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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.
At the sound of the gun, all of the racers gripped their bicycle and set off for the finish line.
Since we’re talking about multiple racers, we must assume that they have “bicycles” (plural). Otherwise, the sentence implies that they are all using the same bicycle (singular).
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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.
In most forms of martial arts, two examples of physical attack are kicks and punches.
The primary issue with the underlined phrase "of physical attack" is that it uses a singular noun ("attack") to modify the plural nouns "kicks" and "punches." The uderlined phrase should be changed to "of physical attacks" as this version of it uses the plural noun "attacks," which agrees in number with the compound predicate nominative "kicks and punches."
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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.
Dani drove her car into the parking garage, turned off the engine, and made sure to lock her cars doors securely as she left.
There is a disagreement between the nouns "cars" and "doors" in the sentence; we are told earlier in the sentence via its use of "her car" that Dani only drove one car into the parking garage. Therefore, the correct answer choice is "to lock her car doors."
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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.
We decided resolutely to pin all of our hopes and dream on the team's victory.
There is a disagreement here between the nouns "hopes" and "dream" when they follow the phrase "all of our." Both nouns should be plural, and therefore the correct answer is "resolutely pin all of our hopes and dreams."
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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.
Each of my three pets, which I bought with money I earned babysitting, are purebreds and comes with extensive pedigrees.
Although there are three pets, the subject of the sentence is “each” of the pets, which is a singular noun; therefore, the singular “a purebred” is the correct noun, and the singular verb forms “is” and “comes” are the correct conjugations.
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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.
Although they were on time, the students had their pencil sharpened or their drawing pad out at the beginning of class.
Because the subject of the sentence is the plural “students,” we have to assume that each student would have his or her own pencil and drawing pad. Therefore, the correct sentence has “pencils” and “drawing pads.” Also, “had sharpened” is more concise and correct than “were having sharpened” or “were having sharpening.”
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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.
Even if everyone I invited is free, there’s still no guarantee that they will come to my party.
“Everyone” is an indefinite pronoun that’s treated as singular. Therefore, the correct verb conjugation is “is.” Because “everyone” is indefinite, we can’t use the definite pronoun “they” at the end of the sentence to refer back to “everyone,” so we must use “people” instead. Because “guarantee” is singular, “there’s” is correct and “there are” is 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.
After months of organizing the gala, several of the party planners are beginning to wish they worked as a waiter or bartender instead.
Because there are several party planners longing for different jobs, the jobs themselves must be plural; three or four people can’t work as a single waiter or bartender. And because “party planners” is plural, the correct verb conjugation is “are.”
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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.
Trying to convince me to go with them, my friends described the concert as once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Because a "concert" is a singular noun, it can only be one experience and not many. “Trying to convince me to go with them, my friends described the concert as a once-in-a-lifetime experience” is the least awkward option.
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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.
All children are taught at an early age never to run while holding their pencil.
The noun "pencil" needs to be pluralize to reflect the fact that the subject of the sentence is "All children," who presumably each have a pencil and do not share a single pencil.
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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.
Manny would always check his students' note to make sure that they were staying on task.
The sentence uses the plural possessive form "students'," so the best answer choice uses the plural noun "notes" in order to modify the initial noun. Therefore we would select "would always check his students' notes."
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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.
Each member of the relay team ran, as fast as possible, their leg, resulting in the team qualifying for the state meet.
"Each" in this sentence refers to "each" individual member of the team; therefore the pronoun must be singular, so "his" (or "her") must be used instead of "their."
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Choose the answer below which best replaces the underlined section of the following sentence. This should result in a sentence that meets all of the rules of standard written English.
Only a few of the raw recruits became a good soldier; the others washed out of their training.
In the sentence above, because the initial noun used is "recruits," we know that we are dealing with a group of recruits; therefore, later in the sentence, the corresponding noun "soldier" should be plural. The best way to correct the underlined portion of the sentence above is "became good soldiers."
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Choose the answer below which best replaces the underlined section of the following sentence. This should result in a sentence that meets all of the rules of standard written English.
All three of John's two younger sisters were incredibly beautiful.
In the sentence above, because the second noun phrase used is "two younger sisters" we know that we are dealing with specifically two sisters; therefore, earlier in the sentence, the corresponding noun phrase, "All three," is inconsistent, and should be changed to reflect that there are two of them. The best way to correct the underlined portion of the sentence above is "Both."
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Choose the answer below which best replaces the underlined section of the following sentence. This should result in a sentence that meets all of the rules of standard written English.
Many young boys hope to become a great leader one day.
In the sentence above, because the initial noun used is "boys" we know that we are dealing with a group of boys; therefore, later in the sentence, the corresponding noun "leader" should be plural. The best way to correct the underlined portion of the sentence above is "great leaders."
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Choose the answer below which best replaces the underlined section of the following sentence. This should result in a sentence that meets all of the rules of standard written English.
William and Ian both elected to serve their country by becoming a firefighter.
Because we know from the beginning of the sentence that there are two young men, the phrase "becoming a firefighter" should agree with that plurality. The best way to correct the underlined portion of the sentence above is "by becoming firefighters."
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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 English professor has concentrations in medieval literature and feminist literature; the two subjects may seem unrelated, but they are the topic about which she feels most strongly.
The error in the original sentence is that "the two subjects" is plural but they are referred to later in the sentence by a singular noun "topic." There is no need to change the pronoun "they" or the verb "are" since they are already plural; the only thing that needs to be changed is "topic" by simply putting an "s" on the end of it to make it plural.
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Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a setence 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.
Between leaving home or being unable to find a job, Martin was extremely depressed.
Whenever you see the conjunction "between," it must always be followed by the correlative conjunction "and." As such, the "or" in the sentence above should be changed to "and."
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Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a setence 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 concerned citizens were all preoccupied with lofty thoughts now that they had become jury.
In the sentence above, because the initial noun used is "citizens" we know that we are dealing with a group of recruits. Later in the sentence, the corresponding noun "jury" should be the plural, "jurors." The best way to correct the underlined portion of the sentence above is, "they had become jurors."
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Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a setence 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.
Nine out of every ten students who take Spanish as child will get jobs upon graduating college.
In the sentence above, because the initial noun used is "students" we know that we are dealing with a group of students. Later in the sentence, the corresponding noun "child" should be plural. The best way to correct the underlined portion of the sentence above is, "Spanish as children."
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