Preset simple
• Habits and routines
• Facts and general truths
• Schedule events
Structure:
Subject + base verb (add -s for he/she/it)
Preset continuous
• Actions happening right now
• Temporary actions or situations
• Future plans (usually personal)
Structure:
Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing
Past simple
• Completed actions in the past
• A specific time in the past (even if not mentioned, it’s implied)
Structure:
Subject + past form of the verb (went, player, studied)
Present perfect
• Actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past
• Life experiences
• Actions that started in the past and continue to the present
• Recent actions with present results
Structure:
Subject + have/has + past participle (e.g., eaten, done, gone)
Use with yet
Structure and written expression
MAKE: To make means to produce, to create, to construct (money, noise, plans,
preparation food, promise, results of actions, communication and relationships)
DO: To do means to perform, to act, to accomplish (jobs, housework, repetitive task,
self-care)
LIKE: Preposition, similar to, in the same way
A is like B = A is similar to B
ALIKE: Adjective, adverb, (adj) very similar, (adv) in a similar way
A and B are alike = A and B are similar
As: Preposition (in the role of), Conjunction (In the same way, when, because),
comparison (as….as)
Common noun endings
-tion, information
-sion, provision
-ence, existence
-ance, acceptance
-ity, creativity
-hood childhood
-dom, wisdom
-th, health
-ery, recovery
-ship, scholarship
-tude, multitude
-ism, capitalism
-cracy, democracy
-logy, biology
-ness, happiness
-ment, experiment
Endings for Nouns That Refer to Persons
-er, explorer
-or, sailor
-ist, psychologist
-ent, student
-ee, employee
-ic, comic
-ian, technician
Endings for Nouns That Refer to Persons
-er, explorer
-or, sailor
-ist, psychologist
-ent, student
-ee, employee
-ic, comic
-ian, technician
-ant, attendant
Common Verb Endings
-ize, realize
-en, shorten
-er, recover
-ify, satisfy
-ate, incorporate
Common Adjective Endings
-ate, moderate
-ous, dangerous
-al, normal
-ial, remedial
-able, comfortable
-ible, sensible
-ish, sluggish
-ant, resistant
-y, sunny
-ic, economic
-ical, logical
-ory, sensory
-less, hopeless
-ive, competitive
-ly, friendly
-ful, colorful
Common Adverb Endings
-ly, quickly
-ally, historically
Endings for Nouns That Refer to Persons
-er, explorer
-or, sailor
-ist, psychologist
-ent, student
-ee, employee
-ic, comic
-ian, technician
-ant, attendant
Common Verb Endings
-ize, realize
-en, shorten
-er, recover
-ify, satisfy
-ate, incorporate
Common Adjective Endings
-ate, moderate
-ous, dangerous
-al, normal
-ial, remedial
-able, comfortable
-ible, sensible
-ish, sluggish
-ant, resistant
-y, sunny
-ic, economic
-ical, logical
-ory, sensory
-less, hopeless
-ive, competitive
-ly, friendly
-ful, colorful
Common Adverb Endings
-ly, quickly
-ally, historically
Endings for Nouns That Refer to Persons
-er, explorer
-or, sailor
-ist, psychologist
-ent, student
-ee, employee
-ic, comic
-ian, technician
-ant, attendant
Common Verb Endings
-ize, realize
-en, shorten
-er, recover
-ify, satisfy
-ate, incorporate
Common Adjective Endings
-ate, moderate
-ous, dangerous
-al, normal
-ial, remedial
-able, comfortable
-ible, sensible
-ish, sluggish
-ant, resistant
-y, sunny
-ic, economic
-ical, logical
-ory, sensory
-less, hopeless
-ive, competitive
-ly, friendly
-ful, colorful
Common Adverb Endings
-ly, quickly
-ally, historically
-ant, attendant
Common Verb Endings
-ize, realize
-en, shorten
-er, recover
-ify, satisfy
-ate, incorporate
Common Adjective Endings
-ate, moderate
-ous, dangerous
-al, normal
-ial, remedial
-able, comfortable
-ible, sensible
-ish, sluggish
-ant, resistant
-y, sunny
-ic, economic
-ical, logical
-ory, sensory
-less, hopeless
-ive, competitive
-ly, friendly
-ful, colorful
Common Adverb Endings
-ly, quickly
-ally, historically
C) Other Word-Form Problems
There are many other word-form problems. Some examples are given here:
Sample Items
Corn played Aan important Brole in the Ccultural of the Dcliff-dwelling Indians of the
Southwest.
Answer: C
The noun culture, not the adjective cultural, is needed.
AThe galaxy Andromeda is the most Bdistance object Cvisible to Dobservers in the
Northern Hemisphere.
Answer: B
The adjective distant is needed in place of the noun distance.
Scientists Abelief that the continents once Bformed a single continent
surrounded Cby an Denormous sea.
Answer: A
In this sentence, the verb believe is needed in place of the noun belief.
Bunsen burners Aare used to Bhot materials Cin a Dchemistry lab.
Answer: B
The verb heat is needed in place of the adjective hot.
A Asudden Bfreezing can Cdestroy citrus Dcrops.
Answer: B
Rather than the gerund (-ing) form, the noun freeze is required.
B) Incorrect Forms of Words Connected with Certain Fields
This error involves a confusion between the names of fields (biology, for example) and
the name of a person who practices in that field (biologist), or between one of those
terms and the adjective that describes the field (biological).
Sample Item
First Aspecializing in Bindustrial photography, Margaret Bourke-White later became a
famous news Cphotographer and Deditorial.
The adjective editorial is used to describe the field of editing. However, a noun
referring to a person (editor) is needed in this sentenc
A) Adjective / Adverb Errors
The most common type of word-form problem involves the use of an adverb in place
of an adjective or an adjective in place of an adverb. A few points to keep in mind:
• Adjectives modify nouns, noun phrases, and pronouns.
o Adjectives often come before nouns.
an important test
a quiet evening
a long letter
• They often answer the question What kind?
She is a brilliant doctor. (What kind of a doctor is she? A brilliant one.)
• Adjectives also follow the verb to be and other linking verbs.
The glass was empty.
That song sounds nice.
They look upset.
• Adverbs may modify verbs, participles, adjectives, prepositions, adverb clause
markers, and other adverbs.
Ann eagerly accepted the challenge.
(adverb modifying the main verb accepted)
It was a rapidly changing situation.
(adverb modifying the present participle changing)
She wore a brightly colored scarf.
(adverb modifying the past participle colored)
Ted seemed extremely curious about that topic.
(adverb modifying the adjective curious)
We arrived at the airport shortly before our flight left.
(adverb modifying the adverb-clause marker before)
We arrived at the airport shortly before noon.
(adverb modifying the preposition before)
The accident occurred incredibly quickly.
(adverb modifying the adverb quickly)
• Sometimes adverbs are used at the beginning of sentences, often followed by
a comma. These adverbs sometimes modify the entire sentence rather than
one word in the sentence.
Generally, I like my classes.
Usually Professor Ingram's lectures are more interesting.
• Most adverbs tested in this section are adverbs of manner. They are formed by
adding the suffix -ly or -ally to an adjective.
quick / quickly
comic / comically
comfortable / comfortably
historic / historically
• Adverbs of manner answer the question How?
She treated her employees honestly. (How did she treat her employees? Honestly.)
• A few adverbs (fast, hard, high, for example) have the same form as adjectives.
He bought a fast car. (adjective)
He was driving so fast that he got a speeding ticket. (adverb)
• Well is the irregular adverb form of the adjective good.
Juan is an exceptionally good student.
He did very well on the last test.
• Some adjectives also end in -ly: friendly, yearly, costly, and lively, for example.
That was a costly mistake.
I found Houston a very friendly city.
Sample Items
A The Black Hills of South Dakota Bare covered Cwith Ddensely pine forests.
The best answer is (D). An adjective, dense, not an adverb, is required to modify the
noun phrase pine forests.
A During solar storms, the Bamount of radiation Creaching the Earth is Dabnormal high.
The best answer is (D). The adverb abnormally is needed to modify the adjective high.
