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- 186
- à 5.5èVerb Phrases, and Participles
- ä:èIn the sentences in the Example, underline the verb
- êêïphrases.
- âS:
- #ëI ╕have╗ ╕heard╗ a ringing in my ear.ïI ╕will╗ ╕lose╗ my nerve.
- #You ╕are╗ ╕running╗ into trouble.ïHe ╕could╗ ╕be╗ ╕falling╗ into the
- #pit.ïShe ╕might╗ ╕be╗ your salvation.ïIt ╕could╗ ╕locate╗ gold. She
- #╕should╗ ╕have╗ ╕been╗ ╕warned╗. They ╕did╗ ╕resist╗ my grip.ïJane ╕had
- #╕gone╗ home.ïSam ╕has╗ ╕caught╗ pneumonia.
- éS All verb phrases consist of one or more helping verbs plus the
- main verb. A comprehensive list of helping verbs is as follows.ïMany
- #helping verbs are forms of the verb be: ╖am, are, is, was, were, am
- #╖being, are being, is being, was being, were being, can be, could be,
- #╖may be, might be, must be, shall be, should be, will be, would be, have
- #╖been, has been, had been, could have been, may have been, might have
- #╖been, must have been, shall have been, should have been, will have been,
- #╖would have been.ï╗Other helping verbs are ╖can, could, would, will,
- #╖shall, might, may, must, has, have, had, do, does, did.╗ïMain verbs
- that are the base form of the verb are preceded by the helping verbs
- #╖can, could, will, shall, would, might, may, must, do, does, ╗and ╖did.
- #In ╖I can see the twisty tower, can╗ is the helping verb, and ╖see╗, the
- #base form of the verb ╖see╗, is the main verb.ïThe main verbs preceded
- #by forms of the verb ╖be╗ or by ╖has, have, ╗and ╖had╗ are either pre-
- #sent or past participles.ïIn ╖I had dissolved the tablet, had╗ is the
- #helping verb, and ╖dissolved╗ (the base verb form ╖dissolve╗ plus ╖d╗) is
- #the past participle. In ╖I am traveling to the cavern, am ╗is the help-
- #ing verb, and ╖traveling╗ (the base verb form ╖travel╗ plus ╖ing╗) is the
- #main verb.ïA verb phrase consist of either two (Boy, ╖could╗ he ╖shovel
- #snow!), three (They ╖might have witnessed ╗a crime) or four words (We
- #╖should have been shivering╗, but we weren't).
- 1.èWhich one of the following sentences contains a verb phrase
- where the main verb is the base form of the verb?
-
- A)ïThey will not invest in your company.
- B)ïShould you be rescheduling the ad?
- C)ïI have reduced your payments.
- D)ïå
- #ü ╢Will invest╗ is the verb phrase containing the base form of the
- #verb ╢invest╗ as the main verb: ╢will╗ is the helping verb.ïIn another
- #sentence, the verb phrase ╖should be rescheduling╗ contains the present
- #participle ╖rescheduling╗ as the main verb: ╖should╗ and ╖be╗ are the
- #helping verbs.ïIn the remaining sentence, ╖have reduced╗ is the verb
- #phrase containing the past participle ╖reduced╗ as the main verb; ╖have
- is the helping verb.
- Ç A
- 2.èWhich one of the following sentences contains a verb phrase
- where the main verb is the present participle?
-
- A)ïIn my dream, I am trying in vain to find my parents.
- B)ïWe have remained at home because of the slick roads.
- C)ïCould they reverse their decision?
- D)ïå
- #ü The verb phrase ╢am trying╗ contains the present participle
- #╢trying╗ as the main verb preceded by the helping verb ╢am╗.ïIn an-
- #other sentence, ╖have remained╗ is a verb phrase; ╖remained╗, the past
- #participle, is the main verb and ╖have╗ is the helping verb.ïThe last
- #sentence contains the verb phrase ╖could reverse.ï╗Acting as the
- #main verb, ╖reverse╗ is the base form of the verb, and ╖could╗ is the
- helping verb.
- Ç A
- 3.èWhich one of the following sentences contains a verb phrase
- where the main verb is the past participle?
-
- A)ïDid you escape from the traffic accident without any bruises?
- B)ïWere you flirting with my mother?
- C)ïMy glass project could have been broken in school last year.
- D)ïå
- #ü The verb phrase ╢could have been broken╗ contains the past parti-
- #ciple ╢broken╗ as the main verb; ╢could have been╗ are the helping
- #verbs.ïIn another sentence, ╖did escape╗ is a verb phrase, with ╖escape
- #as the base form of the verb functioning as the main verb, and ╖did
- is the helping verb.ïIn the remaining sentence, the verb phrase
- #╖were flirting╗ contains the present participle ╖flirting╗ as the main
- #verb, and ╖were╗ is the helping verb.
- Ç C
- 4.èWhich one of the following sentences contains a verb phrase
- with a present participle and another verb phrase with a past participle?
- A)ïThe train was squeaking badly as it was leaving the station.
- B)ïI might have bought that camera yesterday if my father had not
- è grounded me.
- C)ïWe will be planning a trip because our boss has given us the time.
- D)ïå
- #ü The verb phrase ╢will be planning╗ contains the present partici-
- #ple ╢planning╗ as a main verb, with ╢will╗ and ╢be╗ as the helping verbs
- #In that same sentence, the verb phrase ╢has given╗ contains the past
- #participle ╢given╗ as a main verb preceded by the helping verb ╢has╗.
- Another sentence has two past participles in two verb phrases: the
- #verb phrase ╖might have bought╗ contains the past participle ╖bought╗ as
- #a main verb preceded by the helping verbs ╖might have╗, and the verb
- #phrase ╖had grounded╗ contains the past participle ╖grounded╗ as a main
- #verb preceded by the helping verb ╖had╗.ïThe remaining sentence has two
- #verb phrases with present participles.ïThe verb phrase ╖was squeaking
- #contains the present participle ╖squeaking╗ as the main verb preceded by
- #the helping verb ╖was╗.ïThe verb phrase ╖was leaving╗ contains the pre-
- #sent participle ╖leaving╗ as a main verb preceded by the helping verb ╖
- #╖was.
- Ç C
- ä:èIn the sentences in the Example, underline the present
- and past participles that act as adjectives.
- #âS: The ╕harassed╗ horse finally swatted the flies on his back.
-
- #êèThe ╕continuing╗ story about the scandal soon got boring.
-
- #╕╗êèThe trainer, ╕elated╗ and ╕smiling╗, bowed.
-
- #êèI jumped on the bus that had the ╕sashshaying╗ woman on board.
- éS Present and past participles that are not main verbs in verb
- phrases are called verbals: verbals never function as verbs.ïA parti-
- #ciple acting as an adjective can come in front of a noun.ïIn ╖The
- #╖misbehaving student saw the counselor, misbehaving╗ is a present parti-
- #ciple used as an adjective modifying the noun ╖student╗.ïIn ╖I am con-
- #╖fident that, as expected, you will turn in a charming paper, charming
- #is a present participle used as an adjective modifying the noun ╖paper.
- Or a participle acting as an adjective may come right after the noun it
- #modifies, as in ╖The doctor, bedraggled and bedridden, now knew what
- #╖some of his patients suffered.ïBedraggled╗ and ╖bedridden╗ are past
- #participles used as adjectives modifying the noun ╖doctor╗.
- 5.èWhich one of the following sentences contains a present
- participle used as an adjective?
- A)ïThe pipe was leaking into the aluminum pan.
- B)ïThe decreasing price of coffee pleased many consumers.
- C)ïAnimal studies are indicating that some chimpanzees have very high
- è levels of calcium in their bones.
- D)ïå
- ü
- #ë╢Decreasing╗ is a present participle used as an adjective modifying
- #the noun ╢price╗.ïThe other sentences each have a present participle as
- #the main verb in a verbal phrase: ╖leaking╗ in ╖was leaking╗ and ╖indi-
- #╖cating╗ in ╖are indicating.
- Ç B
- 6.èWhich one of the following sentences contains a present
- participle used as an adjective?
-
- A)ïAre you continuing your Bible studies?
- B)ïIs it a fact that his horseplay at work is a reoccurring problem?
- C)ïI was slouching in my favorite chair.
- D)ïå
- ü
- #ë╢Reoccurring╗ is a present participle used as an adjective modify-
- #ing ╢problem╗.ïThe other sentences each have a present participle
- #functioning as the main verb in a verb phrase: ╖continuing╗ in ╖are con-
- #╖tinuing╗ and ╖slouching╗ in ╖was slouching╗.
- Ç B
- 7.èWhich one of the following sentences contains a present
- participle used as an adjective?
-
- A)ïAre we sufficiently entertained today?
- B)ïThe beeping sounds awoke me.
- C)ïShe could have been sweeping the stairs for Charlene.
- D)ïå
- #ü ╢Beeping╗ is a present participle functioning as an adjective
- #that directly precedes the noun ╢sounds╗ that it modifies.ïIn another
- #sentence, the present participle╖ sweeping╗ is a main verb used as the
- #present participle in the verb phrase ╖could have been sweeping╗.ïIn
- #the remaining sentence, ╖entertaining╗ is a present participle used as
- #a main verb in the verb phrase ╖are entertaining.
- Ç B
- 8.èWhich one of the following sentences contains a present
- participle used as an adjective?
-
- A)ïSy is devoted to camping.
- B)ïThe official was mumbling.
- C)ïSusan's always amusing riddles never bore me.
- D)ïå
- ü
- #ë╢Amusing ╗is the present participle used as an adjective modifying
- #the noun ╢riddles╗.ïIn another sentence, ╖camping╗ is a gerund, the ob-
- #ject of the preposition ╖to╗.ïIn the remaining sentence, ╖mumbling╗ is
- #a present participle used as the main verb in the verb phrase ╖was
- #╖mumbling╗.
- Ç C
- 9.èWhich one of the following sentences contains a present
- participle used as an adjective?
- A)ïDiving at night was his obsession.
- B)ïThe dial suddenly began rotating.
- C)ïI might have been living in Tahiti if the government had not con-
- è fiscated my investments.
- D)ïå
- ü
- ëThere is no present participle acting as an adjective in any of
- #ç sentences.ï╖Diving╗ is a gerund acting as the subject of the verb
- #form ╖was╗.ïIn another sentence ╖rotating╗ is a gerund acting as the
- #direct object of the verb form ╖began╗.ïIn the remaining sentence, ╖
- #╖living ╗is a present participle acting as the main verb in the verb
- #phrase ╖might have been living╗.
- Ç D
-