Directions for Question (1 – 10): This question presents a sentence, all or part of which is colored. Beneath the sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined part. The first of these repeats the original; the other four are different. If you think the original is best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose one of the others.
Question.1. A “calendar stick” carved centuries ago by the Winnebago tribe may provide the first evidence that the North American Indians have developed advanced full-year calendars basing them on systematic astronomical observation.
(A) that the North American Indians have developed advanced full-year calendars basing them
(B) of the North American Indians who have developed advanced full-year calendars and based them
(C) of the development of advanced full-year calendars by North American Indians, basing them
(D) of the North American Indians and their development of advanced full-year calendars based
(E) that the North American Indians developed advanced full-year calendars based
(B) of the North American Indians who have developed advanced full-year calendars and based them
(C) of the development of advanced full-year calendars by North American Indians, basing them
(D) of the North American Indians and their development of advanced full-year calendars based
(E) that the North American Indians developed advanced full-year calendars based
Question.2. A letter by Mark Twain, written in the same year as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn were published, reveals that Twain provided financial assistance to one of the first Black students at Yale Law School.
(A) A letter by Mark Twain, written in the same year as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn were published,
(B) A letter by Mark Twain, written in the same year of publication as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,
(C) A letter by Mark Twain, written in the same year that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published,
(D) Mark Twain wrote a letter in the same year as he published The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that
(E) Mark Twain wrote a letter in the same year of publication as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that
(A) A letter by Mark Twain, written in the same year as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn were published,
(B) A letter by Mark Twain, written in the same year of publication as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,
(C) A letter by Mark Twain, written in the same year that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published,
(D) Mark Twain wrote a letter in the same year as he published The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that
(E) Mark Twain wrote a letter in the same year of publication as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that
Question.3. A little under a million years ago, the briny waters of the Baltic Sea began flooding into the cold North Atlantic: geologists are still debating whether the flood was gradual or created a cataclysm.
(A) whether the flood was gradual or created a cataclysm
(B) if the flood was gradual or created a cataclysm
(C) about whether the flood was gradual or cataclysmic
(D) whether the flood was gradual or cataclysmic
(E) whether the flood was gradual or it created a cataclysm
(A) whether the flood was gradual or created a cataclysm
(B) if the flood was gradual or created a cataclysm
(C) about whether the flood was gradual or cataclysmic
(D) whether the flood was gradual or cataclysmic
(E) whether the flood was gradual or it created a cataclysm
Question.4. A majority of the international journalists surveyed view nuclear power stations as unsafe at present but that they will, or could, be made sufficiently safe in the future.
(A) that they will, or could,
(B) that they would, or could,
(C) they will be or could
(D) think that they will be or could
(E) think the power stations would or could
(A) that they will, or could,
(B) that they would, or could,
(C) they will be or could
(D) think that they will be or could
(E) think the power stations would or could
Question.5. A migraine typically afflicts one side of the head, lasts for hours or days, and may recur as infrequently as once every other month or often, as daily.
(A) as infrequently as once every other month or often, as
(B) as infrequently as once every other month or as often as
(C) infrequently, as often as once every other month, or often, like
(D) infrequently, like once every other month, or often, like
(E) infrequently, like once every other month, or as often as
(A) as infrequently as once every other month or often, as
(B) as infrequently as once every other month or as often as
(C) infrequently, as often as once every other month, or often, like
(D) infrequently, like once every other month, or often, like
(E) infrequently, like once every other month, or as often as
Question.6. A new phenomena, which is visible at Managua’s major intersections, are waves of vendors and beggars, which include many children and mob cars at the stoplights.
(A) A new phenomena, which is visible at Managua’s major intersections, are waves of vendors and beggars, which include many children and
(B) Visible at Managua’s major intersections are waves of vendors and beggars with many children, new phenomena that
(C) A new phenomenon visible at Managua’s major intersections is waves of vendors and beggars, many of them children, who
(D) Phenomenally new waves of vendors, beggars, and many children are visible at Managua’s major intersections, which
(E) A wave of vendors and beggars, many of whom are children, are visible at Managua’s major intersections, where they are a new phenomenon and
(A) A new phenomena, which is visible at Managua’s major intersections, are waves of vendors and beggars, which include many children and
(B) Visible at Managua’s major intersections are waves of vendors and beggars with many children, new phenomena that
(C) A new phenomenon visible at Managua’s major intersections is waves of vendors and beggars, many of them children, who
(D) Phenomenally new waves of vendors, beggars, and many children are visible at Managua’s major intersections, which
(E) A wave of vendors and beggars, many of whom are children, are visible at Managua’s major intersections, where they are a new phenomenon and
Question.7. A number of linguists contend that all of the thousands of languages spoken by the world’s five billion people can be traced back to a common root language.
(A) that all of the thousands of languages spoken by the world’s five billion people can be traced
(B) that the world’s five billion people speak thousands of languages of which all can be traced
(C) the world’s five billion people speak thousands of languages which are all traceable
(D) all of the thousands of languages spoken by the world’s five billion people to be traceable
(E) the ability to trace all of the thousands of languages that are spoken by the world’s five billion people
(A) that all of the thousands of languages spoken by the world’s five billion people can be traced
(B) that the world’s five billion people speak thousands of languages of which all can be traced
(C) the world’s five billion people speak thousands of languages which are all traceable
(D) all of the thousands of languages spoken by the world’s five billion people to be traceable
(E) the ability to trace all of the thousands of languages that are spoken by the world’s five billion people
Question.8. A patient accusing a doctor of malpractice will find it difficult to prove damage if there is a lack of some other doctor to testify about proper medical procedures.
(A) if there is a lack of some other doctor to testify
(B) unless there will be another doctor to testify
(C) without another doctor’s testimony
(D) should there be no testimony from some other doctor
(E) lacking another doctor to testify
(A) if there is a lack of some other doctor to testify
(B) unless there will be another doctor to testify
(C) without another doctor’s testimony
(D) should there be no testimony from some other doctor
(E) lacking another doctor to testify
Question.9. A peculiar feature of the embryonic mammalian circulatory system is that in the area of the heart the cells adhere to one another, beating in unison and adopting specialized orientations exclusive of one another.
(A) beating in unison and adopting
(B) they beat in unison while adopting
(C) beat in unison, and adopt
(D) beating in unison yet adopting
(E) even though they beat in unison and adopt
(A) beating in unison and adopting
(B) they beat in unison while adopting
(C) beat in unison, and adopt
(D) beating in unison yet adopting
(E) even though they beat in unison and adopt
Question.10. A President entering the final two years of a second term is likely to be at a severe disadvantage and is often unable to carry out a legislative program.
(A) likely to be at a severe disadvantage and is often unable to
(B) likely severely disadvantaged and often unable to
(C) liable to be severely disadvantaged and cannot often
(D) liable that he or she is at a severe disadvantage and cannot often
(E) at a severe disadvantage, often likely to be unable that he or she can
(A) likely to be at a severe disadvantage and is often unable to
(B) likely severely disadvantaged and often unable to
(C) liable to be severely disadvantaged and cannot often
(D) liable that he or she is at a severe disadvantage and cannot often
(E) at a severe disadvantage, often likely to be unable that he or she can
Answers & Explanations:
Answer.1. E is the best choice as it only maintains parallelism — carved… developed….based.
Answer.2. C is the best choice.
Sub-verb agreement + idiom + logic
A can be eliminated because of ‘were published’. The book needs the singular form ‘was’.
B can be eliminated because it changes the meaning through the use of “same year of publication as”.
D can be eliminated because of the use of ‘he published’.
E repeats the mistake in B, “same year of publication as”.
Sub-verb agreement + idiom + logic
A can be eliminated because of ‘were published’. The book needs the singular form ‘was’.
B can be eliminated because it changes the meaning through the use of “same year of publication as”.
D can be eliminated because of the use of ‘he published’.
E repeats the mistake in B, “same year of publication as”.
Answer.3. D is the best choice.
A is wrong because the things before and after ‘or’ are not parallel; i.e. “was gradual” and “created a cataclysm” are not parallel.
B is wrong because ‘whether’ is always better than ‘if’.
C uses an extra word ‘about’. We never debate ‘about’ something, we debate ‘over’ something.
E repeats the mistake in A.
A is wrong because the things before and after ‘or’ are not parallel; i.e. “was gradual” and “created a cataclysm” are not parallel.
B is wrong because ‘whether’ is always better than ‘if’.
C uses an extra word ‘about’. We never debate ‘about’ something, we debate ‘over’ something.
E repeats the mistake in A.
Answer.4. D is the best choice.
Parallelism + Pronoun
Parallelism + Pronoun
For parallelism, the correct usage should be “view nuclear power stations…but think”.
Hence, A, B, and C can be eliminated.
E unnecessarily uses ‘power stations’ rather than the pronoun ‘they’. Please understand that there is no problem of reference with ‘they’ here. It cannot refer to international journalists as the term is “A majority of the international journalists”
Hence, A, B, and C can be eliminated.
E unnecessarily uses ‘power stations’ rather than the pronoun ‘they’. Please understand that there is no problem of reference with ‘they’ here. It cannot refer to international journalists as the term is “A majority of the international journalists”
Answer.5. B is the best choice.
Rules of Parallelism will be applied here, Correct idiomatic and parallel structure are “as infrequently as” “as often as”.
Rules of Parallelism will be applied here, Correct idiomatic and parallel structure are “as infrequently as” “as often as”.
Answer.6. C is the best choice. “Phenomena” is plural which can’t be used because indefinite article “A” is qualifying it, so “phenomenon” would be there. Again, “are” will be replaced with “is” in the sentence “IS waves of vendors and beggars,” because “is” is referring to “phenomenon”. And in the last ‘Children, who’ should be the last two underlined words for correct meaning of the sentence, i.e. children mob cars and not phenomena or intersections mob the car.
Hence, C is the best choice.
Hence, C is the best choice.
Answer.7. A is the best choice.
Idiom*
Idiom*
Contend + that is the correct usage.
Hence, C, D, and E can be eliminated.
B is indirect and awkward.
Hence, C, D, and E can be eliminated.
B is indirect and awkward.
Answer.8. C is the best choice.
Idioms + tenses + wordiness
Idioms + tenses + wordiness
A can be eliminated because of use of ‘if’. (There is no if…then flow here).
B is wrong because of use of ‘will be’.
D is wordy.
E is awkward.
B is wrong because of use of ‘will be’.
D is wordy.
E is awkward.
Answer.9. D is the best choice.
Rules of Modifiers will be applied:
Rules of Modifiers will be applied:
There is a cause, effect relationship between the parts of sentence that are before and after the comma. Hence, the first underlined word should have ‘ing’ form.
Thus, B, C, and E can be eliminated.
“Yet adopting” is better than “and adopting” as per meaning of the sentence and hence, D is the best choice.
Thus, B, C, and E can be eliminated.
“Yet adopting” is better than “and adopting” as per meaning of the sentence and hence, D is the best choice.
Answer.10. A is the best choice.
Redundancy is there.
Redundancy is there.
C and D can be eliminated because of the use of ‘liable’, which changes meaning of the sentence.
B is awkward because of the use of “likely severely disadvantaged”
E is wordy and awkward.
B is awkward because of the use of “likely severely disadvantaged”
E is wordy and awkward.
