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My childhood was fairly idyllic. I grew up in southern suburbia, we could play outside nearly year round. We almost played outside every day. Our days were filled with bike rides, jumping on the trampoline, playing in the sprinklers, and also imagination games. Countless afternoons were spent in the side yard of our home, where our imaginations were the limit to our fun. One of our favorite games was “Lost Children.” Oddly enough, the parents in the game were always deceased or fighting in a foreign war. The source of this game likely stemmed from the books we read.
My mother’s old, rusty, orange wheelbarrow was perpetually propped up against the fence, to serve as the base for our makeshift range. The metal braces beneath the wheelbarrow bin provided the perfect resting place for a pair of burners, hastily sketched on a flat board. Old paint buckets became a sink and a stained picnic table was scrubbed to a relative state of cleanliness. Our visitors, who were often kings and queens, were served heaping helpings of mud and grass pie, possibly adorned with a side helping of flowers. Household chores were far more fun to do in our imaginary world, and we would eagerly sweep and dust our humble home. Even covered in leaves, we loved our outdoor kitchen.
Other days, we would scamper around the neighborhood park, sometimes venturing into the woods to go exploring. One time we borrowed my little sister’s wagon and flew down the sides of the ditch. Although we had a grand time my mother was not pleased when she had to replace the broken axle. On adventurous days, we would pretend to be statues on the entrance sign to our neighborhood. But, the most perfect afternoons were spent biking up to the local corner store. With spending money burning a hole in our pockets, we would peruse the convenience store shelves, and after carefully picking our selections, we would pedal home. Our plastic shopping bags hung from the handlebars, rustling in the wind.
The bite of crisp fall evenings would barely phase our childlike fantasies. But, to our dismay, twilight would inevitably seep into our childhood world. Mother would call us in for dinner and a bath, if needed. Tired, beds were welcomed. I would often fall asleep to the gentle rhythm of my mother’s voice.
Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded portion of the passage. If the bolded portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
"The perfect summer afternoons were" is the best choice because “perfect” is an superlative adjective and cannot be compared. An afternoon cannot be more perfect. It is either perfect or it is not.
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During the final months of 2007, the prices of basic grains nearly doubled in Northern Africa, Latin America, and much of Asia, the high prices caused a global food crisis. The catastrophe sparked and incited an international debate regarding the licensing of new technologies to developing nations. One economist warned that because of the risk of unforeseen price shocks, officials should proceed very cautiously. The construction of private farms pose a serious financial threat to farmers in the United States; nevertheless, of the five most industrialized nations, the United States exports more crops.
How do some countries cope with food crises better than others. It is technology that accounts for the majority of the difference. The rate at which countries adopt innovations depends significantly on environmental factors. These environmental factors include climate, soil and elevation. The variability in environment inhibits new technologies from gaining worldwide popularity that are suited for one particular region over another. For example, the pesticides used in Europe are much more acidic than North America. Without the different levels of acidity, pests would prevent the crops to grow.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the passage. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
When comparing two items, use the comparative form of an adjective such as "better," "softer," or "more transparent."
When comparing three or more items, use the superlative form of an adjective, such as "best," "softest," or "most transparent."
We know from context that there are five countries being compared, so we must use the superlative form. In this case, the superlative is "most." The correct way to express the phrase is therefore "Of the five most industrialized nations, the United States exports the most crops."
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Alfred Tarski, born on January 14, 1901, became known during his lifetime as a brilliant mathematician and teacher. He is best known for proving several advanced geometric theorems. By the time Tarski moved to the United States, much of Europe has already fallen into the grips of World War II. Hundreds of mathematical problems were solved by Tarski.
Tarski enrolled in Warsaw University in 1920. Originally wishing to study biology, mathematics was the subject in which Tarski ultimately excelled. He graduated with honors, and began his career as a math teacher. A true mathematical virtuoso, Tarski was concerned with neither the application of his research nor publishing his findings.
Discoveries made by Tarski influenced the work of one of the world’s greatest physicists, Albert Einstein. Einstein and Tarski had many similar interests in common. Unlike Albert Einstein, however, Tarski was especially fond for pure mathematics. Although Tarski and Einstein were contemporaries, Einstein was the most prolific writer of the two.
In 1929, Tarski married his co-worker, Maria Witkowska. An affinity for mathematics ran in the family. Tarski even admitted that his wife knew more about algebra, geometry and trigonometry than did he. Tarski's two children, Jan, and Ina, grew up to be prominent mathematicians themselves; however, neither Jan nor Ina have received a great deal of international attention.
Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded portion of the passage. If the bolded portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
Adjectives have comparative and superlative forms: the comparative form (e.g. "bigger" or "more persuasive") and the superlative form (e.g. "biggest" or "most persuasive").
When comparing two items, the appropriate form is the comparative form.
When comparing three or more items, the appropriate form is the superlative form.
Since the sentence is comparing two items (as indicated by the phrase "of the two"), the comparative form is appropriate.
The correct way to express the sentence is therefore "Although Tarski and Einstein were contemporaries, Einstein was the more prolific writer of the two." Each of the other answer choices contains the superlative rather than comparative form, and is therefore incorrect.
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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 chefs of New York City cannot compare with the home-cooked meals of my mother.
We must compare the chefs to my mother, not to the home-cooked meals.
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If you compared my sister and me, you’d see that she was the best dancer.
We use comparative adjectives when comparing two people or things (bigger, worse); we use superlative adjectives when comparing one person or thing with three or more people or things (the biggest, the worse).
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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.
Carbohydrates and proteins both have less calories per gram than fats do.
Calories can be counted, and so we use the word "fewer." "Less" is for quantities that cannot be counted, such as water.
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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.
If you look at Jamie, Jamal, and me, you will see that I am the shorter of the group.
We use comparative adjectives when comparing two people or things (bigger, worse, etc.); we use superlative adjectives when comparing one person or thing with three or more people or things (the biggest, the worst, etc.). Thus, here we use the superlative adjective “the shortest.” In the first clause, we use “me” instead of “I” because “me” is an object pronoun, and “me” is the indirect object of the verb “look.”.
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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.
He was a strongest boy that grew up into the biggest teenager in his town.
The use of the form "strongest" is a superlative that indicates the peak of an adjective; therefore, there can be only one "strongest boy," and the phrase needs a definite article, "the," instead of the indefinite article, "a."
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Travelling can be both fun stressful. If you leaves the country, you should always keep your passport with you. A domestic trip may be more palatable to the xenophobic. However, even a short road trip can be scary than staying at home. People would be wise to simply treat them to a movie.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the passage. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
"Scarier" is the correct way to turn "scary" into a comparative adjective. Adjectives ending in "y" drop the "y" and add "ier" to become comparative.
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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.
Amy drinks lesser water than Johnny, which is why Johnny refills his water bottle more often than Amy does.
As the question compares two people, a comparative form of the adjective in question must be used, meaning that "few," the regular form of the adjective, and "least" and "fewest," which are each superlative forms, are incorrect. While "fewer" and "less" might each look like a potentially correct answer, "fewer" is used to distinguish between countable nouns, while "less" is used to distinguish between uncountable nouns, like "water." (You can tell if a noun is countable or not if you could precede it with a number, and "seven water" doesn't make sense, given how "water" is used here.) So, "less" is the correct answer.
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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.
Less people threw they're support behind the politician as more of his personal issues were revealed.
The use of "they're" is incorrect in the sentence. "They're" is a contraction for "they are," while the sentence needs the third person plural possessive pronoun, "their." "Fewer people threw their support" is the correct answer choice.
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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.
Michael and Larry are both excellent basketball players, but Michael is best.
Whenever you are comparing only two things, use the comparative form (usually words ending in "-er"—better, smarter, faster, and so forth). If there are three or more items, use the superlative form (usually ending in "-est"—best, smartest, fastest . . .) to designate the best one.
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The bayou was quiet, except for the sounds of insects, water and the occasional alligator. Jim was cleaning his blade, which he had recently used to dispatch one of the undead. His partner Bill and him had come out to the bayou for their nightly patrol and they had found a nest of the undead by an old abandoned dock.
"Hey, Bill!," he shouted gleefully, mindless of whether the noise would attract more undead. "Where'd you go, man?"
A noise to his left had startled him. He turned quick and saw the man who had been closest to him than a brother for the past six months walking slowly toward him.
"Whew," he said: "there you are." He went back to cleaning his blade. "I thought one of those things had got 'cha."
Standing in the dark, the light of the moon did not reach his partners face. The sudden silence caused Jim to look up again. "What's the matter with you, Bill?"
It was only when the thing that was once Bill stepped into the light and Jim saw the fresh bite on it's newly dead face that he realized what the matter was.
Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded portion of the passage. If the bolded portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
The use of "than" indicates that the comparison of the relative closeness of Bill to Jim is not the superlative, which would require "closest." The superlative adjective "closest" would need to be changed to the comparative adjective "closer" to correct the sentence.
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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.
Why do you look at me like I am so much lesser intelligently than you are?
"Intelligently" is an adverb and adverbs are not used comparatively, so we need to change "intelligently" to "intelligent," an adjective. Also, "lesser," an adjective, needs to be changed to a determiner, "less." So, "less intelligent" is the correct answer.
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Adapted from “The Fear of the Past” in What’s Wrong with the World by G.K. Chesterton (1910)
The last few decades have marked by a special cultivation of the romance of the future. We seem to have made up our minds to misunderstand what has happened; and we turn, with a sort of relief, to stating what will happen—which is (apparently) more easy. The modern man no longer presents the memoirs of his great grandfather; but is engaged in writing a detailed and authoritative biography of his great-grandson. Instead of trembling before the specters of the dead, we shudder abject under the shadow of the babe unborn. This spirit is apparent everywhere, even to the creation of a form of futurist romance. Sir Walter Scott stands at the dawn of the nineteenth century for the novel of the past; Mr. H. G. Wells stands at the beginning of the twentieth century for the novel of the future. The old story, we know, was supposed to begin: "Late on a winter's evening two horsemen might have been seen . . ." The new story has to begin: "Late on a winter's evening two aviators will be seen . . ." The movement is not without its elements of charm; theres something spirited, if eccentric, in the sight of so many people fighting over again the fights that have not yet happened; of people still aglow with the memory of tomorrow morning. A man in advance of the age is a familiar phrase enough. An age in advance of the age is really rather odd.
Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded portion of the passage. If the bolded portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
Two things must be considered here. First, the passage incorrectly forms the comparative degree of the adjective "easy." The correct form is "easier." Now, it is more appropriate to choose "easier" than "the easiest" because the author is here making a comparison. We cannot guarantee that he really wishes to make the superlative claim that statements about the future are the easiest to make.
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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."
Erik came from a large family and had four uncles on his mother's side; they all had attributes that made them great uncles, but Uncle Stan was, without a doubt, the funnest.
As there are more than four uncles being compared, a superlative adjective must be used, as superlative adjectives are used in comparisons that involve three or more people or things. However, "funnest" is not a word; the accepted superlative form of the adjective "fun" is "most fun."
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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.
I've heard that all vitamins are good for you, but of all the different kinds, are there any that are better?
When comparing more than two items, you should use superlative adjectives. So, in this case, you should use the word "best."
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Adapted from The Autobiography of John Adams (ed. 1856)
Not long after this, the three greatest measures of all were carried. Three committees were appointed, one for preparing a declaration of independence, another for reporting a plan of a treaty to be proposed to France, and a third to digest a system of articles of confederation to be proposed to the States. I was appointed on the committee of independence and on that for preparing the form of a treaty with France. On the committee of confederation Mr. Samuel Adams was appointed. The committee of independence were Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston. Mr. Jefferson had been now about a year a member of Congress, but had attended his duty in the house a very small part of the time, and, when there, had never spoken in public. During the whole time I sat with him in Congress, I never heard him utter three sentences together. It will naturally be inquired how it happened that he was appointed on a committee of such importance. There were more reasons than one. Mr. Jefferson had the reputation of a masterly pen; he had been chosen a delegate in Virginia, in consequence of a very handsome public paper which he had written for the House of Burgesses, which had given him the character of a fine writer. Another reason was, that Mr. Richard Henry Lee was not beloved by the most of his colleagues from Virginia, and Mr. Jefferson was set up to rival and supplant him. This could be done only by the pen, for Mr. Jefferson could stand no competition with him or any one else in elocution and public debate.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the passage. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
The main issue in the sentence is the use of the superlative "most." As it is used here, it should not have the definite article "the." The sentence simply is stating that Mr. Lee was not beloved by most (the majority) of his colleagues. The additional "the" only makes the sentence more opaque and difficult to understand.
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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.
During his lifetime, few people knew about the fuller extent of his condition.
The use of "fuller" is incorrect in this sentence, as "fuller" implies a comparison, but is not comparing anything in the sentence. The use of the simple adjective "full" is perfectly appropriate in the sentence, making the correct answer choice "about the full extent of his condition."
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Thomas placed his quill on the parchment, looking toward the mantel upon which, earlier that morning, he saw the painting of the old monastic saint, Benedict of Nursia. To his surprise, the mantel was empty, not having any items on it’s narrow flat surface. As the image had been a gift from his old schoolmaster; he was concerned at the absence of the item.
He asked himself “Where could it have went?” Then, he gathered together his work and decided to ask one of his officemates about the cherished image. Leaving the room, he entered the foyer and turning to the secretary asked about the whereabouts of the others’.
The secretary looked at Thomas’ imposing figure and answered, “A group of the professors departed earlier for a University meeting; however, I cant recall exactly when they departed.” Although Thomas was not known for being passionate, the young secretary could see that he was agitated than usual.
The older man did not wish to worry his younger coworker. Smiling slightly, he said, “Don’t worry, Reginald. I seem to have misplaced my image of Benedict, though I know not how.” He continued by telling the younger man the chronology of events. Suddenly, the detailed recounting jogged the latters’ memory. He forgot an obvious detail that he only now remembered.
Looking at Thomas in embarrassment, Reginald, said, “Earlier this afternoon, I came in to your working area take the painting. Bonaventure had come to visit and asked to borrow it. You were so engrossed by you’re work that I did not want to disturb you. He will be stopping by to see you and I later today, so we can ask him to return it.”
What is the best form of the bolded selection, "he was agitated than usual"?
The issue with the selection as written is its lack of a comparative form for the adjective "agitated." The key word to notice here is "than," which indicates that there is a comparison being made. The form "agitateder" is not correct. Given the number of syllables in "agitated," it is necessary to use "more" to indicate the comparative degree of the adjective in question.
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