Examkin

Grammatical Structure

902 questions

All types902Multiple choice461Matching13Fill in the blank428
Question 141Question →

Neither of the two solar power plants has operated at _____ full capacity since the recent grid failure. Which pronoun correctly completes the sentence to maintain proper grammatical agreement with its antecedent?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: its

Answer

The possessive pronoun 'its' correctly completes the sentence because the head antecedent is the singular indefinite pronoun 'Neither'.
The sentence requires a singular possessive pronoun to agree with the subject antecedent 'Neither', which is grammatically singular. The word 'its' properly modifies 'full capacity' and maintains singular agreement.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the head grammatical subject and antecedent of the missing pronoun.
The head antecedent is the indefinite pronoun 'Neither', not the plural noun 'plants' inside the prepositional phrase 'of the two solar power plants'.
Nouns inside prepositional phrases modifying a subject do not change the grammatical number of the head antecedent.
2
Determine the grammatical number and person required for the pronoun.
The pronoun must be third-person singular and neuter possessive.
'Neither' is a singular indefinite pronoun when referring to two non-human entities (power plants).
3
Select the pronoun form that fulfills these agreement constraints.
'its' is the correct singular possessive form.
'its' modifies 'full capacity' while establishing exact agreement with 'Neither'.

Key Concept

Indefinite Pronoun Concord with Prepositional Modifiers
Question 142Question →

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blanks with the correct grammatical forms of the specified nouns (information, criterion).

Fill in the blanks below

The investigative board discovered that several vital pieces of were missing from the report, and that the single primary used for the candidate's evaluation was invalid.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The first blank requires 'information' (an uncountable mass noun) and the second blank requires 'criterion' (the singular form of the Greek loan noun).
The noun 'information' is non-count and does not accept plural inflection even after partitive quantifiers like 'pieces of'. The word 'criterion' is the singular form required by the singular modifier 'single primary' ('criteria' being plural).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the correct grammatical form of the noun for the first blank.
The noun 'information' is uncountable (mass noun) in standard English. It cannot be pluralized with an '-s' suffix (*informations). Partitive structures such as 'pieces of' quantify mass nouns without altering their base singular form.
Uncountable nouns remain in their base singular form regardless of plural partitive modifiers.
2
Determine the correct grammatical form of the noun for the second blank.
The modifier phrase 'the single primary' specifies a singular noun headword. In Greek-derived English nouns, 'criterion' is the singular form, whereas 'criteria' is the plural form.
The singular quantifier 'single' requires the singular noun form 'criterion'.

Key Concept

Mass noun countability constraints and foreign loan word singular/plural inflections.
Question 143Question →

Complete the sentence below by filling in each blank with the grammatically correct verb form.

Fill in the blanks below

The principal investigator, as well as her lab technicians, present in the conference room when neither the junior intern nor the senior analysts able to locate the confidential file.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The first blank requires 'was' and the second blank requires 'were'.
The first blank requires the singular past verb 'was' because quasi-conjunctions like 'as well as' do not pluralize the singular head noun 'principal investigator'. The second blank requires the plural past verb 'were' because correlative conjunctions governed by 'neither... nor' adhere to proximity concord, agreeing with the nearest noun phrase 'senior analysts'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the grammatical subject and correct verb agreement for the first blank.
The main grammatical subject is the singular noun phrase 'The principal investigator'. The phrase 'as well as her lab technicians' functions as a parenthetical prepositional adjunct.
Parenthetical expressions introduced by 'as well as', 'together with', or 'along with' do not alter the grammatical number of the subject. Thus, the singular verb 'was' is required.
2
Determine the grammatical subject and correct verb agreement for the second blank.
The subject structure uses the correlative conjunction 'neither... nor'. The subject closest to the verb position is 'the senior analysts', which is plural.
Under the rule of proximity concord, verbs following correlative conjunctions ('neither... nor') agree in number with the nearest noun phrase ('senior analysts'), requiring the plural verb 'were'.

Key Concept

Parenthetical Subject Concord vs Proximity Concord in Correlative Structures
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 144Question →

Complete the following sentence by filling in the blank with the correct verb form to complete the past perfect tense construction.

Fill in the blanks below

By the time the seminar ended yesterday, the guest speaker all the questions raised by the participants.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

had answered
The past perfect form 'had answered' correctly indicates an action completed prior to another past action marked by 'ended'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the relationship between the two past actions in the sentence
The sentence presents two events in the past: the seminar ending and the speaker addressing the questions.
The time expression 'By the time' indicates that one past action was completed prior to another past event.
2
Apply the appropriate verb tense and aspect
Combine the auxiliary verb 'had' with the past participle form of the main verb to form 'had answered' (or 'had addressed').
The past perfect tense is required to show an action completed before a specified past reference point ('ended').

Key Concept

Past Perfect Tense Aspect in Sequence of Past Events
Estimated Time:45s
Question 145Question →

Complete the sentence below by supplying the grammatically correct form of the auxiliary verb in each blank to maintain proper subject-verb agreement.

Fill in the blanks below

The comprehensive analysis of market trends, together with several detailed case studies, been published, although more than one analyst questioned its core assumptions.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The correct auxiliary verb for both blanks is 'has'.
Both blanks require the singular auxiliary verb 'has'. In the first clause, the singular subject 'analysis' remains singular despite being followed by the quasi-coordinating phrase 'together with several detailed case studies'. In the second clause, the construction 'more than one' followed by a singular noun ('analyst') grammatically requires a singular verb.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the main subject of the first clause before the intervening phrase.
The singular noun 'analysis' is the head of the subject. The phrase 'together with several detailed case studies' is a quasi-coordinating prepositional modifier and does not make the subject plural.
Parenthetical or quasi-coordinating expressions such as 'together with', 'along with', and 'as well as' do not change the number of the head subject.
2
Determine the correct verb agreement for the first blank.
Since 'analysis' is a singular noun, the singular auxiliary verb 'has' must be used.
A singular subject strictly requires a singular verb in present perfect tense.
3
Analyze the rule governing the quantifier expression in the second clause.
The noun phrase 'more than one analyst' consists of the structure 'more than one' followed by a singular countable noun.
Under formal grammatical concord rules, 'more than one' followed by a singular noun takes a singular verb, regardless of its plural semantic sense.
4
Determine the correct verb agreement for the second blank.
The singular auxiliary verb 'has' correctly completes 'has questioned'.
Grammatical agreement mandates a singular verb to agree with 'more than one analyst'.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement with Quasi-Coordinators and the 'More Than One' Rule
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 146Question →

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

Fill in the blanks below

The senior ecologist noted that the field research team the perimeter fencing around the endangered nesting zone before the rainy season began, but their unexpected delay resulted in severe habitat destruction.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

should have reinforced (or ought to have reinforced / should have secured / ought to have secured)
The sentence requires a modal construction expressing past unfulfilled duty or criticism of an omitted past action. The structure 'should have reinforced' (or 'ought to have reinforced') properly expresses that the team was obliged to complete the action before the rains, but failed to do so.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context of the sentence to identify the necessary modal aspect.
The clause 'but their unexpected delay resulted in severe habitat destruction' indicates an action that was mandatory or advisable in the past, but was not carried out.
The narrative context establishes a past unfulfilled obligation or a past duty that was neglected.
2
Select the correct grammatical modal verb structure for past unfulfilled obligation.
The structure 'should have + past participle' or 'ought to have + past participle' correctly conveys a past action that ought to have happened but did not.
In standard English grammar, modal perfection ('modal + have + past participle') expresses past modality, specifically regret, criticism, or unfulfilled obligation.

Key Concept

Modal Auxiliaries for Past Unfulfilled Obligation
Question 147Question →

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blank with the word that correctly satisfies the rules of clause structure and inversion.

Fill in the blanks below

Not until the anti-graft agency completed its preliminary investigation the board suspend the managing director.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The correct word to complete the clause structure is 'did'.
When a sentence begins with the negative conjunction phrase 'Not until', the subordinate clause ('the anti-graft agency completed its preliminary investigation') must be followed immediately by an inverted main clause. Inversion requires an auxiliary verb before the subject 'the board'. Because the main verb 'suspend' appears in the uninflected base form and the context is past narrative, the past tense dummy auxiliary 'did' must be inserted to form 'did the board suspend'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence structure and identify the conjunction phrase.
The sentence begins with the negative restrictive conjunction phrase 'Not until', which introduces a subordinate temporal clause ('the anti-graft agency completed its preliminary investigation').
Recognizing negative fronted conjunctions is essential because they alter standard main clause word order.
2
Determine the grammatical rule governing main clauses following initial negative conjunctions.
When a sentence starts with a negative or restrictive conjunctional expression such as 'Not until', the main clause must undergo subject-auxiliary inversion (Auxiliary + Subject + Verb).
Standard subject-verb order (Subject + Verb) is ungrammatical following fronted negative clause connectors.
3
Examine the main clause verb form to select the appropriate auxiliary verb.
The main verb 'suspend' is in its bare infinitive form, and the action occurred in the past (aligned with 'completed'). Therefore, the past tense auxiliary verb 'did' is required.
'did' completes the inverted structure 'did the board suspend', maintaining proper tense harmony and clause syntax.

Key Concept

Subject-Auxiliary Inversion after Fronted Negative Subordinate Clauses
Question 148Question →

Complete the sentence below by supplying the appropriate conjunction that expresses negative purpose and correctly governs the subjunctive clause structure.

Fill in the blanks below

The presiding magistrate ordered the immediate impounding of the vessel, the crew attempt to destroy crucial maritime evidence prior to the tribunal hearing.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The correct conjunction is 'lest' (or 'for fear that').
The subordinating conjunction 'lest' (meaning 'for fear that' or 'to prevent the possibility that') is used to express negative purpose. Grammatically, clauses introduced by 'lest' require a subjunctive verb in its base form ('attempt') regardless of subject number, making 'lest' the only conjunction that maintains proper clause structure here.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the semantic relationship between the main clause and the subordinate clause.
The main clause describes a preventative action ('ordered the immediate impounding...'), while the subordinate clause expresses an undesirable potential outcome to be prevented ('the crew attempt to destroy...'). This indicates a clause of negative purpose.
Establishing the logical relationship determines the semantic class of conjunction required.
2
Examine the grammatical mood and verb form within the subordinate clause.
The verb 'attempt' is in the uninflected base form (mandative subjunctive) following the collective singular subject 'the crew', rather than the indicative form 'attempts' or past tense 'attempted'.
The subordinating conjunction 'lest' specifically introduces negative purpose clauses and governs either the subjunctive mood (bare infinitive) or 'should + bare infinitive'.

Key Concept

Subordinating Conjunctions of Negative Purpose and Subjunctive Clause Structure
Question 149Question →

Identify the grammatically correct adverb modifier to complete the sentence below.

Fill in the blanks below

Although the lead structural engineer conducted the site inspection , she failed to notice the hairline fractures along the reinforced concrete support pillars.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

meticulously (or thoroughly)
The verb phrase 'conducted the site inspection' requires an adverb of manner to describe how the inspection was carried out. The word 'meticulously' functions correctly as an adverb modifier.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the syntactic role of the word needed in the blank space.
The blank modifies the verb phrase 'conducted the site inspection'.
Word choice must correspond to the correct part of speech that modifies an action verb.
2
Apply the rule of modification for verbs versus nouns.
An adverb ending in '-ly' (such as 'meticulously') is required to describe how the verb action was performed.
Adjectives modify nouns, whereas adverbs are required to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

Key Concept

Adverbial modification of action verbs
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 150Question →

Which verb form correctly completes the sentence below using the appropriate unreal past structure?

Fill in the blanks below

It is high time the coastal protection agency decisive action to mitigate further shore erosion.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The correct verb form to complete the sentence is 'took'.
When the structure 'It is high time' is followed directly by a subject, it requires a simple past verb form ('took') to express that an action should have already been taken.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the introductory phrase in the sentence structure.
The sentence begins with the expression 'It is high time' followed by a subject ('the coastal protection agency').
Identifying the 'It is high time + subject' structure determines the required tense and mood rules.
2
Determine the correct verb form for unreal past constructions.
The verb following 'It is high time + subject' must be in the simple past tense ('took').
In standard English grammar, 'It is high time' indicates that an action is overdue and demands a simple past verb form to express present urgency.

Key Concept

Unreal Past Construction with 'It is high time'
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 151Question →

Which possessive pronoun correctly completes the sentence below in accordance with standard rules of pronoun-antecedent agreement?

Fill in the blanks below

The department heads each expressed willingness to implement the new administrative guidelines.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

their
The correct pronoun is 'their' because the syntactic antecedent is the plural noun phrase 'The department heads'. When 'each' appears after a plural subject in apposition, the subject retains its plural number, requiring a plural possessive pronoun to maintain proper pronoun-antecedent agreement.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical antecedent of the pronoun.
The subject of the sentence is the plural noun phrase 'The department heads'.
The possessive pronoun must agree in number and person with its antecedent.
2
Determine the syntactic position and function of the word 'each'.
'Each' is positioned in post-modifier apposition immediately following the plural subject.
When 'each' follows a plural noun phrase rather than preceding it, it functions appositively and does not make the grammatical subject singular.
3
Select the possessive pronoun that matches the plural antecedent.
The plural possessive pronoun 'their' correctly agrees with 'The department heads'.
Singular pronouns such as 'his' or 'his or her' are grammatically incorrect because the subject remains plural.

Key Concept

Pronoun-antecedent agreement with appositive 'each'
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 152Question →

Which of the following options represents the correct passive form of the active sentence below?

"The manager of the newly established branches has called off the emergency meeting."

Show answer & explanation

Answer: The emergency meeting has been called off by the manager of the newly established branches.

Answer

The emergency meeting has been called off by the manager of the newly established branches.
The correct answer accurately shifts the direct object ('the emergency meeting') to the subject position and converts the active present perfect phrasal verb ('has called off') into its passive form ('has been called off'). It maintains subject-verb concord with the singular noun 'meeting' and preserves the exact phrasal particle 'off'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the core grammatical elements of the active sentence.
Subject: 'The manager of the newly established branches'; Verb: 'has called off' (Present Perfect); Direct Object: 'the emergency meeting'.
Determining the subject, tense, and object is required to reorder the components into passive structure.
2
Promote the direct object to the subject position of the passive sentence.
New Subject: 'The emergency meeting' (Singular noun phrase).
In passive voice, the target of the action becomes the subject.
3
Transform the active present perfect verb phrase 'has called off' into its passive counterpart, ensuring correct subject-verb concord and phrasal particle retention.
Passive Verb Phrase: 'has been called off'.
Present perfect passive structure requires 'has/have + been + past participle'. Since 'meeting' is singular, 'has' must be used, and the particle 'off' must be retained.

Key Concept

Passive Voice Transformation of Present Perfect Phrasal Verbs
Question 153Question →

Which of the following pronouns correctly completes the sentence below in accordance with standard rules of pronoun-antecedent agreement?

"Neither the chief medical officer nor the attending nurses could conceal ______ exhaustion after the thirty-hour emergency shift."

Show answer & explanation

Answer: their

Answer

The correct pronoun is 'their' because when subjects are joined by 'neither... nor', the pronoun agrees with the nearer antecedent, which is the plural noun 'nurses'.
When compound antecedents are connected by the correlative conjunction 'neither... nor', standard formal English syntax dictates that the pronoun agrees in number with the antecedent closest to it. In this sentence, 'attending nurses' is plural and immediately precedes the blank, requiring the plural possessive pronoun 'their'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the antecedent structure in the sentence
The sentence features compound subjects joined by 'neither... nor': 'the chief medical officer' (singular) and 'the attending nurses' (plural).
Determining the conjunction structure dictates the grammatical rule for pronoun alignment.
2
Apply the proximity rule for compound antecedents linked by 'neither... nor'
The pronoun must agree in gender and number with the closer antecedent ('attending nurses').
In correlative structures like 'neither... nor', agreement is governed by the noun phrase nearest to the pronoun slot.
3
Select the pronoun form matching the plural noun 'attending nurses'
'their' is the third-person plural possessive pronoun required.
'attending nurses' is plural, so a plural possessive pronoun is mandatory.

Key Concept

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement with Correlative Conjunctions (Neither... Nor)
Question 154Question →

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

Fill in the blanks below

By the time the international summit convenes next November, the panel of environmental experts its final report on coastal erosion mitigation.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

will have published
The phrase 'By the time...' establishes a specified future limit or reference point ('next November'). To denote an action that will be completed prior to that future point in time, standard English grammar requires the future perfect tense-aspect combination, formed by 'will have' followed by the past participle verb 'published'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the temporal markers and clause structure in the sentence.
The clause contains the future time reference 'By the time...' alongside a simple present verb 'convenes' indicating a future reference point.
Adverbial time clauses introduced by 'by the time' establish a deadline prior to which another action in the future will be completed.
2
Determine the appropriate verb tense and aspect.
The future perfect tense ('will have published') is required.
The future perfect aspect (will + have + past participle) expresses an action that will be completed prior to a specific moment or event in the future.

Key Concept

Future Perfect Aspect
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 155Question →

Complete the sentence below by supplying the verb form that correctly satisfies the rules of grammatical concord.

Fill in the blanks below

A comprehensive list of qualified candidates, alongside several supporting documents, been submitted to the civil service commission.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The correct auxiliary verb to complete the sentence is 'has'.
The head noun of the sentence is the singular noun 'list'. Expressions introduced by 'alongside', 'as well as', 'together with', or 'in addition to' are prepositional modifiers and do not alter the singular number of the subject. Therefore, the singular auxiliary verb 'has' is required to maintain grammatical concord.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical subject of the sentence.
The core subject noun head is 'list' (singular), modified by the prepositional phrase 'of qualified candidates'.
Nouns inside prepositional phrases modifying the main subject do not change the number of the subject.
2
Analyze the parenthetical expression introducing additional items.
The phrase 'alongside several supporting documents' is a parenthetical prepositional modifier.
Expressions introduced by prepositions like 'alongside', 'together with', 'as well as', or 'in addition to' are parenthetical and do not pluralize the head subject.
3
Select the correct singular auxiliary verb form to complement 'been submitted'.
The singular present-perfect auxiliary verb 'has' agrees with the singular head subject 'list'.
A singular head subject requires a singular verb form ('has' rather than plural 'have').

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement with Intervening Prepositional and Parenthetical Expressions
Estimated Time:50s
Question 156Question →

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

'The chief security officer should have clamped down on the illegal bunkering activities long ago.'

Show answer & explanation

Answer: The illegal bunkering activities should have been clamped down on by the chief security officer long ago.

Answer

The illegal bunkering activities should have been clamped down on by the chief security officer long ago.
The correct option properly changes the active object ('the illegal bunkering activities') into the passive subject, applies the accurate passive modal perfect structure ('should have been clamped'), retains the phrasal verb particle ('on'), and correctly attributes the agent ('by the chief security officer').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the active subject, verb phrase, prepositional particle, and direct object.
Subject: 'The chief security officer'; Verb phrase: 'should have clamped'; Particle: 'down on'; Object: 'the illegal bunkering activities'.
Converting an active sentence to passive requires making the active object the passive subject.
2
Shift the direct object to the sentence initial position and convert the modal perfect verb phrase to passive.
'should have clamped' becomes 'should have been clamped'.
The passive form of a modal perfect construction ('modal + have + past participle') is 'modal + have + been + past participle'.
3
Retain the phrasal verb particles and attach the agentive prepositional phrase.
'clamped down on by the chief security officer'.
Phrasal verbs must retain their attached particles ('down on') when converted into the passive voice.

Key Concept

Active to Passive Transformation with Modal Perfects and Phrasal Verbs
Question 157Question →

In standard English grammar, how is the active sentence below correctly expressed in the passive voice?

'The senate committee has handed down a stern query to the permanent secretary regarding the unbudgeted expenditure.'

Show answer & explanation

Answer: A stern query has been handed down to the permanent secretary by the senate committee regarding the unbudgeted expenditure.

Answer

The correct passive transformation is 'A stern query has been handed down to the permanent secretary by the senate committee regarding the unbudgeted expenditure.'
The sentence starting with 'A stern query has been handed down...' accurately shifts the direct object to the subject position, correctly uses the present perfect passive auxiliary structure ('has been'), retains the subject-verb concord with the singular noun 'query', and preserves the complete phrasal verb particle 'down'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the subject, active verb phrase, direct object, and prepositional particle of the active sentence.
Subject = 'The senate committee', Active Verb Phrase = 'has handed down', Direct Object = 'a stern query'.
The direct object of the active sentence must become the grammatical subject of the passive sentence.
2
Form the passive verb construction matching the tense and aspect of the original sentence.
Present perfect active ('has handed down') becomes present perfect passive ('has been handed down').
Tense, aspect, and phrasal particles must remain invariant during passive voice transformation.
3
Verify subject-verb agreement (concord) between the new subject and auxiliary verb.
The singular subject 'A stern query' agrees with the singular auxiliary 'has'.
The verb must agree in number with the actual head noun of the subject phrase.

Key Concept

Passive Voice Transformation of Phrasal Verbs in Present Perfect Tense
Question 158Question →

Not until the judicial panel ______ all the cross-examined testimonies did the presiding judge deliver the final verdict. Which of the options correctly completes the sentence?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: had reviewed

Answer

The correct option is 'had reviewed' because the past perfect tense is required to indicate an action completed prior to another past action in an inverted past temporal structure.
In complex sentences introduced by negative time adverbials such as 'Not until', an action that occurs and finishes before another past event must be rendered in the past perfect tense ('had reviewed'). The main clause verb ('did... deliver') sets the timeframe in the past, making the past perfect aspect grammatically mandatory for the earlier action.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the main clause time frame and sentence structure.
The main clause uses inverted past tense syntax ('did the presiding judge deliver'), indicating the main narrative event occurred in the past.
Establishing the temporal reference point determines the necessary verb tense for dependent clauses.
2
Determine the chronological relationship between the two events.
The reviewing of testimonies by the judicial panel had to be fully completed before the judge delivered the final verdict.
An action that is completed prior to another past action requires the past perfect tense ('had' + past participle).
3
Select the verb form that satisfies past perfect tense-aspect requirements.
'had reviewed' correctly fulfills the past perfect aspect requirement.
Present tense or modal variations fail to express the necessary prior past completion.

Key Concept

Sequence of Tenses and Past Perfect Aspect with Inverted Adverbials
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 159Question →

Neither of the two accountants who were shortlisted for the managerial post ______ able to satisfy the board of directors during yesterday's interview. Which option correctly completes the sentence?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: was

Answer

was
The sentence requires a singular past-tense verb to agree with the singular head subject 'Neither'. Although the noun phrase 'the two accountants' and the relative verb 'were shortlisted' are plural, modifier elements do not change the singular concord requirement of 'Neither'. Therefore, the singular past-tense verb 'was' is the correct choice.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the head subject of the sentence.
The head subject is the singular indefinite pronoun 'Neither'.
Prepositional phrases like 'of the two accountants' and relative clauses like 'who were shortlisted...' modify the head subject but do not alter its grammatical number.
2
Determine the required number and tense for the main verb.
The verb must be singular in number and past in tense.
The head subject 'Neither' requires a singular verb, and the temporal modifier 'yesterday's interview' requires past tense.
3
Select the option that meets both agreement and tense requirements.
The word 'was' is selected.
'Was' is the singular past-tense form of the verb 'to be'.

Key Concept

Indefinite Pronoun Concord
Question 160Question →

Which of the following sentences correctly avoids a dangling modifier?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: Having evaluated the epidemiological data from the rural clinics, the public health team recommended an immediate intervention.

Answer

The sentence reading 'Having evaluated the epidemiological data from the rural clinics, the public health team recommended an immediate intervention.' is grammatically correct.
The option beginning with 'Having evaluated the epidemiological data from the rural clinics, the public health team...' is correct because the introductory participial phrase logically modifies 'the public health team'. In standard English grammar, when a sentence opens with a participial modifier, the subject of the main clause must be the explicit doer of the action in that modifier.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the introductory participial modifier.
The participial phrase is 'Having evaluated the epidemiological data from the rural clinics.'
An introductory participial phrase functions as an adjectival modifier and must describe the subject of the main clause.
2
Analyze the head noun/subject following the comma in each option.
The main subjects are 'the public health team', 'an immediate intervention', 'the final report', and 'it'.
The noun immediately following the introductory phrase must be capable of performing the action expressed in the modifier.
3
Determine which subject logically performed the evaluation.
Only 'the public health team' can actively evaluate data.
Attaching the participial phrase to non-human entities or dummy pronouns creates an ungrammatical dangling modifier.

Key Concept

Dangling and Misplaced Participial Modifiers
Estimated Time:1m 0s
PreviousPage 8 / 46Next
Grammatical Structure Practice Questions — JAMB UTME — Page 8 | Examkin