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Grammatical Structure

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Question 381Question →

Which of the following options best completes the sentence below?

Not only the principal investigator but also two-thirds of the laboratory technicians who conducted the trial _______ that the experimental vaccine requires further refinement.

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Answer: insist

Answer

The correct verb form is 'insist'.
The correct answer is the plural verb form because when subject elements are linked by the correlative conjunction 'not only... but also...', grammatical rule dictates that the verb agrees with the closer subject. Here, the closer subject is 'two-thirds of the laboratory technicians'. For fractional expressions, agreement depends on the noun following 'of'. Because 'laboratory technicians' is a plural countable noun, the verb must be plural ('insist').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the correlative conjunction structure.
In sentences joined by 'not only... but also...', the verb must agree in number with the subject element closer to the verb.
The closer subject following 'but also' is 'two-thirds of the laboratory technicians who conducted the trial'.
2
Determine the number of the fractional subject.
The fraction 'two-thirds' modifies 'laboratory technicians', which is a plural countable noun. Therefore, the subject phrase is plural.
Fractional and percentage expressions take singular or plural verbs based on the noun following the preposition 'of'.
3
Select the verb that agrees with the plural head noun while avoiding intervening singular noun traps.
The plural present tense verb 'insist' correctly agrees with 'technicians', disregarding the singular noun 'trial' in the relative clause.
Subject-verb concord is governed by the head noun of the subject phrase, not by intervening nouns in relative clauses.

Key Concept

Correlative Conjunction Concord and Fractional Subject Agreement
Question 382Question →

Complete the sentence by supplying the correct passive verb form corresponding to the active sentence provided.

Fill in the blanks below

Active sentence: The board of directors approved the new policy yesterday.
Passive sentence: The new policy by the board of directors yesterday.
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Answer

was approved
In converting a simple past active sentence with a singular object into the passive voice, the active verb ('approved') transforms into the simple past passive verb phrase consisting of the singular past auxiliary verb 'was' and the past participle 'approved'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the tense and object of the active sentence.
The main verb 'approved' is in the simple past tense, and the singular object is 'the new policy'.
The tense of the main verb in the active sentence determines the tense of the auxiliary verb 'be' in the passive sentence.
2
Determine the appropriate passive verb structure for simple past tense.
The passive form requires 'was/were' + past participle of the main verb.
Because the new subject 'The new policy' is singular, the auxiliary verb 'was' must be used.
3
Combine the auxiliary verb with the past participle of 'approve'.
'was approved'
'Approved' is the past participle of 'approve'.

Key Concept

Active and Passive Voice Transformation (Simple Past Tense)
Question 383Question →

Complete the sentence below by supplying the correct form of the verb to complete the statement.

Fill in the blanks below

Although the debate team members have been preparing all morning, they their presentation yet.
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Answer

have not finished (or haven't finished / have not completed / haven't completed)
The adverb 'yet' is used in negative sentences to refer to something that has not happened up to the present moment. Because the initial clause uses the present perfect continuous tense ('have been preparing'), the main clause must use the negative present perfect form ('have not finished' or 'have not completed') to maintain sequence of tense and aspect.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the time adverbial in the sentence.
The word 'yet' at the end of the clause indicates an action expected to happen before now, but which has not happened up to the present moment.
The adverb 'yet' is typically paired with negative present perfect constructions.
2
Select the correct tense and aspect of the verb to complement 'yet'.
The present perfect negative form 'have not finished' or 'have not completed' is required.
Simple past forms (e.g., 'did not finish') or past perfect forms (e.g., 'had not finished') conflict with the present timeframe established by 'yet' and 'have been preparing'.

Key Concept

Present Perfect Tense with Aspectual Adverbs
Question 384Question →

In the sentence below, what is the syntactic function of the bolded noun phrase?

'The chief meteorologist, a veteran analyst with thirty years of forecasting experience, warned the coastal towns about the approaching tropical storm.'

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Answer: Appositive renaming the subject

Answer

Appositive renaming the subject
The bolded noun phrase is placed directly beside the subject 'The chief meteorologist' and is enclosed in commas to provide parenthetical identification. Because it renames the subject without a linking verb, it functions as an appositive.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary clause elements
The subject noun phrase is 'The chief meteorologist', the main verb is 'warned', and the direct object is 'the coastal towns'.
Isolating core sentence elements helps separate main clause functions from parenthetical structures.
2
Analyze the position and structural relationship of the bolded phrase
The bolded noun phrase 'a veteran analyst with thirty years of forecasting experience' is set off by commas and placed directly after the subject head noun.
Noun phrases placed adjacent to another noun phrase to define or rename it perform an appositive role.
3
Determine the exact syntactic function
Because it renames the subject noun phrase 'The chief meteorologist' without an intervening linking verb, it functions as an appositive to the subject.
An appositive provides parenthetical identification for an adjacent noun phrase.

Key Concept

Appositive Noun Phrase
Question 385Question →

Which of the following sentences demonstrates the correct placement of an introductory modifier?

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Answer: Exhausted after the long shift, the chef quickly prepared a hot meal.

Answer

Exhausted after the long shift, the chef quickly prepared a hot meal.
The introductory modifier 'Exhausted after the long shift' describes a state of fatigue experienced by a person. Placing 'the chef' immediately after the comma establishes a clear and grammatically correct connection between the modifier and the subject.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the modifier and determine what noun it logically describes.
The introductory phrase 'Exhausted after the long shift' describes a person who experiences fatigue (the chef).
An introductory modifier must clearly describe the subject that immediately follows it.
2
Examine the main clause subject in each option.
Only the sentence placing 'the chef' directly after the comma connects the modifier to the correct subject.
Placing inanimate nouns like 'a hot meal', 'the kitchen', or 'a brief rest' after the comma creates dangling modifiers.

Key Concept

Placement of Participial Modifiers
Question 386Question →

During the cross-examination, the defense counsel asserted that he would rather the presiding judge _______ the key exhibit yesterday before the prosecution rested its case. Which verb form grammatically completes the sentence to express an unfulfilled past preference?

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Answer: had evaluated

Answer

had evaluated
The expression 'would rather' followed by a subordinate clause with its own subject (the presiding judge) requires the past perfect tense when referencing an event in past time ('yesterday'). Therefore, 'had evaluated' is the only option that accurately expresses an unfulfilled past preference.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the key grammatical construction and temporal marker in the sentence.
The clause uses 'would rather' followed by a new subject ('the presiding judge') and includes the past time adverbial 'yesterday'.
The presence of a clause boundary and explicit past time reference determines the required tense mood.
2
Apply the rule for unreal past preference with 'would rather + subject'.
When 'would rather' takes a clause with a different subject and refers to past time, it requires the past perfect subjunctive form (had + past participle).
Using simple past would inappropriately denote present/future unreal preference rather than a past event that did not happen as preferred.
3
Select the verb form matching the past perfect structure.
'had evaluated' correctly fulfills the past perfect aspectual requirement.
This maintains appropriate grammatical aspect and mood in unreal past constructions.

Key Concept

Unreal Past Subjunctive after 'would rather' with Clause Subject
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 387Question →

Complete the sentence below by supplying the correct verb forms in the blanks to maintain proper grammatical subject-verb agreement.

Fill in the blanks below

The chief legal auditor, no less than the forensic accountants who audited the firm's offshore accounts, that the financial discrepancy was intentional.
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Answer

The first blank requires 'have' and the second blank requires 'maintains'.
The correct verb for the first blank is 'have' because the relative pronoun 'who' refers to the plural antecedent 'forensic accountants'. The correct verb for the second blank is 'maintains' because the principal subject of the sentence is the singular noun phrase 'The chief legal auditor'. The intervening expression 'no less than...' functions as a quasi-conjunction and does not pluralize the main subject.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the subject and structure governing the first blank within the dependent relative clause.
The relative pronoun 'who' introduces the clause and refers to its plural antecedent 'the forensic accountants'.
A relative pronoun takes a verb that agrees in number with its antecedent, so the plural auxiliary verb 'have' must be used.
2
Analyze the main subject and intervening parenthetical phrase governing the second blank.
The primary subject of the main clause is 'The chief legal auditor', which is singular. The phrase 'no less than the forensic accountants...' is a quasi-conjunction (parenthetical modifier) and does not make the subject plural.
Expressions such as 'no less than', 'as well as', 'together with', and 'alongside' do not form compound subjects. The main verb must agree solely with the singular grammatical subject, requiring 'maintains'.

Key Concept

Concord with Quasi-Conjunctions and Relative Pronoun Antecedents
Question 388Question →

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blank with the appropriate modal verb phrase to express a past unfulfilled obligation.

Fill in the blanks below

The lead researcher emphasized that the clinical team submitted the ethics committee approval before initiating the drug trial.
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Answer

The correct modal verb phrase to fill the blank is 'should have' (or 'ought to have').
The sentence describes an obligatory administrative action that ought to have taken place prior to starting the trial. The modal phrases 'should have' and 'ought to have' followed by the past participle verb form express a past obligation that was not carried out.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the contextual clues in the sentence to identify the required modality.
The sentence refers to a required action (submitting ethics approval) that needed to occur before initiating the trial, implying that it was a duty which was neglected or unfulfilled.
Modal auxiliaries express distinct semantic functions such as past deduction, ability, necessity, or past duty.
2
Apply the grammatical structure for past unfulfilled obligation.
The structure 'should + have + past participle' (or 'ought to + have + past participle') indicates an action that was desirable or mandatory in the past but did not happen.
Using 'should have' combined with the past participle 'submitted' correctly conveys past unfulfilled obligation.

Key Concept

Past Unfulfilled Obligation with Modal Auxiliaries
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 389Question →

Complete the sentence below by providing the correct past form of the verb in brackets to express preference regarding another person's action.

Fill in the blanks below

During the commission's hearing, the chief investigator stated that he would rather the committee (defer) its final announcement until the audit report was published.
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Answer

deferred
The simple past verb form 'deferred' correctly completes the unreal past structure required after the expression 'would rather' when followed by a nominal clause subject.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the main clause structure containing the expression 'would rather'.
The phrase 'would rather' is followed by a distinct subject ('the committee').
In English grammar, when 'would rather' is followed by a different subject plus a clause, the verb in that clause must be in the simple past tense (unreal past) to convey preference.
2
Inflect the base verb 'defer' into its simple past tense form.
The correct past form of 'defer' is 'deferred'.
The rule for 'would rather + subject' requires a simple past verb form regardless of present or future reference.

Key Concept

Unreal Past Tense with 'would rather'
Question 390Question →

Which of the following conjunctions correctly completes the sentence below?

'_______ hard the legal team argued during the appeal hearing, the presiding judge refused to overturn the initial ruling.'

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Answer: However

Answer

However
The word 'however' functions as a subordinating conjunction expressing concession of degree when followed by an adjective or adverb ('however + adverb/adjective + subject + verb'). In this context, it correctly qualifies 'hard' to mean 'no matter how hard'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the syntactic structure of the dependent clause
The blank is positioned immediately before the adverb 'hard', which is followed by the subject 'the legal team' and the verb 'argued'.
Identifying the fronted adverb determines which connective element can grammatically introduce the clause.
2
Evaluate conjunction requirements for fronted adverbs of degree
The word 'however' acts as a subordinating conjunction expressing degree of concession when paired directly with an adjective or adverb ('however + adverb + subject + verb').
'Although' would require standard word order ('Although the legal team argued hard...'), while 'despite' is a preposition and 'whatever' modifies noun structures.
3
Confirm semantic and grammatical alignment
'However' properly forms the concessive clause indicating that regardless of how forcefully the team argued, the judge did not alter the verdict.
This preserves both formal clause syntax and the intended concessive meaning.

Key Concept

Concessive Clause Structure with Fronted Adverbs
Question 391Question →

Which of the following options represents the correct passive voice transformation of the sentence: 'The committee called off the meeting'?

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Answer: The meeting was called off by the committee.

Answer

The meeting was called off by the committee.
The sentence 'The meeting was called off by the committee' correctly transforms the active simple past tense verb 'called off' into 'was called off', keeping the singular subject-verb agreement with 'meeting' and retaining the phrasal particle 'off'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the object, principal verb, tense, and subject of the active sentence.
Subject = 'The committee', Verb = 'called off' (Simple Past), Object = 'the meeting'.
Converting to passive requires shifting the object of the active sentence into the subject position.
2
Form the passive verb phrase corresponding to the simple past tense.
Passive verb form = 'was called off' (was + past participle + particle).
The singular subject 'The meeting' requires singular agreement ('was') and must retain the phrasal particle 'off'.
3
Reconstruct the passive sentence with the agent clause.
'The meeting was called off by the committee.'
This completes the passive transformation without altering tense, mood, or meaning.

Key Concept

Active to Passive Voice Transformation of Phrasal Verbs in Simple Past Tense
Estimated Time:45s
Question 392Question →

During the legislative hearing on the proposed fiscal amendments, the committee chairman remarked, 'I would rather the finance minister _______ the presentation until the updated budget estimates are ready.' Which option correctly fills the blank to complete the chairman's statement?

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Answer: postponed

Answer

The correct verb form is 'postponed'.
The correct option is 'postponed'. In English grammar, when 'would rather' introduces a clause with its own explicit subject (here, 'the finance minister'), the verb must be in the unreal past (past simple form) to convey present or future desire. Thus, 'postponed' is required.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the syntactic structure of the prompt.
The sentence uses the preference expression 'would rather' followed by a new subject ('the finance minister') introducing a subordinate clause.
When 'would rather' is followed by a clause with a subject different from that of the main clause, English grammar dictates the use of the unreal past (past subjunctive).
2
Determine the temporal reference of the sentence.
The temporal context is present/future, as indicated by 'until the updated budget estimates are ready'.
For present or future time reference after 'would rather + subject', the verb in the subordinate clause takes the simple past tense form.
3
Select the verb form matching the syntactic rule.
'postponed' is the simple past form serving as the unreal past subjunctive.
This correctly completes the structure without introducing redundant modal auxiliaries or incorrect indicative tenses.

Key Concept

Unreal Past with 'Would Rather'
Question 393Question →

Which conjunction correctly completes the sentence below to express precaution against an undesirable outcome?

Fill in the blanks below

The night guards remained vigilant at the main entrance throughout the emergency intruders should gain access to the residential quarters.
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Answer

lest
The conjunction 'lest' is used to introduce an adverbial clause of negative purpose, meaning 'for fear that' or 'in order to avoid'. In formal English grammar, clauses introduced by 'lest' typically require the auxiliary verb 'should' or a present subjunctive verb. In the given sentence, 'lest intruders should gain access' perfectly expresses taking precautions to prevent an unauthorized entry.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the logical relationship between the main clause and the subordinate clause.
The main clause specifies a protective action ('remained vigilant'), while the subordinate clause states a potential negative event to be avoided ('intruders should gain access').
Determining whether the clause conveys condition, contrast, result, or negative purpose dictates the correct conjunction.
2
Identify the subordinating conjunction that expresses negative purpose and pairs with the modal verb 'should'.
The subordinating conjunction 'lest' means 'for fear that' or 'to prevent the possibility that' and is idiomatically followed by a clause containing 'should' or a subjunctive verb form.
'Lest' appropriately links the precautionary measure with the unwanted outcome.

Key Concept

Subordinating Conjunctions of Negative Purpose (Lest)
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 394Question →

Every one of the newly admitted students _______ required to submit an official medical report before matriculation. Which of the following options correctly completes the sentence?

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Answer: is

Answer

The singular verb 'is' correctly completes the sentence.
The head subject of the sentence is the expression 'Every one', which is singular and requires a singular verb. The intervening prepositional phrase 'of the newly admitted students' does not affect the grammatical number of the subject. Therefore, the singular verb 'is' maintains proper concord.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the true head subject of the clause
The head subject is the indefinite expression 'Every one', which is grammatically singular.
Prepositional phrases following the head subject (such as 'of the newly admitted students') do not change the number of the head subject.
2
Apply the rule of subject-verb agreement
A singular head subject requires a singular verb form.
Grammatical concord dictates that singular subjects take singular verbs.
3
Select the correct singular verb form
The singular verb 'is' satisfies grammatical concord.
Among the options, 'is' is the only singular verb matching the present context.

Key Concept

Indefinite Pronoun Concord (Subject-Verb Agreement)
Question 395Question →

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

Fill in the blanks below

Neither the financial controller nor the chief executive officers present at the emergency board meeting yesterday.
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Answer

The correct verb form to complete the blank is 'were'.
In English grammar, when two subjects are connected by 'neither... nor...', the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. Because 'the chief executive officers' is plural and the event took place in the past ('yesterday'), the plural past-tense verb 'were' is grammatically correct.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the structural pattern of the sentence
The sentence connects two subjects using the correlative conjunction 'neither... nor...': 'the financial controller' (singular) and 'the chief executive officers' (plural).
Identifying the conjunction type dictates which concord rule governs the verb agreement.
2
Apply the rule of proximity concord
Under proximity concord, when subjects are joined by 'neither... nor...', the verb must agree in person and number with the subject closest to it.
The subject nearest to the verb slot is 'the chief executive officers', which is plural.
3
Determine tense and select the correct verb form
The time marker 'yesterday' indicates simple past tense. The plural past-tense auxiliary verb required is 'were'.
The verb must simultaneously satisfy proximity agreement (plural) and tense agreement (past).

Key Concept

Proximity Concord with Correlative Conjunctions
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 396Question →

The chairman observed that it was getting late and remarked, "It is high time we _______ for the annual conference." Which option best completes the sentence?

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Answer: left

Answer

The correct form to complete the sentence is 'left'.
The idiom 'it is high time' indicates that an action is past due. When followed by a subject, it requires a verb in the simple past tense ('left') to convey the unreal past construction correctly.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the key grammatical expression introducing the clause.
The sentence uses the idiomatic expression 'It is high time'.
This structure triggers the unreal past mood in English grammar.
2
Select the appropriate verb tense required by this structure.
The verb following the subject 'we' must take the simple past form 'left'.
When 'it is high time' is followed by a subject (noun or pronoun), the verb must be in the simple past tense even though it refers to a present or immediate future necessity.

Key Concept

Unreal Past Tense with 'It is high time'
Question 397Question →

Complete the text below by providing the correct modifiers for the blank spaces.

Fill in the blanks below

The senior research analyst demonstrated that the revised economic model was far to the previous framework, having evaluated the market variables than the consultant team did.
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Answer

The first blank requires the Latin comparative adjective 'superior' (which takes the preposition 'to' rather than 'than' and cannot be modified by 'more'). The second blank requires the comparative adverbial phrase 'more rigorously' (or 'more meticulously' / 'more thoroughly') to modify the verb 'evaluated' in a comparative structure using 'than'.
The adjective 'superior' correctly completes the first blank as a Latin comparative that takes the preposition 'to' without taking 'more'. The second blank requires the comparative adverb 'more rigorously' (or equivalent precise adverbs like 'more meticulously') to modify the action verb 'evaluated' across the comparison marked by 'than'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the modifier needed for the first blank following 'far' and preceding 'to'.
The adjective must express comparative quality taking the preposition 'to'. Latin comparative adjectives such as 'superior' fit this structure and cannot take 'more' or 'than'.
In formal English, Latin comparatives (superior, inferior, senior, junior, prior) are intrinsically comparative and pair exclusively with 'to'.
2
Analyze the modifier needed for the second blank preceding 'than'.
The word modifies the action verb 'evaluated' in a comparison between two entities, requiring a comparative adverb formed with 'more' (e.g., 'more rigorously').
Adverbs modifying action verbs require the adverbial comparative form ('more rigorously') rather than simple adjectives or redundant double comparatives.

Key Concept

Latin comparative adjectives and comparative adverbial modifiers
Question 398Question →

Which preposition correctly completes the sentence below?

Fill in the blanks below

The presiding judge warned that leaking confidential details of the ongoing investigation would be highly prejudicial a fair trial.
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Answer

to
The adjective 'prejudicial' strictly requires the dependent preposition 'to' when indicating harm or detriment toward an outcome or right (e.g., 'prejudicial to a fair trial').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the head word preceding the blank.
The adjective preceding the blank is 'prejudicial'.
The choice of preposition depends on the specific dependent preposition mandated by the adjective 'prejudicial'.
2
Determine the standard collocate preposition for 'prejudicial'.
'Prejudicial' standardly collocates with the preposition 'to' (meaning harmful, detrimental, or causing injury to something).
In formal English usage and grammar rules tested by JAMB UTME, 'prejudicial' must be followed by 'to'.

Key Concept

Dependent Prepositions following Adjectives
Question 399Question →

Complete the sentence below by providing the correct plural form of the foreign noun in brackets.

Fill in the blanks below

The academic committee spent several hours reviewing the multiple used to select candidates for the fellowship.
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Answer

criteria
The word 'criterion' is a noun of Greek origin. In formal English grammatical usage, nouns ending in '-on' borrowed from Greek form their plural by replacing '-on' with '-a'. Because the modifier 'multiple' requires a plural noun head, 'criteria' is the grammatically correct completion.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the singular loan noun of Greek origin requiring pluralization.
The noun base is 'criterion' (singular).
The sentence refers to 'multiple' items, which necessitates the plural form of the noun.
2
Apply the Latin/Greek loan noun pluralization rule.
The singular ending '-on' changes to '-a', producing 'criteria'.
Nouns of Greek origin ending in '-on' typically form their plural by replacing '-on' with '-a'.

Key Concept

Foreign Plurals of Greek Nouns
Question 400Question →

In the sentence, 'Adverse _______ the environmental conditions were during the expedition, the research team successfully completed the geological survey of the region,' which conjunction correctly completes the clause to express concession?

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Answer: as

Answer

The word 'as' is the correct subordinating conjunction used to form a concessive clause following a fronted adjective.
The conjunction 'as' creates an inverted concessive clause structure when positioned after a fronted adjective or adverb (e.g., 'Adverse as the conditions were...' is equivalent in meaning to 'Although the conditions were adverse...').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the grammatical structure of the sentence opening.
The sentence begins with the predicate adjective 'Adverse', followed by a blank, the noun subject 'the environmental conditions', and the linking verb 'were'.
Identifying clause inversion/fronting is essential for selecting the appropriate connective.
2
Evaluate conjunction rules for fronted adjective structures.
In formal English, when an adjective or adverb is placed at the front of a concessive clause for focus, 'as' (or 'though') follows it to mean 'although... is/was'.
Standard conjunctions like 'although' require conventional word order ('Although the conditions were adverse...').

Key Concept

Concessive Clauses with Fronted Adjectives
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