Q&A - P4 English

[WNWLJL]

Can anyone help to explain why the answer to this question is run and not runs or ran?


Question: John watched the athlete ______down the path.

Thanks.

[grammartots]

buds:

Share your answers? :please:


Grammar Cloze question

I am feeling very happy. My parents are bringing my brothers and ________________ for a family holiday tomorrow. We are going on a cruise.

Comprehension Cloze question

After several weeks, the tadpoles' legs start to develop. Their tails get shorter and ________________ disappear. Although they can still swim well, adult frogs live on land.

I would change the verb \"bringing\" to \"taking\" in the question.

As for the answers:

1) me
2) gradually, eventually (and other suitable words)

[grammartots]

WNWLJL:

Can anyone help to explain why the answer to this question is run and not runs or ran?


Question: John watched the athlete ______down the path.

Thanks.

The most common explanation is to say watched is a sense verb and after a sense verb, the verb can only be the infinitive or -ing form. Thus, run or running would be possible.

Another way is to look at the structure. First, I would rewrite the sentence as follows:

1) John watched him run down the path.

That is, I've changed \"the athlete\" to \"him\", an object pronoun (without altering the meaning of the sentence).

In English, a subject pronoun that occupies a subject position determines the verb, an object pronoun doesn't:

2) He runs. (not him runs)

That explains why you can't have runs after him in sentence (1).

Since we can't have runs, which is a finite verb, we also can't have ran because both runs and ran occur in a finite clause:

3) John runs. (singular, present tense)
4) John ran. (past tense)

(A finite verb shows agreement with a subject and is marked for tense.)

In other words, the clause after watched in sentence (1) is non-finite and thus only the infinitive or the -ing form of the verb is permissible.

5) John watched [non-finite clause]

[WNWLJL]

Thank you. This explanation helps a lot.

[Happystar328]

Hi, pls help this question. Thks


Much of what the witness says ______ not to be believed.
1. is
2. are
3. was
4. were

[mother777]

Is

[sembgal]

Happystar328:

Hi, pls help this question. Thks


Much of what the witness says ______ not to be believed.
1. is
2. are
3. was
4. were

Answer : 1 is
Keyword: much

[mother777]

Yes \"much\" is a clue..


Well to me, \"says\" and \"to be\" are also the clues as these indicate that the event hasn't occurred yet.

So option 1 \"is\" is correct..

If we replace \"says\" with SAID and remove \"to be\"

We can use \"was\". The new sentence will become..
Much of what the witness SAID \"was\" not believed..

Just my humble opinion

[Happystar328]

Thank you for helping.

[sembgal]

mother777:

Yes \"much\" is a clue..


Well to me, \"says\" and \"to be\" are also the clues as these indicate that the event hasn't occurred yet.

So option 1 \"is\" is correct..

If we replace \"says\" with SAID and remove \"to be\"

We can use \"was\". The new sentence will become..
Much of what the witness SAID \"was\" not believed..

Just my humble opinion

Agree with you.