Which of phrases given below each sentence should replace the phrase printed in bold type to make the grammatically correct?
Knowing very little English, it was difficult to converse with the foreigner.
Answer: A
It should read I found it difficult to converse.
Knowing very little English must describe the person who knows little English, and in the original it attaches to it, which knows nothing. Supplying I as the subject makes the participle modify the right thing.
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Select the grammatically correct sentence:
1. The principal appointed him as a peon in the college.
2. The principal appointed him a peon in the college.
3. As a peon the principal appointed him in the college.
4. The principal as a peon appointed him in the college.
Answer: B
It is sentence 2.
Appoint takes an object and a complement directly - appointed him a peon. Sentences 3 and 4 move the phrase so that it modifies the principal or the appointing rather than the man appointed.
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Select the grammatically correct sentence:
1. You can meet my father only when he goes to prison.
2. You can meet my father only when he goes into prison.
3. You can meet my father only when he goes in prison.
4. You can meet my father only when he goes to the prison.
Answer: D
It is sentence 4.
Go to prison without the article means to be imprisoned; go to the prison means to visit the building. Since the sentence is about meeting someone there, the article is needed - the same distinction as go to school and go to the school.
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Select the grammatically correct sentence:
1. On account of shortage of time both of them cannot finish their work.
2. On account of shortage of time none of them can finish their work.
3. On account of shortage of time neither of them can finish his work.
4. On account of shortage of time neither of them cannot finish his work.
Answer: C
It is sentence 3.
Neither refers to two and takes a singular verb and a singular possessive - neither of them can finish his work. Sentence 4 adds a second negative to neither, and sentence 2 uses none, which is for more than two.
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Select the grammatically correct sentence:
1. It is a pleasure to see an alligator basking in the sunshine on a river bank as long as ninety feet.
2. It is a pleasure to see an alligator as long as ninety feet basking in the sunshine on a river bank.
3. It is a pleasure to see an alligator basking in the sunshine as long as ninety feet on a river bank.
4. It is a pleasure to see an alligator basking as long as ninety feet in the sunshine on a river bank.
Answer: B
It is sentence 2.
As long as ninety feet describes the alligator, so it must sit next to alligator. In sentence 1 it lands on the river bank, which then becomes ninety feet long - the classic misplaced modifier.
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He is not worthy his salt if he fails at this juncture.
Answer: A
It should read worth his salt.
Worth his salt is the idiom, from the Roman soldier's salt allowance that gave us the word salary. Worthy takes of, and the phrase does not use it.
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Identify the incorrect sentence or sentences:
a. Kelly was born in Greece to a German teacher.
b. He was educated at America.
c. He made name for himself in medicine.
d. He is now a paediatric heart surgeon at the Royal Children's Hospital.
Answer: B
b and c are incorrect.
One is educated in a country, not at it - at is used of an institution. And c needs an article: made a name for himself.
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As the boxers advanced into the ring, the people said they would not allow them to fight.
Answer: D
No correction is required.
The reporting verb said is past, so the reported will becomes would. The tense sequence is consistent throughout.
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Select the grammatically correct sentence:
1. I hope you will excuse my leaving early.
2. I hope you will excuse me leaving early.
3. I hope you will excuse mine leaving early.
4. I hope you will excuse leaving early.
Answer: A
It is sentence 1.
Excuse takes a possessive before the gerund - excuse my leaving. The object form me is common in speech but the possessive is the careful form, and mine is a pronoun that cannot precede a noun.
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He had not read half a dozen pages when the expression of his face begins to change.
Answer: C
It should read his face began to change.
The main clause is past - he had not read - so the when-clause must be past too. Begin takes either an infinitive or a gerund, and to change is the smoother of the two here.
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