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Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
The night grew so cold that all the campers were shivering although a raging fire.
The use of "although" in the last part of the sentence is confusing and awkward. A different preposition can more clearly indicate the fact the campers "were shivering" while a fire was "raging," which should warm them. The best answer choice to do this is "despite a raging fire."
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Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices repeats the underlined portion as it is written.
That author's most recent novel is based on the Civil War in Spain, but, on a deeper level, many perceive the book as a protest on Spanish social conventions.
The fragment “on a deeper level” must have a comma before and after it because it interrupts the second clause of the sentence. Also, the word “protest” must be paired with the preposition “against.”
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Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined section of the sentence below:
The dog was above his owners, sitting in the roof of the car.
The best answer is sitting on the roof of the car, because one does not sit in a roof, one sits on it. The other answers either fail to correct the error, or change the meaning of the sentence unnecessarily.
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Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence below:
I lived in Chicago during 2008–2012.
When two specific dates are used, the proper construction is to use the word between, followed by the conjunction, "and," between the particular years; therefore, the best way to phrase the bolded section of the sentence is "between 2008 and 2012."
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Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence below:
The weapons of the German soldiers were superior than the weapons of their enemies.
For comparative adjectives like superior and inferior, you always need to follow the adjective with the preposition to; therefore, the best answer to this question is "superior to."
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Claire had to wash her clothes very carefully on a special solution to get all of the stains out.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
"With" is the correct preposition to use whenever an instrument with which something is being done is in the sentence. In this case, "special solution" is just such an instrument; therefore, the best answer for this sentence is "with."
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Adapted from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (1892)
At three o’clock precisely I was at Baker Street, but Holmes had not yet returned. The landlady informed me that he had left the house shortly after eight o’clock in the morning. I sat down beside the fire, however, with the intention of awaiting him, however long he might be. I was already deeply interested in his inquiry, for, though it was surrounded by none of the grim and strange features which were associated with the two crimes which I have already recorded, still, the nature of the case and the exalted station of his client gave it a character of its own. Indeed, apart to the nature of the investigation which my friend had on hand, there was something in his masterly grasp of a situation, and his keen, incisive reasoning, which made it a pleasure to me to study his system of work, and to follow the quick, subtle methods by which he disentangled the most inextricable mysteries. So accustomed was I to his invariable success that the very possibility of his failing had ceased to enter into my head.
Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded and underlined portion of the passage. If the bolded and underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
The preposition "apart" is used here as a multi-word preposition in which it is paired with the word "from." The other answer choices do not fix the prepositional error or are ungrammatical.
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Adapted from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (1892)
At three o’clock precisely I was at Baker Street, but Holmes had not yet returned. The landlady informed me that he had left the house shortly after eight o’clock in the morning. I sat down beside the fire, however, with the intention of awaiting him, however long he might be. I was already deeply interested in his inquiry, for, though it was surrounded by none of the grim and strange features which were associated with the two crimes which I have already recorded, still, the nature of the case and the exalted station of his client gave it a character of its own. Indeed, apart to the nature of the investigation which my friend had on hand, there was something in his masterly grasp of a situation, and his keen, incisive reasoning, which made it a pleasure to me to study his system of work, and to follow the quick, subtle methods by which he disentangled the most inextricable mysteries. So accustomed was I to his invariable success that the very possibility of his failing had ceased to enter into my head.
Which of the following alternatives would NOT be an appropriate substitution for the bolded and underlined sentence?
The grammatical error that cannot be ignored is that of the prepositional phrase, "of his failing" in which the gerund, failing, must follow a possessive pronoun ("his," not "he").
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I know that Marcella cares with me; she's always kind and aware of what I need.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
In this sentence, the correct preposition to use is "for" or "about." "About" is not a possible answer; therefore, "for" is the best possible choice.
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You must travel by boat or by plane to reach the island—the bridge is out.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
If there is no article, (i.e. "a," "an," or "the"), you may say that you travel "by" a particular mode of transportation. As there is no article preceding the modes of transportation listed in the sentence, the correct preposition here is "by." Therefore, the best answer is "NO CHANGE."
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After the car nearly struck him, Jimmy trembled for fear.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
"Trembled for fear" is perhaps technically correct, but it is a touch archaic, and not the best way to phrase the idea being expressed. "Trembled with fear," on the other hand, is a common expression still in regular use. "With" is therefore the best correct preposition to use in this instance, and is the best answer to this question.
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Alex came in last; his total time raced was just overfifteen minutes.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
Here, the author of the sentence is clearly trying to express that the runner in question ran the race in a time that is slightly longer than fifteen minutes. The optimal way to express this in context is to say, "his total time raced was just overfifteen minutes," because the word "over" is a preposition that conveys this fact clearly. The best answer is "NO CHANGE."
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After the latest failure, she was sure that she lacked with the tenacity to go on.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
With a transitive verb like "lacked," you can follow the verb directly with the direct object. A preposition is unnecessary. The best answer is the one which deletes the preposition entirely from the sentence.
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After the string of errors, one thing lead for another, and the whole lab had to be shut down due to safety issues.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
The phrase "one thing lead for another" does not really make sense—"for" is a word typically used to indicate exchange or duration. "One thing lead to another" is a common expression indicating a string of causation. It is the best answer for this question.
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My mother was not pleased to me when I hit my brother on the head.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
Here, the best preposition to use is "with." "With" is typically used to deal with how people express their feelings, and since the phrase in question deals with how the mother feels about the narrator, we must use the word "with."
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I cannot believe that Paul talked in the phone for over an hour!
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
When referencing a person talking with the aid of a telephone, the correct expression is always talking "on" the phone. As such, "on" is the best answer to this question.
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In spite of horrific conditions, there were many great acts of heroism committed during the First World War.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
"In spite of" is a common phrase that means "despite," or "regardless of." Putting another preposition in the phrase changes its meaning, or causes it to function differently; therefore, the best answer is "NO CHANGE."
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He was to be congratulated because all of his myriad achievements.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
When "congratulate" is the verb in question, it can be followed by the prepositions "for" and "on," although "on" is more common. As such, of the answers available, "He was to be congratulated on all of his myriad achievements" is the correct choice.
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Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
Garrett was extremely frustrated to find that the results of his study were inconsistent to those presented in previous research.
The adjective "inconsistent" should be paired with the preposition "with" as opposed to with "to" or "from." "Inconsistent with" is the appropriate pairing. Because the demonstrative "those" refers to "results," which is plural, "those" is the correct choice over "that."
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Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
With three older siblings already having excelled as tennis stars at the school, Hannah strived to be different than her siblings and chose soccer instead.
The pairing "different from" is correct, as opposed to "different to" or "different than." "Than" is used for comparatives, as in something is MORE different than something else, so "different from" is more appropriate here. No comma is necessary in this underlined portion.
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