Sentence Correction Home Exercise 01

DIRECTIONS for questions 1 to 5: Each of the following questions consists of a sentence, with some parts of it underlined which could be erroneous. From among the choices given, you have to select an answer that is the best possible replacement for the underlined part of the key sentence. While choosing the right answer, please pay particular attention to the syntax, idiom, usage and economy of words being used.

1.       After this year’s record-shattering January performance in Madison Square garden , the ensemble were touted as the  country’s best new group in decades; no critic or reviewer had anything but praise for the young musicians.

A.      The ensemble were touted as the country’s

B.      The ensemble were touted as the country’s

C.       The country touted the ensemble like the

D.      Touting the ensemble as the country’s

2.       Along with the drop in produces prices announced yesterday, the strong retail sales figures released today seem like it is indicative that the economy, although growing slowly, is not nearing a recession.

A.      Like it is indicative that

B.      As if to indicate

C.      To indicate that

D.      Indicative of

3.       In January 1994 an oil barge ran aground off the coast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, leaking its cargo of 750000 gallons into the ocean, while causing the pollution of  the city’s beaches.

A.      Leaking its cargo of 750000 gallons into the ocean, while causing the pollution of

B.      With its cargo of 750000 gallons leaking into the ocean, and it polluted

C.      And its cargo of 750000 gallons leaked into the ocean, polluting

D.      While it leaked its cargo of 750000 gallons into the ocean and caused the pollution of

4.       Japan’s abundant rainfall and the typically mild temperature throughout most of the country have produced a lush vegetation cover and, despite the mountainous terrain and generally poor, soils, it has made possible the raising of a variety of crops.

A.      It has made possible the raising of

B.      Has made possible for them to raise

C.      Have made it possible to raise

D.      Have made it possible for raising

5.       The record of the past is always incomplete, and the historian who writes about it inevitable reflects  the preoccupations of their own time.

A.      the historian who writes about it inevitably reflects

B.      the historian writing about it will inevitably reflect

C.      a historian writing about it inevitably reflects

D.      historians in writing about it inevitable reflect

Answer: 

1.       B       Ensemble though a collective noun, would take a singular verb to complement ‘young musicians ‘in the latter part of the sentence. Therefore option A is unsustainable here. Like is wrongly used in option C; we need as here.

2.       C

3.       C     option A Carries verb parallelism. Ran and leaked must be parallel to each other in terms of formation.

4.       C   the subject, ‘abundant rainfall and the typically mild temperature’ will take the plural verb ‘have’. Thus, options A and B are wrong in this case since they use singular helping verbs. Raise would be used as an infinitive with ‘to’.

                      Option D is unidiomatic in using for raising.

                      Hence, [C].

5.       D    The options with historian will have to be eliminated as they do not complement the plural pronoun there in the latter part of the sentence, hence; [D] is the correct option.