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Question 2181Question →

Identify the word from the choices below that features the identical diphthong sound heard in height.

Show answer & explanation

Answer: guide

Answer

The word 'guide' is the correct choice because it contains the diphthong sound /aɪ/.
The correct option is 'guide' because its vowel sound is the diphthong /aɪ/ (pronounced /ɡaɪd/), matching the vowel glide in 'height' (/haɪt/).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the phonetic representation of the target word
The word 'height' is transcribed phonetically as /haɪt/, which contains the diphthong vowel /aɪ/.
Identifying the core vowel glide establishes the exact phonetic sound to match.
2
Transcribe and analyze the options
'guide' = /ɡaɪd/, 'hate' = /heɪt/, 'hit' = /hɪt/, 'heat' = /hiːt/.
Evaluating each option isolated from spelling traps reveals the true vowel sound.
3
Select the option with the matching sound
'guide' contains the identical diphthong sound /aɪ/.
Both 'height' and 'guide' share the /aɪ/ diphthong glide despite differing spellings ('eigh' vs 'ui').

Key Concept

Diphthong Sound Identification (/aɪ/)
Estimated Time:45s
Question 2182Question →

Which preposition correctly completes the sentence below?

Fill in the blanks below

The newly implemented administrative regulations are expected to create an atmosphere conducive sustainable institutional growth.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The correct preposition to fill the blank is 'to'.
The adjective 'conducive' governs the dependent preposition 'to' when describing conditions that foster or help produce a specific result.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the key adjective governing the prepositional complement.
The adjective in the sentence is 'conducive'.
Prepositions following specific adjectives are fixed by dependent prepositional usage in standard English.
2
Determine the appropriate dependent preposition that collocates with 'conducive'.
The adjective 'conducive' strictly takes the dependent preposition 'to' when indicating a helpful or contributing factor.
Standard grammatical convention requires 'conducive to' rather than 'conducive for' or 'conducive with'.

Key Concept

Dependent Prepositions
Question 2183Question →

Which pair of verbs correctly completes the sentence below in accordance with the rules of grammatical concord?

"Not only the chief security officer but also several of his deputies _____ questioned by the panel, even though neither of the suspect statements _____ substantiated by physical evidence."

Show answer & explanation

Answer: were / was

Answer

were / was
In the first clause, the correlative conjunction 'not only... but also...' demands that the verb agree with the subject nearest to it. Since 'several of his deputies' is plural, the plural verb 'were' is correct. In the second clause, the indefinite pronoun 'neither' acts as the singular head of the noun phrase 'neither of the suspect statements', requiring the singular verb 'was'. Combining both rules yields 'were / was'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the subject-verb concord rule in the first clause.
The subject uses the correlative conjunction 'not only... but also...'. In this structure, the verb must agree in number with the element closest to it (proximity concord). The nearest noun phrase is 'several of his deputies' (plural), so a plural verb ('were') is required.
Correlative subjects joined by 'not only... but also' follow proximity agreement.
2
Analyze the subject-verb concord rule in the second clause.
The subject is headed by the indefinite pronoun 'neither' in 'neither of the suspect statements'. Indefinite pronouns like 'neither', 'either', and 'each' take singular verbs regardless of intervening plural premodifiers, so 'was' is required.
Indefinite pronouns functioning as head nouns require singular verbs.
3
Combine the results to select the correct verb pair.
The correct sequence is 'were / was'.
Matches both proximity concord for the first clause and indefinite pronoun concord for the second clause.

Key Concept

Proximity Concord and Indefinite Pronoun Agreement
Question 2184Question →

Which of the following connectives correctly completes the sentence below?

'The lead auditor refused to sign the financial compliance report, ______ the executive board offered him a substantial monetary incentive to overlook the discrepancies.'

Show answer & explanation

Answer: even though

Answer

The subordinating conjunction 'even though' correctly introduces the finite concessive clause following the main clause.
The connective 'even though' is a subordinating conjunction of concession designed to introduce a finite clause containing its own subject and finite verb. In the sentence, the structure following the blank is a complete finite clause ('the executive board offered him...'), making this conjunction grammatically appropriate.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the structure of the dependent clause following the blank space.
The structure after the blank space contains a subject ('the executive board') and a finite verb ('offered'), forming a complete finite clause.
Identifying whether the structure is a noun phrase or a finite clause dictates whether a preposition or a conjunction is required.
2
Distinguish between concessive prepositions and subordinating conjunctions of concession.
Connectives like 'despite' and 'in spite of' act as prepositions and take noun phrases, whereas 'even though' functions as a subordinating conjunction that joins a finite clause to a main clause.
Placing a preposition before a finite clause without a noun complementizer creates a structural category error.
3
Select the conjunction that fulfills the grammatical and logical requirements.
'Even though' seamlessly joins the main clause to the concessive finite clause.
It establishes contrast between the auditor's refusal and the board's offer without violating clause structure rules.

Key Concept

Subordinating Conjunctions vs. Concessive Prepositions in Clause Structure
Question 2185Question →

Complete the sentence by filling in the blank with the appropriate conjunction to ensure correct correlative clause structure.

Fill in the blanks below

No sooner had the principal announced the new disciplinary policy a group of students organized a peaceful protest.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The correct conjunction to fill the blank is 'than'.
The introductory structure 'No sooner had...' introduces a negative inversion requiring the correlative subordinating conjunction 'than' to connect the main clause. The paired structure 'no sooner... than' expresses immediate sequential actions.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the initial correlative adverbial marker in the sentence.
The sentence begins with the negative inverted expression 'No sooner had'.
Negative adverbial expressions at the beginning of a clause trigger subject-auxiliary inversion and require specific correlative pairing.
2
Determine the mandatory correlative conjunction partner for 'no sooner'.
The rule of correlative conjunctions dictates that 'no sooner' must strictly pair with 'than'.
'No sooner... than' is a fixed structure used to indicate that one action happened immediately after another.

Key Concept

Correlative Conjunctions and Negative Inversion
Estimated Time:45s
Question 2186Question →

The collection of rare antique coins stored inside the wooden boxes ______ on display at the national museum today. Which of the following options correctly completes the sentence in accordance with subject-verb concord?

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Answer: is

Answer

The singular verb 'is' correctly completes the sentence.
The sentence requires the singular verb 'is' because the grammatical subject is the singular head noun 'collection'. The modifying prepositional phrase 'of rare antique coins' and the participial phrase 'stored inside the wooden boxes' contain plural nouns, but these do not alter the singular requirement of the main subject.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the head noun of the subject phrase
The complete subject phrase is 'The collection of rare antique coins stored inside the wooden boxes', where the head noun is 'collection'.
Prepositional phrases ('of rare antique coins') and participial modifiers ('stored inside the wooden boxes') post-modify the head noun but do not change its singular grammatical number.
2
Apply the rule of subject-verb concord
A singular head noun requires a singular verb form ('is').
Subject-verb agreement dictates that the verb must agree with the structural head noun rather than any intervening plural nouns.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Concord (Error of Proximity)
Question 2187Question →

Which of the following options correctly renders the sentence below in reported speech?

'Why did you not inform the bursar that the examination materials had arrived this morning?' the registrar asked the administrative officer.

Show answer & explanation

Answer: The registrar asked the administrative officer why he had not informed the bursar that the examination materials had arrived that morning.

Answer

The registrar asked the administrative officer why he had not informed the bursar that the examination materials had arrived that morning.
The sentence accurately converts direct speech to indirect speech by changing the simple past 'did not inform' to past perfect 'had not informed', modifying the demonstrative phrase 'this morning' to 'that morning', and applying normal statement word order ('why he had not informed').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the reporting verb and original clause structure.
The reporting verb 'asked' is in the past tense, and the direct clause is a WH-question containing simple past negative ('did not inform') and a time reference ('this morning').
Past reporting verbs require tense backshift and adjustment of demonstratives and word order.
2
Backshift the main verb tense and adjust time expressions.
Simple past 'did not inform' backshifts to past perfect 'had not informed'. The past perfect 'had arrived' remains unchanged. 'This morning' becomes 'that morning'.
Reporting events from a past point of perspective requires shifting past simple to past perfect and proximal time expressions to distal ones.
3
Apply declarative word order for indirect questions.
The inverted question order 'why did you not inform' becomes normal subject-verb statement order 'why he had not informed'.
Indirect questions do not use auxiliary inversion or question marks.

Key Concept

Tense backshift, word order transformation, and time adverbial adjustments in reported questions
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 2188Question →

Oral English assessments require distinguishing subtle diphthong glides from similar vowel sounds despite misleading spellings. Which word from the given set contains the centring diphthong /eə/?

Fill in the blanks below

In the set of words (*tier*, *pierce*, *scarce*, *sheer*), the word that features the centring diphthong /eə/ is .
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The word containing the centring diphthong /eə/ is 'scarce'.
The word 'scarce' is transcribed phonetically as /skeəs/, which contains the centring diphthong /eə/. By contrast, 'tier' (/tɪə/), 'pierce' (/pɪəs/), and 'sheer' (/ʃɪə/) all contain the centring diphthong /ɪə/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the phonetic transcription of each word in the set according to Standard Received Pronunciation (RP).
*tier* is pronounced /tɪə/, *pierce* is pronounced /pɪəs/, *sheer* is pronounced /ʃɪə/, and *scarce* is pronounced /skeəs/.
Identifying exact phonetic transcriptions reveals the specific vowel glide present in each candidate word.
2
Compare the vowel sounds against the target centring diphthong /eə/.
The word *scarce* (/skeəs/) contains the glide from /e/ to /ə/ (/eə/), whereas *tier*, *pierce*, and *sheer* all contain the glide /ɪə/.
Comparing the vowel glides confirms that 'scarce' is the only word in the set produced with the /eə/ sound.

Key Concept

Identification of Centring Diphthongs (/eə/ vs /ɪə/)
Question 2189Question →

Supply the pronoun that correctly fills the blank in the sentence below, maintaining standard grammatical agreement.

Fill in the blanks below

Professor Nnamdi is one of those meticulous scholars who never compromise ethical standards for personal fame.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

their
In the sentence construction 'one of those [plural noun] who [plural verb]', the relative pronoun 'who' takes the plural noun 'scholars' as its antecedent. Consequently, the modifying relative clause requires the plural possessive pronoun 'their' to agree in number with 'scholars'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the relative pronoun and its true antecedent.
In the construction 'one of those scholars who...', the relative pronoun 'who' refers to the plural object of the preposition, 'scholars', not to the singular subject 'one'.
The clause 'who never compromise...' modifies the entire group of 'scholars' who share this attribute.
2
Determine the plural possessive pronoun required for agreement.
Because 'scholars' is a plural noun, the pronoun replacing or referring back to it must also be plural.
Pronouns must agree in number with their antecedent. A plural antecedent ('scholars') requires the plural possessive pronoun 'their'.

Key Concept

Relative Pronoun Antecedent Agreement in 'One of those... who' Constructions
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 2190Question →

Following the leak of classified financial documents, the board of directors insisted that the chief executive officer ________ an emergency press statement to clarify the situation. Which of the following verb forms correctly completes the sentence?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: tender

Answer

The base verb form 'tender' is grammatically correct because the sentence employs the mandative subjunctive mood.
In formal English grammar, when verbs expressing commands, requests, resolutions, or insistence (such as 'insist', 'demand', 'recommend', 'propose') are followed by a 'that'-clause, the verb in that clause must take the subjunctive mood. The mandative subjunctive takes the base form of the verb (bare infinitive) without any suffix modifications for tense or subject agreement. Therefore, the base verb form 'tender' is correct.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the main governing verb and clause structure.
The main clause contains the verb of demand/insistence 'insisted that'.
Verbs expressing demands, recommendations, or resolutions trigger the mandative subjunctive in subordinate 'that'-clauses.
2
Apply the grammatical rule for mandative subjunctive constructions.
The verb in the subordinate clause must remain in its uninflected base form (bare infinitive).
Subjunctive clauses following verbs like 'insist', 'demand', 'recommend', or 'resolve' do not take tense inflections (-ed) or third-person agreement markers (-s).
3
Select the uninflected base verb form among the given options.
'tender' is chosen as the bare infinitive form.
It strictly complies with formal standard English subjunctive requirements for JAMB UTME.

Key Concept

Mandative Subjunctive Mood
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 2191Question →

Which of the options correctly completes the sentence below?

'Every one of the senior delegates who attended the international summit ______ that the proposed treaty, if ratified, will significantly impact regional trade.'

Show answer & explanation

Answer: believes

Answer

The option containing 'believes' is correct.
The main clause subject is the singular indefinite pronoun 'Every one'. Neither intervening prepositional phrases ('of the senior delegates') nor relative clauses ('who attended the international summit') affect the singular number of the head subject. Consequently, the singular verb 'believes' is required.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the main grammatical subject of the sentence
The subject of the main clause is 'Every one', which is a singular indefinite pronoun phrase.
The noun phrase 'the senior delegates' is embedded within a prepositional phrase ('of the senior delegates') and does not function as the main head noun.
2
Apply the appropriate concord rule for indefinite pronouns
Indefinite pronouns such as 'each', 'every one', and 'either' take singular verbs.
Grammatical concord dictates that 'Every one' requires a third-person singular verb inflection in the present tense.
3
Select the correct verb form
'Believes' is the third-person singular present tense form.
It matches the singular subject 'Every one' correctly.

Key Concept

Indefinite Pronoun Concord with Intervening Modifiers
Question 2192Question →

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blank with the grammatically correct form of the verb to show the proper sequence of past events.

Fill in the blanks below

Before the school inspector arrived yesterday, the principal the morning assembly.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

had concluded (or had finished / had ended / had dismissed)
The sentence establishes a sequence of two past actions anchored by the time marker 'yesterday'. Because the principal's action was completed prior to the inspector's arrival, the past perfect aspect (auxiliary 'had' followed by the past participle form of the main verb) must be used.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the temporal relationship between the two events in the past.
The dismissal of the morning assembly took place prior to the arrival of the school inspector.
When expressing two actions that took place in the past where one was completed before the other, the earlier action requires the past perfect tense ('had' + past participle).

Key Concept

Past Perfect Tense Sequence
Question 2193Question →

Read the sentence below carefully. Which pronoun accurately maintains grammatical agreement with its antecedent to fill the blank?

Fill in the blanks below

The panel of independent auditors, alongside the forensic investigators, completed report on the financial discrepancy before the regulatory deadline.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The correct pronoun to complete the sentence is 'its'.
The head noun of the subject is the singular collective noun 'panel', which acts as a unified entity in submitting a single report. Prepositional phrases introduced by 'alongside' are syntactically parenthetical and do not pluralize the subject. Therefore, the singular possessive pronoun 'its' correctly maintains agreement with 'panel'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary antecedent in the sentence structure.
The grammatical subject and antecedent is the singular collective noun 'panel'.
Intervening phrases introduced by quasi-conjunctions or prepositions such as 'alongside the forensic investigators' do not alter the number of the head noun.
2
Select the pronoun that matches the grammatical number and gender of the antecedent.
Since 'panel' functions as a single unified body, it requires the singular neuter possessive pronoun 'its'.
Attracting the pronoun to the nearer plural noun 'investigators' creates a proximity error.

Key Concept

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement with Collective Nouns and Intervening Phrases
Question 2194Question →

Complete the following sentence by identifying the correct concessive conjunction that completes the clause structure.

Fill in the blanks below

the permanent secretary presented detailed financial records, the probe panel uncovered major discrepancies in the procurement accounts.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The sentence requires a concessive conjunction such as 'Much as' or 'Inasmuch as' to contrast the action of presenting detailed financial records with the unexpected discovery of major discrepancies.
The concessive conjunction 'Much as' correctly introduces a subordinate clause of concession, indicating that despite the thorough presentation of financial records, the probe panel still found discrepancies. It fits the formal register and syntax of complex sentence structures.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the clause structure and semantic relationship between the main clause and the subordinate clause.
The subordinate clause describes an attempt/action ('presented detailed financial records') while the main clause highlights an opposing outcome ('uncovered major discrepancies').
This establishes a concessive relationship where the main clause occurs despite the event in the subordinate clause.
2
Select the appropriate concessive conjunction that functions fronted before a finite clause.
'Much as' (or 'Inasmuch as') correctly introduces a concessive clause of degree/extent meaning 'although to a great extent'.
It maintains both grammatical precision and appropriate academic register for complex sentence structure.

Key Concept

Concessive Subordinate Clauses and Conjunctions
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 2195Question →

The principal expressed that he would rather the disciplinary panel ________ the matter thoroughly before publishing the official report. Which of the following verb forms correctly completes the sentence?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: investigated

Answer

The verb form that correctly completes the sentence is 'investigated'.
The correct choice is 'investigated'. In standard English grammar, when the expression 'would rather' is followed by a clause with a different subject (in this case, 'the disciplinary panel'), the verb must take the simple past form to denote a present or future preference.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence structure following 'would rather'
The main subject ('he') is different from the subject in the subordinate clause ('the disciplinary panel').
When subjects differ in 'would rather' constructions, special subjunctive/unreal past tense rules apply.
2
Determine the time frame of the action
The action refers to a present or future expectation before publishing the report.
Time reference determines whether simple past or past perfect form is required.
3
Select the correct verb tense form
The simple past form 'investigated' must be selected.
For present/future reference with a change of subject after 'would rather', standard English requires the simple past tense form.

Key Concept

Unreal Past Tense with 'Would Rather'
Estimated Time:45s
Question 2196Question →

Select the pair of verb forms that correctly completes the sentence below according to the rules of subject-verb agreement:

'Not only the lead researcher but also his assistants _______ committed to publishing the report, although neither of the sponsor organizations _______ willing to fund the follow-up study.'

Show answer & explanation

Answer: are / is

Answer

The pair 'are / is' correctly completes the sentence.
The option containing 'are / is' accurately satisfies both concord rules present in the sentence. First, when subject nouns are joined by 'not only ... but also', proximity concord dictates that the verb agrees with the subject nearest to it ('his assistants' -> plural verb 'are'). Second, the indefinite pronoun 'neither' functions as a singular subject, requiring the singular verb form 'is' regardless of the plural noun 'sponsor organizations' within the modifying prepositional phrase.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the first clause containing the correlated conjunction 'Not only ... but also ...'
Under the principle of proximity concord, when subjects are connected by 'not only ... but also', the verb agrees in number with the noun subject closest to it. Here, 'his assistants' (plural) is closest to the verb, requiring the plural verb 'are'.
Correlated conjunctions require the verb to match the nearest subject element.
2
Analyze the second clause containing the structure 'neither of the sponsor organizations'
The head of the noun phrase is the indefinite pronoun 'neither', which is grammatically singular. The plural noun 'sponsor organizations' is inside a prepositional phrase modifier and does not govern the verb, so the singular verb 'is' is required.
Indefinite pronouns such as 'neither' take singular verbs regardless of intervening plural complement phrases.

Key Concept

Proximity concord with correlated subjects and singular agreement with indefinite pronouns
Question 2197Question →

In the word plait, which of the following words contains the same monophthong (pure vowel) sound as the underlined letters?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: cat

Answer

The word 'cat' contains the same monophthong vowel sound /æ/ as the word 'plait'.
The word 'plait' contains the short monophthong vowel /æ/. Among the choices, the word 'cat' (/kæt/) is the only word that shares this exact pure vowel sound.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the phonetic transcription of the target word
The word 'plait' is phonetically transcribed as /plæt/, containing the short monophthong vowel /æ/.
In English phonetics, 'plait' is an irregular spelling pattern where 'ai' represents the short pure vowel /æ/.
2
Analyze the vowel sound in each option
'cat' has /æ/, 'plate' has /eɪ/, 'part' has /ɑː/, and 'paid' has /eɪ/.
Comparing the phonetic realization of each option isolates the exact matching pure vowel.
3
Select the option with the matching monophthong
'cat' is the correct match.
Both 'plait' and 'cat' share the identical short monophthong sound /æ/.

Key Concept

Monophthong (Pure Vowel) Sound Matching
Estimated Time:45s
Question 2198Question →

Consider the following direct speech statement made during an official university senate hearing: "If the administration had implemented the revised welfare policy last year, the staff union would not be striking today," the registrar remarked. Which of the following options correctly converts this statement into indirect speech?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: The registrar remarked that if the administration had implemented the revised welfare policy the previous year, the staff union would not be striking that day.

Answer

The registrar remarked that if the administration had implemented the revised welfare policy the previous year, the staff union would not be striking that day.
The correct indirect speech conversion accurately preserves the past perfect conditional verb form ('had implemented'), retains the appropriate modal expression ('would not be striking'), and shifts both time adverbs ('last year' becoming 'the previous year' and 'today' becoming 'that day').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the tense and conditional structure in the direct speech clause.
The clause 'had implemented' is in the past perfect tense (third conditional condition), which remains unchanged in reported speech. 'would not be striking' represents a mixed conditional continuous result.
Past perfect tenses do not backshift further when reported after a past-tense reporting verb.
2
Identify and convert temporal adverbials.
'last year' shifts to 'the previous year' (or 'the year before'), and 'today' shifts to 'that day'.
Adverbials of time must shift to reflect the indirect, past point of reference.
3
Combine the reported clauses with the reporting verb.
The complete correct indirect statement maintains the exact conditional logic and updates all temporal indicators accurately.
Ensures full grammatical precision and meaning retention.

Key Concept

Reporting Mixed Conditionals and Shifting Temporal Adverbials in Indirect Speech
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 2199Question →

Fill in the blanks in the sentence below with the grammatically correct verb forms that satisfy the rules of subject-verb concord.

Fill in the blanks below

Neither the chief editor nor the senior reporters aware that a series of investigative articles published without the management's prior approval.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The first blank requires 'were' and the second blank requires 'was'.
The correct verb forms are 'were' for the first blank and 'was' for the second blank. The first blank is governed by the proximity rule for correlated subjects ('neither... nor'), which mandates agreement with the plural noun 'senior reporters'. The second blank requires the singular verb 'was' because the functional subject of the clause is the singular head noun 'series'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the subject and applying concord rules for the first blank.
The subject consists of two elements connected by 'neither... nor': 'the chief editor' (singular) and 'the senior reporters' (plural).
When subjects are joined by correlative conjunctions such as 'neither... nor', the principle of proximity applies, meaning the verb must agree with the subject closest to it ('senior reporters'). Therefore, the plural past verb 'were' is correct.
2
Determine the subject and applying concord rules for the second blank.
The subject of the subordinate clause is the noun phrase 'a series of investigative articles'.
The head noun of the phrase is 'series', which is singular. Collective noun phrases formed by 'a series of' take a singular verb despite the intervening plural noun ('articles'). Therefore, the singular past verb 'was' is required.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement (Proximity Concord and Noun Phrase Head Concord)
Question 2200Question →

Read the direct speech statement below and complete the reported speech sentence by supplying the correct expressions for each blank. What are the appropriate words to complete the indirect speech transformation?

Fill in the blanks below

Direct Speech: "Did the accreditation panel inspect the newly commissioned laboratory yesterday?" the provost inquired.

Reported Speech: The provost inquired whether the accreditation panel the newly commissioned laboratory .
Show answer & explanation

Answer

blank_1: had inspected; blank_2: the day before (or the previous day)
In reported speech with a past reporting verb like 'inquired', direct questions in the simple past tense ('did inspect') backshift to the past perfect tense ('had inspected'). Simultaneously, the temporal adverbial 'yesterday' converts to 'the day before' or 'the previous day'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the verb tense in the direct speech question.
The direct question uses the simple past tense ('did inspect').
When converting a sentence from direct speech to indirect speech with a past tense reporting verb ('inquired'), simple past tense verbs must backshift to the past perfect tense ('had inspected').
2
Determine the corresponding shift for the time adverbial.
'yesterday' shifts to 'the day before' or 'the previous day'.
Time words referring to a specific past day relative to the time of speaking must be adjusted to match the past perspective of the reporting verb.

Key Concept

Backshifting Simple Past tense to Past Perfect tense and modifying temporal adverbials in reported questions.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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