouch made of skin on
A B C

the underside.
D
9. In some countries, octopuses and snails are considered great
A B
delicacies to eat.
C D
10. Many dyslexics have difficulty remembering the sequence of letters in
A B C
a word and in distinguishing right from left.
D
11. Men and women in the Peace Corps work with people in developing
A B
countries to help them improve their living conditions.
C D
12. Seahorses spend much of their time clinging with their tails to underwater
plants.
A B C D