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Grammatical Structure

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Question 541Question →

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

Show answer & explanation

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

Answer

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

Step-by-Step Solution

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

Key Concept

Tense backshifting, modal auxiliary transformation, and temporal adverbial adjustment in reported conditional statements
Question 542Question →

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

Fill in the blanks below

By the time the choir finishes performing tonight, they for three consecutive hours.
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Answer

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

Step-by-Step Solution

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

Key Concept

Future Perfect Aspect
Question 543Question →

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

Fill in the blanks below

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

Answer

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

Step-by-Step Solution

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

Key Concept

Tense backshift and temporal adverbial shift in reported speech
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 544Question →

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

Fill in the blanks below

Each of the newly appointed ambassadors scheduled to present their credentials to the president tomorrow.
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Answer

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

Step-by-Step Solution

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

Key Concept

Indefinite Pronoun Subject-Verb Agreement
Question 545Question →

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

Fill in the blanks below

The environmental advocacy group emphasized that it was high time the state ministry [enforce] strict regulatory penalties on industrial polluters.
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Answer

enforced
The correct verb form is 'enforced' because the construction 'it is/was high time' followed by a subject clause requires the simple past tense (past subjunctive). This structure expresses urgency or a delayed obligation regarding a present or future action.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the main clause structure and introductory expression.
The sentence contains the fixed unreal past expression 'it was high time' followed by a subject noun phrase ('the state ministry').
Expressions such as 'it is time', 'it is high time', or 'it is about time' when followed by a personal subject require the subjunctive simple past tense form of the verb.
2
Inflect the base verb in brackets 'enforce' into the correct grammatical form.
The simple past inflection of 'enforce' is 'enforced'.
The past form 'enforced' is required by the unreal past construction to convey that the action is overdue, even though the semantic time reference pertains to the present or immediate future.

Key Concept

Unreal Past and Subjunctive Mood after 'It is high time'
Question 546Question →

The chief archivist, together with her research assistants, published _____ comprehensive catalogue of historical manuscripts in the university journal. Which of the following pronouns correctly completes the sentence?

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Answer: her

Answer

The singular possessive determiner 'her' correctly completes the sentence.
The primary antecedent is the singular noun phrase 'The chief archivist'. Expressions introduced by 'together with' are parenthetical prepositional phrases that do not change the number of the subject. Consequently, the singular possessive pronoun 'her' properly agrees with the singular antecedent.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary antecedent in the subject position.
The head noun of the subject is 'chief archivist' (singular, female).
Intervening phrases introduced by quasi-conjunctions such as 'together with', 'along with', or 'as well as' are prepositional modifiers and do not alter the singular grammatical number of the subject.
2
Select the pronoun form that maintains proper agreement.
The singular feminine possessive determiner 'her' is required to modify 'comprehensive catalogue'.
The pronoun must agree in number, gender, and syntactic function with its singular antecedent.

Key Concept

Pronoun-antecedent agreement with subjects followed by quasi-conjunction phrases ('together with')
Question 547Question →

Which of the following options correctly transforms the sentence below into the passive voice?

'Ought the lead investigator to have turned over the crucial evidence to the prosecuting counsel before trial?'

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Answer: Ought the crucial evidence to have been turned over to the prosecuting counsel by the lead investigator before trial?

Answer

Ought the crucial evidence to have been turned over to the prosecuting counsel by the lead investigator before trial?
The correct passive sentence maintains exact structural alignment with the active question: the interrogative modal 'Ought' leads the sentence, followed by the new subject ('the crucial evidence'), the passive modal perfect auxiliary sequence ('to have been turned over'), the prepositional complement, the agent ('by the lead investigator'), and the temporal modifier. Crucially, the phrasal particle 'over' is preserved.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the active subject, verb phrase, direct object, and auxiliary structure.
Subject: 'the lead investigator'; Verb phrase: 'ought to have turned over' (modal verb 'ought' + perfect infinitive 'to have turned' + phrasal particle 'over'); Direct object: 'the crucial evidence'.
Accurate grammatical identification is required before re-ordering clause elements.
2
Promote the active direct object to the passive subject position following the interrogative modal.
The structure becomes 'Ought the crucial evidence...'
In passive interrogatives, the primary auxiliary verb remains at the front while the new subject follows it immediately.
3
Convert the active perfect verb phrase into its corresponding passive perfect form while retaining phrasal verb particles.
'to have turned over' becomes 'to have been turned over'.
The passive form of a modal perfect infinitive requires 'to have been' + past participle, and phrasal verb particles must be strictly retained.
4
Attach the agent prepositional phrase and remaining adjuncts.
'...to the prosecuting counsel by the lead investigator before trial?'
Preserves complete semantic information and thematic roles of the original sentence.

Key Concept

Passive Transformation of Interrogative Sentences with Modal Perfects and Phrasal Verbs
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 548Question →

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blank with the grammatically correct verb form to maintain subject-verb concord.

Fill in the blanks below

Either the chief executive officer or his deputies attending the international economic summit next week.
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Answer

The correct verb to fill the blank is 'are'.
When two subjects are connected by 'Either... or', the principle of proximity concord applies. This rule dictates that the verb must agree with the subject closest to it. Here, the plural noun 'deputies' is closest to the blank, requiring the plural verb form 'are'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the structure of the subject in the sentence.
The subject consists of two elements connected by the correlative conjunction pair 'Either... or': 'the chief executive officer' (singular) and 'his deputies' (plural).
Correlative conjunctions link two separate noun phrases acting as compound subjects.
2
Apply the rule of proximity concord for correlative subjects.
The verb must agree in number with the subject noun nearest to it, which is 'deputies' (plural).
When subjects are joined by 'either... or' or 'neither... nor', proximity concord dictates that the verb agrees with the closer subject element.
3
Select the appropriate auxiliary verb for continuous present/future action.
The plural auxiliary verb 'are' correctly matches the plural noun 'deputies'.
'Are' fulfills both the requirement for plural agreement and continuous aspect for an upcoming event.

Key Concept

Proximity Concord with Correlative Conjunctions
Question 549Question →

Fill in the blank in the sentence below using the correct past modal auxiliary form of the verb in parentheses to express that an action was performed unnecessarily.

Fill in the blanks below

Because all conference papers were uploaded to the portal prior to the event, the coordinator (print) paper copies for the attendees.
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Answer

need not have printed (or needn't have printed)
The modal construction 'need not have printed' (or 'needn't have printed') is used in English to indicate that an action was completed in the past, but in retrospect, it was unnecessary.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the modality required by the sentence context.
The context describes an action (printing paper copies) that was carried out in the past even though it was not required because the papers were already available digitally.
The expression of a past action performed without necessity requires the modal structure 'need not have + past participle'.
2
Formulate the correct verb phrase using the verb 'print'.
Combining 'need not have' with the past participle 'printed' yields 'need not have printed' or its contracted form 'needn't have printed'.
This structure accurately distinguishes between an action done unnecessarily ('need not have printed') and one that was avoided because it was unnecessary ('did not need to print').

Key Concept

Expressing Past Unnecessary Actions using 'Need Not Have'
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 550Question →

During yesterday's briefing, the spokesperson announced that the director _______ the revised policy document earlier that morning. Which of the following verb forms correctly completes the sentence?

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Answer: had approved

Answer

The correct verb form is 'had approved'.
The verb form 'had approved' correctly employs the past perfect tense to signal an action completed prior to another past time marker ('announced') in indirect reporting.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the time sequence between the main clause and the subordinate clause.
The main reporting verb 'announced' is in the simple past tense, and the action of approving took place 'earlier that morning' before the announcement.
When an action is completed prior to another past event in reported speech, the past perfect tense is required.
2
Identify the past perfect verb form.
The past auxiliary 'had' combined with the past participle 'approved' yields 'had approved'.
This establishes proper tense backshift and clear aspectual order.

Key Concept

Tense Backshift and Past Perfect Aspect in Reported Speech
Question 551Question →

Which of the following sentences demonstrates correct cumulative adjective ordering and avoids modifier placement errors?

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Answer: The museum curator acquired a valuable ancient rectangular bronze artifact, which was meticulously restored last week.

Answer

The sentence reading 'The museum curator acquired a valuable ancient rectangular bronze artifact, which was meticulously restored last week.' is grammatically correct.
The correct choice places the cumulative adjectives in the precise natural English sequence (Opinion: valuable → Age: ancient → Shape: rectangular → Material: bronze) and uses the adverb 'meticulously' correctly without creating dangling participial modifiers.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Evaluate the order of cumulative adjectives preceding 'artifact'.
The adjectives are ordered as Opinion (valuable) → Age (ancient) → Shape (rectangular) → Material (bronze).
English grammatical convention (OSASCOMP) dictates that opinion precedes age, shape, and material.
2
Examine modifying phrases and adverbial usage across all options.
The introductory modifier in the passive construction creates a dangling modifier in one option, while another incorrectly uses a homophonic adverb.
Participial phrases must clearly and logically modify the agent undertaking the action.

Key Concept

Royal Order of Adjectives (OSASCOMP) and Participial Modifier Concord
Question 552Question →

In the sentence below, a gap is left to test subject-verb agreement:

"The principal, together with the class teachers, ______ present at the annual school inter-house sports competition."

Which verb form correctly completes the sentence?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: was

Answer

The singular verb 'was' correctly completes the sentence.
When a singular head subject is followed by quasi-conjunctions or prepositional phrases such as 'together with', 'along with', or 'in addition to', the grammatical number of the subject remains singular. Therefore, the singular past-tense verb 'was' is the only correct choice.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the head noun of the grammatical subject.
The main subject is 'The principal', which is singular.
Phrases introduced by 'together with', 'along with', or 'as well as' are prepositional modifiers, not conjunctions, so they do not make the subject plural.
2
Match the verb number with the singular head noun in the past tense.
The singular verb 'was' agrees grammatically with 'The principal'.
A singular head subject demands a singular verb regardless of any plural nouns appearing inside intervening parenthetical phrases.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Concord with Intervening Prepositional Expressions ('together with')
Question 553Question →

Read the sentence below:

'Dr. Ezekwesili, alongside her lead researchers, ______ preparing to present the clinical trial results, although neither of the participating hospitals ______ yet verified the raw data.'

Which option correctly fills the gaps to satisfy the rules of grammatical concord?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: is / has

Answer

The correct option is 'is / has'.
The choice featuring 'is / has' correctly identifies that parenthetical modifiers such as 'alongside...' do not pluralize the main subject ('Dr. Ezekwesili'), requiring the singular verb 'is'. Furthermore, it correctly enforces formal concord by assigning the singular verb 'has' to the singular indefinite pronoun 'neither'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the subject of the first clause and identify parenthetical expressions
The subject is 'Dr. Ezekwesili' (singular). The phrase 'alongside her lead researchers' is a parenthetical prepositional modifier, not a coordinating conjunction like 'and'.
Intervening phrases introduced by 'alongside', 'as well as', 'together with', or 'in addition to' do not alter the grammatical number of the subject head noun.
2
Determine the correct verb for the first gap
The singular subject 'Dr. Ezekwesili' requires the singular verb 'is'.
Subject-verb concord dictates agreement between the singular head noun and its verb, ignoring intervening plural nouns.
3
Analyze the subject of the subordinate clause and apply indefinite pronoun rules
The subject head of the second clause is 'neither', which is a singular indefinite pronoun.
Indefinite pronouns such as 'neither', 'either', 'each', and 'everyone' take singular verbs in formal examination grammar regardless of any following plural prepositional phrase ('of the participating hospitals').
4
Select the correct verb for the second gap
The singular subject 'neither' requires the singular auxiliary verb 'has'.
Matching the verb to 'hospitals' is an error of proximity.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement (Concord) with Parenthetical Phrases and Indefinite Pronouns
Question 554Question →

Consider the direct speech sentence below:

"If the auditor had arrived yesterday as scheduled, would we have completed the financial review today?" the chief accountant asked the manager.

Which of the following options correctly transforms this sentence into reported speech?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: The chief accountant inquired of the manager whether, if the auditor had arrived the day before as scheduled, they would have completed the financial review that day.

Answer

The statement is correctly reported as: The chief accountant inquired of the manager whether, if the auditor had arrived the day before as scheduled, they would have completed the financial review that day.
The correct response accurately transforms the direct question into indirect speech by introducing the question with 'whether', keeping the third conditional verb forms intact, changing the first-person pronoun 'we' to 'they', and backshifting both temporal adverbs ('yesterday' → 'the day before', 'today' → 'that day').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify sentence type and reporting verb
The direct sentence is a yes/no question containing a third conditional clause, framed by the past-tense reporting verb 'asked'.
Direct yes/no questions require the introductory conjunction 'if' or 'whether' when converted into indirect speech.
2
Apply tense and modal stability rules for unreal past conditionals
The past perfect condition ('had arrived') and past modal construction ('would have completed') remain unchanged.
Third conditional structures (unreal past) do not backshift further in reported speech.
3
Transform pronouns and time adverbs
'we' shifts to 'they', 'yesterday' shifts to 'the day before' (or 'the previous day'), and 'today' shifts to 'that day'.
Direct speech time references and first-person plural pronouns must shift to align with the reporter's context.

Key Concept

Reported speech transformation rules for conditional interrogative sentences with time adverb shift
Question 555Question →

Read the direct statement below and complete the reported speech equivalent by filling in the blank with the correct verb form.

Fill in the blanks below

Direct statement: "I can complete the project today," Joy said.
Indirect statement: Joy said that she complete the project that day.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

could
When transforming direct speech into indirect speech with a past tense reporting verb such as 'said', present modal verbs must backshift to their corresponding past tense forms. Therefore, 'can' correctly changes to 'could'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the main modal verb in the direct speech statement.
The direct statement uses the present tense modal auxiliary verb 'can'.
Direct speech reflects the exact words spoken by the speaker in the present tense.
2
Apply tense backshifting for reported speech following a past tense reporting verb ('said').
'can' changes to 'could'.
When the reporting verb is in the past tense, present modal verbs must backshift to their past forms ('can' becomes 'could').

Key Concept

Modal Verb Backshifting in Reported Speech
Question 556Question →

Which conjunction appropriately fills the blank in the sentence below?

Fill in the blanks below

The university senate agreed to fund only such interdisciplinary research projects align directly with the national development priorities.
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Answer

The correct conjunction to fill the blank is 'as'.
The conjunction 'as' correctly completes the correlative construction 'such... as' when introducing a clause that defines or restricts a specified class of items.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the main clause and identify the correlative antecedent.
The main clause contains the determiner 'such' modifying 'interdisciplinary research projects'.
The inclusion of 'such' sets up a correlative relationship with the upcoming subordinate clause.
2
Determine the required relative connector for the subordinate clause.
The clause introduces a restrictive property defining the category of projects.
In standard formal English, when 'such' introduces a category, it pair correlatively with 'as' (not 'that' or 'which') to introduce the defining clause.

Key Concept

Correlative Conjunctions and Relative Clause Structure
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 557Question →

Consider the direct speech statement: "Have you decided which course to study at the university next year?" the counselor asked the candidate.

Which of the following options correctly converts this statement into reported speech?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: The counselor asked the candidate if he had decided which course to study at the university the following year.

Answer

The correct reported speech sentence is: 'The counselor asked the candidate if he had decided which course to study at the university the following year.'
The correct choice accurately changes the direct yes/no question into a reported statement using the conjunction 'if', backshifts the present perfect verb 'have decided' into the past perfect 'had decided', and updates the time expression 'next year' to 'the following year'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the clause type and appropriate reporting conjunction
The direct speech is a yes/no question starting with 'Have you...', so the reporting conjunction must be 'if' or 'whether' without using 'that'.
Indirect questions requiring a yes/no answer require 'if' or 'whether' to join the reporting clause to the reported clause.
2
Backshift the main verb tense
The present perfect auxiliary verb 'have decided' shifts back to the past perfect 'had decided'.
When the reporting verb ('asked') is in the past tense, present tense verbs must shift back into their corresponding past forms.
3
Convert temporal adverbs
The time expression 'next year' changes to 'the following year' or 'the year after'.
Adverbs of time referring to future periods relative to the moment of speaking must shift relative to the point in time being reported.

Key Concept

Tense backshift and adverbial adjustments in reported yes/no questions
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 558Question →

Complete the sentence below by supplying the pronoun that maintains strict pronoun-antecedent agreement in formal standard English.

Fill in the blanks below

The investigative panel submitted comprehensive report to the ministry after six months of inquiry.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

its
The collective noun 'investigative panel' functions as a single unified body taking a collective action (submitting one report). In formal standard English, a singular neuter possessive pronoun 'its' is required to agree with a singular collective antecedent.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the antecedent of the missing possessive pronoun.
The antecedent is the collective noun phrase 'The investigative panel'.
A pronoun must agree in number, person, and gender with its antecedent.
2
Determine the syntactic nature of the collective noun in this context.
The panel is acting as a single, unified entity producing one single report.
Collective nouns taking singular action require singular neuter possessive pronouns.

Key Concept

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement with Collective Nouns
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 559Question →

During the judicial commission of inquiry, the lead counsel asserted that had the chief auditor ________ the original financial statements prior to the release of the report, the discrepancy would have been detected immediately. Which verb form correctly completes the sentence?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: reviewed

Answer

The verb form 'reviewed' correctly completes the sentence as the past participle required in an inverted third conditional clause.
The sentence constructs an inverted third conditional expressing an unreal action in the past ('had the chief auditor reviewed... the discrepancy would have been detected'). In standard English grammar, when an 'if' clause in the past perfect is inverted, the auxiliary verb 'had' moves before the subject, leaving the main verb in its past participle form ('reviewed').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the clause structure and conditional type
The sentence uses an inverted third conditional clause ('had the chief auditor ________') paired with the result clause containing 'would have been detected'.
Recognizing conditional sentence patterns determines the tense and aspect requirements for both clauses.
2
Analyze the inverted past perfect requirement
Inverted third conditionals omit 'if' and front the auxiliary verb 'had' before the subject ('had + subject + past participle').
The fronted auxiliary 'had' requires a non-finite past participle main verb to complete the verb phrase.
3
Select the verb form matching the past participle inflection
The past participle of 'review' is 'reviewed', completing the clause 'had the chief auditor reviewed'.
Using any other form (bare infinitive, present tense, or repeated auxiliary) results in grammatical error or redundancy.

Key Concept

Inverted Third Conditional and Past Perfect Aspect
Question 560Question →

Complete the sentence below by supplying the pronoun that maintains strict pronoun-antecedent agreement in formal standard English.

Fill in the blanks below

The commission of inquiry, having resolved all internal disagreements among its members, released final report to the government.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

its
The word 'its' is correct because the antecedent 'commission of inquiry' acts as a single, unanimous body when issuing the report.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the antecedent for the required pronoun in the sentence.
The antecedent is the collective noun phrase 'The commission of inquiry'.
The pronoun in the blank replaces or refers back to the commission that released the report.
2
Analyze the context to determine whether the collective noun operates as a single entity or as separate individuals.
The phrase 'having resolved all internal disagreements' shows that the commission is now acting as a single, unified body.
When a collective noun functions as a single unified unit, it requires a singular neuter pronoun.
3
Select the possessive pronoun that correctly agrees in number and gender with the singular collective noun.
The correct singular possessive pronoun is 'its'.
In formal standard English, singular non-human collective antecedents take 'its'.

Key Concept

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement with Collective Nouns
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