Select the phrase that will make the following sentence grammatically correct. Dr. Johnson had a serious look when he _________.
- A. spoke to the patient's parents
- B. is speaking to the patient's parents
- C. will speak to the patient's parents
- D. has spoken to the patient's parents
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is 'A - spoke to the patient's parents.' In this sentence, the past tense 'spoke' should be used to match the past tense 'had,' indicating an action that already took place. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because they use present or future tenses, which do not match the past tense 'had' in the sentence.
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Which word or phrase fits best in the following sentence? Cathy asked many questions the first time she ___________ at the hospital.
- A. volunteered
- B. volunteering
- C. was volunteered
- D. volunteer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct word to use in this sentence is 'volunteered' as it indicates an action that Cathy did in the past. The sentence suggests that Cathy was engaging in volunteering at the hospital for the first time, so the past tense form 'volunteered' is the most appropriate choice. Choice B ('volunteering') is incorrect because it is the present participle form and does not fit the past tense context of the sentence. Choice C ('was volunteered') is passive voice and implies that someone else made Cathy volunteer, which is not the intended meaning. Choice D ('volunteer') is incorrect as it is the base form of the verb and does not match the past tense requirement of the sentence.
What word is best to substitute for the underlined words in the following sentence? You can hear the nurses' laughter all the way down the hallway.
- A. his
- B. hers
- C. them
- D. their
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The phrase 'the nurses' laughter' indicates possession by the nurses, a plural subject. Therefore, the appropriate possessive pronoun to use in this context is 'their,' which correctly reflects possession by multiple nurses. Choice A ('his') is singular and refers to a male subject, not suitable for a group of nurses. Choice B ('hers') is singular and refers to a female subject, not suitable for a group of nurses. Choice C ('them') is a pronoun used for a group of people, but it doesn't indicate possession as required in the sentence.
Select the word that makes the following sentence grammatically correct. One out of four doctors ___________ to this plan.
- A. subscribe
- B. subscribes
- C. subscribing
- D. are subscribed
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In the sentence 'One out of four doctors,' the subject is 'One,' which is singular. Therefore, the verb that follows should also be singular. The correct verb form in this case is 'subscribes,' not 'subscribe' or any other form. This subject-verb agreement rule ensures that the sentence is grammatically correct.
Choice A 'subscribe' is incorrect as it is in the plural form and does not agree with the singular subject.
Choice C 'subscribing' is in the gerund form and does not function as the main verb of the sentence.
Choice D 'are subscribed' is in the passive voice and does not match the active voice required in this sentence.
Select the phrase that will make the following sentence grammatically correct. Before I had finished supper, James ___________.
- A. is texting me on my cell phone
- B. had texted me on my cell phone
- C. texts me on my cell phone
- D. texting me on my cell phone
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The sentence starts with 'Before I had finished supper,' indicating that the action of James texting you on your cell phone had occurred before the completion of another past action (finishing supper). The past perfect tense 'had texted' is used to express an action that happened before another action in the past, making the sentence grammatically correct. Choice A is incorrect because it uses the present continuous tense, which is not suitable for indicating an action that occurred before finishing supper. Choice C is incorrect as it uses the simple present tense, which does not convey the sequence of events correctly. Choice D is incorrect as it presents the present continuous tense, which is not appropriate for the context of the sentence.
Which word is used incorrectly in the following sentence? The professor was once an intern in this hospital back in the 1980s.
- A. professor
- B. once
- C. intern
- D. hospital
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In the given sentence, the word 'once' is used incorrectly. The original sentence implies that the professor was an intern in the hospital at a specific time in the past, not just once. The word 'formerly' would imply that the professor used to be an intern but is no longer. Therefore, 'once' is the incorrect word choice in this context. The other options ('professor,' 'intern,' 'hospital') are all used correctly in the sentence.
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