The Parts of Speech
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Exercise 13
Use the correct form in the parentheses:
1. It was (he, him).
2. I thought that it was (he, him).
3. I thought it to be (he, him).
4. Was it (I, me) (who, whom) you chose?
5. Would you do it if you were (me, I)?
6. Ask him if you are sure it is (he, him).
7. I hope it will be (them, they) (who, whom) will be chosen.
8. Had you bee (I, me) would you have gone?
9. He thought it to be (I, me).
10. They believed (I, me) to be (he, him).
There are three forms of the verb that are called the principle parts: (a) the present
tense form, Example. look; (b) the past tense form, Example. looked; (c) the past par-
ticiple form, Example. looked. The participle is a verb form used like an adjective.
The present participle ends in ing. The past or perfect participle is like the past
tense form, when the verb is regular. But when the verb is irregular it may differ
from the past tense. Notice these sentences:
1. The boy, striking the bell, called the men.
2. The bell, which was struck by the boy, began to ring.
In the first sentence we have a present participle, while in the second there is a
past or perfect participle.
In a regular verb the past tense and past participle end in ed. The principal parts
of call are: call, called, called. But in an irregular verb the forms change. Here are
some irregular verbs:
Present Past Past
Tense Tense Participle
do did done
drink drank drunk
drive drove driven
flee fled fled
fly flew flown
get got got
gotten
hang hung hung
lay laid laid
lie (to recline) lay lain
see saw seen
set set set
sit sat sat
sing sang sung
swim swam swum
wake wake waked
woke
A longer list need not be given, since the dictionary provides the forms for irregular
verbs, under each verb.
A Guide to Self-Education
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Exercise 14
Choose the correct form in the parentheses:
1. He has (lain, laid) the book on the table.
2. The man (saw, seen) me do it.
3. The poem was (wrote,written) by the author.
4. He has (laid, lain) in bed a long time.
5. Have you (set, sat) there long?
6. His leg is (broke, broken).
7. A moment ago the bell (rang, rung).
8. The dog (run, ran) away yesterday.
9. The picture was (took, taken).
10. They all (swam, swum) a mile.
11. The coat is (wore, worn) out.
12. My fingers were (froze, frozen).
13. Were you (beat, beaten)?
14. He (drank, drunk) the water.
15. The pipe was (bust, busted, burst).
16. Have you ever (flew, flown) in an airplane?
17. I have (rode, rid, ridden) on horseback.
18. She (sang, sung) well.
19. He (did, done) well.
20. When he was chased, he (flied, flew, fled).
Before we leave verbs it may be well to notice some special cases. Notice these
sentences:
1. Either John or James is going.
2. Neither John nor his brother are going.
3. Neither his brothers nor John is going.
4. All of us are going.
5. All of the butter is good.
6. Every man and child was given a prize.
7. Not one of the men was lost.
8. The army was marching.
9. The army were lined up for mess.
10. Ten dollars was paid for the clock.
11. John, together with his father, was present.
12. He may sharpen the pencil if he can find a sharpener.
13. The teacher teaches; the pupil learns.
14. Take the book home and bring it back tomorrow.
15. He was one of those who were chosen.
In (1) only one is going. In (2) and (3) the verb agrees with the nearer noun. In
(6) we consider each man and child separately. In (7) the subject is one. In (8) the
army is thought of as one body; in (9) as individual members. In (10) ten dollars
stands for a sum. In (11) John is the subject. In (12) it is to be remembered that
may expresses permission and can expresses ability. In (15) he was not the only one
chosen; he was one of all those who were chosen.
Using Adjectives and Adverbs
Usually adjectives and adverbs form the comparative and superlative degrees by
adding er and est to the positive degree. Example. positive: long; comparative:
longer; superlative: longest.
adding er and est to the positive degree. Example. positive: long; comparative:
longer; superlative: longest.
The Parts of Speech
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Here are some irregular adjectives:
good, better, best
bad, worse, worst
much, (or many), more, most
little, less, least
far, farther, farthest
Here are irregular adverbs:
badly, worse, worst
far, further (or farther), furthest (or farthest)
little, less, least
much, more, most
well, better, best
Copulative Verbs. We have studied about the copula. There are some verbs
that are used like the copula; these are called copulative verbs. Example. appear,
become, feel, grow, look, seem, smell, sound, taste.
Copulas and copulative verbs are usually followed by and adjective. Example. The
candy is good. The candy tastes good.
One must avoid using good as an adverb. Do not say: He swims good; but say: He
swims well.
Exercise 15
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Use the correct form in parentheses:
1. How (good, well) he looks!
2. The coat fitted (good, well).
3. It looks (good, well) to me.
4. He is not (near, nearly) as stout as she is.
5. He runs more (swift, swiftly) than I.
6. He does not write (good, well).
7. It sounds (bad, badly).
8. The boys did (well, good).
9. Which is (farther, farthest), your house or mine?
10. Choose the (less, least) of two evils.
11. Who has (more, most), you or (I, me).
12. Which is the (better, best) of the two drivers?
13. If you feel (well, good) enough to go you might take (us, we) two.
14. I trade at (Jone's, Jones's) rather than at the other store, for Jones gives me
(more, most) for the money.
15. Do you feel any (worse, worser) than you did yesterday?
WEBSTER'S
New AMERICAN
DICTIONARY
COMPLETELY NEW AND UP TO DATE. PLANNED AND
WRITTEN BY MODERN EDUCATORS AND LEXICOGRAPHERS
ESPECIALLY TO SERVE THE ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
OF SCHOOL, COLLEGE, AND SELF-EDUCATION AT HOME
Managing Editor
LEWIS M. ADAMS
Editor-in-chief
EDWARD N. TEALL, A.M.
C. RALPH TAYLOR, A.M.,
Author of Self-Education Department and Associate Editor;
Editor "The Home University Encyclopedia," "New American Encyclopedia,"
author of "Vital English"
Simplified Self-Education Treatises on:
GRAMMAR PUNCTUATION VOCABULARY TESTS
WRITING PRONUNCIATION WORDS MISPRONOUNCED
SPEAKING CAPITALIZATION DANGER FLAGS
Illustrated -- Self-Pronouncing -- Synonyms -- Antonyms
This Dictionary is not published by the original pub-
lishers of Webster's Dictionary, or by their successors
1959
B O O K S, I N C .
NEW YORK
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