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Grammatical Structure

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Question 241Question →

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blank with the appropriate modal verb phrase that expresses strong past logical deduction based on the available evidence.

Fill in the blanks below

Considering that the laboratory security door was locked from the inside and the primary keycard remained on the main desk, the researcher through the emergency ventilation shaft.
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Answer

must have entered
The sentence presents clear evidence (a door locked from inside and a keycard left on the desk) from which a strong logical conclusion must be drawn. The construction 'must have entered' correctly combines the modal verb of logical deduction 'must' with the perfect aspect 'have entered' to express high certainty about a past action.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the contextual function of the modal verb needed in the sentence.
The clues ('locked from the inside', 'keycard remained on the main desk') present logical proof pointing to a single past conclusion.
When evidence strongly points to a certainty about a past event, English grammar requires a structure of logical deduction.
2
Construct the past logical deduction phrase using the appropriate modal auxiliary.
'must' + 'have' + past participle verb ('entered' / 'accessed').
'Must have' followed by a past participle expresses certainty or logical conclusion regarding an action in the past.

Key Concept

Modal Auxiliaries for Past Logical Deduction
Question 242Question →

Match each bolded noun phrase in the sentences on the left with its correct syntactic function on the right.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

Dr. Adebayo, the lead investigator, submitted the final report to the executive committee.
The selection panel considered the young diplomat a formidable candidate for the posting.
After hours of intense deliberation, Mr. Okafor became the chairman of the board.
The environmental activists devoted all their available resources to the preservation of wildlife.

Matches

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Answer

The sentence featuring 'the lead investigator' matches Appositive; the sentence featuring 'a formidable candidate' matches Object Complement; the sentence featuring 'the chairman of the board' matches Subject Complement; and the sentence featuring 'the preservation of wildlife' matches Complement of a Preposition.
Each noun phrase fulfills a distinct syntactic function based on its structural placement: 'the lead investigator' re-identifies an adjacent noun phrase (appositive); 'a formidable candidate' modifies the direct object after a complex transitive verb (object complement); 'the chairman of the board' completes a linking verb predicate referring to the subject (subject complement); and 'the preservation of wildlife' functions as the object following the preposition 'to' (complement of a preposition).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the position and structural relationship of 'the lead investigator' relative to 'Dr. Adebayo'.
The phrase re-identifies the adjacent proper noun without requiring a connecting verb.
A noun phrase positioned next to another noun to explain or rename it serves as an appositive.
2
Examine the role of 'a formidable candidate' following 'considered the young diplomat'.
The verb 'considered' takes 'the young diplomat' as a direct object, and 'a formidable candidate' describes a state/quality attributed to that object.
A noun phrase following a direct object that completes its meaning after verbs like consider, name, or appoint is an object complement.
3
Determine the function of 'the chairman of the board' after the verb 'became'.
The phrase follows the copular/linking verb 'became' and refers back to the subject 'Mr. Okafor'.
Noun phrases following linking verbs that describe or rename the grammatical subject function as subject complements.
4
Identify the structure governing 'the preservation of wildlife'.
The noun phrase immediately follows the preposition 'to' inside a prepositional phrase.
A noun phrase functioning as the object of a preposition acts as the complement of that preposition.

Key Concept

Syntactic Functions of Noun Phrases
Question 243Question →

Complete the sentence by filling in the blank with the grammatically correct past-tense verb form that maintains proper concord.

Fill in the blanks below

Neither the lead auditor nor the senior accountants present when the sudden internal investigation was announced.
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Answer

were
According to the rule of proximity in English grammatical concord, when two subjects are connected by 'neither... nor', the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. In this sentence, the subject closest to the blank is the plural noun phrase 'the senior accountants', which correctly requires the plural past-tense verb 'were'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the conjunction structure connecting the subjects in the sentence.
The subjects 'the lead auditor' (singular) and 'the senior accountants' (plural) are joined by the correlative conjunction 'neither... nor'.
Correlative conjunctions require specific concord rules governing verb agreement.
2
Apply the rule of proximity for subjects connected by 'neither... nor'.
The verb must agree in number with the subject closest to the verb slot, which is the plural noun phrase 'the senior accountants'.
When subjects of different grammatical numbers are joined by 'neither... nor', the proximity rule dictates that the nearest subject determines the agreement.
3
Select the correct plural past-tense verb form.
The correct past-tense plural verb form is 'were'.
The singular verb 'was' fails to agree with the nearest plural subject 'senior accountants'.

Key Concept

Proximity Concord with Correlative Conjunctions
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 244Question →

Which preposition correctly completes the sentence below?

Fill in the blanks below

Despite their initial reservations regarding the new corporate policy, the board members were eventually compelled to acquiesce the proposed structural changes.
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Answer

in
The formal verb 'acquiesce' standardly collocates with the preposition 'in' when denoting passive agreement, assent, or compliance with plans, policies, or decisions.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the target verb requiring a dependent preposition.
The target verb in the sentence is 'acquiesce'.
The sentence structure requires a preposition that naturally collocates with 'acquiesce'.
2
Determine the standard grammatical collocation for 'acquiesce'.
The verb 'acquiesce' idiomatically takes the preposition 'in'.
In standard formal English, one acquiesces 'in' a decision, demand, arrangement, or policy, meaning to agree or submit passively.

Key Concept

Dependent Prepositions with Verbs
Question 245Question →

Which of the options correctly completes the sentence below?

"Professor Adeleke is the only one of the senior lecturers who _______ consistently argued that neither the department head nor the committee members _______ authorized to alter the approved examination syllabus."

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Answer: has / are

Answer

The option containing 'has / are' correctly completes the sentence.
The option containing 'has / are' is correct because 'the only one of...' requires a singular verb ('has') as the relative pronoun 'who' refers back to 'the only one', and 'neither... nor' requires the verb ('are') to agree with the nearest subject, 'the committee members', which is plural.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the concord rule for the first blank: relative clause modification following 'the only one of'.
Although 'one of + plural noun' normally takes a plural verb in a relative clause, the modifier 'the only' isolates the singular pronoun 'one' as the true antecedent of 'who'. Therefore, a singular verb ('has') is required.
The focal structure is 'the only one', which governs singular subject-verb agreement.
2
Analyze the concord rule for the second blank: correlative conjunctions 'neither... nor'.
When subjects of different grammatical numbers are joined by 'neither... nor', the verb must agree in number with the subject closest to it. Here, the nearer subject is 'the committee members' (plural), requiring a plural verb ('are').
Proximity concord dictates that the verb matches the nearest subject element in correlative constructions.
3
Combine the results from both blanks to select the correct verb pair.
The correct verb pair is 'has / are'.
First blank requires singular 'has' and second blank requires plural 'are'.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement with Relative Clauses and Correlative Conjunctions
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 246Question →

Complete the sentence below by providing the grammatically appropriate verb tense and aspect form for the blank.

Fill in the blanks below

By the time the diplomatic envoy arrives at the summit next month, the bilateral commission its draft security protocol for over two years.
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Answer

will have been negotiating
The form 'will have been negotiating' correctly applies the future perfect continuous aspect. The temporal prepositional phrase 'By the time... arrives' projects the scene to a future point, while 'for over two years' marks duration preceding that moment. Expressing an action in progress up to a future reference point requires the modal 'will' combined with the perfect progressive auxiliaries 'have been' and the main verb participle.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the temporal anchors provided in the sentence.
The clause 'By the time the diplomatic envoy arrives' sets a future benchmark, while the phrase 'for over two years' specifies an ongoing duration of action prior to that benchmark.
When an event is projected to continue over a duration of time up until a specific point in the future, the Future Perfect Continuous (Progressive) tense is required.
2
Formulate the correct auxiliary and participle structure for the verb 'negotiate'.
Combine the future modal auxiliary ('will'), the perfect auxiliary ('have'), the continuous marker ('been'), and the present participle ('negotiating') to form 'will have been negotiating'.
This sequence properly encodes both the future temporal reference point and the progressive aspect of the duration.

Key Concept

Future Perfect Continuous Tense and Aspect
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 247Question →

Complete the following sentence by providing the grammatically correct possessive pronoun in the blank to maintain formal pronoun-antecedent agreement.

Fill in the blanks below

Neither of the female executives who attended the international summit had submitted report before the deadline.
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Answer

her
In formal Standard English, the distributive indefinite pronoun 'neither' is singular and serves as the true grammatical head of the subject. The intervening prepositional phrase 'of the female executives' specifies the gender (female) but does not change the singular number of the subject. Therefore, the singular feminine possessive pronoun 'her' is required for formal pronoun-antecedent agreement.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical antecedent of the blank.
The subject noun phrase is 'Neither of the female executives'. The head word of this noun phrase is the indefinite pronoun 'Neither'.
Pronouns must agree in number and gender with their syntactic antecedent, not with the noun inside the intervening prepositional phrase.
2
Determine the grammatical number and gender of the antecedent.
'Neither' is grammatically singular in formal Standard English. The modifier 'female executives' establishes female gender.
Indefinite pronouns such as 'neither', 'either', 'each', and 'every' take singular agreement in formal examination contexts like JAMB UTME.
3
Select the appropriate singular possessive pronoun.
The singular feminine possessive pronoun 'her' correctly corresponds to the singular female antecedent.
Using plural pronouns like 'their' violates formal indefinite pronoun concord rules.

Key Concept

Indefinite Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement with Intervening Phrases
Question 248Question →

Match each highlighted noun phrase in the given sentences to its corresponding syntactic function within the sentence structure.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

The panel declared Chief Ojo the most qualified candidate for the position.
The sudden structural failure of the newly built reservoir prompted an immediate official inquiry.
The managing director offered the newly recruited lead developer a lucrative relocation package.
Dr. Ibrahim, a distinguished specialist in tropical medicine, addressed the symposium.

Matches

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Answer

The sentence 'The panel declared Chief Ojo...' pairs with 'Object complement'. The sentence 'The sudden structural failure of the newly built reservoir...' pairs with 'Subject of the verb'. The sentence 'The managing director offered...' pairs with 'Indirect object of the verb'. The sentence 'Dr. Ibrahim, a distinguished specialist...' pairs with 'Appositive modifying the subject'.
Each noun phrase is correctly matched based on its exact structural role in the sentence: the noun phrase modifying a direct object functions as an object complement, the noun phrase initiating the main action functions as the grammatical subject, the noun phrase receiving the transferred entity functions as an indirect object, and the non-restrictive explanatory noun phrase set off by commas functions as an appositive.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the syntactic structure of sentence 1.
Verb 'declared' takes a direct object 'Chief Ojo' and a following noun phrase 'the most qualified candidate for the position' that predicates attributes onto the object.
Noun phrases that follow a direct object to complete its meaning after verbs of calling, naming, or declaring function as object complements.
2
Analyze the syntactic structure of sentence 2.
The entire noun phrase 'The sudden structural failure of the newly built reservoir' acts as the agent driving the verb 'prompted'.
The noun phrase occupying the pre-verbal slot and agreeing with the predicate is the grammatical subject.
3
Analyze the syntactic structure of sentence 3.
The ditransitive verb 'offered' has two targets: 'a lucrative relocation package' (thing offered/direct object) and 'the newly recruited lead developer' (recipient).
The noun phrase representing the recipient of a ditransitive action is the indirect object.
4
Analyze the syntactic structure of sentence 4.
The noun phrase 'a distinguished specialist in tropical medicine' is set off by commas immediately following 'Dr. Ibrahim'.
A noun phrase placed side-by-side with another noun to rename or further identify it is an appositive structure.

Key Concept

Syntactic Functions of Nouns and Noun Phrases
Question 249Question →

Despite the sudden power surge that destroyed most electrical appliances in the facility, the sensitive laboratory meters remained completely undamaged, implying that the safety relays _______ automatically before the voltage peaked. Which of the following modal verb forms best completes the sentence?

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Answer: must have tripped

Answer

The phrase 'must have tripped' is correct because the structure 'must + have + past participle' expresses a logical deduction or strong certainty regarding a past event based on present evidence.
The structure 'must have' combined with the past participle 'tripped' correctly expresses a logical deduction about a past event based on available evidence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context and time reference of the sentence.
The event (the surge and preservation of meters) occurred in the past.
Past tense verbs 'destroyed' and 'remained' establish a historical context.
2
Determine the required modality meaning.
The speaker is making a logical deduction (drawing a conclusion of high certainty) to explain why the meters survived.
The introductory word 'implying' signals that a deduction is being made from empirical evidence.
3
Select the correct past modal structure.
'Must have + past participle' ('must have tripped') is the standard grammatical construction for past logical deduction.
Pure modal auxiliaries take bare infinitives, and past deductions require perfect aspect ('have' + past participle).

Key Concept

Modal auxiliaries for logical deduction in the past
Question 250Question →

Which verb form correctly completes the sentence below?

"Everyone among the laboratory technicians _____ instructed to wear protective gear during the experiment."

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Answer: was

Answer

was
The word 'Everyone' is a singular indefinite pronoun that requires a singular verb. The intervening prepositional phrase 'among the laboratory technicians' contains a plural noun, but it does not change the singular subject. Therefore, the singular past tense verb 'was' is grammatically correct.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical subject of the sentence.
The subject is the indefinite pronoun 'Everyone'.
The phrase 'among the laboratory technicians' is a prepositional phrase modifying the subject, not the main subject itself.
2
Apply the concord rule for singular indefinite pronouns.
Indefinite pronouns like 'everyone', 'everybody', 'each', and 'someone' are grammatically singular and require singular verbs.
Intervening plural nouns within a prepositional phrase (such as 'technicians') do not alter the singular nature of the head subject.
3
Select the correct singular verb form among the given choices.
The singular verb 'was' correctly completes the sentence.
'was' is singular, whereas 'were', 'are', and 'have been' are plural forms.

Key Concept

Indefinite Pronoun Subject-Verb Agreement
Estimated Time:45s
Question 251Question →

Which word correctly completes the sentence below?

"__________ the team had prepared extensively for the debate, they failed to convince the panel of judges."

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Answer: Although

Answer

The subordinating conjunction 'Although' is the correct word to complete the sentence.
The correct choice is 'Although' because it functions as a subordinating conjunction introducing a complete clause of concession ('the team had prepared extensively for the debate') to modify the main clause.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the clause structure following the blank space.
The phrase 'the team had prepared extensively for the debate' contains a subject ('the team') and a finite verb ('had prepared'), forming a full subordinate clause.
Determining whether the expression following the gap is a clause or a noun phrase dictates whether a subordinating conjunction or a preposition is required.
2
Select the grammatically appropriate connector.
'Although' is a subordinating conjunction that correctly introduces an adverbial clause of concession. Prepositions such as 'despite' and 'in spite of' cannot introduce a finite clause directly.
Only subordinating conjunctions can link a dependent clause to a main clause.

Key Concept

Subordinating Conjunctions vs. Prepositions in Concessive Clauses
Question 252Question →

Fill in the blank below with the appropriate simple past tense form of the verb 'move'.

Fill in the blanks below

Adeola has not visited her hometown since she to Lagos two years ago.
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Answer

moved
The correct verb form is 'moved'. In English grammar, when a main clause uses the present perfect tense to express an uncompleted action or state up to the present ('has not visited'), the subordinate clause introduced by the temporal conjunction 'since' must use the simple past tense to indicate the specific starting point in the past.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence structure and time marker.
The main clause 'Adeola has not visited her hometown' uses the present perfect tense and is linked by the time marker 'since'.
When 'since' introduces a subordinate clause specifying a starting point in past time, the action in that clause represents a completed past event.
2
Determine the appropriate verb form for the subordinate clause.
The simple past tense form of 'move' is 'moved'.
A time clause introduced by 'since' marking a completed point in the past (supported by 'two years ago') requires the simple past tense.

Key Concept

Sequence of tenses using the conjunction 'since' with present perfect main clause and simple past subordinate clause.
Question 253Question →

Complete the sentence below by supplying the grammatically correct verb form that maintains proper subject-verb agreement.

Fill in the blanks below

Neither the headmaster nor the assistant teachers present at the morning assembly.
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Answer

were
When subjects are connected by 'neither... nor', proximity concord applies, meaning the verb agrees with the subject closer to it. Because 'assistant teachers' is plural and directly precedes the verb, the plural verb form 'were' is required.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the compound subject structure connected by the correlative conjunction 'neither... nor'.
The subjects are 'the headmaster' (singular) and 'the assistant teachers' (plural).
Correlative conjunctions like 'neither... nor' mandate the application of the rule of proximity.
2
Determine which subject component is nearest to the verb slot.
The plural noun phrase 'the assistant teachers' is closest to {{blank_1}}.
Proximity concord dictates that the verb must match the number of the noun closest to it.
3
Choose the appropriate past-tense verb matching plural agreement.
The past-tense plural form of 'be' is 'were'.
'Were' correctly agrees with the plural noun 'assistant teachers'.

Key Concept

Proximity Concord with Correlative Conjunctions
Question 254Question →

Identify the grammatical function of the italicized noun phrase in the sentence below:

The vice-chancellor introduced Professor Adebayo, *an eminent scholar in African history*, before the commencement of the international symposium.

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Answer: Appositive modifying the direct object 'Professor Adebayo'

Answer

Appositive modifying the direct object 'Professor Adebayo'
The phrase 'an eminent scholar in African history' is a noun phrase that immediately follows the noun phrase 'Professor Adebayo' to rename and provide descriptive details about him. Because it serves to re-identify the direct object within the clause, its syntactic function is an appositive.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the main clause structure.
The subject is 'The vice-chancellor', the action verb is 'introduced', and the direct object receiving the action is 'Professor Adebayo'.
Identifying the primary clause elements establishes the core grammatical framework of the sentence.
2
Determine the relation of the target phrase to the direct object.
The noun phrase 'an eminent scholar in African history' is set off by commas and directly renames or describes 'Professor Adebayo'.
A noun phrase placed adjacent to another noun phrase to explain or specify its identity functions syntactically as an appositive.

Key Concept

Appositive Noun Phrases and Syntactic Functions
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 255Question →

Which of the following options correctly completes the sentence without creating a dangling modifier?

'Having exhausted all available financial remedies during the economic crisis, ______.'

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Answer: the board of directors reluctantly decided to liquidate the company's non-core assets

Answer

The sentence is correctly completed by 'the board of directors reluctantly decided to liquidate the company's non-core assets' because the subject immediately following an introductory participial phrase must be the agent performing the action.
The correct option places 'the board of directors' immediately after the introductory participial phrase 'Having exhausted all available financial remedies during the economic crisis'. This ensures proper grammatical alignment, as the board of directors is the logical subject capable of performing the action described in the modifier.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the introductory modifier
The clause 'Having exhausted all available financial remedies during the economic crisis' is an introductory participial phrase expressing an action.
Participial phrases function as modifiers and require an explicit subject in the main clause that logically performs the action described.
2
Determine the logical agent performing the action
The entity capable of exhausting financial remedies and taking organizational action is the board of directors.
Abstract nouns like 'liquidation' or 'decision' and inanimate objects like 'assets' cannot exhaust financial remedies.
3
Select the option where the logical agent immediately follows the modifier
The option placing 'the board of directors' right after the comma correctly avoids a dangling modifier.
In standard English syntax, a modifying phrase at the start of a sentence must directly modify the noun phrase that immediately follows it.

Key Concept

Participial Modifiers and Subject Alignment
Question 256Question →

Which of the options correctly completes the sentence below?

"The lead epidemiologist, alongside her chief research assistants, _____ that neither of the field reports submitted by the monitoring officers _____ any substantial evidence of contamination."

Show answer & explanation

Answer: believes / contains

Answer

believes / contains
The option containing 'believes / contains' is correct because 'The lead epidemiologist' is singular and remains singular despite the intervening phrase introduced by 'alongside'. Furthermore, 'neither' acts as a singular subject governing the second verb, requiring 'contains'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the subject-verb structure of the main clause.
The subject is 'The lead epidemiologist' (singular). The preposional phrase 'alongside her chief research assistants' is parenthetical and does not change the subject to plural.
Expressions such as 'alongside', 'as well as', 'together with', and 'in addition to' do not form compound subjects.
2
Determine the correct verb form for the first blank.
The singular verb 'believes' must be selected to agree with 'The lead epidemiologist'.
A singular subject requires a singular third-person present tense verb.
3
Analyze the subject-verb structure of the subordinate noun clause.
The subject of the clause is the indefinite pronoun 'neither', which takes a singular verb.
The phrase 'of the field reports' is a prepositional modifier and does not make the subject plural in formal concord.
4
Determine the correct verb form for the second blank.
The singular verb 'contains' must be used.
Indefinite pronouns like 'neither', 'either', and 'each' strictly require singular verb forms in standard formal English.

Key Concept

Parenthetical Accompaniment and Indefinite Pronoun Concord
Question 257Question →

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate conjunction to complete the sentence below correctly.

Fill in the blanks below

Candidates will not be allowed to write the examination they present a valid registration slip.
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Answer

The correct conjunction to complete the sentence is 'unless'.
The conjunction 'unless' functions as a subordinating conjunction of condition meaning 'except if'. It correctly connects the negative main clause with the prerequisite condition in the subordinate clause.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the relationship between the main clause and the subordinate clause in the sentence.
The main clause states a negative outcome ('Candidates will not be allowed to write the examination'), which depends on a required prerequisite ('they present a valid registration slip').
Identifying the logical relationship helps determine whether the missing word expresses cause, contrast, time, or condition.
2
Select the subordinating conjunction of condition that means 'except if'.
The conjunction 'unless' means 'if... not' or 'except under the condition that', which fits the required meaning of the sentence.
Using 'unless' establishes that presenting the registration slip is the necessary condition to avoid being barred from the examination.

Key Concept

Subordinating Conjunctions of Condition
Question 258Question →

Complete the sentence below by supplying the correct modal verb phrase that expresses an unfulfilled past obligation.

Fill in the blanks below

The safety inspector noted that the plant engineer calibrated the pressure relief valves prior to initiating the turbine sequence, as mandated by the operational guidelines.
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Answer

The correct modal phrase to complete the blank is 'should have' (or 'ought to have').
The sentence context establishes a past requirement that was mandated by official guidelines but not performed prior to initiating the turbine sequence. In English, an unfulfilled obligation or duty in the past is expressed using the perfect modal auxiliary structure 'should have' or 'ought to have' followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the temporal context and situational meaning of the sentence.
The sentence refers to a past procedural requirement ('prior to initiating', 'mandated by guidelines') that was neglected or not carried out.
Identifying that an action was necessary in the past but remained unfulfilled dictates the choice of past modal structure.
2
Identify the modal construction required for past unfulfilled obligation.
The perfect modal construction consisting of 'should' or 'ought to' + 'have' + past participle ('calibrated') is required.
Simple modal auxiliaries express present or general modality, whereas perfect modals (modal + have + past participle) convey past obligation or advisability that was not realized.
3
Verify acceptable grammatical variants.
Both 'should have' and 'ought to have' correctly complete the sentence with identical semantic force.
'Ought to' and 'should' are synonymous modal expressions of duty, obligation, and correctness.

Key Concept

Unfulfilled Past Obligation via Perfect Modal Auxiliaries
Question 259Question →

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

Fill in the blanks below

The board chairman declared that he would rather the executive committee the financial statements before submitting them to the auditors.
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Answer

reviewed
The expression 'would rather' followed by a subject requires the past simple tense form ('reviewed') to express unreal past or subjunctive preference regarding present or future actions.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the syntactic environment preceding the blank.
The clause uses the structure 'would rather' followed by a explicit subject ('the executive committee').
In English grammar, when 'would rather' is followed by a subject (a personal clause), it requires the past simple tense form to express past subjunctive or unreal past preference.
2
Select the verb form that satisfies the past subjunctive requirement.
The past simple form 'reviewed' correctly completes the clause.
Even though the action refers to a present or future event, the unreal past construction mandates a past tense verb form.

Key Concept

Unreal Past and Subjunctive Mood after 'would rather'
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 260Question →

Complete the sentence below by providing the correct plural form of the compound noun shown in parentheses.

Fill in the blanks below

During the international security summit, the of all participating nations gathered for a closed-door briefing.
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Answer

commanders-in-chief
The correct form is 'commanders-in-chief' because pluralization rules for compound nouns with prepositional phrases dictate that the plural inflection '-s' attaches directly to the primary headword ('commander').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the principal noun component (headword) of the compound noun 'commander-in-chief'.
The principal noun component is 'commander', while '-in-chief' acts as a modifying prepositional phrase.
In hyphenated compound nouns, pluralization attaches to the main noun headword, not the prepositional modifier.
2
Apply the plural suffix '-s' to the primary headword.
'commander' becomes 'commanders', yielding 'commanders-in-chief'.
Pluralizing the final element ('chiefs') is a common grammatical error because the chief modifier does not carry the plural marker.

Key Concept

Pluralization of Compound Nouns with Prepositional Modifiers
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