The answer is B, realizes. The past perfect structures in the other clauses indicate
that present tense cannot be used. The correct answer is realized.
Q. The boy stopped crying
when he realized his parents will arrive shortly.
The answer is D, will. The other verbs in the sentence are past, so will must be in
the past, also (would).
Q. George was among
the few students who are going to be chosen to lead the
commencement exercise.
The answer is A, was among. The verb must be present, is, to match the time se-
quence of the other clause.
Q. It is normal
for students to be nervous when they were preparing for a new
school year.
The answer is D, were. The sentence is speaking of a custom, which is stated with
a present tense verb, is. Thus, answer D should be are.
Hope and Wish
The words hope and wish have similar meanings, but special rules apply to the
use of wish in a sentence that has two or more verb phrases.
If the verb hope appears in a sentence with two or more verbs, the other verb(s)
can be in any tense (as long as the tense is logical). The following examples illus-
trate this fact.
Bob hopes that he will get the job. (future tense)
She hopes that her mother is comfortable in her new house. (present tense)
The teacher hopes that he did not forget to make copies of the exam. (past
tense)
If the verb wish appears in a sentence with two or more verbs, the other verb(s) can-
not be in the present tense. The tense of the other verb(s) must be one step further in
the past than the tense of wish. Also, was can never appear as the other verb form in
the sentence, because the idea conveyed is contrary to fact (like an unreal condition).
She wishes that the book were interesting.

Wishes is present tense, and were is past tense. This means that the book is not
interesting.
She wishes that her parents had arrived last night.
Wishes is present tense, and had arrived is past tense. This means that her parents
did not arrive last night.
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Part III: Detailed Review of Items Tested
A
B
CD
A
BC
D
A
BCD
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Subjunctive Sentences
In sentences with two or more verbs, if certain verbs appear first, then the other
verb(s) must appear in simple form. A subjunctive sentence indicates that one
person or group requires another person or group to take an action. The word that
must always appear in subjunctive sentences. (If it is omitted, the infinitive form
of the verb can be used with some of the verbs, but then the sentence is not in
subjunctive form.)
We urge that he take immediate action. (subjunctive)
We urge him to take immediate action. (infinitive)
Verbs that use the subjunctive include:
121
Structure
advise
ask

command
decree
demand
insist
move
order
prefer
propose
recommend
request
require
stipulate
suggest
urge
The construction for a subjunctive sentence is as follows: Subject one + verb
that uses the subjunctive + that + subject two + verb in simple form +
remainder of sentence.
The doctor suggested that the patient lose weight.
The judge insisted that the jury return to deliberate further.
She intends to move that the group adjourn.
The simple form of the verb is also used after certain expressions beginning with
it. The adjectives that signal the need for the simple form of the verb include the
following:
advised
imperative
important
mandatory
necessary
obligatory
proposed

recommended
required
suggested
urgent
The construction of this type of sentence is as follows: It + a form of be in any
tense + adjective that requires the subjunctive + that + subject + verb in sim-
ple form + remainder of sentence.
It has been suggested that we change the location of the meeting.
It is important that you arrive immediately.
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Verbs Used as Complements
Often the complement of a verb is another verb. The main verb may control the
type of verb structure used in the complement, or an adjective may control it.
Some verbs regularly appear with prepositions, and that structure itself directs the
structure of the other verb.
Verbs Complementing Verbs
This section reviews verbs that take other verbs as their complements. The verb
functioning as the complement may appear in the infinitive form (to + verb) or in
the gerund form (verb+ing), depending upon the verb that it follows.
The following verbs are always followed by the infinitive when they are followed
by a verb acting as a complement.
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Part III: Detailed Review of Items Tested
agree
attempt
claim
decide
demand
desire
determine

expect
fail
forget
hesitate
hope
intend
learn
need
offer
plan
prepare
pretend
refuse
seem
strive
tend
want
wish
The board decided to schedule another meeting.
Congress will attempt to increase the estate tax exemption.
The following verbs are always followed by a gerund when they are followed by a
verb acting as a complement.
admit
appreciate
avoid
can’t help
consider
delay
deny
enjoy

finish
mind
miss
postpone
practice
quit
recall
report
resent
resist
resume
risk
suggest
John admitted sneaking out of class.
The officers should not risk climbing the ladder.
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Verbs that are followed by an infinitive or gerund acting as a complement are
made negative by adding the negative particle not before the infinitive or gerund.
Tracy determined not to look for a job.
We regretted not preparing for the test.
The following verbs can be followed by either the infinitive or the gerund as a
complement with no change in meaning.
123
Structure
begin
continue
dread
forget
hate
like

love
prefer
regret
remember
start
stop
He started to study Spanish. He started studying Spanish.
Jill hates to drive at night. Jill hates driving at night.
The verbs stop, remember, and forget can also be followed by either an infinitive
or gerund, but their meaning changes depending on their location.
She remembered to contact the man. (She did not forget to contact him.)
She remembered contacting the man. (She had a recollection of
contacting him.)
He had been playing football, but he stopped to study. (He discontinued
playing football in order to study.)
He stopped studying when she arrived. (He was studying, but he discontinued
studying.)
Verbs Following Prepositions
When a verb + preposition, an adjective + preposition, a noun + preposition, or a
preposition alone is followed by a verb, the verb will appear as a gerund
(verb+ing). Following is a list of commonly used verbs + prepositions that would
be followed by gerunds:
approve of
count on
depend on
give up
insist on
keep on
put off
rely on

succeed in
think about
think of
worry about
We don’t approve of his choosing to attend that college.
Note that when there is a noun or pronoun before a gerund, it is in the possessive
form, such as his.
Although I have not provided a list of adjectives or nouns that commonly use
prepositions, the rule is the same: If a verb appears after the preposition, it should
be in the gerund form.
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Verbs Following Adjectives
The following adjectives are generally followed by the infinitive form of a verb:
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Part III: Detailed Review of Items Tested
anxious
common
dangerous
difficult
eager
easy
important
normal
pleased
strange
unusual
usual
It is unusual to see the sun at this time of day.
It is important to study every day.
Q. The police officer attempted to learning

the suspect’s identity.
The answer is A. Learning is incorrect because the infinitive is formed with to +
verb in simple form, to learn.
Q. The children were eager seeing
their father after his long absence from the
house because he had been working in another country.
The answer is A, seeing. After eager, the correct form of the verb is the infinitive,
to see.
Q. The young boy had spent hours working
on the airplane model, but finally he
gave up to try and decided to go outside and play.
The answer is C, to try. After the verb plus preposition, gave up, the gerund
(verb+ing) must be used, trying.
Q. Although her
friends tried to convince her to apply for the job at the factory,
Christine resisted to make an application.
The answer is D, to make. The other infinitives in the sentence in answers B and
C are correct, but answer D is not because after resist a gerund is needed, making.
Verbs Used as Adjectives
The present or past participle form of a verb can sometimes be used as an adjec-
tive. That is, some adjectives come from root words where there is a noun, a verb,
and an adjective form for the same word. Others do not.
Swim, for example, can be used as a verb but not an adjective in the simple verb
form. If you need to use it as an adjective, you have to use the verb+ing form,
swimming.
A
B
CD
A
B

C
D
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
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