Select the word or phrase that makes the following sentence grammatically correct. Two students ___________ the machine while the third oversaw their work.
- A. operate
- B. operating
- C. were operating
- D. has been operating
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The word 'operate' is the correct choice as it agrees with the verb tense used in the sentence. In this case, the sentence requires the simple past tense. The correct form should be 'Two students operate the machine while the third oversaw their work.' Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because they do not match the required verb tense for the sentence. 'Operating' (choice B) is a present participle, 'were operating' (choice C) is past continuous, and 'has been operating' (choice D) is present perfect continuous, none of which fit the context of the sentence.
You may also like to solve these questions
What word is best to substitute for the underlined words in the following sentence? The coats hanging on the hooks are the patients'.
- A. his
- B. their
- C. them
- D. theirs
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The word 'their' is the correct possessive pronoun to use in this sentence because it indicates that the coats belong to multiple patients. 'Their' shows ownership by a plural group, which is the most suitable choice in this context. Choice A, 'his,' is singular and would imply that all the coats belong to one male patient, which is not the case. Choice C, 'them,' is a pronoun used for indicating objects or people and not possession. Choice D, 'theirs,' is a possessive pronoun but is used to refer to something that belongs to multiple people, not in this case where the coats belong to the patients.
Select the phrase in the following sentence that is not used correctly. Having completed the coursework that was required, Jorge now prepares for exam week.
- A. Having completed
- B. was required
- C. now prepares
- D. prepared for
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The phrase 'Having completed' is not used correctly in the sentence. The correct form should be 'Having completed' to show that the action of completing the coursework has already been done. The use of 'complete' is incorrect as it should be 'completed' to maintain the correct verb form in the past participle. Choice B, 'was required,' is used correctly as it is in the passive voice and fits the sentence structure. Choice C, 'now prepares,' is also correct as it shows the current action of Jorge preparing for exam week. Choice D, 'prepared for,' is not the phrase in question and is used correctly in the sentence to indicate the action Jorge took in the past to get ready for exam week.
Select the phrase that makes the following sentence grammatically correct: I hope that my parents ___________ if I am able to graduate early.
- A. are delighted
- B. were delighted
- C. will be delighted
- D. will have been delighted
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: 'will be delighted.' In this context, the sentence is expressing a future possibility of graduating early, so the phrase 'will be delighted' in the future tense is the most appropriate choice to match the context. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because they do not convey the future tense needed in this sentence. Choice A ('are delighted') is in the present tense, choice B ('were delighted') is in the past tense, and choice D ('will have been delighted') uses a more complex future perfect tense which is not necessary in this context.
Which word is used incorrectly in the following sentence? She is already an adjunct at a college in Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina.
- A. already
- B. adjunct
- C. college
- D. capital
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The word 'college' is used incorrectly in the sentence. The correct term to use in this context would be 'capital,' not 'college.' 'Capital' refers to the city that serves as the seat of government, while 'college' refers to an educational institution. The sentence should read: 'She is already an adjunct at a capital in Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina.' Choices A, B, and D are all used appropriately in the sentence.
Select the word that makes the following sentence grammatically correct. The committee finished _______ report in time for the annual review.
- A. its
- B. their
- C. it's
- D. they're
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: In this sentence, "committee" is a singular noun, so the correct pronoun to use is "its." The possessive pronoun "its" indicates that the committee is taking ownership of the report it finished. Choice B, "their," is incorrect as it is a plural pronoun and does not agree with the singular noun "committee." Choices C and D are also incorrect as they represent contractions ("it's" for "it is" and "they're" for "they are"), which do not fit in the context of showing possession of the report by the committee.