100-question quiz - Grammar

The little red writing book - Brandon Royal 2007

100-question quiz
Grammar

Grammar

Chapter 1

It’s not wise to violate the rules

until you know how to observe them.


—T.S. Eliot

100-question quiz

The following 100-question quiz (Q1 to Q100) provides a highly distilled review of grammar, diction, and idioms. The first segment of this quiz addresses grammar and is built on the “big six” grammar categories: subject-verb agreement, modification, pronoun usage, parallelism, comparisons, and verb tenses. The “big six” grammar categories provide a way to break grammar into those areas where errors are most likely to occur. Once we study the rules within each category, we can immediately apply them to many practical writing situations.

Many of the terms used in this section are defined in the following sections titled Grammatical Munchkins and Word Gremlins. These sections can be reviewed first, before attempting quiz questions, if a more technical grounding is desired. Special notes, marked by "Note," provide additional commentary as needed.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

The overarching principle regarding subject-verb agreement is that singular subjects require singular verbs while plural subjects take plural verbs. Our objective is to identify the subject in order to determine whether the verb is singular or plural.

Rule 1: “And” always creates a compound subject.

Q1: An office clerk and a machinist (was / were) present but unhurt by the on-site explosion.

See solution

The only connecting word that can make a series of singular nouns into a plural subject is “and.” In fact, “and” always creates a plural subject with but one exception, as noted in the next rule.

Rule 2: If two items joined by “and” are deemed to be a single unit, then the subject is considered singular, and a singular verb is required.

Q2: Eggs and bacon (is / are) Tiffany’s favorite breakfast.

See solution

Rule 3: When the subject of a sentence consists of two items joined by “or,” the subject may either singular or plural. If the two items joined by “or” are both singular, then the subject and verb are singular. If the two items joined by “or” are both plural, then the subject and verb are plural. If one of the two items joined by “or” is singular and the other plural, the verb matches the subject that comes after “or.”

Q3: In the game of chess, capturing one knight or three pawns (yields / yield) the same point value.

See solution

Rule 4: “Pseudo-compound subjects” do not make singular subjects plural.

Pseudo-compound subjects include the following: as well as, along with, besides, in addition to, and together with.

Q4: A seventeenth-century oil painting, along with several antique vases, (has / have) been placed on the auction block.

See solution

Rule 5: Prepositional phrases (i.e., phrases introduced by a preposition) can never contain the subject of a sentence.

Some of the most common prepositions include of, in, to, by, for, and from. A definition of the word “preposition,” as well as a glossary of other grammatical terms, can be found in the following section titled Grammatical Munchkins.

Q5: The purpose of the executive, administrative, and legislative branches of government (is / are) to provide a system of checks and balances.

See solution

Rule 6: “There is/there are” and “here is/here are” constructions represent special situations where the verb comes before the subject, not after the subject.

The normal order in English sentences is subject-verb-object (think S-V-O). “There is/there are” and “here is/here are” sentences are tricky because they create situations in which the verb comes before the subject. Thus, these sentence constructions require that we look past the verb — “is” or “are” in this case — in order to identify the subject.

Q6: Here (is / are) the introduction and chapters one through five.

See solution

Q7: (Is / are) there any squash courts available?

See solution

Note: It is a common mistake to use the singular contraction “here’s” when referring to a plural subject. Consider this sentence: “Here’s the pictures you asked about.” The contraction “here’s” stands for “here is.” The sentence thereby reads: “Here is the pictures you asked about.” To correct this, we should avoid the contraction “here’s” and write “Here are the pictures you asked about.” On the other hand, it would be correct to write: “Here’s the list you were looking for.” The singular “list” matches the verb “is.”

Rule 7: When acting as subjects of a sentence, gerunds and infinitives are always singular and require singular verbs.

Q8: Entertaining multiple goals (makes / make) a person’s life stressful.

See solution

Chart of Indefinite Pronouns

Exhibit 1.1

Rule 8: “-One,” “-body,” and “-thing” indefinite pronouns are always singular.

Q9: One in every three new businesses (fails / fail) within the first five years of operation.

See solution

Rule 9: Certain indefinite pronouns — “both,” “few,” “many,” and “several” — are always plural.

Q10: Few of the students, if any, (is / are) ready for the test.

See solution

Rule 10: “Some” and “none” indefinite pronouns may be singular or plural.

Q11: Some of the story (makes / make) sense.

See solution

Q12: Some of the comedians (was / were) hilarious.

See solution

Q13: None of the candidates (has / have) any previous political experience.

See solution

Rule 11: In “either … or” and “neither … nor” constructions, the verb matches the subject which comes directly after the “or” or “nor.”

Q14: Either Johann or Cecilia (is / are) qualified to act as manager.

See solution

Q15: Neither management nor workers (is / are) satisfied with the new contract.

See solution

Rule 12: Collective nouns denote a group of individuals (e.g., family, government, assembly, crew). If the collective noun refers to a group as a whole or the idea of oneness predominates, use a singular verb. If not, use a plural verb.

Q16: Our group (is / are) meeting at 6 p.m.

See solution

Q17: A group of latecomers (was / were) escorted to their seats.

See solution

Rule 13: “The number” is a singular noun and takes a singular verb. “A number” is plural and takes a plural verb.

Q18: The number of road accidents (has / have) decreased.

See solution

Q19: A number of train accidents (has / have) occurred.

See solution

Rule 14: Percents or fractions, when followed by an “of phrase,” can take a singular or plural verb. The key lies in determining whether the noun within the “of phrase” is singular or plural.

Q20: Fifty percent of video gaming (is / are) having great reflexes.

See solution

Q21: Two-thirds of their classmates (has / have) wakeboards.

See solution

Rule 15: Measurements involving money (e.g., dollars, pounds), time (e.g., five years, the fifties), weight (e.g., pounds, kilograms), or volume (e.g., gallons, kilograms) are always singular and take singular verbs.

Q22: Ten dollars (is / are) an average daily wage for many people in the developing world.

See solution

PRONOUN USAGE

Problems relating to pronoun usage typically center on personal pronouns. Three areas of confusion may include: choosing between the subjective or objective forms of personal pronouns, making sure pronouns agree in number with their antecedents, and ensuring that pronouns are not ambiguous in context.

Chart of Personal Pronouns

Exhibit 1.2

Rule 16: As a general guide, pronouns at or near the front of a sentence take their subjective forms; pronouns at or near the back of a sentence take their objective forms. The precise rule, however, is that pronouns take their subjective form when they are subjects of a verb; they take their objective form when they are objects of a verb.

Q23: The present is from Beth and (she / her).

See solution

Q24: Cousin Vinny and (he / him) are both valedictorians.

See solution

Rule 17: Pronouns take their objective form when they are the direct objects of prepositions.

Q25: Between you and (I / me), this plan makes a lot of sense.

See solution

Q26: Do not ask for (who / whom) the bell tolls.

See solution

Q27: People like you and (I / me) should know better.

See solution

Rule 18: When forming comparisons using “than” or “as … as,” supply any “missing words” (e.g., a verb in the examples below) in order to determine whether the subjective or objective form of the pronoun is correct.

Q28: My nephew is taller than (I / me).

See solution

Q29: We skate as fast as (they / them).

See solution

Q30: During our group presentation, our teacher asked you more questions than (I / me).

See solution

Rule 19: Who vs. Whom. “Who” is the subjective form of the pronoun, and “whom” is the objective form of the pronoun. If “he,” “she,” or “they” can be substituted for a pronoun in context, the correct form is “who.” If “him,” “her,” or “them” can be substituted for a pronoun in context, the correct form is “whom.”

Q31: The woman (who / whom) is responsible for pension planning is Mrs. Green.

See solution

Q32: This gift is intended for (who / whom)?

See solution

Rule 20: Do not use a reflexive pronoun (a pronoun ending in “-self”) if an ordinary personal pronoun will suffice.

Q33: The tour leader told Julie and (me / myself) to turn off our cell phones.

See solution

Q34: Young Robert hurt (him / himself) while climbing alone.

See solution

Rule 21: Pronouns must agree in number with their antecedents.

Q35: A not-for-profit, like any other organization, has (its / their) own rules and regulations to follow.

See solution

Q36: Everybody should mind (his or her / their) own business.

See solution

Note: There is something known today as the “singular they.” Although it is not considered proper in formal writing (and formal speech), in informal writing (and colloquial speech), it is ever common to see or hear the word “they” used to refer to a singular subject. For example: “Any parent knows that they have to be involved in a child’s education.” Although “parent” is singular, it is matched with the plural pronoun “they.”

Rule 22: Pronouns should not be ambiguous in context. If a pronoun does not refer clearly to a specific noun, it results in a situation of “ambiguous pronoun reference.”

Ambiguous: Sam never argues with his father when he is drunk.

Q37: Sam never argues with his father when ________ is drunk.

See solution

Rule 23: “Pronoun shifts,” also known as “shifts in point of view,” involve the inconsistent matching of pronouns, either in terms of person or number. Within a single sentence (and perhaps within an entire paragraph or writing piece), first person should be matched with first person, second person matched with second person, and third person matched with third person. A common violation involves matching the third-person “one” or “a person” with the second-person “you.” Another violation involves matching the third-person singular “he,” “she,” “one,” or “a person” with the third-person plural “they.”

Incorrect: To know that a person can’t vote is to know that you don’t have a voice.

Q38: To know that a person can’t vote is to know that ________ have a voice.

See solution

Incorrect: One cannot really understand another country until they have studied its history and culture.

Q39: One cannot really understand another country until ________ studied its history and culture.

See solution

MODIFICATION

Modifiers, including modifying phrases, must be placed as close as possible to the nouns they modify. As a mostly uninflected language, English depends heavily on word order to establish modifying relationships. Therefore, the position of words is important. Confusion occurs because most modifiers attach themselves to the first thing they can “get their hands on” in the sentence, even if it isn’t the right thing.

Rule 24: A misplaced modifier refers to a word which, because of its placement within a sentence, no longer modifies what it originally was intended to modify.

Incorrect: He told her he wanted to marry her frequently.

Q40: He __________ told her he wanted to marry her.

See solution

Incorrect: Coming out of the wood, the janitor was surprised to find termites.

Q41: The janitor was surprised to find termites ___________________________________.

See solution

Rule 25: A dangling modifier refers to a situation in which the thing being modified is absent from the sentence.

Incorrect: After writing the introduction, the rest of the report was easy.

Q42: After writing the introduction, __________ easily drafted the rest of the report.

See solution

Incorrect: Walking along the shore, fish could be seen jumping in the lake.

Q43: Walking along the shore, __________ could see fish jumping in the lake.

See solution

Rule 26: Occasionally, a modifier or modifying phrase may accidentally be placed where it could modify either of the two words or phrases. This situation results in a “squinting modifier.” Because it is unclear which of two words or phrases are being modified, the writer should consider rewriting this sentence to clear up this ambiguity.

Incorrect: She said in her office she had a copy of the map.

Q44: She said she had __________ lying in her office.

See solution

Rule 27: Whenever a sentence opens with a phrase or clause that is set off by a comma, check to make sure that the first word that follows the comma is properly being modified by the opening phrase or clause that precedes it.

Incorrect: In addition to building organizational skills, the summer internship also helped me hone my team-building skills.

Q45: In addition to building organizational skills, ___________________________________________.

See solution

Incorrect: An incredibly complex mechanism, there are some 10 billion nerve cells in the brain.

Q46: An incredibly complex mechanism, __________ has some 10 billion nerve cells.

See solution

Incorrect: Based on our observations, the project will succeed.

Q47: ________________________________________.

See solution

PARALLELISM

Parallelism is both a style issue and a grammar issue. In other words, certain elements of parallelism are based on principle and are deemed to be more effective or less effective, better or worse, while other elements are based on rules and are considered correct or incorrect, right or wrong.

The overarching principle regarding parallelism is that similar elements in a sentence must be written in similar form.

Rule 28: Verbs should follow consistent form. Typically this means that all verbs should end in “-ed” or “-ing.”

Incorrect: In the summer before college, Max was a waiter at a restaurant, pursued magazine sales, and even had a stint at delivering pizzas.

Q48: In the summer before college, Max __________ tables, __________ magazines, and even __________ pizzas.

See solution

Rule 29: When prepositions are used before items in a series of three, there are two possibilities with regard to their use. Either a single preposition is used before the first item in a series (but not with the next two items) or prepositions are used before each item in the series.

Incorrect: Our neighbors went to London, Athens, and to Rome.

Q49: Our neighbors went ________ London, Athens, and Rome.

See solution

Q50: Our neighbors went ________ London, ________ Athens, and ________ Rome.

See solution

Rule 30: Correlative conjunctions (e.g., "either … or," "neither … nor," "not only … but also," and "both … and") require that parallelism be maintained after each component part of the correlative.

Incorrect: Jonathan not only likes rugby but also kayaking.

Q51: Jonathan ________________________ rugby but also kayaking.

See solution

Q52: Jonathan ________________________ rugby but also ________ kayaking.

See solution

Rule 31: Gerunds and infinitives should be presented in parallel form. Where possible, gerunds are matched with gerunds and infinitives are matched with infinitives.

Less effective: Examining the works of William Shakespeare — his plays and poetry — is to marvel at one man’s seemingly incomparable depth of literary expression.

Q53: ________ the works of William Shakespeare — his plays and poetry — is to marvel at one man’s seemingly incomparable depth of literary expression.

See solution

Rule 32: At times we can acceptably omit words in a sentence and still retain clear meaning. To check for faulty parallelism (in this context it is also known as improper use of ellipsis), complete each sentence component and make sure that each part of the sentence can stand on its own.

Incorrect: In the Phantom of the Opera play, the music is terrific and the stage props superb.

Q54: In the Phantom of the Opera play, the music is terrific and the stage props ________ superb.

See solution

Incorrect: The defendant’s own testimony on the stand neither contributed nor detracted from his claim of innocence.

Q55: The defendant’s own testimony on the stand neither contributed ________ nor detracted from his claim of innocence.

See solution

COMPARISONS

The overarching principle in comparisons requires that we compare apples with apples and oranges with oranges.

Rule 33: The superlative (“-est”) is used when comparing three or more persons or things; the comparative (“-er”) is used when comparing exactly two persons or things.

Q56: Between Tom and Brenda, Tom is (better / best) at math.

See solution

Q57: Among our group, Jeff is the (wealthier / wealthiest) person.

See solution

Q58: Of all the roses in our neighborhood, Chauncey Gardiner’s grow the (more / most) vigorously.

See solution

Q59: Chauncey Gardiner’s roses grow (more / most) vigorously than any other in the neighborhood.

See solution

Rule 34: Remember to compare the characteristics of one thing to the characteristics of another thing, not the characteristics of one thing directly to another thing.

Incorrect: Tokyo’s population is greater than Beijing.

Q60: Tokyo’s population is greater than the ________ of Beijing.

See solution

Q61: Tokyo’s population is greater than Beijing’s ________.

See solution

Q62: Tokyo’s population is greater than that of ________.

See solution

Q63: Tokyo’s population is greater than ___________.

See solution

Incorrect: Of all the countries contiguous to India, Pakistan’s borders are most strongly defended.

Q64: Of all the countries contiguous to India, ____________________________.

See solution

Rule 35: Faulty or improper comparisons often leave out key words, particularly demonstrative pronouns such as “those” and “that,” which are essential to meaning.

Incorrect: The attention span of a dolphin is greater than a chimpanzee.

Q65: The attention span of a dolphin is greater than ________ a chimpanzee.

See solution

Incorrect: The requirements of a medical degree are more stringent than a law degree.

Q66: The requirements of a medical degree are more stringent than ________ a law degree.

See solution

Incorrect: Like many politicians, the senator’s promises sounded good but ultimately led to nothing.

Q67: Like ________________________ many politicians, the senator’s promises sounded good but ultimately led to nothing.

See solution

Rule 36: “Like” is used with phrases. “As” is used with clauses. A “phrase” is a group of related words that doesn’t have both a subject and a verb. A “clause” is a group of related words that does have a subject and a verb. An easier way to remember the difference is to simply say, “A phrase is a group of words which doesn’t have a verb; a clause is a group of words which does have a verb.”

Q68: No one hits home runs (as / like) Barry Bonds.

See solution

Q69: No one pitches (as / like) Roy Halladay does.

See solution

VERB TENSES

The Simple and Progressive Verb Forms

Exhibit 1.3

Visualizing the Six Verb Tenses

Exhibit 1.4

Rule 37: Consistent use of verb tenses generally requires that a single sentence be written solely in the present, past, or future tense.

Q70: My dog barks when he (sees / saw) my neighbor’s cat.

See solution

Q71: Yesterday afternoon, smoke (fills / filled) the sky and sirens sounded.

See solution

Q72: Tomorrow, we (will go / will have gone) to the football game.

See solution

Rule 38: The present perfect tense employs the verbs “has” or “have.” The past perfect tense employs the auxiliary “had.” The future perfect tense employs the verb form “will have.”

Q73: We are raising money for the new scholarship fund. So far we (raised / have raised / had raised) $25,000.

See solution

Q74: By the time I began playing golf, I (played / had played) tennis for three hours.

See solution

Q75: Larry (studied / has studied / had studied) Russian for five years before he went to work in Moscow.

See solution

Q76: By the time evening arrives, we (finished / had finished / will have finished) the task at hand.

See solution

Rule 39: The subjunctive mood uses the verb “were” instead of “was.” The subjunctive mood is used to indicate a hypothetical situation — it may express a wish, doubt, or possibility. It is also used to indicate a contrary-to-fact situation.

Q77: Sometimes she wishes she (was / were) on a tropical island having a drink at sunset.

See solution

Q78: If I (was / were) you, I would be feeling quite optimistic.

See solution

Rule 40: Conditional statements are most commonly expressed in an “If … then” format, in which case an “if” clause is followed by a “results” clause. Confusion often arises as to whether to use “will” or “would.” The choice between these verb forms depends on whether a given conditional statement involves the subjunctive. For situations involving the subjunctive, the appropriate verb form is “would.” For situations not involving the subjunctive, the verb form is “will.” A helpful hint is that “would” is often used in conjunction with “were” — the appearance of both these words within the same sentence is the telltale sign of the subjunctive.

Q79: If economic conditions further deteriorate, public confidence (will / would) plummet.

See solution

Q80: If economic conditions were to further deteriorate, public confidence (will / would) plummet.

See solution

Q81: If my taxes are less than $10,000, I (will / would) pay that amount immediately.

See solution

Q82: If oil (was / were) still abundant, there (will / would) be no energy crisis.

See solution

DICTION REVIEW

Diction may be thought of as "word choices." Choose the answer that conforms to the proper use of diction.

Q83: (A) Everyone of the makeup exams is tough, but anyone who misses a scheduled test with good cause is entitled to write one.

(B) Every one of the makeup exams is tough, but anyone who misses a scheduled test with good cause is entitled to write one.

(C) Every one of the makeup exams is tough, but any one who misses a scheduled test with good cause is entitled to write one.

See solution

Q84: (A) The green book, that is on the top shelf, is the one you need for math. The book which is red is the one you need for writing.

(B) The green book, which is on the top shelf, is the one you need for math. The book that is red is the one you need for writing.

(C) The green book, which is on the top shelf, is the one you need for math. The book which is red is the one you need for writing.

See solution

Q85: (A) Let’s cherish the poem “In Flanders Fields.” Remembering those who fought for our freedom lets us live easier.

(B) Lets cherish the poem “In Flanders Fields.” Remembering those who fought for our freedom let’s us live easier.

(C) Let’s cherish the poem “In Flanders Fields.” Remembering those who fought for our freedom let’s us live easier.

See solution

Q86: (A) Once we turn these dreaded assignments into the professor’s office, we’ll feel a lot less obliged to pass any information onto our classmates.

(B) Once we turn these dreaded assignments into the professor’s office, we’ll feel a lot less obliged to pass any information on to our classmates.

(C) Once we turn these dreaded assignments in to the professor’s office, we’ll feel a lot less obliged to pass any information on to our classmates.

See solution

Q87: (A) The McCorkendales didn’t used to enjoy warm weather, but that was before they moved to Morocco and got used to summer temperatures as high as 35 degrees Celsius.

(B) The McCorkendales didn’t use to enjoy warm weather, but that was before they moved to Morocco and got use to summer temperatures as high as 35 degrees Celsius.

(C) The McCorkendales didn’t use to enjoy warm weather, but that was before they moved to Morocco and got used to summer temperatures as high as 35 degrees Celsius.

See solution

IDIOMS REVIEW

Idioms may be thought of as "word expressions." Idioms, like grammar and diction, are correct or incorrect, right or wrong. Here are fifteen common idioms. Choice the answer that idiomatically correct.

Q88: (A) A choice must be made between blue and green.

(B) A choice must be made between blue or green.

See solution

Q89: (A) Many doctors consider stress a more destructive influence on one’s longevity than smoking, drinking, or overeating.

(B) Many doctors consider stress as a more destructive influence on one’s longevity than smoking, drinking, or overeating.

(C) Many doctors consider stress to be a more destructive influence on one’s longevity than smoking, drinking, or overeating.

See solution

Q90: (A) At first women were considered at low risk for HIV.

(B) At first women were considered as at low risk for HIV.

(C) At first women were considered to be at low risk for HIV.

See solution

Q91: (A) Many credit Gutenberg as having invented the printing press.

(B) Many credit Gutenberg with having invented the printing press.

See solution

Q92: (A) In the movie Silence of the Lambs, Dr. Hannibal Lecter is depicted as a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer who is confined as much by the steel bars of his cell as by the prison of his own mind.

(B) In the movie Silence of the Lambs, Dr. Hannibal Lecter is depicted to be a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer who is confined as much by the steel bars of his cell as by the prison of his own mind.

See solution

Q93: (A) Only experts can distinguish a masterpiece and a fake.

(B) Only experts can distinguish a masterpiece from a fake.

See solution

Q94: (A) Although medical practitioners have the technology to perform brain transplants, there is no clear evidence that they can do it.

(B) Although medical practitioners have the technology to perform brain transplants, there is no clear evidence that they can do so.

See solution

Q95: (A) In comparison to France, Luxembourg is an amazingly small country.

(B) In comparison with France, Luxembourg is an amazingly small country.

See solution

Q96: (A) Roger Federer won Wimbledon with a classic tennis style, in contrast to Bjorn Borg, who captured his titles using an unorthodox playing style.

(B) Roger Federer won Wimbledon with a classic tennis style, in contrast with Bjorn Borg, who captured his titles using an unorthodox playing style.

See solution

Q97: (A) There is more talk of a single North American currency today compared to ten years ago.

(B) There is more talk of a single North American currency today compared with ten years ago.

(C) There is more talk of a single North American currency today than ten years ago.

See solution

Q98 (A) I prefer blackjack over poker.

(B) I prefer blackjack to poker.

See solution

Q99: (A) Rembrandt is regarded as the greatest painter of the Renaissance period.

(B) Rembrandt is regarded to be the greatest painter of the Renaissance period.

See solution

Q100: (A) The speaker does a good job of tying motivational theory to obtainable results.

(B) The speaker does a good job of tying motivational theory with obtainable results.

See solution

ANSWERS TO THE 100-QUESTION QUIZ

Q1: An office clerk and a machinist were present but unhurt by the on-site explosion.

Back to question

Q2: Eggs and bacon is Tiffany’s favorite breakfast.

The words “eggs” and “bacon” are intimately connected and deemed to be a signal unit.

Back to question

Q3: In the game of chess, capturing one knight or three pawns yield the same point value

The subject “pawns” is plural and requires the plural verb “are.”

Back to question

Q4: A seventeenth-century oil painting, along with several antique vases, has been placed on the auction block.

Back to question

Q5: The purpose of the executive, administrative, and legislative branches of government is to provide a system of checks and balances.

(The subject of the sentence is “purpose.” The prepositional phrase “of the executive, administrative, and legislative branches of government” does not affect the verb choice.)

Back to question

Q6: Here are the introduction and chapters one through five.

(The compound subject “introduction and chapters one through five” necessitates using the plural verb “are.”)

Back to question

Q7: Are there any squash courts available?

One helpful tip is to first express this as a declarative sentence: “There are squash courts available.” Now it is easier to see that the subject is plural — squash courts — and a plural verb are is appropriate.

Back to question

Q8: Entertaining multiple goals makes a person’s life stressful.

“Entertaining multiple goals” is a gerund phrase that acts as the subject of the sentence (singular).

Back to question

Q9: One in every three new businesses fails within the first five years of operation.

Back to question

Q10: Few of the students, if any, are ready for the test.

The phrase “if any” is parenthetical, and in no way affects the plurality of the sentence.

Back to question

Q11: Some of the story makes sense.

Back to question

Q12: Some of the comedians were hilarious.

Back to question

Q13: None of the candidates have any previous political experience.

Note that if “neither” was used in place of “none,” the correct sentence would read: “Neither of the candidates has any political experience.” “Neither” is an indefinite pronoun that is always singular. “None“ is an indefinite pronoun that is singular or plural depending on context. The fact that “none” takes “have” and “neither” would take “has” is indeed a peculiarity.

Back to question

Q14: Either Johann or Cecilia is qualified to act as manager.

Back to question

Q15: Neither management nor workers are satisfied with the new contract.

Back to question

Q16: Our group is meeting at 6 p.m.

Back to question

Q17: A group of latecomers were escorted to their seats.

Back to question

Q18: The number of road accidents has decreased.

Back to question

Q19: A number of train accidents have occurred.

Back to question

Q20: Fifty percent of video gaming is having great reflexes.

Back to question

Q21: Two-thirds of their classmates have wakeboards.

Back to question

Q22: Ten dollars is an average daily wage for many people in the developing word.

Back to question

Q23: The present is from Beth and her.

Back to question

Q24: Cousin Vinny and he are both valedictorians.

Back to question

Q25: Between you and me, this plan makes a lot of sense.

The pronoun “me” (the objective form of the pronoun “I”) is the direct object of the preposition “between.”

Back to question

Q26: Do not ask for whom the bell tolls.

The pronoun “whom” (the objective form of the pronoun “who”) is the direct object of the preposition “for.”

Back to question

Q27: People like you and me should know better.

The objective form of the pronoun — “me” — must follow the preposition “like.”

Back to question

Q28: My nephew is taller than I.

In order to test this: My nephew is taller than I am.

Back to question

Q29: We skate as fast as they.

Test this: We skate as fast as they do.

Back to question

Q30: During our group presentation, our teacher asked you more questions than me.

Test this: During our group presentation, our teacher asked you more questions than she or he asked me.

Back to question

Q31: The woman who is responsible for pension planning is Mrs. Green.

She is responsible for city planning; “he/she” is substitutable for “who.”

Back to question

Q32: This gift is intended for whom?

The gift is intended for him or her; “him/her” is substitutable for “whom.”

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Q33: The tour leader told Julie and me to turn off our cell phones.

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Q34: Young Robert hurt himself while climbing alone.

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Q35: A not-for-profit, like any other organization, has its own rules and regulations to follow.

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Q36: Everybody should mind his or her own business.

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Q37: Sam never argues with his father when Sam is drunk.

The sentence “Sam never argues with his father when he is drunk” is grammatically correct but contextually vague. It is contextually vague because we feel that it is Sam who is drunk whereas, grammatically, it is Sam’s father who is actually drunk (a pronoun modifies the nearest noun that came before it; here the pronoun “he” modifies the noun “father”). The sentence needs to be rephrased to clear up potential ambiguity. The most direct way to achieve this is to replace the pronoun “he” with the noun it is intended to refer to, namely Sam. Note that another way to clear up this ambiguity is to restructure this sentence as follows: “When he is drunk, Sam never argues with his father.”

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Q38: To know that a person can’t vote is to know that he or she doesn’t have a voice.

A “person” is a noun in the third person and the correct answer must be a pronoun that matches it in the third person.

Other correct options would include:

To know that a person can’t vote is to know that a person doesn’t have a voice.

To know that a person can’t vote is to know that one doesn’t have a voice.

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Q39: One cannot really understand another country until one has studied its history and culture.

We have essentially five ways to validate this sentence — “one has,” “a person has,” “he has,” “she has,” or “he or she has.” In the latter option, using “he or she has” keeps writing gender neutral (politically correct). The grammatical reason that the original does the work is because “one” is a third-person singular pronoun while “they” is a third-person plural pronoun. Thus, we have a pronoun shift or a shift in viewpoint. Any answer must also be in the third-person singular. Given the opportunity to rewrite the original sentence, two other correct options would also include:

You cannot really understand another country unless you have studied its history and culture.

Here, the second-person pronoun “you” is matched with the second-person pronoun “you.”

We cannot really understand another country unless we have studied its history and culture. Here the first-person plural pronoun “we” is matched with the first-person plural pronoun “we.”

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Q40: He frequently told her he wanted to marry her.

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Q41: The janitor was surprised to find termites coming out of the wood.

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Q42: After writing the introduction, I easily drafted the rest of the report.

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Q43: Walking along the shore, the couple could see fish jumping in the lake.

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Q44: She said she had a copy of the map lying in her office.

(She is presently not in her office but the map is.)

Also: While we were sitting in her office, she told me she had a copy of the map.

(She is in her office with or without the map.)

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Q45: In addition to building organizational skills, I also honed my team-building skills during the summer internship.

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Q46: An incredibly complex mechanism, the brain has some 10 billion nerve cells.

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Q47: On the basis of our observations, we believe the project will succeed.

Firstly, “the project” is not based on our observations. Observations must be made by people, so “we” is an appropriate substitute. Secondly, the phrase “based on” is incorrect because we cannot be physically standing on our observations or attached to them. The correct phraseology is “on the basis of.” In general, “based on” is not an appropriate modifier to use with people; but it’s fine for inanimate objects, e.g., a movie based on a book.

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Q48: In the summer before college, Max waited tables, sold magazines, and even delivered pizzas.

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Q49: Our neighbors went to London, Athens, and Rome.

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Q50: Our neighbors went to London, to Athens, and to Rome.

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Q51: Jonathan likes not only rugby but also kayaking.

Here the verb “likes” is placed before the "not only … but also" correlative conjunction, creating parallelism between the words “rugby” and “kayaking.”

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Q52: Jonathan not only likes rugby but also likes kayaking.

Here the verb “likes” is repeated after each component part of the "not only … but also" construction. Thus the words “likes rugby” and “likes kayaking” are parallel.

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Q53: To examine the works of William Shakespeare — his plays and poetry — is to marvel at one man’s seemingly incomparable depth of literary expression.

The infinitives “to examine” and “to marvel” are parallel.

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Q54: In the Phantom of the Opera play, the music is terrific and the stage props are superb.

Since the verbs are different (i.e., “is” and “are”), we must write them out.

Note: Rules of ellipsis govern the acceptable omission of words in writing and speech. There is no need to say, “Paris is a large and is an exciting city.” We can say, “Paris is a large and an exciting city.” The verb (i.e., “is”) is the same throughout the sentence, so there’s no need to write it out a second time. Note, however, that the articles “a” and “an” are different and must be written out. Omitting the “an” in the second half of the sentence would result in an incorrect sentence: “Paris is a large and exciting city.”

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Q55: The defendant’s own testimony on the stand neither contributed to nor detracted from his claim of innocence.

Since the prepositions are different, we cannot omit either of them

Note: As a follow-up example, there is no need to say, “The Elements of Style was written by William Strunk, Jr., and was written by E. B. White.” Since the verb form “was written” and the preposition “by” are the same when applied to both authors, we can simply say, “The Elements of Style was written by William Strunk, Jr., and E. B. White.”

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Q56: Between Tom and Brenda, Tom is better at math.

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Q57: Among our group, Jeff is the wealthiest person.

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Q58: Of all the roses grown in our neighborhood, Chauncey Gardiner’s grow the most vigorously.

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Q59: Chauncey Gardiner’s roses grow more vigorously than any other in the neighborhood.

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Q60: Tokyo’s population is greater than the population of Beijing.

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Q61: Tokyo’s population is greater than Beijing’s population.

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Q62: Tokyo’s population is greater than that of Beijing.

In the above example, the demonstrative pronoun “that” substitutes for the words “the population,” and we are effectively saying: “Tokyo’s population is greater than the population of Beijing.”

Note: It is incorrect to write: “Tokyo’s population is greater than that of Beijing’s.” Such a sentence would read: “Tokyo’s population is greater than the population of Beijing’s (population).”

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Q63: Tokyo’s population is greater than Beijing’s.

Also: Tokyo’s population is greater than Beijing’s population.

Also: Tokyo’s population is greater than that of Beijing.

Also: Tokyo’s population is greater than the population of Beijing.

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Q64: Of all the countries contiguous to India, Pakistan has the most strongly defended borders.

The following would not be a correct solution: “Of all the countries contiguous to India, the borders of Pakistan are most strongly defended.”

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Q65: The attention span of a dolphin is greater than that of a chimpanzee.

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Q66: The requirements of a medical degree are more stringent than those of a law degree.

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Q67: Like those of many politicians, the senator’s promises sounded good but ultimately led to nothing.

Alternatively, we could use the words “like the promises of” in the following manner: “Like the promises of many politicians, the senator’s promises sounded good but ultimately led to nothing.” Ignoring the fill-in-the-blank, we could also write: “Like many politicians’ promises, the senator’s promises …”

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Q68: No one hits home runs like Barry Bonds.

“Like Barry Bonds” is a phrase. A phrase is a group of words that lacks a verb.

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Q69: No one pitches as Roy Halladay does.

“As Roy Halladay does” is a clause. A clause is a group of words that contains a verb.

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Q70: My dog barks when he sees my neighbor’s cat.

The simple present tense “barks” is consistent with the simple present tense “sees.”

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Q71: Yesterday afternoon, smoke filled the sky and sirens sounded.

The simple past tense verb “filled” is consistent with the simple past tense verb “sounded.”

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Q72: Tomorrow, we will go to the football game.

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Q73: We are raising money for the new scholarship fund. So far we have raised $25,000.

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Q74: By the time I began playing golf, I had played tennis for three hours.

The playing of tennis precedes the playing of golf for these two past tense events.

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Q75: Larry had studied Russian for five years before he went to work in Moscow.

The past perfect tense is constructed using the auxiliary “had” and the past participle of the verb, in this case “studied.” The past perfect tense clarifies the sequence of two past tense events. Here, it is clear that Larry first studied Russian and then went to Moscow.

Question: What is the difference between the following two sentences?

1) Larry had studied Russian for five years before he went to work in Moscow.

2) Larry studied Russian for five years before he went to work in Moscow.

Most grammar experts side with sentence 1 as the correct and preferable choice. However, some experts would argue that sentence 2 is equally correct. Sentence 2 uses two past tense verbs (i.e., “studied” and “went”) as well as the temporal word “before.” It can be argued that the combined use of the past perfect “had” and temporal words (e.g., before, after, previously, prior, subsequently), as seen in sentence 1, creates a redundancy, and that when the sequence of two past tense events is clear, particularly through the use of temporal word(s), the use of the past perfect tense is considered optional.

Note: To clear up some of the confusion surrounding use of the word “had,” let’s review its main uses. First, “had” is used as an actual verb and functions as the past tense of the verb “to have.” Examples: “I have 500 dollars” versus “I had 500 dollars.” In the previous example, “had” is a verb meaning “to possess.” It also functions as a verb meaning “to experience” or “to undergo.” Examples: “I had a good time at the party” or “I had a bad headache.” It also functions as a verb meaning “to be required to.” Example: “I had to go to the store today to get some medicine for my mother.”

As already mentioned, one important use of the auxiliary “had” is to form the past perfect tense. Additionally, the auxiliary “had” can also play a role in forming the subjunctive (“I wish I had done things differently”) and the conditional (“If I had known then what I know now, things might have been different.”)

Confusion may arise in situations involving the use of “had had.” The past perfect is formed by using the auxiliary “had” plus the past participle of a verb. In situations involving the verb “had,” the past perfect tense becomes “had had.” Example: “By the time he turned twenty-five, he had had six different jobs.” Here, the act of working at six different jobs occurs prior to turning twenty-five years of age, and the past perfect tense is invoked to clarify the sequence of events. One way to avoid employing two “had’s” is to change the verb, when applicable. In this case, we could write, “By the time he turned twenty-five, he had worked at six different jobs.”

One common mistake is to place “had” before past tense verbs. The reality is that many everyday writers now associate “had” with the past tense, and thus “sprinkle” it in front of many past tense verbs. Consider the following two statements:

(1) “He worked in the diplomatic corps.”

(2) “He had worked in the diplomatic corps.”

Only the first statement is grammatically correct. The second statement (standing alone), although colloquial, is not grammatically sound. Statement 1 is the simple past tense. He worked in the diplomatic corps for a specific period of time in the past, but doesn’t anymore. Statement 2, to the casual ear, carries a meaning nearly identical to statement 1. It appears that many everyday writers prefer statement 2 to statement 1, a likely reason being that it may sound better to one’s ears.

A good rule of thumb is to omit the use of “had” if it isn’t needed. Instead of writing “I had thought a lot about what you said,” write “I thought a lot about what you said.” A past tense verb does not need the help of the auxiliary “had” to do its job. That said, since so many writers now associate “had” with the simple past tense, the practice of placing “had’s” in front of past tense verbs is likely so entrenched that the practice is here to stay.

This phenomenon might be referred to as “invoking” the past perfect tense. It describes situations in which the past perfect tense is substituted for the simple past tense. Consider the following pairings:

1) They went to Santa Catalina Island many times.

2) They had gone to Santa Catalina Island many times.

1) She grew her hair long.

2) She had grown her hair long.

1) He was a civil servant.

2) He had been a civil servant.

All three of the previous word pairings sound very much equivalent. It is essentially a draw between the simple past tense (“went” or “grew” or “was”) and the auxiliary “had” + past participle (“had gone” or “had grown” or “had been”). The point here is that it is understandable why writers might choose to invoke the past perfect tense even though there are no grammatical grounds for doing so. As a practical matter, writers should feel free to use whatever form sounds better. To be clear, each of these “second” sentences could represent legitimate examples of the past perfect tense given additional context. Cases in point: “Before moving to Oregon, they had gone to Santa Catalina Island many times” … “By the time she entered high school, she had grown her hair long” … “He had been a civil servant until deciding to start his own business.”

A close cousin of the “invoked” past perfect may be called the “invoked” present perfect. It describes situations in which the present perfect tense is substituted for the simple past tense. Consider the following trio:

1) I have misplaced my car keys.

2) I misplaced my car keys.

3) I had misplaced my car keys.

Statement 2 is the simple past tense and it could be argued, on grounds of logic, that it represents the only grammatically sound statement. Statement 3 is an example of the “invoked” past perfect tense, which involves using the past perfect tense when the past tense is needed; it is in common use but, as mentioned, is arguably not technically correct. Statement 1 is an example of the “invoked” present perfect tense. The question becomes: What does statement 1 really mean? In reality, either I misplaced my car keys or I didn’t misplace my car keys. If I really did misplace my car keys, then why isn’t statement 1, written in the simple past tense, sufficient to express this idea?

Many writers likely “invoke” the present perfect tense, as seen in statement 1 above, because it sounds right. This may be an apt illustration of how the written English language is being influenced by the way we speak it and hear it being spoken. The use of “have misplaced” (present perfect tense) likely makes the event seem as if it occurred only a short time ago. The use of “misplaced” (past tense) makes the event seem as if occurred at a time further in the past. The use of “had misplaced” (past perfect tense) makes it seem as if the event occurred at a time in the yet more distant past.

In summary, the use of both the “invoked” past perfect and the “invoked” present perfect is very much entrenched in everyday writing and speech. With respect to the above-mentioned three statements, readers are likely to see similar examples used interchangeably.

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Q76: By the time evening arrives, we will have finished the task at hand.

The future act of finishing the task at hand will occur before evening arrives.

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Q77: Sometimes she wishes she were on a tropical island having a drink at sunset.

Expresses a wish; the subjunctive “were,” not “was,” is the correct choice.

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Q78: If I were you, I would be feeling quite optimistic.

Indicates a hypothetical, contrary-to-fact situation; “were,” not “was,” is the correct choice.

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Q79: If economic conditions further deteriorate, public confidence will plummet.

“Will” is correct in future events with implied certainty; we are making a statement about the future in absolute terms. The sentence is written in the form of “If x happens, then y will happen.”

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Q80: If economic conditions were to further deteriorate, public confidence would plummet.

Note the inclusion of “were,” when coupled with “would,” signals the subjunctive mood.

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Q81: If my taxes are less than $10,000, I will pay that amount immediately.

“Will” is correct when dealing with future events with implied certainty.

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Q82: If oil were still abundant, there would be no energy crisis.

This situation is clearly contrary to fact. Oil is not abundant, and there is an energy crisis; “were” and “would” are used to signal the subjunctive.

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Q83: Choice B

Every one of the makeup exams is tough, but anyone who misses a scheduled test with good cause is entitled to write one.

The words anyone and any one are not interchangeable. Anyone means “any person” whereas any one means “any single person or thing.” Likewise, the words everyone and every one are not interchangeable. Everyone means “everybody in a group” whereas every one means “each person.”

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Q84: Choice B

The green book, which is on the top shelf, is the one you need for math. The book that is red is the one you need for grammar.

It is common practice to use which with nonrestrictive (nonessential) phrases or clauses and to use that with restrictive (essential) phrases or clauses. Nonrestrictive phrases are typically enclosed with commas, whereas restrictive phrases are never enclosed with commas. “Which is on the top shelf” is a nonrestrictive (nonessential) phrase. It is optional. We can omit it, and the sentence will still make sense. “That is red” is a restrictive (essential) phrase. It is not optional. Without it the sentence will not make sense.

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Q85: Choice A

Let’s cherish the poem “In Flanders Fields.” Remembering those who fought for our freedom lets us live easier.

Let’s is a contraction for “let us”; lets is a verb meaning “to allow” or “to permit.” This sentence could have been rewritten: Let us cherish the poem “In Flanders Fields.” Remembering those who fought for our freedom allows us to live easier.

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Q86: Choice C

Once we turn these dreaded assignments in to the professor’s office, we’ll feel a lot less obliged to pass information on to our classmates.

The words into and in to are not interchangeable. Likewise, the words onto and on to are not interchangeable. Case in point: Turning assignments into the professor’s office is a magician’s trick! Passing information onto our classmates would mean physically putting the information on them.

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Q87: Choice C

The McCorkendales didn’t use to fancy warm weather, but that was before they moved to Morocco and got used to summer temperatures as high as 35 degrees Celsius.

Although used to and use to are largely interchangeable in spoken English, because the letter “d” is inaudible in many oral contexts, this is not the case in formal writing. The correct form for habitual action is used to, not use to. Example: “We used to go to the movies all the time.” However, when did precedes “use(d) to” the correct form is “use to.” This is commonly the case in questions and negative constructions. Example: Didn’t you use to live on a farm? I didn’t use to daydream.

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Q88: Choice A

Idiom: Between X and Y

A choice must be made between blue and green.

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Q89: Choice A

Idiom: Consider(ed) — not followed by “to be”

Many doctors consider stress a more destructive influence on one’s longevity than smoking, drinking, or overeating.

Consider/considered is not followed by “to be” (or “as”) when consider(ed) is followed by a direct object and used in the sense that some person or organization considers something to have some perceived quality. The word “stress” functions as a direct object of the verb consider, and the perceived quality is the “destructive influence” of stress.

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Q90: Choice C

Idiom: Consider(ed) — followed by “to be”

At first women were considered to be at low risk for HIV.

Consider/considered is followed by “to be” when consider(ed) has the meaning of “believed to be” or “thought to be.”

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Q91: Choice B

Idioms: Credit(ed) X with having

Many credit Gutenberg with having invented the printing press.

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Q92: Choice A

Idiom: Depicted as

In the movie Silence of the Lambs, Dr. Hannibal Lecter is depicted as a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer who is confined as much by the steel bars of his cell as by the prison of his own mind.

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Q93: Choice B

Idiom: Distinguish X from Y

Only experts can distinguish a masterpiece from a fake.

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Q94: Choice B

Idiom: Do so

Although doctors have the technology to perform brain transplants, there is no clear evidence that they can do so.

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Q95: Choice A

Idiom: In comparison to

In comparison to France, Luxembourg is an amazingly small country.

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Q96: Choice A

Idiom: In contrast to

Roger Federer won Wimbledon with a classic tennis style, in contrast to Bjorn Borg, who captured his titles using an unorthodox playing style.

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Q97: Choice C

Idiom: More … than/(Less … than)

There is more talk of a single North American currency today than ten years ago.

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Q98: Choice B

Idiom: Prefer X to Y

I prefer blackjack to poker.

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Q99: Choice A

Idiom: Regarded as

Rembrandt is regarded as the greatest painter of the Renaissance period.

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Q100: Choice A

Idiom: Tying X to Y

The speaker does a good job of tying motivational theory to obtainable results.

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Chapter 2

God is a verb.

—R. Buckminster Fuller