Question

Which of these are examples of buried verbs? Check all that apply.

a)Blowing the budget
b)Give consideration to
c)Create a reduction in
d)Pass with flying colors

Answer 1

Examples of buried verbs from the provided choices are 'Give consideration to' and 'Create a reduction in.' The phrases could be improved by using the verbs 'consider' and 'reduce' directly. The correct option is B.

Step-by-step explanation:

Buried verbs, also known as nominalizations, occur when a verb is turned into a noun, often leading to more convoluted and less direct sentences. In the choices provided, examples of buried verbs are 'Give consideration to' and 'Create a reduction in.' These phrases bury the verbs 'consider' and 'reduce' within a noun phrase, making the sentences unnecessarily complex.

Here are less wordy versions of the given examples:

• Instead of 'Give consideration to,' you could use 'consider.'
• Instead of 'Create a reduction in,' you could use 'reduce.'

On the other hand, 'Blowing the budget' and 'Pass with flying colors' do not contain buried verbs because the verbs 'blow' and 'pass' are used directly.