Delta''''s key to the toefl test part 20

Students write their own passive voice sentences or change sentences they find in print so that each sentence contains an incorrect verb structure.. Infinitives and gerunds that come fro

2.6 PASSIVES

Students identify the tense for each verb in Exercises 2.6.A and 2.6.B For all passive

verbs, who/what is the passive subject? Who/what is the doer of the action?

Students rewrite sentences in Exercises 2.6.A and 2.6.B so that all verbs are in the active

voice If the doer of the action is not stated directly, it must be inferred

In reading done outside class, students look for examples of sentences written in the

passive voice Bring examples to share in class Discuss why the writer probably used

the passive voice Would the sentences be better if they were written in active voice?

Students create “TOEFL sentences” to test their classmates’ understanding of passive

voice verbs Students write their own passive voice sentences or change sentences they

find in print so that each sentence contains an incorrect verb structure Students write

the sentences either on the board or on cards Classmates identify the error and make

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Quiz 2

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Quiz 2 (Time — 10 minutes)

~| ASSESSING PROGRESS — 2.5 through 2.6

Choose the one word or phrase that best completes the sentence

1 The female hummingbird - with lichen

and other soft plants

CA) to make the nest

CB making the nest

Cc) makes the nest

(®) the nest made

2 No one living during the nineteenth century

T=nn the changes which would take place

in the next century

CA) can predict

CB) could a prediction

Cc) could have been predicted

CD) could have predicted

3 When elephants are foraging for food out of

sight of one another, they - by making

rumbling noises similar to gargling

CA) communicating

were communicating

Ce) to communicate

CD) communicate

4, Autumn is the time to take care of any

outside chores that - in the garden

before the first frost

must to do

must have been done

Ce) must be doing

CD) must be done

5 The ten-minute carpal tunnel surgery - snipping the carpal ligament to temporarily relieve pressure that is damaging the nerve

CA) involves

Ce) involving

is involved

@) to involve

The successful trial of John Peter Zenger - an end to prosecutions for sedition

in colonial America

Ca) hardly brought bringing hardly

Cc) hardly to bring CD) was hardly brought Polar bears - throughout the polar region, but they spend most of their time on coastal land near open water

CD find are finding

Cc) be found

Cd) are found

DeLta’s KEY To THE TOEFL® Test

Quiz 2

Choose the one underlined word or phrase that must be changed for the sentence to be correct

8 As a source of power, electricity had no rival because it is clean, silent, can be turned on and off

instantly, and can be fed easily to where it is needed

9 The American Jewish community in the 1800s was characterize by the multitude and variety of

self-help organizations that it established

Cc D

10 The Colosseum, finished in A-D 80, could seat fifty thousand spectators, far too great a number

to be entertaining by the intimacy of plays

D

11 Most shrubs should fertilized early in the summer; moreover, late fertilizing or using the wrong

type of fertilizer can damage the evergreen plants

D

12 Between 1914 and 1932, T S Eliot taught school in England, became a London bank clerk,

wrote poems, and assistant in editing a literary journal

Cc D

13 Air pollution and smog may appear yellow or brown, but sometimes they do not easily distinguished

from haze, which usually is blue to white

D

14 Most people know what they should been doing to live a healthy lifestyle, but sometimes they fail

to measure up to the perfectly balanced picture of health

D

15 The United States entered World War II more unified than it ever been or ever would be again, and

Congress granted the president new powers to wage war

Answers to Structure Quiz 2 are on page 640

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2.7 INFINITIVES AND GERUNDS

2.7 Checking Infinitives and Gerunds

Q Focus

What is wrong with this sentence?

The cougar likes hunt under the cloak of darkness, using its keen binocular vision to spy its prey of deer and other small mammals

The cougar likes something—what does it like? The verb likes needs a noun object Hunt is a verb

form that must be changed to a noun A suitable noun form of hunt is either the infinitive to hunt

or the gerund hunting The clause should be changed to either the cougar likes to hunt or the

cougar likes hunting

What is wrong with this sentence?

Some linguists believe that women use conversation to creating equality between the speakers, and men use it establishment hierarchy

This sentence has two errors: to creating, an incorrectly formed infinitive, and establishment, an

incorrect part of speech Each error should be changed to the correct infinitive form: fo create, to

establish

The writer is making a statement about how women and men use conversation Therefore, in this

case, the infinitives function as adverbs because they modify the verb phrase use conversation

What is wrong with this sentence?

Most Americans believe in allow their children the freedom to be independent and self-reliant

This sentence uses an incorrect gerund form The verb believe in (a verb + preposition combination)

can not be followed by a verb The verb allow must be changed to a noun form, which in this case

is the gerund allowing

You must be able to recognize where infinitives and gerunds are needed in sentences All of the above

examples are similar to the types of sentences you will see on the TOEFL

186 DELTA'2 Key To THE TOEFL® Test

2.7 INFINITVES AND GERUNDS

W DO YOU KNOW ?

Approximately two items on the TOEFL will test your ability to recognize correct and incorrect

usage of infinitives and gerunds

2 Infinitives and gerunds are two examples of verbals A verbal is a verb form that functions as

another part of speech in a sentence Both infinitives and gerunds are used as nouns Infinitives

can also be used as adjectives or adverbs

Infinitives and gerunds that come from transitive verbs (verbs that have an object) can have

objects Infinitives and gerunds can also have adverb and adjective modifiers An infinitive

phrase consists of an infinitive and its objects and modifiers A gerund phrase consists of a

gerund and its objects and modifiers

Infinitive Phrase:

The Roman abacus used pebbles to represent numbers

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Gerund Phrase;

Frequently checking your rear view mirror is a good tip for safe freeway driving

In the above infinitive and gerund phrases, what are the objects of the verbals? What are the

modifiers?

(Answers: Objects: numbers, your rear view mirror; adverb: frequently; adjectives: safe, freeway.)

3 An infinitive is formed with to + the base form of a verb Infinitives and infinitive phrases can

serve these functions in a sentence:

Subject:

To own a home has always been part of the American dream

Subject Complement:

The main purpose of the Federal Reserve System is to control the money supply

Direct Object:

Jane Addams strived to put her education to use in social work

Adverb:

Sensors are designed to detect the presence of specific substances

To focus on an image, a photographer looks through the camera’s viewfinder

Adjective:

The McCarran—Walter Act of 1952 had the power to end discrimination against Asian

Detta’s KEY TO THE TOEFL® Test 187

2.7 INFINITIVES AND GERUNDS

Adjective Complement:

It is becoming common to see office workers dressing casually on Fridays

Infinitives can be in the passive voice:

Most teenagers want to be taken seriously by adults

Infinitives are frequently used with the “false” subject it:

It is important to check the oil in your car once a month

Note: When an infinitive is compound, you can omit fo after the first infinitive:

The liver manages to process proteins, produce bile, and cleanse the blood

Note: For infinitives that follow the verb help, you can either omit fo or use to For infinitives

that follow have, let, and make, use only the base form of the verb, omitting to:

The World Bank helps member nations develop their economies

The World Bank helps member nations to develop their economies

Depression can make people say things they would not ordinarily say

4 An infinitive can be a direct object following these verbs:

Note: With verbs marked *, you need: verb + indirect object + infinitive

President Jefferson appointed Meriwether Lewis to lead the expedition into Louisiana

Note: With verbs marked **, you can have either: verb + infinitive

y ae

or: verb + indirect object + infinitive

Most parents want to set a good example for their children

V Inữn Most parents want their children fo receive a good education

Vv 1O Infin

188 Devta’s KEY 10 THE TOEFL® Tesr

2.7 INFINITIVES AND GERUNDS

An infinitive can be an adjective complement following these adjectives:

Project plans should include the steps that are necessary to ensure the project’s success

A gerund is formed by adding —ing to the base form of a verb Gerunds and gerund phrases can

serve these functions in a sentence:

Subject:

Writing the introduction may be easier after the body of the essay is finished

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Subject Complement:

The largest professional occupation in the United States is teaching

Direct Object:

Marian Anderson began singing opera to help support her mother and sisters

Object of a Preposition:

In the 1950s, the U.S government was responsible for developing communications satellites

Note: Infinitives cannot be the object of a preposition, but gerunds frequently function as the

object of a preposition

Note: Gerunds are uncountable nouns and do not usually take an article An exception is the

gerund + of structure, which takes the definite article the:

Historically, the primary responsibility for the rearing of children belonged to the parents

A gerund can be a direct object following these verbs:

After a six-month delay, the company resumed importing raw materials from Asia Detta’s KEY To THE TOEFL® Test 189

2.7 INFINITIVES AND GERUNDS

190

Either an infinitive or a gerund can be a direct object following these verbs:

Note: These two sentences have the same meaning:

People began to use the waterwheel in the first century B.C

People began using the waterwheel in the first century B.C

Note: With verbs marked *, infinitives and gerunds convey a different meaning:

You must remember to_use your turn signal (Meaning: Remembering occurs before using.) You must remember using your turn signal (Meaning: Using occurs before remembering.) The verb use is frequently followed by either an infinitive or for + gerund (the gerund is the

object of the preposition for) These two sentences have the same meaning:

Men use conversation to establish hierarchy

Men use conversation for establishing hierarchy

In the following sentences, change infinitives to for + gerund, and change gerunds to infinitives:

a A scalpel is used to cut tissue during surgery and dissection

b Retailers are now using computers for making sales presentations in stores

c Chimpanzees use sticks and other tools to obtain food

d Traffic signs are used for controlling the flow of traffic

(Answers: a for cutting b.to make c for obtaining d to control)

A TOEFL item may test you by:

°~s having an incorrect form of infinitive or gerund

“~¢ using an infinitive where a gerund is needed

®~.< using a gerund where an infinitive is needed

A test item may try to trick you by using an incorrect form of infinitive or gerund Look at this

example:

To becoming airborne and begin soaring, a glider is pulled behind a

motor vehicle by a cable attached to a tow hook

Which underlined word must be changed for the sentence to be correct? If you chose becoming,

you were correct because it is an incorrect infinitive form Correction: become

DzLTA'2 KEY To THE TOEFL® Test

2.7 INFINITIVES AND GERUNDS

Look at another example:

Beginning around 1830, the Underground Railroad helped thousands of escaped slaves - their way north to freedom

C3 ñnd

C 3) ñnding

found

to be found

The sentence needs a direct object for the verb helped Following help, you may use an infinitive

with or without fo Therefore, the first answer choice, find, best completes the sentence

10 A test item may try to trick you by substituting a gerund for an infinitive, or vice versa Look at

this example:

There are a number of different strategies for to discourage squirrels from eating food set out for wild birds

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Which underlined word or phrase must be changed for the sentence to be correct? If you chose to

discourage, you were correct because only a gerund can be the object of a preposition

Correction: discouraging

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Exercise 2.7.A

Choose the one underlined word or phrase that must be changed for the sentence to be correct

1 Dogs tend establish a regular path through the yard, and repellents should be used in those paths

when attempting to discourage them

D

2 A recent study shows that selenium, a mineral found in seafood, is linked to reduce the human

cancer risk

3 Not only does personality affect specific occupations and life successes, but it also helps shaping

the emotional fabric of adult life

4 A nation can have a major impact on its economic performance through its economic policies:

spending, taxing, and change the money supply

Cc D

5 When walking over the ice, polar bears appear bow—legged, but the purpose of this strange walk

A

is enable these massive animals to maintain their balance without slipping

2.7 INFINITIVES AND GERUNDS

Choose the one word or phrase that best completes the sentence

6 In 1954 Dr Jonas Salk began - a 9 Motivation is a difficult subject -

killed—virus vaccine for polio because so many different factors influence

the inclination to act

CA) tested

CD) testing Ce) for analyze

@) analyzing

7 Many mechanical machines exist -

one form of movement into another 10 Almost everyone has trouble -

£ at one time or another

CA) to convert

Ce) with which conversion Cs) for sleeping

©) slept

8 We cannot understand the life of someone

without - of the world in which he or

she lived and the great events of that time

CA) have knowledge

to have knowledge

Cc) having knowledge

(©) be having knowledge

Exercise 2.7.B

Choose the one underlined word or phrase that must be changed for the sentence to be correct

1 In one type of coffee maker, a plunger is pushed down over the wet coffee grounds to separated

the beverage from the grounds

D

2 On days of extreme heat, the keeping cool for just a few hours each day, even in an air~conditioned

building lobby or a movie theater, can save lives

not unusual for rabbits producing more than six litters

3 Because of their high rate of predation, it

A

of young per year

4 The purpose of a screwdriver’s handle is not only to enable you to hold it but also to amplify the

force with which you turn the screwdriver for drive a screw

D

192 DELTA*2 Key To tHE TOEFL® Test