112 questionsShowing 57–112

English Conventions practice questions

Sentence boundaries, punctuation, agreement, verb tense, modifiers, and possessives. Find the subject and the main verb first; most errors here are visible the moment those two are identified.

Read the method first Drill this area against a clock Multi-step sets

57Subject-verb agreementStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Neither the surveyor's notes nor the original plan ______ the position of the boundary wall.
- Ashows
- Bshow
- Chave shown
- Dwere showing
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: shows
With "neither ... nor" the verb agrees with the subject closer to it, and that subject is "the original plan", which is singular. Reversing the two nouns would make "show" correct, which is a good way to check.
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58PunctuationStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The museum's three ______ met weekly above a bakery.
- Afounders, a printer, a schoolteacher and a retired sea captain,
- Bfounders — a printer, a schoolteacher and a retired sea captain —
- Cfounders: a printer, a schoolteacher and a retired sea captain,
- Dfounders a printer, a schoolteacher and a retired sea captain
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: founders — a printer, a schoolteacher and a retired sea captain —
The inserted description is itself a list separated by commas, so commas around it leave the reader unable to see where the insertion ends. A matched pair of dashes marks both boundaries. A colon cannot open an insertion that the sentence then continues past.
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59ModifiersStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Embedded in shale and barely two centimetres long, ______
- Apalaeontologists overlooked the fossil for a century.
- Ba century passed before anyone identified the fossil.
- Cthe fossil went unidentified for a century.
- Didentification of the fossil took a century.
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: the fossil went unidentified for a century.
An opening phrase of this kind attaches to whatever noun follows the comma, and the thing embedded in shale is the fossil. The other three put palaeontologists, a century and an identification in that position, none of which is two centimetres long.
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60Pronoun clarityStandard
Which choice completes the text so that its reference is clear? When the archivist showed the letters to the curator, ______ noticed the watermark.
- Athey
- Bthat person
- Cthe archivist and the curator
- Dthe curator
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Answer: the curator
Two people have been named, so a pronoun has two possible antecedents and the sentence stops saying who noticed. Naming one of them fixes it. The third choice is clear but changes the meaning by making both of them the subject.
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61Sentence boundariesStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The kiln reached temperature at four in the ______ potters had been feeding it since noon the day before.
- Amorning; the
- Bmorning, the
- Cmorning the
- Dmorning, and, the
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: morning; the
Both halves stand alone as sentences, so joining them with a comma alone is a splice and running them together is a fused sentence. A semicolon joins two complete sentences without a conjunction. The last choice adds a conjunction and then separates it from its own clause.
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62Verb tenseStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? By the time the survey team arrived in 1954, the last of the cottages ______ empty for a decade.
- Astood
- Bhad stood
- Chas stood
- Dstands
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Answer: had stood
The standing came before the 1954 arrival, and the past perfect is what places one past event before another. The present perfect would carry the situation up to now, and the plain past would put both events at the same moment.
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63Parallel structureStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The apprenticeship trains bookbinders to sew signatures, to pare leather, and ______
- Agold tooling on spines.
- Bthey learn gold tooling.
- Cto tool spines in gold.
- Dspines are tooled in gold.
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: to tool spines in gold.
The first two items in the list are infinitives, so the third has to be one as well. A noun phrase, a new clause and a passive construction each break the pattern the list has already set.
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64PossessivesStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The three ______ testimony agreed on every detail but the time.
- Awitness's
- Bwitnesses
- Cwitnesses's
- Dwitnesses'
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: witnesses'
Three witnesses is plural, and a plural already ending in s takes the apostrophe after the s. "Witness's" is the singular possessive, "witnesses" is a plural with no possessive at all, and "witnesses's" doubles the ending.
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65Pronoun clarityStandard
Which choice completes the text so that its reference is clear? The society published the diaries alongside the maps, though ______ had been badly damaged by damp.
- Athe maps
- Bthey
- Cthese
- Dit
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: the maps
Two plural nouns have just been named, so any pronoun leaves the reader unable to tell which was damaged. Naming one resolves it, and "it" does not agree with either plural in the first place.
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66Parallel structureStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Good field notes record what was seen, when it was seen, and ______
- Anoting where the observer stood.
- Bwhere the observer stood.
- Cthe observer stood somewhere.
- Dto note the observer's position.
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Answer: where the observer stood.
The first two items are clauses beginning with a question word, so the third has to match. A participle, an independent clause and an infinitive each break a pattern the sentence has already established twice.
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67PossessivesStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Both ______ boards voted to close the line.
- Acompany's
- Bcompanys
- Ccompanies'
- Dcompanies's
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: companies'
"Both" makes the noun plural, and the plural of company is companies, which already ends in s, so the possessive takes only an apostrophe. "Company's" is the singular possessive, which contradicts "both".
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68ModifiersStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Having been sealed since 1912, ______
- Athe archaeologists opened the tomb.
- Bopening the tomb revealed nothing.
- Cit was the tomb the archaeologists opened.
- Dthe tomb was opened by archaeologists.
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: the tomb was opened by archaeologists.
The thing sealed since 1912 is the tomb, so the tomb has to be the subject that follows the comma. This is one of the places where the passive is the correct choice rather than a weakness: it puts the right noun in the right position.
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69Verb tenseStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The glacier ______ about 40 metres a year since monitoring began in 1998.
- Ahas retreated
- Bretreated
- Chad retreated
- Dretreats
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: has retreated
"Since 1998" describes a stretch of time running up to the present, and the present perfect is the tense that covers it. The plain past would close the retreat off in the past, and the past perfect needs a later past event to sit before.
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70Sentence boundariesStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The recipe calls for ______ pinch is enough for six servings.
- Asaffron, a
- Bsaffron; a
- Csaffron a
- Dsaffron, and, a
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: saffron; a
Each half is a complete sentence, so a comma alone splices them and no punctuation fuses them. A semicolon joins two complete sentences directly. The last choice adds a conjunction and then cuts it off from its own clause.
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71Subject-verb agreementStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The collection of letters, together with a set of photographs, ______ held in the county archive.
- Aare
- Bhave been
- Cis
- Dwere
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: is
The subject is "the collection", which is singular. "Of letters" and "together with a set of photographs" are both modifiers, and a phrase beginning "together with" adds nothing to the subject grammatically, however plural it sounds.
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72PunctuationChallenge
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The survey covered three ______ Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.
- Acounties,
- Bcounties;
- Ccounties
- Dcounties:
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: counties:
A complete sentence followed by a list that specifies what it announced takes a colon. A comma is too weak to carry the announcement, a semicolon expects another complete sentence after it, and no punctuation runs the list into the clause.
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73PossessivesStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? All four ______ hulls were repainted before the season.
- Aboats'
- Bboat's
- Cboats
- Dboats's
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: boats'
"All four" makes the noun plural, and a plural ending in s takes the apostrophe after the s. "Boat's" would be one boat, which contradicts the four, and "boats" alone shows no possession at all.
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74ModifiersStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Rusted through and missing a wheel, ______
- Athe museum accepted the cart anyway.
- Bthe cart was accepted by the museum anyway.
- Caccepting the cart was generous of the museum.
- Dit was generous of the museum to accept the cart.
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: the cart was accepted by the museum anyway.
The thing rusted through is the cart, so the cart has to follow the comma. The other three put the museum, an act of acceptance and an empty "it" in that position, none of which is missing a wheel.
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75Pronoun clarityStandard
Which choice completes the text so that its reference is clear? After the editor met the translator, ______ sent a revised glossary.
- Athey
- Bthe person
- Cthe translator
- Dthat one
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Answer: the translator
Two people have been named and a pronoun could refer to either, so the sentence stops saying who acted. Naming one settles it; "the person" and "that one" are no more specific than the pronoun they replace.
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76Parallel structureStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The post calls for someone who can read a balance sheet, chair a meeting and ______
- Awriting clearly.
- Bclear writing.
- Cto write clearly.
- Dwrite clearly.
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Answer: write clearly.
The list runs on from "can": read, chair, and write. Each item is a bare verb, so a participle, a noun phrase or an infinitive breaks the pattern the first two items set.
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77Verb tenseStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? By the time the ferry docked, the storm ______ for six hours.
- Ahad been blowing
- Bhas been blowing
- Cblows
- Dis blowing
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: had been blowing
The storm was already six hours old when the ferry docked, and the past perfect continuous is what places an ongoing action before a past event. The present perfect would run the storm up to now, which the docking rules out.
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78PunctuationStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The tide was falling ______ the boat could not leave for another two hours.
- A so
- B, so
- C; so,
- D, so,
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Answer: , so
Two complete sentences joined by a coordinating conjunction take a comma before it and nothing after. Dropping the comma runs them together, and adding a second one cuts the conjunction off from the clause it introduces.
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79Subject-verb agreementStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Each of the twelve villages ______ its own water supply.
- Ahave
- Bwere having
- Chas
- Dare
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: has
"Each" is the subject and is always singular, however many things follow it. "Of the twelve villages" is a modifier, and the singular "its" later in the sentence is a second signal pointing the same way.
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80Sentence boundariesChallenge
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The kiln was fired for thirty hours ______
- Athe potters slept in shifts.
- B, the potters slept in shifts.
- C, the potters sleeping in shifts, and.
- D; the potters slept in shifts.
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Answer: ; the potters slept in shifts.
Both halves are complete sentences with no conjunction between them, which is exactly what a semicolon is for. No punctuation fuses them, a comma alone splices them, and the third choice ends on a conjunction with nothing after it.
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81Subject-verb agreementStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A crate of oranges ______ delivered to the shop every Tuesday.
- Ais
- Bare
- Cwere
- Dhave been
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Answer: is
The subject is "a crate", which is singular; "of oranges" is a modifier and cannot change it. The plural noun sitting right before the verb is what makes the plural forms sound right.
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82PunctuationStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The ______ in the north gallery.
- Apainting which was cleaned in 1998 hangs
- Bpainting, which was cleaned in 1998, hangs
- Cpainting, which was cleaned in 1998 hangs
- Dpainting which was cleaned in 1998, hangs
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Answer: painting, which was cleaned in 1998, hangs
A clause beginning "which" adds non-essential information and takes a comma at both ends. Closing it at one end only strands either the subject or the verb, and omitting both commas turns it into a defining clause that would need "that".
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83ModifiersStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Written in a hand nobody has identified, ______
- Ascholars have puzzled over the note for a century.
- Bpuzzling over the note has occupied scholars for a century.
- Cthe marginal note has puzzled scholars for a century.
- Dit has puzzled scholars for a century.
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Answer: the marginal note has puzzled scholars for a century.
The thing written in an unidentified hand is the note, so the note has to follow the comma. The last choice puts a pronoun there whose referent has not yet appeared, which leaves the phrase attached to nothing.
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84Pronoun clarityStandard
Which choice completes the text so that its reference is clear? When the surveyor handed the report to the engineer, ______ queried the foundation depths.
- Athey
- Bthat one
- Cthe other
- Dthe engineer
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Answer: the engineer
Two people appear in the clause before, so a pronoun leaves the reader unable to say who queried anything. "That one" and "the other" are no more specific; naming settles it.
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85Verb tenseStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The museum ______ the collection since 1976, and it remains on permanent display.
- Ahas held
- Bheld
- Chad held
- Dholds
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Answer: has held
"Since 1976" runs from a point in the past up to the present, and the second clause confirms the situation continues, so the present perfect is the tense that covers it. The plain past would close the holding off before now.
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86Parallel structureStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The grant covers travel to the archive, accommodation while working there, and ______
- Ayou can photograph documents.
- Bthe cost of photographing documents.
- Cphotographing documents costs money.
- Dto photograph documents.
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Answer: the cost of photographing documents.
The list is of things the grant covers, and the first two items are noun phrases. Only one choice supplies a third; the others switch to a clause or an infinitive halfway through.
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87PossessivesStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Both ______ reports were published in March.
- Acommittee's
- Bcommittees
- Ccommittees'
- Dcommittees's
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: committees'
"Both" requires the plural committees, and a plural already ending in s takes an apostrophe with nothing after it. "Committee's" is singular and contradicts "both".
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88Sentence boundariesChallenge
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The frost lifted at noon ______
- A, the ice on the path stayed until dusk.
- Bthe ice on the path stayed until dusk.
- C, the ice on the path staying until dusk, and.
- D, but the ice on the path stayed until dusk.
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Answer: , but the ice on the path stayed until dusk.
Both halves are complete sentences, so joining them takes a comma plus a conjunction. A comma alone splices them, no punctuation fuses them, and the third choice ends on a conjunction with nothing following it.
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89Subject-verb agreementStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The list of participants, revised twice since January, ______ posted on the noticeboard.
- Aare
- Bis
- Cwere
- Dhave been
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: is
The subject is "the list", singular. "Of participants" and the clause about revision both sit between the subject and the verb without changing it.
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90PunctuationStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The survey found three ______ subsidence, damp and an unsupported chimney breast.
- Aproblems,
- Bproblems;
- Cproblems:
- Dproblems
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: problems:
A complete clause followed by the list it announces takes a colon. A semicolon expects another complete sentence, a comma is too weak to carry the announcement, and no punctuation runs the list into the clause.
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91Verb tenseStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? By the time the archive was catalogued in 1994, the letters ______ in the same crate for sixty years.
- Ahave sat
- Bsat
- Csit
- Dhad sat
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: had sat
The sitting happened before the 1994 cataloguing, and the past perfect is what places one past event before another. The present perfect would run the sitting up to the present, which the cataloguing ended.
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92ModifiersStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Built of local sandstone and roofed in slate, ______
- Athe new library drew admiring visitors from the next county.
- Bthe villagers admired the new library.
- Cadmiring the new library was easy for the villagers.
- Dit drew admiring visitors from the next county.
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: the new library drew admiring visitors from the next county.
What is built of sandstone is the library, so the library has to follow the comma. Beginning with "it" puts a pronoun there before its referent has appeared, which leaves the phrase modifying nothing.
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93Parallel structureStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The course teaches students to identify a rock, to describe its formation and ______
- Adating it.
- Bto date it.
- Cthe dating of it.
- Dthey date it.
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Answer: to date it.
The first two items are infinitives, so the third must be one too. A gerund, a noun phrase or a clause each break a pattern the sentence has already set twice.
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94PossessivesStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The ______ handwriting is almost illegible in the later volumes.
- Adiarists
- Bdiarists's
- Cdiarist's
- Ddiarists'
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: diarist's
A single diarist keeps the volumes, so the singular possessive takes an apostrophe before the s. "Diarists" shows no possession, and the remaining forms are plural possessives, which the singular subject rules out.
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95Pronoun clarityStandard
Which choice completes the text so that its reference is clear? The report cites both the 1961 study and the 1974 review, but ______ is now considered unreliable.
- Ait
- Bthat
- Cthis one
- Dthe earlier study
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Answer: the earlier study
Two works have just been named, so a pronoun leaves the reader unable to say which is unreliable. Naming one resolves it; "that" and "this one" are as ambiguous as "it".
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96Sentence boundariesChallenge
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The ferry runs only in summer ______
- A; for the rest of the year the crossing is by air.
- B, the crossing is by air for the rest of the year.
- Cthe crossing is by air for the rest of the year.
- D, the crossing being by air for the rest of the year, and.
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Answer: ; for the rest of the year the crossing is by air.
Two complete sentences with no conjunction between them are joined by a semicolon. A comma alone splices them, no punctuation fuses them, and the participle version trails off on a conjunction with nothing after it.
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97Subject-verb agreementStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Either the two curators or the registrar ______ to sign the loan form.
- Ahave
- Bhas
- Care
- Dwere
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Answer: has
With "either... or" the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it, and that is "the registrar", which is singular. Reversing the two nouns would make "have" correct.
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98PunctuationStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The ______ a former chapel, a stable and a granary ______ were converted in 2009.
- Abuildings, ... ,
- Bbuildings: ... ,
- Cbuildings — ... —
- Dbuildings ... ,
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: buildings — ... —
The insertion is itself a list separated by commas, so commas around it leave the reader unable to see where it ends. A matched pair of dashes marks both boundaries. A colon cannot open an insertion the sentence then continues past.
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99Verb tenseStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The society ______ the churchyard every spring since 1974, and it plans to continue.
- Asurveyed
- Bhad surveyed
- Csurveys
- Dhas surveyed
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Answer: has surveyed
"Since 1974" runs up to the present and the second clause confirms it continues, so the present perfect is the tense that covers it. The plain past would close the surveying off before now.
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100ModifiersStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Carved from a single block of limestone, ______
- Athe font took months to complete.
- Bthe mason must have worked for months.
- Ccarving the font took months.
- Dit took months to complete.
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Answer: the font took months to complete.
What is carved from limestone is the font, so the font must follow the comma. The other three put the mason, an act of carving and an empty "it" in that position, none of which is made of stone.
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101Parallel structureStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A good field guide shows the bird at rest, in flight and ______
- Awhen it is calling.
- Bin song.
- Cwhile calling.
- Dit also sings.
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Answer: in song.
The first two items are prepositional phrases, so the third must be one as well. A clause or a participle breaks a pattern the sentence has already set twice.
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102PossessivesStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The two ______ accounts of the accident differ on the time.
- Awitness's
- Bwitnesses
- Cwitnesses'
- Dwitnesses's
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: witnesses'
"Two" makes the noun plural, and a plural already ending in s takes an apostrophe with nothing after it. "Witness's" is singular and contradicts "two".
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103Pronoun clarityStandard
Which choice completes the text so that its reference is clear? The letter was found inside the atlas, and ______ has since been rebound.
- Ait
- Bthat
- Cthis
- Dthe atlas
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: the atlas
Two objects have just been named and either could have been rebound, so any pronoun leaves the sentence ambiguous. Naming one settles it, and an atlas is the thing that gets rebound.
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104Sentence boundariesChallenge
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The tunnel was surveyed in 1911 ______
- A, but no plan of it survives.
- B, no plan of it survives.
- Cno plan of it survives.
- D, no plan of it surviving, and.
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Answer: , but no plan of it survives.
Two complete sentences joined by a coordinating conjunction take a comma before it. A comma alone splices them, no punctuation fuses them, and the last choice ends on a conjunction with nothing after it.
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105Subject-verb agreementStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The box of slides, along with the projector, ______ stored in the basement.
- Aare
- Bis
- Cwere
- Dhave been
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: is
The subject is "the box", singular. "Of slides" and "along with the projector" are both modifiers, and a phrase beginning "along with" adds nothing to the subject grammatically.
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106PunctuationStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The expedition had one aim ______ to reach the head of the valley before the thaw.
- A,
- B;
- C:
- Dand
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Answer: :
A complete clause followed by the thing it announces takes a colon. A semicolon expects a second complete sentence, and a comma is too weak to carry the announcement the clause has just made.
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107Verb tenseStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? By the time the surveyors reached the summit, the cloud ______ for two hours.
- Ahas sat
- Bsat
- Csits
- Dhad sat
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Answer: had sat
The cloud was already two hours old when they arrived, and the past perfect places an ongoing situation before a past event. The present perfect would run it up to now, which the arrival rules out.
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108ModifiersStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Woven from nettle fibre and dyed with woad, ______
- Athe cloth was dated to the Iron Age.
- Barchaeologists dated the cloth to the Iron Age.
- Cdating the cloth proved straightforward.
- Dit was dated to the Iron Age.
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Answer: the cloth was dated to the Iron Age.
The thing woven and dyed is the cloth, so the cloth must follow the comma. The last choice puts a pronoun there before its referent has appeared, leaving the phrase attached to nothing.
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109Parallel structureStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The fellowship covers the cost of travel, the price of materials and ______
- Apaying for accommodation.
- Bthe expense of accommodation.
- Caccommodation is paid for.
- Dto pay for accommodation.
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Answer: the expense of accommodation.
The first two items are noun phrases of the form "the [noun] of [noun]", so the third must match. A participle, a clause and an infinitive each break a pattern the sentence has set twice.
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110PossessivesStandard
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Both ______ signatures appear at the foot of the deed.
- Abrother's
- Bbrothers
- Cbrothers'
- Dbrothers's
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: brothers'
"Both" makes the noun plural, and a plural already ending in s takes an apostrophe with nothing after it. "Brother's" is singular and contradicts "both".
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111Pronoun clarityStandard
Which choice completes the text so that its reference is clear? The manuscript was found bound with a printed almanac, and ______ has since been conserved.
- Ait
- Bthat
- Cthis
- Dthe manuscript
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Answer: the manuscript
Two objects have just been named and either could have been conserved, so any pronoun leaves the sentence ambiguous. Naming one settles it.
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112Sentence boundariesChallenge
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The lock gates were replaced in 1972 ______
- A; the original elm gates are displayed in the museum.
- B, the original elm gates are displayed in the museum.
- Cthe original elm gates are displayed in the museum.
- D, the original elm gates being displayed in the museum, and.
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Answer: ; the original elm gates are displayed in the museum.
Two complete sentences with no conjunction between them take a semicolon. A comma alone splices them, no punctuation fuses them, and the last choice ends on a conjunction with nothing after it.
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