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Difficulty: HardAdjectives, Adverbs, and Modifiers

Complete the sentence below by providing the correct adverbial modifiers for the verb and adjectival participle in the blanks provided.

Answer:Having thoroughly reviewed the financial report, the committee concluded that the chief auditor performed his duties 【impeccably】, despite managing an 【exceptionally】 complex investigation.

Answer

The first blank requires an adverb of manner (such as 'impeccably') to modify the action verb 'performed', while the second blank requires an adverb of degree (such as 'exceptionally') to modify the participial adjective 'complex'.
The action verb 'performed' requires an adverb of manner ('impeccably') to indicate the degree of quality of the action. Furthermore, the modifier preceding the adjective 'complex' must be an intensive adverb of degree ('exceptionally') rather than an adjectival form.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the syntactic element being modified in the first clause.
The target word modifies the main action verb 'performed'.
Action verbs require adverbs of manner to describe how the action was carried out.
2
Determine the syntactic element being modified in the second clause.
The target word modifies the adjective 'complex', which describes the noun 'investigation'.
Adjectives must be modified by adverbs of degree, not by flat adjectival forms.

Key Concept

Adverbial Modification of Verbs and Adjectives
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Topics

Adjectives, Adverbs, and Modifiers

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