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Grammatical Structure

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Question 681Question →

Complete the reported speech transformation below by filling in the blanks with the correct grammatical forms.

Fill in the blanks below

Direct Statement: "I have distributed the new drought-resistant seeds to the cooperative society today," the agricultural officer stated.
Reported Statement: The agricultural officer stated that he the new drought-resistant seeds to the cooperative society .
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Answer

Blank 1 requires 'had distributed' and Blank 2 requires 'that day'.
When transforming direct speech into reported speech with a past-tense reporting verb ('stated'), present perfect structures ('have distributed') backshift to past perfect ('had distributed'), and time references ('today') shift to corresponding indirect time expressions ('that day').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the reporting verb and primary verb tense in the direct speech statement.
The reporting verb 'stated' is in the simple past tense. The main verb in direct speech is 'have distributed' (present perfect).
When a reporting verb is in the past tense, verbs in indirect speech undergo backshifting; present perfect changes to past perfect ('had distributed').
2
Convert the temporal adverbial 'today' for reported speech.
'Today' changes to 'that day'.
Time expressions in direct speech shift relative to the context of reporting when shifted into indirect speech.

Key Concept

Tense Backshift and Temporal Adverbial Conversion in Indirect Speech
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 682Question →

Complete the sentence below by supplying the grammatically correct auxiliary verb in the blank.

Fill in the blanks below

Scarcely the chief registrar published the official examination guidelines when several candidates submitted their petitions.
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Answer

had
The correct verb is 'had'. When a sentence begins with a restrictive adverb such as 'Scarcely', 'Hardly', or 'Barely', the subject and auxiliary verb invert. Because the main verb in the second clause ('submitted') is in the Simple Past, the prior action in the first clause must take the Past Perfect form ('had ... published').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence structure and time markers.
The sentence begins with the restrictive adverb 'Scarcely' and connects two past events using 'when'.
When a restrictive negative or limiting adverb opens a sentence, subject-auxiliary inversion is required.
2
Determine the correct tense and aspect required for inverted initial clauses with 'scarcely ... when'.
The event in the first clause occurred prior to the past action ('submitted'). Thus, the Past Perfect tense is required.
'Scarcely ... when' structures express an action completed just before another past action, demanding the past perfect auxiliary 'had'.
3
Formulate the inverted auxiliary verb.
Inverting the subject 'the chief registrar' and auxiliary verb yields 'had the chief registrar published'.
The inverted structure places the auxiliary 'had' directly after 'Scarcely'.

Key Concept

Inverted Past Perfect Tense with Restrictive Adverbs (Scarcely ... when)
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 683Question →

Neither the chief accountant nor the internal auditors who inspected the ledger _______ aware that each of the flagged transactions _______ further investigation. Which pair of verbs correctly completes the sentence?

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Answer: were / requires

Answer

The pair 'were / requires' correctly completes the sentence.
The correct selection uses 'were' to agree with the adjacent plural noun phrase 'the internal auditors' following the 'neither... nor' proximity rule, and 'requires' to agree with the singular head pronoun 'each'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the first blank within the correlated conjunction structure ('Neither... nor...').
The subjects joined are 'the chief accountant' (singular) and 'the internal auditors' (plural). By the rule of proximity, the verb must agree with the nearer subject, 'the internal auditors'.
When subjects are connected by 'neither... nor', the verb agrees in number with the subject closest to it.
2
Identify the head subject of the subordinate clause for the second blank.
The head subject of the clause is the indefinite pronoun 'each', which is grammatically singular. The phrase 'of the flagged transactions' is a prepositional modifier.
Indefinite pronouns such as 'each', 'either', and 'neither' take singular verbs regardless of any intervening plural nouns.
3
Select the verb forms that satisfy both concord rules simultaneously.
The first blank requires the plural verb 'were', and the second blank requires the singular verb 'requires'.
Combining 'were' for proximity concord and 'requires' for indefinite pronoun concord yields the grammatically accurate sentence.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement involving Correlated Conjunctions (Proximity Concord) and Indefinite Pronouns
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 684Question →

Complete the sentence below by supplying the grammatically correct verb form in the blank.

Fill in the blanks below

Neither the lead auditor nor the financial consultants available to answer questions during yesterday's press conference.
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Answer

The correct verb form to fill the blank is 'were'.
In English grammatical concord, when two subject elements are linked by correlative conjunctions such as 'neither... nor...', the verb agrees in number with the subject noun phrase nearest to it. Here, the plural noun phrase 'the financial consultants' immediately precedes the verb position, making the plural past tense verb 'were' the grammatically correct choice.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence structure and locate the subject.
The subject is compound and connected by the correlative conjunction 'neither... nor...', joining 'the lead auditor' (singular) and 'the financial consultants' (plural).
Understanding the conjunction determines which grammatical agreement rule applies.
2
Apply the rule of proximity concord.
The verb must agree with the subject noun phrase closest to it, which is the plural noun phrase 'the financial consultants'.
When subjects are joined by 'neither... nor...', proximity concord dictates that the verb takes the number and person of the noun directly preceding the verb slot.
3
Select the appropriate past tense verb form.
'were' is the plural past tense form of the auxiliary verb 'to be'.
The temporal marker 'yesterday' indicates past time, requiring the past tense plural verb 'were'.

Key Concept

Proximity Concord with Correlative Conjunctions
Question 685Question →

The university archives committee recently acquired a _____ desk to restore historical documents. Which of the following options presents the adjectives in the grammatically correct order to complete the sentence?

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Answer: valuable old rectangular wooden

Answer

The correct sequence of adjectives is 'valuable old rectangular wooden'.
In standard English grammar, multiple adjectives before a noun follow a specific order: Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Color → Origin → Material → Purpose. In this sentence, 'valuable' expresses an opinion, 'old' denotes age, 'rectangular' describes shape, and 'wooden' specifies the material. Placing them in the order 'valuable old rectangular wooden' is grammatically correct.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the types of cumulative adjectives modifying the noun 'desk'.
'valuable' represents opinion, 'old' represents age, 'rectangular' represents shape, and 'wooden' represents material.
Categorizing each modifier is essential to apply the standard adjective order rule.
2
Apply the standard English adjective order rule (OSASCOMP: Opinion, Size, Age, Shape, Color, Origin, Material, Purpose).
Opinion ('valuable') comes first, followed by Age ('old'), Shape ('rectangular'), and Material ('wooden').
Adjectives preceding a noun must follow a natural cumulative sequence.
3
Select the option matching this sequence.
'valuable old rectangular wooden' is the correct placement.
This sequence adheres strictly to standard English grammatical rules.

Key Concept

Order of Adjectives
Question 686Question →

Complete the sentence below by supplying the appropriate preposition to fill the blank.

Fill in the blanks below

Despite the mounting evidence of financial mismanagement, the managing director remained completely impervious any criticism from the board of directors.
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Answer

The correct preposition to complete the sentence is 'to'.
The adjective 'impervious' selects the dependent preposition 'to' when expressing that an individual or object cannot be affected, penetrated, or influenced by external forces or remarks.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the head adjective preceding the blank that governs the prepositional complement.
The word preceding the blank is the adjective 'impervious', which means incapable of being affected or influenced.
Certain adjectives in standard English require specific dependent prepositions to link to their complements.
2
Determine the correct dependent preposition that collocates with 'impervious'.
The adjective 'impervious' standardly takes the dependent preposition 'to' (e.g., 'impervious to criticism').
Using alternative prepositions like 'against', 'with', or 'from' creates an ungrammatical prepositional collocation.

Key Concept

Dependent prepositions following adjectives
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 687Question →

Read the sentence below and identify the verb form that satisfies the rules of grammatical concord:

'The lead consultant, alongside the software engineers who designed the backend architecture, _______ invited to address the board of directors tomorrow.'

Which of the following options correctly completes the sentence?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: is

Answer

The correct option is the singular present-tense auxiliary verb 'is'.
The sentence features a singular head subject ('The lead consultant') connected to a modifying noun phrase by the quasi-conjunction 'alongside'. In standard English grammar, expressions introduced by 'alongside', 'as well as', or 'together with' are parenthetical and do not pluralize the subject. Therefore, the verb must agree in singular number with the head subject, making the singular auxiliary verb 'is' the grammatically correct choice.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the true grammatical subject of the sentence.
The head subject is 'The lead consultant', which is singular.
Phrases introduced by parenthetical quasi-conjunctions such as 'alongside', 'together with', 'as well as', or 'in addition to' do not make a singular subject compound.
2
Filter out intervening plural modifier clauses.
'the software engineers who designed the backend architecture' functions as a prepositional/parenthetical modifier and does not alter the number of the main subject.
Grammatical concord requires matching the verb to the head noun, ignoring intervening plural nouns.
3
Select the correct singular verb consistent with the future temporal context.
The singular verb 'is' correctly completes the passive future construction 'is invited ... tomorrow'.
The head subject is singular, requiring a singular verb form.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement with Quasi-Conjunctions (Parenthetical Prepositional Expressions)
Question 688Question →

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blank with the most grammatically appropriate modifier.

Fill in the blanks below

Of the two architectural proposals submitted for the new auditorium, the review panel considered the first option to be the choice.
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Answer

The correct response is 'better'.
When comparing exactly two items or choices, standard English grammar requires the comparative form of the adjective ('better') rather than the superlative form ('best').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the number of items being compared in the sentence context.
Exactly two items ('two architectural proposals') are being evaluated.
The number of items determines whether a comparative or superlative modifier must be used.
2
Apply the rule governing degrees of comparison for adjectives.
Use the comparative degree ('better') when comparing two items.
The superlative degree ('best') is reserved for comparisons among three or more items, whereas comparing precisely two items requires the comparative form.

Key Concept

Comparative vs. Superlative Degree of Adjectives
Question 689Question →

Complete the sentence below by supplying the correct form of the auxiliary verb for each blank to satisfy the rules of subject-verb agreement.

Fill in the blanks below

The number of candidates who registered for the university entrance examination increased significantly this year, although a number of applicants still struggling to complete their online verification.
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Answer

Blank 1 requires 'has' because 'The number of' takes a singular verb, whereas Blank 2 requires 'are' because 'A number of' takes a plural verb.
In standard English concord, 'The number of' denotes a singular aggregate quantity and takes a singular verb ('has'). In contrast, 'A number of' functions as a plural indefinite determiner meaning 'many' and takes a plural verb ('are').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the subject head and concord rule for the first blank.
The subject phrase is introduced by 'The number of candidates'.
When 'number' is preceded by the definite article 'the', it refers to a single specific total or unit, demanding a singular verb ('has').
2
Determine the subject head and concord rule for the second blank.
The subject phrase is introduced by 'a number of applicants'.
When 'number' is preceded by the indefinite article 'a', the phrase functions as a plural quantifier meaning 'several' or 'many', demanding a plural verb ('are').

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement (Concord) with 'The number of' vs 'A number of'
Estimated Time:1m 15s
Question 690Question →

Supply the exact conjunction required to complete the sentence correctly.

Fill in the blanks below

No sooner had the regulatory agency announced the new policy directives the affected financial institutions initiated full system compliance audits.
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Answer

than
In standard English grammar, the correlative expression 'no sooner' must be paired with the subordinating conjunction 'than' to introduce the subsequent clause. Using any other conjunction disrupts the established comparative structure.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the initial correlative element and clause structure of the sentence.
The sentence begins with the negative adverbial correlative phrase 'No sooner had', which triggers subject-auxiliary inversion in the main clause.
Recognizing negative inversion helps identify the paired conjunction required to complete the correlative relationship.
2
Determine the correct subordinating conjunction paired with 'no sooner'.
The correlative pair for 'no sooner' is strictly 'than'.
'No sooner' expresses a temporal comparative relationship where the second event immediately follows the first, requiring 'than' to introduce the secondary clause.

Key Concept

Correlative Conjunctions and Negative Inversion ('No sooner... than')
Question 691Question →

The chief surgeon remarked during the clinical review that it was high time the hospital management board ________ the outdated diagnostic equipment in the intensive care unit. Which option correctly completes the sentence?

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Answer: upgraded

Answer

The grammatically correct option is 'upgraded'.
The idiom 'it is high time' (or 'it was high time' in reported speech) is an unreal past construction. When followed by a personal subject, the verb that comes after it must be in the simple past tense regardless of present time reference. Thus, 'upgraded' is the only syntactically correct form.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the key grammatical expression in the sentence.
The sentence features the fixed expression 'it was high time'.
Structures introduced by 'it is time' or 'it is high time' require a past subjunctive / unreal past verb construction when followed by a explicit subject.
2
Select the appropriate verb tense and aspect.
The simple past verb form 'upgraded' is required.
Even though the expression conveys an urgent present or future necessity, English grammatical rules mandate the use of the simple past tense to signify unreal past mood.

Key Concept

Unreal Past Tense with 'It is high time'
Question 692Question →

Read the sentence below and fill in the blank with the pronoun that correctly maintains pronoun-antecedent agreement in standard formal English.

Fill in the blanks below

The board of directors was unanimous in decision to expand international operations this fiscal year.
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Answer

its
The collective noun phrase 'board of directors' functions as a single unified body in this sentence, as signaled by the singular verb 'was' and the adjective 'unanimous'. Consequently, it requires the singular possessive pronoun 'its' to maintain proper agreement.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the antecedent in the sentence.
The antecedent is the collective noun phrase 'The board of directors'.
The pronoun in the blank must agree in number, gender, and person with its antecedent.
2
Determine whether the collective noun acts as a single entity or as individual members.
The singular verb 'was' and the word 'unanimous' indicate that the board is acting as a single, unified body.
When a collective noun performs an action as a single unified unit, it takes a singular pronoun.
3
Select the correct possessive pronoun.
The singular neuter possessive pronoun 'its' agrees with the singular collective noun antecedent.
Using a plural possessive pronoun such as 'their' violates pronoun-antecedent agreement rules in formal English.

Key Concept

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement with Collective Nouns
Question 693Question →

Complete the reported speech transformation below by filling in the missing grammatical forms in the blanks.

Fill in the blanks below

Direct: The immigration officer asked the traveler, "Have you declared all the currency in your luggage today?"
Indirect: The immigration officer asked the traveler whether he declared all the currency in his luggage .
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Answer

blank_1: had, blank_2: that day
In converting a direct question into indirect speech governed by a past-tense reporting verb ('asked'), the present perfect auxiliary 'have' backshifts to the past perfect auxiliary 'had', and the present time adverbial 'today' shifts to 'that day'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the appropriate tense backshift for the present perfect verb form in reported speech.
The present perfect auxiliary verb 'have' backshifts to the past perfect form 'had'.
When the reporting verb ('asked') is in the past tense, present perfect forms must backshift to the past perfect tense in reported speech.
2
Determine the required adverbial change of time from direct to indirect speech.
The temporal adverbial 'today' changes to 'that day'.
Time expressions referring to the present moment must shift to reflect the past perspective of the reported event.

Key Concept

Tense backshift and time adverbial adjustments in Indirect (Reported) Speech
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 694Question →

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blank with the grammatically correct verb form that satisfies the rules of concord.

Fill in the blanks below

Either the chief registrar or the court clerks responsible for archiving the missing judicial files.
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Answer

are (or were)
In standard English grammar, when subjects of different grammatical numbers are connected by 'either... or' or 'neither... nor', the verb must agree in number with the subject closest to it. Because the plural noun phrase 'the court clerks' immediately precedes the verb position, a plural verb ('are' or 'were') is grammatically correct.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the syntactic structure of the sentence.
The subject consists of two noun phrases joined by the correlative conjunctions 'Either... or': 'the chief registrar' (singular) and 'the court clerks' (plural).
Correlative conjunctions require applying the rule of proximity concord.
2
Apply proximity concord to select the appropriate verb form.
The noun phrase closest to the blank is 'the court clerks', which is plural.
Under proximity concord, the verb must agree in number with the noun phrase nearest to it, requiring a plural verb ('are' or 'were').

Key Concept

Proximity Concord with Correlative Conjunctions
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 695Question →

Which option correctly completes the sentence below according to the rules of subject-verb concord?

"Not only the project coordinator but also the senior analysts who reviewed the financial report _____ that each of the proposed budget amendments _____ immediate approval."

Show answer & explanation

Answer: believe / requires

Answer

believe / requires
The option containing 'believe / requires' is correct because in correlated structures using 'not only... but also', proximity concord mandates agreement with the closer subject ('senior analysts', which is plural, taking 'believe'). In the second clause, the head subject is the distributive pronoun 'each', which is grammatically singular and takes the singular verb 'requires'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the first blank following the correlated conjunction 'Not only... but also'.
Apply the rule of proximity concord, which dictates that when subjects are connected by 'not only... but also', the verb agrees in number with the subject noun phrase closest to it.
The noun phrase closest to the verb is the plural 'senior analysts', requiring the plural verb form 'believe'.
2
Analyze the second blank following the dependent clause in the subordinate clause.
Identify the grammatical head of the subject phrase 'each of the proposed budget amendments'.
The true head of the subject phrase is the distributive indefinite pronoun 'each', which is grammatically singular regardless of the plural noun 'amendments' inside the prepositional modifier.
3
Select the option that satisfies both concord requirements.
Combine the plural verb 'believe' for the first blank with the singular verb 'requires' for the second blank.
The pairing 'believe / requires' correctly enforces both proximity concord and indefinite pronoun concord.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement involving Correlated Conjunctions (Proximity Concord) and Distributive Indefinite Pronouns
Question 696Question →

The high court registrar warned the defence counsel, "You must submit all additional affidavits by noon tomorrow." Which of the following options represents the correct indirect speech rendering of the sentence above?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: The high court registrar warned the defence counsel that he had to submit all additional affidavits by noon the following day.

Answer

The correct indirect speech rendering is: The high court registrar warned the defence counsel that he had to submit all additional affidavits by noon the following day.
The correct option properly changes the second-person pronoun 'You' to 'he', backshifts the modal verb of obligation 'must' to 'had to', and converts the time adverbial 'tomorrow' into 'the following day' to agree with the past-tense reporting verb 'warned'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the reporting verb and tense requirement
The reporting verb 'warned' is in the past tense, requiring tense backshifting and adjustments to pronouns and temporal adverbs.
In reported speech, a past-tense reporting verb forces backshifting of the modal verb and conversion of proximal time expressions.
2
Backshift modal obligation and convert time expressions
'You' shifts to 'he', 'must' backshifts to 'had to', and 'tomorrow' shifts to 'the following day'.
Under standard rules of reported speech, modal obligation expressed by 'must' shifts to 'had to', while 'tomorrow' changes to 'the following day' or 'the next day'.

Key Concept

Backshifting Tenses and Time Adverbials in Indirect Speech
Question 697Question →

In formal English, conditional clauses can be expressed by inverting the subject and verb without using the subordinator 'if'. Consider the sentence: '_____ the regional director decide to approve the revised budget, the project coordinator will immediately initiate the procurement process.' Which word correctly completes this inverted conditional clause?

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Answer: Should

Answer

Should
The correct choice is 'Should'. In formal written English, an inverted conditional clause expressing an open or possible condition is introduced by 'Should' followed by a subject and a bare infinitive ('decide'). This structure is syntactically equivalent to 'If the regional director decides...'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the structure of the subordinate clause
The clause lacks the conjunction 'if' and contains a subject ('the regional director') followed by a bare infinitive verb ('decide').
This structural pattern indicates an inverted conditional clause functioning in place of 'If the regional director decides'.
2
Evaluate the grammatical requirements for inverted future/open conditions
An inverted open conditional clause with a bare infinitive requires the auxiliary verb 'Should' at the clause head.
'Should' + subject + base verb forms a grammatically correct conditional protasis.
3
Eliminate incorrect auxiliary verbs
'Were' requires 'to decide', 'Had' requires 'decided', and 'Would' cannot introduce a conditional protasis.
Only 'Should' satisfies both the syntactic requirement of the bare infinitive and the semantic role of a conditional conjunction.

Key Concept

Inverted Conditional Clauses
Question 698Question →

Read the sentence below carefully:

*Having completed the financial audit of the municipal transport authority, several major accounting discrepancies were discovered by the independent panel.*

Which of the following revisions presents a grammatically correct sentence that eliminates the modifier error?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: Having completed the financial audit of the municipal transport authority, the independent panel discovered several major accounting discrepancies.

Answer

The revision that places 'the independent panel' immediately following the introductory participial phrase correctly identifies the agent performing the audit and resolves the dangling modifier.
The correct revision places 'the independent panel' as the subject immediately following the introductory participial phrase. Since the panel performed the audit, this positioning ensures that the modifier phrase 'Having completed the financial audit...' logically describes the subject of the main clause, successfully correcting the dangling modifier error.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the modifier phrase and its target subject.
The introductory participial phrase is 'Having completed the financial audit of the municipal transport authority'.
A participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence must logically modify the subject of the main clause that immediately follows.
2
Determine who performed the action in the modifier.
The entity performing the audit is 'the independent panel', not 'discrepancies'.
An inanimate object like an accounting discrepancy cannot perform an audit.
3
Select the sentence revision that aligns the subject directly after the modifier without introducing lexical or collocational errors.
The revision placing 'the independent panel' directly after the comma creates proper modifier alignment.
This structure adheres strictly to standard English rules for introductory participial modifiers.

Key Concept

Participial Modifier Alignment
Question 699Question →

Complete the sentence below by providing the grammatically correct form of the verb 'travel' in the blank.

Fill in the blanks below

After living in the densely populated metropolis for a decade, the journalist was used to by public transit during peak hours.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

travelling (or traveling)
The expression 'was used to' in this context signifies 'was accustomed to'. In English grammar, when 'be used to' denotes familiarity or habituation, 'to' acts as a preposition rather than part of an infinitive marker. Consequently, it must be followed by a gerund (-ing form of the verb). Therefore, the correct entry is 'travelling' (or 'traveling').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the syntactic structure and meaning of the expression preceding the blank.
The clause contains 'was used to', which functions here as an adjectival phrase meaning 'was accustomed to'.
Identifying whether 'used to' indicates a discontinued past habit or habituation determines the required verb form.
2
Apply the grammatical rule for aspectual habituation ('be used to').
The particle 'to' functions as a preposition, requiring a gerund (-ing form) rather than a bare infinitive.
When 'be used to' expresses familiarity or ongoing habituation, it must be followed by a noun phrase or gerund.
3
Form the correct gerund of 'travel'.
The correct verb form is 'travelling' (British English standard) or 'traveling' (American English standard).
Appending the -ing suffix to the base verb produces the gerund required by the prepositional phrase.

Key Concept

Distinction between past habitual 'used to + bare infinitive' and aspectual habituation 'be used to + gerund'
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 700Question →

Which preposition correctly completes the sentence below?

Fill in the blanks below

The lead negotiator warned that any hasty decision during the peace talks would be fraught severe political consequences.
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Answer

The correct preposition is 'with', completing the adjective-preposition collocation 'fraught with'.
The adjective 'fraught' standardly takes the dependent preposition 'with' to form the phrase 'fraught with', which means filled or burdened with something negative or risky.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the head adjective requiring a dependent preposition in the sentence context.
The target word requiring a prepositional complement is 'fraught'.
In English grammar, specific adjectives govern particular prepositions to form idiomatic combinations.
2
Determine the standard preposition that pairs with 'fraught' when signifying 'filled with' or 'laden with' unpleasant outcomes.
The correct preposition is 'with'.
The fixed collocation 'fraught with' means causing or filled with something undesirable such as danger, difficulty, or risk.

Key Concept

Dependent Prepositions with Adjectives
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