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GMAT Verbal Foundations

Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Shows possession or ownership. They have antecedents. Must agree with its antecedent in person - number - and gender: Jayne has a skateboard. His skateboard is silver. Jo and Luis have bikes. Their bikes are new.






2. Used to ask a question - who - whom - whose - what - and which






3. Can have more than 1 helping verb - an adverb can separate individual verbs in the compound verb - eg: He HAS frequently DEFACED public property. ________________: has defaced






4. Used to express a command or a request. - the subject of an imperative sentence is usually understood to be 'you' ex. Come to the library with me.






5. Xomparative & superlative forms -(-er - -est; or -ier - iest; or more- - most-) -smart - smarter - smartest -good - better - best - intelligent - more intelligent - most intelligent






6. Expresses what the writer believes about - or wants to do with - the action expressed by the verb - indicative mood >> expresses facts - imperative mood >> commands - subjunctive mood: >> unlikely or unreal conditions (usually after if or similar wor






7. A verb that expresses either physical or mental action by subject - can be either transitive or intransitive (or both) -physical: play - swim - jump - punch - run - kick - walk -mental: think - dream - love - rejoice - muse - ponder






8. Will go - has been eating - is writing - had swollen - should have gone






9. Describes action - a state of being - or what is being done to something or someone - critical part of a sentence's predicate - to laugh - to think - to drive - to run - to be - to do - accomplishes - is - went - arose - decided






10. Am - are - is - was - were - will - would - be - being - been - may - might - must.






11. Always needs a clear antecedent - same is true of them - their - it (sometimes) - its


12. Made from verbs - remove --> removal - discuss--> discussion - cry --> cry






13. Consists of two or more verbs - sometimes are joined by a coordinating conjunction (e.g. FANBOYS) and have the same subject.






14. Past - present - future






15. Used as: -pronoun: One should learn grammar. -noun: One is the loneliest number. -adjective: I have only one pencil.


16. Singular One - -body - -thing - each






17. The verb form used to wish - hypothesize - or recommend. It can be used when a clause begins with 'if' and is contrary to fact: 'If I were President'(I am not President) or when a clause begins with 'that' and follows verbs such as 'ask' - 'insist' -






18. A verbal that ends in -ing and acts as a noun -can be subjects of a sentence - Skiing is a popular winter sport. (Skiing - Sub)






19. Do not start with a capital letter; -do not refer to something specific: plane - car - cats - animals; -can be subdivided into countable or uncountable nouns;






20. Nouns cannot be __________ by adding 'er' or 'est' to Absolute Adjectives. Use 'more nearly' or 'most nearly' to compare items using absolute adjectives. -eg: more nearly circular (not: more circular) -eg: more likely fatal (not: more fatal)






21. 1. does NOT show action 2. shows state-of-being 3. links the subject to a noun or adjective - He SEEMS nice - Otto IS a miniature bulldog






22. His car - its prey - other pronouns as adjectives: whose - which - this - that - these - those - all - both - some






23. Formed from a proper noun: Roman ruins - Mexican food - Japanese






24. Join ideas together - eg: Jayneny caught the ball and threw it to second base.






25. Used to make a statement or ask a question. Most sentences are in the __________ - Do you like to play baseball? - I learned to play last year. - Baseball is my favorite game.






26. Singular/plural Some - any - none - all - many - more - based on 'of construction'






27. Can't be intensified -absolute eg: dead - square - essential - universal - immortal - absolute






28. Require a comma before each in a sentence - (for - and - nor - but - or - yet - so)






29. A complete _________ needs a subject and a verb eg: I ran. We left. I do.






30. Show ownership -sometimes used an adjective -my - mine - your - yours - his - her - hers - its - our - ours - their - theirs






31. Do not point out specific people - places or things -do not usually have antecedents -Always are singular - all - another - any - anybody - anyone - anthything - both - each - either - everybody - everyone - everything - few - many - more - most - m






32. Doesn't mix well with other pronouns - eg Wrong: One must be careful to account for all sources of income on your tax return -it is okay to use 'one' as a pronoun in a sentence when the other pronouns refer to different things - eg: Fire is alluring


33. End in -self or -selves and refer to an earlier noun or pronoun in the sentence - myself - yourself - himself - herself - itself - ourselves - yourselves - themselves - Wrong: Bill will be sitting next to Jayne and myself.






34. Active - passive






35. Refers to the one speaking (first person) - the one spoken to (second person) - or the one spoken about (third person) - takes the place of a noun or nouns; they show number and gender; example: singular: I - me - my - mine - you - your - yours - he






36. Names a person - place - thing - or idea - a word that can serve as the subject or object of a verb






37. Created by using compound words - hyphenated words or related words. The two words used are combined to create a descriptive adjective. (i.e. broken-hearted - lemon-lime)






38. Pronouns that are used after action verbs as direct or indirect objects and as objects of prepositional phrases - Pronoun form used when the word receives the action of the sentence or a preposition: him - her - them - whom - you - it - can be used a






39. Joins a dependent clause to an independent clause (who - whom - whose - which - that and all of the W's + ever) -introduce modifiers - introduces an Adjective Clause or a Noun Clause; -eg:That - Which - Who - Whom - Whose - Where - Why - What.






40. Help verbs ending in -ing become complete - helps the main verb show an action. By itself - a _______________ cannot show action -He IS PLANNING to attend.-She Will BE LEAVING shortly. Planning & Leaving not complete verbs






41. Cannot be the main verb of a sentence - can be subjects of sentences or objects - another type of verbal that can be used as a noun - adjective - or an adverb (doesn't end in '-ing' - usually has 'to' before a verb; not a prepositional phrase!) - to






42. Refer to groups composed of members; -always singular; -eg: administration - army - society - family - couple






43. This - that - these - those - none and neither - point out people - places - or things without naming them






44. Subjunctive Mood used to express ________________________ - I wish you were mine - I suggest that you be on time






45. Made from adj. - Clean= cleanliness - Fluid = fluidity






46. Indefinite pronouns don't usually have one -'you' is often used without one -'it' may not need one if it come at the start of a sentence - eg: It is raining. It is hoped that the taxes will be payed.






47. Substitute the -ing word with a noun - sentence should make sense - eg: Dating is tricky --> Algebra is tricky (dating = gerund)






48. Countable -preceded by a number - e.g. one book - two books -have a plural form -Use: Number of.... A great number of friends have shown me great amount of kindness. Use: Fewer... This lane is for people with 3 items or fewer.






49. -an '-ing' word without a helping verb isn't a real verb - CHECK: substitute a noun in the gerunds place - I am boxing (Compound verb: am boxing) I love boxing (Gerund: boxing - verb: love)






50. Word used to modify or describe a noun or pronoun - such as happy - sad - pretty - ten-minute - red - annoying...- answer questions like: What kind is it? Which one? How many are there?