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Question 2121Question →

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blank with the correct plural form of the noun in parentheses.

Fill in the blanks below

During their study of atmospheric conditions, the meteorologists recorded several rare (phenomenon) that affected weather patterns across the region.
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Answer

phenomena
The correct form is 'phenomena'. The word 'phenomenon' is a loanword of Greek origin. In formal register, Greek loanwords ending in '-on' form their plural by substituting the '-on' suffix with '-a'. The plural form is necessary here to agree with the quantifying modifier 'several'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the base noun and sentence context requirement.
The singular noun given is 'phenomenon', and the quantifier 'several' indicates that a plural noun is required.
Plural quantifiers must agree grammatically with plural countable nouns.
2
Apply foreign pluralization rules for Greek loanwords ending in '-on'.
Nouns derived from Greek that end in '-on' replace '-on' with '-a' to form the plural.
Formal English grammar preserves the classical plural inflection '-a' for scientific terms ending in '-on'.

Key Concept

Foreign Pluralization of Nouns
Question 2122Question →

Identify and supply the correct pronoun that maintains strict pronoun-antecedent agreement in standard formal English.

Fill in the blanks below

Neither the newly enacted policy nor the underlying statute has lost binding authority despite recent administrative changes.
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Answer

its
The correct pronoun is 'its' because when two singular antecedents ('policy' and 'statute') are connected by 'neither... nor', the pronoun referring to them must be singular. Because the antecedent refers to an inanimate concept, the singular neuter possessive pronoun 'its' is required.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the antecedent nouns and the connecting correlative conjunction.
The antecedents are 'the newly enacted policy' (singular inanimate noun) and 'the underlying statute' (singular inanimate noun), connected by 'neither... nor'.
Establishing the grammatical number of the antecedents and the rule governing the conjunction is essential.
2
Apply the rule of pronoun-antecedent agreement for singular subjects connected by 'neither... nor'.
When two singular antecedents are joined by 'neither... nor', the pronoun referring to them must be singular.
Correlative conjunctions like 'neither... nor' evaluate the connected items individually rather than combining them into a plural subject.
3
Select the correct singular possessive pronoun form.
The singular neuter possessive pronoun 'its' correctly corresponds to the singular inanimate antecedent.
Inanimate nouns take 'its' (without an apostrophe), distinguishing the possessive form from the contraction 'it's'.

Key Concept

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement with Correlative Conjunctions (Neither... Nor)
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 2123Question →

During the panel session on academic misconduct, the dean stated that she would rather the student ______ the ethics committee before publishing the controversial article last week. Which verb form correctly completes the sentence?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: had consulted

Answer

The verb form 'had consulted' correctly completes the sentence.
The verb form 'had consulted' is correct because when 'would rather' is followed by a clause with a subject and refers to an unrealized past action (indicated by 'last week'), English grammar rules require the past perfect tense.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the syntactic structure of the sentence.
The clause contains 'would rather' followed by a distinct subject ('the student').
When 'would rather' is followed by a clause with a subject, unreal past subjunctive verb forms must be used.
2
Determine the time reference of the action.
The adverbial phrase 'last week' places the action in past completed time.
For past unreal preferences referring to completed events, the verb must be in the past perfect tense.
3
Select the appropriate verb tense.
'had consulted' is the past perfect tense form.
It correctly expresses regret or unreal preference concerning a past action.

Key Concept

Unreal Past Subjunctive after 'would rather'
Question 2124Question →

Read the sentence below: 'Neither the department head nor the assistant lecturers ______ available to attend the regional conference last week.' Which option correctly completes the sentence in accordance with the rules of subject-verb agreement?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: were

Answer

The verb form 'were' correctly completes the sentence in accordance with proximity concord.
When two subjects are connected by 'neither...nor', the verb must agree with the subject closest to it. Here, the noun phrase closest to the blank is 'the assistant lecturers' (plural), which requires the plural past-tense verb 'were'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical structure connecting the subjects in the sentence stem.
The subjects 'the department head' (singular) and 'the assistant lecturers' (plural) are connected by the correlative conjunction 'neither...nor'.
When subjects are joined by 'neither...nor', subject-verb concord is determined by the proximity rule.
2
Determine which subject is closest to the verb blank.
The plural noun phrase 'the assistant lecturers' is directly adjacent to the verb position.
The proximity rule dictates that the verb must agree with the nearer subject element.
3
Select the verb form that matches plural number and past tense context.
The past plural auxiliary verb is 'were'.
'were' provides both correct plural agreement with 'assistant lecturers' and temporal consistency with 'last week'.

Key Concept

Proximity Concord with Correlative Conjunctions
Estimated Time:45s
Question 2125Question →

Fill in the blanks in the sentence below with the appropriate modifier forms, paying careful attention to the distinction between linking verbs and action verbs.

Fill in the blanks below

Although the freshly prepared dish smelled , the quality inspector evaluated it before granting approval.
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Answer

The first blank requires the adjectival complement 'delicious' following the sensory linking verb 'smelled', while the second blank requires an adverb of manner such as 'meticulously' or 'thoroughly' to modify the dynamic action verb 'evaluated'.
Sensory verbs such as 'smell', 'taste', 'look', and 'feel' function as linking verbs when describing attributes of the subject, requiring predicate adjectives like 'delicious'. Conversely, dynamic transitive verbs such as 'evaluated' denote actions and must be modified by adverbs of manner like 'meticulously'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the verb type in the first clause preceding the first blank.
The verb 'smelled' is used as a sensory stative (linking) verb expressing a quality of the subject ('dish').
Sensory and linking verbs take predicate adjectives rather than adverbs to describe the state or property of the subject.
2
Determine the appropriate modifier for the first blank.
The adjective 'delicious' correctly completes the subject complement structure.
Using an adverb like 'deliciously' would incorrectly imply the dish possesses organs to perform the action of smelling.
3
Analyze the verb type in the main clause preceding the second blank.
The verb 'evaluated' is a dynamic action verb describing a deliberate activity performed by the subject ('quality inspector').
Action verbs require adverbial modifiers to describe the manner in which the action is carried out.
4
Determine the appropriate modifier for the second blank.
An adverb of manner such as 'meticulously', 'cautiously', or 'thoroughly' correctly modifies the verb 'evaluated'.
An adjective form like 'meticulous' cannot directly modify a dynamic verb.

Key Concept

Distinction between Adjectives after Linking Verbs and Adverbs modifying Action Verbs
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 2126Question →

Read the direct speech statement below:

"Why did you not inform me earlier that the board meeting had been rescheduled to today?" the director inquired of her secretary.

Which of the following options correctly renders the sentence in indirect (reported) speech?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: The director inquired of her secretary why she had not informed her earlier that the board meeting had been rescheduled to that day.

Answer

The director inquired of her secretary why she had not informed her earlier that the board meeting had been rescheduled to that day.
The correct response properly changes the direct WH-question into statement word order ('why she had not informed'), backshifts the past simple tense ('did not inform') to the past perfect tense ('had not informed'), and updates the time adverbial ('today') to 'that day'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the reporting verb and sentence type
The reporting verb 'inquired' is in the past tense, and the direct speech is a WH-question beginning with 'Why did you not...'.
Past reporting verbs require tense backshifting, pronoun realignment, and adverbial changes.
2
Convert word order from interrogative to declarative structure
'why did you not inform' becomes 'why she had not informed'.
Reported questions do not use inverted auxiliary order or the auxiliary 'do/did'.
3
Apply backshifting to the main verb tense
The simple past 'did not inform' shifts back to the past perfect 'had not informed'. The past perfect 'had been rescheduled' remains in the past perfect form.
Simple past tenses shift to past perfect when converted into indirect speech under a past reporting verb.
4
Adjust time and place adverbs
'today' changes to 'that day'.
Time expressions indicating present or immediate context must shift to match the reported perspective.

Key Concept

Direct to Indirect Speech Transformation of WH-Questions with Tense Backshifting and Adverbial Shifts
Question 2127Question →

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blank with the appropriate subordinating conjunction that expresses precaution.

Fill in the blanks below

The chief security officer ordered a comprehensive audit of the network protocols sensitive financial data should be compromised during the system migration.
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Answer

lest
The conjunction 'lest' means 'for fear that' or 'to prevent the possibility of'. In formal English clause structure, 'lest' introduces an adverbial clause of purpose/precaution and requires the subjunctive mood or the auxiliary verb 'should'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the semantic relationship between the main clause and the subordinate clause.
The main clause describes a precautionary action ('ordered a comprehensive audit'), while the subordinate clause expresses a potential negative outcome to be avoided ('sensitive financial data should be compromised').
Identifying the purpose of preventing an undesirable event narrows down the connective to conjunctions of precaution or negative purpose.
2
Examine the grammatical structure of the subordinate clause.
The subordinate clause uses the modal auxiliary 'should' paired with the base verb 'be'.
The subordinating conjunction 'lest' specifically governs clauses expressing fear or negative purpose and dictates the use of either the subjunctive mood or the modal verb 'should'.

Key Concept

Subordinating Conjunctions of Precaution and Purpose (Lest)
Question 2128Question →

Which modal auxiliary verb phrase best completes the sentence to express a logical deduction of past impossibility?

'During the trial, the prosecution demonstrated that the questioned deed contained a watermark first produced in 2018; therefore, the defendant _______ the document in 2015 as claimed.'

Show answer & explanation

Answer: could not have signed

Answer

The phrase 'could not have signed' is the correct choice because it conveys a logical deduction that a past action was impossible given the chronological evidence.
The phrase 'could not have signed' accurately conveys negative logical deduction regarding a past event. Given that the paper's watermark did not exist in 2015, it was logically impossible for the defendant to have executed the deed at that time.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context and timeframe of the sentence.
The event refers to a past claim (2015) refuted by evidence established later (2018).
The modal structure must reflect past time aspect.
2
Identify the intended modality meaning.
The sentence requires a modal of logical deduction expressing past impossibility.
It is logically impossible for a document to exist in 2015 with a watermark created in 2018.
3
Select the correct modal form.
'Could not have + past participle' expresses negative logical deduction in the past.
Modal auxiliaries do not take infinitival 'to' and cannot be combined into double modals.

Key Concept

Modal Auxiliaries for Past Logical Deduction
Estimated Time:50s
Question 2129Question →

Complete the sentence below by supplying the correct conjunction to fill the blank space.

Fill in the blanks below

The committee's failure to reach a consensus was attributable not so much to a conflict of ideological principles to a total breakdown in communication among its members.
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Answer

The correct conjunction to complete the sentence is 'as'.
The word 'as' is the correct conjunction because 'not so much... as...' is a fixed correlative construction used to join parallel prepositional phrases, indicating that the second explanation is more appropriate than the first.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence structure and identify the correlative pattern.
The sentence introduces a comparative formula beginning with 'not so much [Phrase A]'.
Correlative structures rely on specific paired elements to connect parallel grammatical units.
2
Determine the standard paired conjunction for 'not so much'.
The expression 'not so much' pairs idiomatically with 'as' to form 'not so much... as...'.
This correlative conjunction clarifies that the second phrase is a more accurate explanation than the first.

Key Concept

Correlative Conjunctions and Parallel Clause Structure
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 2130Question →

From the options lettered A to D, choose the word that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the underlined letter(s) in the word: seat.

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Answer: key

Answer

The word 'key' contains the same long monophthong vowel sound /iː/ as in 'seat'.
The underlined digraph 'ea' in 'seat' represents the long pure vowel (monophthong) /iː/. Among the given choices, the word 'key' is pronounced /kiː/, which contains the exact same monophthong sound.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the target vowel sound
The underlined letters 'ea' in 'seat' represent the long front unrounded monophthong /iː/.
Correct phoneme identification is necessary to find matching vowel sounds.
2
Analyze the vowel sound in each option
'key' = /kiː/, 'sit' = /sɪt/, 'head' = /hed/, 'great' = /ɡreɪt/.
Phonetic transcription helps isolate pure monophthongs from short vowels and diphthongs.
3
Select the option with the matching monophthong
'key' has the exact same vowel sound /iː/.
Both words feature the identical pure vowel phoneme /iː/.

Key Concept

Monophthongs (Pure Vowels)
Question 2131Question →

Complete the statement below by identifying a word that features the indicated diphthong sound.

Fill in the blanks below

The word that contains the diphthong sound /aɪ/, as heard in the word 'my', is .
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Answer

The blank is completed with any English word containing the diphthong sound /aɪ/, such as 'height', 'kite', or 'fly'.
Any word containing the phonetic glide /aɪ/ (such as 'height', 'kite', or 'fly') correctly demonstrates the /aɪ/ diphthong sound.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the target sound /aɪ/.
The target phonetic sound /aɪ/ is a diphthong gliding from the open front vowel sound /a/ towards the near-close front vowel sound /ɪ/.
Recognizing the auditory glide helps distinguish diphthongs from pure monophthong vowel sounds.
2
Select an appropriate word containing this phonetic glide.
Words such as 'height', 'light', 'kite', or 'fly' produce the exact /aɪ/ diphthong sound despite having different spelling patterns.
English oral tests evaluate sound recognition rather than spelling alignment.

Key Concept

Diphthong Identification (/aɪ/ sound)
Question 2132Question →

Consider the following sentence: "Neither the principal investigator nor the laboratory technicians had remembered to submit _____ weekly safety logs to the department head." Which of the following pronouns correctly completes the sentence in accordance with formal English pronoun-antecedent agreement rules?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: their

Answer

The correct pronoun is 'their' because the nearer antecedent in the compound subject joined by 'neither... nor' is the plural noun 'laboratory technicians'.
When antecedents are connected by 'neither... nor', the pronoun must agree with the antecedent that is closer to it in the sentence. Since 'laboratory technicians' is plural and is closest to the blank, the plural possessive pronoun 'their' is required.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the antecedent structure in the sentence.
The subject contains a compound antecedent joined by the correlative conjunction 'neither... nor': 'the principal investigator' (singular) and 'the laboratory technicians' (plural).
The rule of proximity dictates that when antecedents of different grammatical numbers are connected by 'neither... nor', the pronoun agrees with the noun closer to it.
2
Determine the closer antecedent to the blank.
The noun phrase immediately preceding the pronoun blank is 'laboratory technicians', which is plural.
The pronoun must agree in number and person with 'technicians'.
3
Select the correct plural possessive pronoun.
'their' is the third-person plural possessive pronoun that corresponds to 'laboratory technicians'.
A plural antecedent requires a plural possessive pronoun.

Key Concept

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement with Correlative Conjunctions (Rule of Proximity)
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 2133Question →

Complete the sentence below by supplying the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Fill in the blanks below

It is high time the school management (adopt) stricter measures to curb truancy.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

adopted
When the structure 'It is high time' is followed directly by a subject noun phrase ('the school management'), it requires the simple past form of the verb ('adopted') to indicate an action that should have already been taken.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the key grammatical marker in the sentence structure.
The clause opens with the expression 'It is high time'.
The expression 'It is high time' (or 'It is time') followed by a subject noun phrase sets up an unreal past construction.
2
Apply the appropriate verb tense rule for unreal past expressions.
The verb following the subject must be in the simple past tense.
Even though the statement refers to a present or immediate action that ought to be taken, English grammar requires the simple past form after 'It is high time + subject'.
3
Inflect the base verb 'adopt' into its simple past form.
The correct form is 'adopted'.
'Adopted' is the simple past tense of 'adopt'.

Key Concept

Unreal Past Construction with 'It is high time'
Question 2134Question →

Read the direct speech statement below carefully. What word or phrase correctly completes the blank to form its reported speech equivalent?

Fill in the blanks below

Direct speech: "I must submit the financial audit before the close of work today," the accountant said.
Reported speech: The accountant stated that he the financial audit before the close of work that day.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

had to submit
When converting direct speech to reported speech with a past tense reporting verb ('stated'), the modal auxiliary 'must' expressing obligation backshifts to 'had to'. Therefore, 'must submit' correctly transforms into 'had to submit'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the tense and modal auxiliary in the direct speech clause.
The direct speech uses the modal auxiliary 'must' expressing obligation in the present context ('must submit').
Determining the original verb structure is essential to applying tense backshift rules.
2
Check the reporting verb tense.
The reporting verb 'said' (rendered as 'stated' in reported speech) is in the past tense.
A past tense reporting verb mandates tense backshift in the reported clause.
3
Apply the backshift rule for the modal auxiliary 'must' when expressing present obligation.
'must' backshifts to 'had to', yielding 'had to submit'.
In reported speech with a past reporting verb, modal obligation in direct speech ('must') changes to past obligation ('had to').

Key Concept

Backshift of Modal Auxiliaries in Reported Speech (Must → Had to)
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 2135Question →

Which auxiliary verb forms correctly complete the sentence below to maintain proper subject-verb concord?

Fill in the blanks below

During yesterday's proceedings, neither the chief magistrate nor the judicial officers present while the panel of experts presenting its findings.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The first blank requires 'were' and the second blank requires 'was'.
For the first blank, proximity concord dictates that when two subjects are connected by 'neither... nor', the verb agrees with the subject nearest to it ('judicial officers', which is plural), requiring 'were'. For the second blank, the subject head is the collective noun 'panel', which acts as a single entity (indicated by the singular reference 'its findings'), requiring the singular verb 'was'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the subject structure for the first blank governed by correlative conjunctions.
The subject is connected by 'neither... nor' featuring a singular noun ('the chief magistrate') and a plural noun ('the judicial officers').
Under the rule of proximity concord, when subjects are joined by 'neither... nor', the verb must agree in number with the subject closest to it. Since 'judicial officers' is plural and the past tense context is established ('yesterday's proceedings'), the correct plural past auxiliary is 'were'.
2
Analyze the collective noun subject for the second blank.
The subject is 'the panel of experts'.
Although 'experts' is plural, it functions as a prepositional modifier to the collective noun head 'panel'. The collective noun acts as a unified singular body performing a single collective action ('presenting its findings', reinforced by the singular possessive pronoun 'its'). Therefore, it requires the singular past auxiliary verb 'was'.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement involving Proximity Concord and Collective Nouns
Question 2136Question →

During an official briefing, the minister declared, "Unless the committee submits its final report by noon tomorrow, we shall be forced to suspend the project." Which option correctly renders this statement in indirect speech?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: The minister declared that unless the committee submitted its final report by noon the following day, they would be forced to suspend the project.

Answer

The correct indirect speech rendering is: "The minister declared that unless the committee submitted its final report by noon the following day, they would be forced to suspend the project."
The correct choice properly converts all elements from direct to indirect speech: the simple present verb 'submits' backshifts to simple past 'submitted', the modal construction 'we shall be forced' converts to 'they would be forced' for third-person reference, and 'tomorrow' transforms into 'the following day'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the reporting verb and subordinate clause structures in the direct quotation.
The reporting verb 'declared' is in the past tense. The direct statement contains a conditional clause with 'submits' (simple present) and 'tomorrow' (time adverbial), and a main clause with 'we shall be forced' (first-person plural modal verb).
A past reporting verb requires systematically applying tense backshifting, pronoun adjustments, and temporal adverbial shifts.
2
Backshift the conditional clause verb and adjust the time adverbial.
'submits' changes to 'submitted' (simple past) and 'tomorrow' changes to 'the following day'.
Direct present tense verbs must backshift one step to past tense in reported speech, and direct time references must change to reflect the reported perspective.
3
Transform the pronoun and modal auxiliary in the main clause.
'we shall be forced' changes to 'they would be forced'.
The pronoun 'we' shifts to 'they' to match third-person reported perspective, and 'shall' expressing determination/future intention in direct speech shifts to 'would' when reported in the third person.

Key Concept

Tense backshifting, modal auxiliary transformation, and temporal adverbial adjustment in reported conditional statements
Question 2137Question →

Complete the sentence below by supplying the correct form of the verb in brackets to express the appropriate future aspect.

Fill in the blanks below

By the time the choir finishes performing tonight, they for three consecutive hours.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

will have been singing (or will have sung)
The time expression 'By the time...' introduces a future temporal marker, which requires the future perfect or future perfect continuous tense ('will have been singing' or 'will have sung') to show that the action of singing spans a duration leading up to that point.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the time expression 'By the time' combined with the present simple verb 'finishes'.
This structure establishes a reference point in the future.
When an action occurs over a period of time up to a specific future point, the future perfect aspect (simple or continuous) is required.
2
Determine the appropriate auxiliary verb combination for the duration 'for three consecutive hours'.
The auxiliary verb construction 'will have been' followed by the present participle 'singing' (or 'will have' followed by the past participle 'sung') correctly conveys the continuous duration up to that future moment.
Using simple present or present progressive forms fails to indicate the cumulative duration prior to the future deadline.

Key Concept

Future Perfect Aspect
Question 2138Question →

Complete the reported speech transformation below by supplying the correct word for each blank.

Fill in the blanks below

Direct Speech: "We are relocating to our new headquarters tomorrow," the director announced.
Indirect Speech: The director announced that they relocating to their new headquarters the day.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

Blank 1 requires 'were' to shift the present continuous auxiliary verb to past continuous, and Blank 2 requires 'following' or 'next' to properly convert the time adverbial 'tomorrow'.
In reported speech introduced by a past-tense reporting verb ('announced'), the present continuous auxiliary 'are' backshifts to past continuous 'were' for the plural pronoun 'they'. Additionally, the direct temporal adverb 'tomorrow' shifts to 'following' (or 'next') when paired with 'the ... day'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the tense backshift required for the auxiliary verb in reported speech.
The direct speech uses present continuous ('are relocating'). With the past reporting verb 'announced', the auxiliary 'are' backshifts to the past form 'were'.
When reported speech is introduced by a verb in the past tense, present tense forms shift to their corresponding past tense forms.
2
Determine the required transformation for the temporal adverb.
The word 'tomorrow' in direct speech changes to 'the following day' or 'the next day' in reported speech.
Time indicators must shift relative to the point of reporting when converting direct statement into indirect statement.

Key Concept

Tense backshift and temporal adverbial shift in reported speech
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 2139Question →

What is the grammatically correct auxiliary verb required to complete the sentence below in line with the rules of concord?

Fill in the blanks below

Each of the newly appointed ambassadors scheduled to present their credentials to the president tomorrow.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

is
The indefinite pronoun 'Each' functions as the singular grammatical subject of the sentence and requires the singular verb 'is'. Intervening prepositional phrases containing plural nouns (such as 'of the newly appointed ambassadors') do not alter the singular agreement requirement of the main subject.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the simple subject of the sentence.
The subject of the sentence is the indefinite pronoun 'Each'.
The phrase 'of the newly appointed ambassadors' is a prepositional phrase modifying the head word 'Each' and does not serve as the subject.
2
Determine the singular or plural status of the subject and select the appropriate verb.
The pronoun 'Each' is grammatically singular and requires the singular auxiliary verb 'is'.
Indefinite pronouns such as 'each', 'everyone', and 'neither' take singular verbs regardless of any plural nouns within modifying phrases.

Key Concept

Indefinite Pronoun Subject-Verb Agreement
Question 2140Question →

Match each target word in the left column with the word in the right column that contains the identical diphthong sound.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

gauge
sleight
brooch
heir

Matches

Show answer & explanation

Answer

'gauge' matches 'feign' (/eɪ/), 'sleight' matches 'height' (/aɪ/), 'brooch' matches 'foe' (/əʊ/), and 'heir' matches 'scarce' (/eə/).
Each pair is matched strictly by its shared diphthong sound despite irregular spellings: 'gauge' and 'feign' share /eɪ/, 'sleight' and 'height' share /aɪ/, 'brooch' and 'foe' share /əʊ/, and 'heir' and 'scarce' share /eə/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the phonetic transcription and primary diphthong sound for each left-column word.
'gauge' is pronounced /ɡeɪdʒ/ (/eɪ/), 'sleight' is pronounced /slaɪt/ (/aɪ/), 'brooch' is pronounced /brəʊtʃ/ (/əʊ/), and 'heir' is pronounced /eə/ (/eə/).
Spelling patterns in English are often misleading; establishing standard IPA transcriptions reveals the underlying diphthong.
2
Determine the primary diphthong sound for each right-column word.
'feign' has /eɪ/, 'height' has /aɪ/, 'foe' has /əʊ/, and 'scarce' has /eə/.
Identifying the corresponding sounds in the target options enables direct pair matching.
3
Pair each word from the left column with its matching counterpart on the right based on identical diphthongs.
gauge - feign (/eɪ/), sleight - height (/aɪ/), brooch - foe (/əʊ/), heir - scarce (/eə/).
Matching identical phonetic sounds fulfills the examination criteria.

Key Concept

Identifying identical diphthong sounds across deceptive orthographic spellings
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