Which verb means to become more successful than someone or something else?

Which verb means to become more successful than someone or something else?

• A. Overtake
• B. Overtaken
• C. Overtaking
• D. Overtakes

Answer: (A)

Surpassing someone or something is described by the base form overtake. It names the action in its simplest, general sense, as in “A company may overtake its rival.” The other forms show different tenses or grammatical roles: overtaken is the past participle used with have/has/had or as an adjective (“The lead was overtaken”); overtaking is the -ing form used for ongoing action or as a noun (“Overtaking is common in cycling”); overtakes is the third-person singular present form (“She overtakes her rivals”). Because the question asks for the basic verb that means to become more successful than someone else, the base form is the best fit.

Surpassing someone or something is described by the base form overtake. It names the action in its simplest, general sense, as in “A company may overtake its rival.” The other forms show different tenses or grammatical roles: overtaken is the past participle used with have/has/had or as an adjective (“The lead was overtaken”); overtaking is the -ing form used for ongoing action or as a noun (“Overtaking is common in cycling”); overtakes is the third-person singular present form (“She overtakes her rivals”). Because the question asks for the basic verb that means to become more successful than someone else, the base form is the best fit.