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Name Maggie
JCC Grammar Proficiency Test Fall 2005
My Total Number of Errors: 11 errors
My Major Problems: sentence structures-- inverted hypothetical
I often miss the usage of inversion in certain sentence structures. Like the “ONLY” type of
sentences. For example, “only if you pay attention in class, will you learn efficiently
afterwards.” Also, I will misunderstand the meaning of sentences sometimes which makes
me choose wrong answers. Another problem is that sometimes I will ignore objects
carelessly. Like “since there were no honeybees in North America, early European settlers
imported THEM themselves.” “Object” can not be omitted because the omission will make
the sentence structure incomplete due to SUBJECT+VERB+OBJECT agreement. I should
pay attention to the use of conjunction: “in that” + explanation, which I do not use very
often. This is a good way to use in explanations. I should pay attention to the use of noun
clause after “why”.
And solution?
Some mistakes I make carelessly, so I will pay more attention when I am writing
compositions. I do not quite understand sentences using of INVERSION, maybe I will look
up its grammar rules from grammar books. Also I will try to find out more similar examples
to practice and get used to using them.
I.
[Tense & Voice]
[word choice &
(countable/uncountable) [word form]
5
usage] 3
(singular/plural] 2
0
[subject-verb,
noun-pronoun
agreement] 5
0
0
1
(comparative)
[Sentence Structure]
3
5
1
1
0
[word form]
[subject-verb
[Sentence
5
agreement] 2
Structure] 23
2
0
6
I.
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Directions: Identify the one underlined word or phrase, (A), (B), (C), or (D), that
should be corrected or rewritten. Write your answer in the margin.
2
I. Tense and Voice: Correct Ones
1.
When (A)children get their first pair(B) of glasses, they are often surprising(C) to see
that trees and flowers have(D) sharp clear outlines. (C) (surprised, past participle as
adjective) [voice]
3. While approaching(A) its moorings, the Hindenburg catch(B) fire, killing(C)
a third (D)of its passengers. (B)(caught, past tense, subject-verb agreement) [Tense]
11.
Christianity has become(A) a worldwide(B) religion since it has begun(C) almost two
thousand(D) years ago. (C) (began, since + simple past tense) [Tense]
21. With (A)advances in automation, the problems of unemployment will become more
serious(B) unless(C) more people will be given(D) the training necessary for white-collar
positions. (D)(are given, present tense in subordinate clause) [Tense]
24. Before(A) the invention of the printing(B) press, books have been(C) all printed by
(D) hand. (C) (had been, past perfect) [Tense]
My Errors:
II. [word choice & usage] Correct Ones
17. Residents in some cities(A) can call an(B) electrical inspector to have(C) the wiring in
their house is checked(D).
(D)(checked, passive participle) [usage: have+pp]
26. Holland’s most well-known(A) artist, Vincent van Gogh devoted nearly(B) every
moment of his life to develop(C) his skills in painting(D).
(C) (developing, preposition +
gerund) [usage: devote]
27. Since(A) the phenomenal success of Action Comics, hundreds of(B) comic books have
been published, some containing noted(C) comic strips, other(D) consisting of new
material. (D)(others = other comic books, pronoun) [word choice: some . . . others]
My Errors:
III. Noun – (countable/uncountable)(singular/plural] Correct Ones
19. At present(A), advertising is(B) one of the most strictly(C) regulated industry(D) in
Europe.
(D)(industries, plural) (singular/plural]
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My Errors: 28. If less(A) calories are(B) consumed than are needed(C), energy is
obtained from(D) the fat cells. (A)(fewer, quantifier) (countable/uncountable)
IV. word form Correct Ones
2. An ardent feminist, Margaret Fuller, through(A) her literature, asked that(B) women
be(C) given a fairly(D) chance. (D)(fair, adjective) [word form--adj]
12. Original(A) cultivated(B) in India, the banana was brought(C) to the Americas by the
Portuguese, who fount it(D) in Africa. (A)(originally, adverb) [word form—adj/adverb]
14. Earthworms make(A) their path through heavily(B) soil by eating it(C) and then
eliminating it behind them (D). (B)(heavy, adjective) [word form—adj/adv]
5. Faced with(A) the possibility of a water shortage during the summer months, the city
has asked it (B)citizens to limit(C) their use(D) of water. (B)(its, possessive pronoun) [word
form--possessive]
20. All(A) of the transactions in this bank were(B) handled quickly and efficient(C) by
well-trained(D) tellers. (C)(efficiently, adverb) [word form]
30. Of the(A) several thousand(B) varieties of apples, relative(C) few have
commercial(D) importance. (C)(relatively, adverb) [word form]
7. Buttercups are(A) avoided by(B) grazing(C) animals because(D) their bitter juices.
(D)(because of, preposition) [preposition]
My Errors:
V. Agreement: Subject-Verb and Noun-Pronoun Correct Ones
10. With (A)specially(B) designed vaults, modern banks protects(C) their customers’
(D)money and other valuables. (C)(protect, subject-verb agreement) [subject-verb
agreement]
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4.
The basic law (A)of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division(B) are taught(C)
to all elementary school (D)students. (A)(laws, plural, subject-verb agreement)
[subject-verb agreement]
13. The ability to conceal themselves(A) by camouflage enable(B) some otherwise (C)
defenseless animals to survive(D). (B)(enables, subject-verb agreement) [subject-verb
agreement]
22. Because recent studies(A) have shown that obesity can cause(B) a type of diabetes,
doctors usually put(C) his(D) diabetic patients on a special diet. (D)(their, possessive
pronoun) [noun-pronoun agreement]
25. The cost of groceries have risen (A) so(B) rapidly during the past several years that
lower-income families can scarcely(C)
buy what(D) they need. (A)(has, subject-verb
agreement) [subject-verb agreement]
My Errors:
VI. Comparative Correct Ones
18. The World Trade Center, the tallest(A) skyscraper in(B)
New York City, has(C) eight
floors taller than(D) the Empire State Building. (C)(is, wrong word) [comparison]
23. The most(A) Americans were killed in(B) World War II than in any(C) other war
since(D) the birth of the nation. (A)(More, comparative) [comparison]
My Errors:
29. Alligators can survive(A) a wide(B) range of temperatures(D) than other(C)
crocodilians.
(B)(wider, comparative) [comparison]
VII. Sentence Construction Correct Ones
6. A fiber-optic cable across(A) the Pacific went into(B) service in(C) April 1989, link(D)
the United States and Japan. (D)(linking, present particle) [Sentence Structure: participial]
8. Although was(A) defeated for the presidency(B) three times, William Jennings Bryan
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was a major(C) influence in the(D) United States. (A)(Although, participle construction)
[Sentence Structure: participial]
9. Levees and dikes are walls or(A) embankments and which(B) are used to keep(C) the
sea or a river from overflowing(D) an area.
(B)(which, conjunction--relative pronoun)
[Sentence Structure--conjunction]
15. Sponges, with a structural(A) organization like that of(B) a colony of one-celled
animals, they stand(C) at the lowest(D) level of the animal kingdom. (C)(stand, redundant
subject) [Sentence Structure]
My Errors: 16. Only after local residents became(A) sick and publicly voiced(B) their
displeasure the chemical company began(C) to clean up its(D) dump sites.
(C)(did the
chemical company begin, inversion) [Sentence Structure-only]
II.
Choose the one word or phrase, (A), (B), (C), (D), that best completes the
sentence. Write your answer in the margin.
I. [WORD FORM] Correct Ones
3. He is in good health and spirits and, ___D______ his accident yesterday, ready to drive
again.
(A) owing
(B) though
(C) regardless
(D) despite
(preposition)
5. ____A_____ conventional photography, holography produces three-dimensional
images.
(A) Unlike
17.
(B) Unlikely
(C) It is unlike
(D) It is unlikely
(preposition)
____C_____ by transferring the blame to others is often called scapegoating.
(A) Eliminate problems
(B) The eliminated problems
(C) Eliminating problems
(D) Problems are eliminated
(gerund as subject)
My Errors:
24. James Figg was the first boxer ___C______ as a heavyweight champion.
(A) to recognize
(C) to be recognized
(infinitive as adjective; passive voice)
(B) who recognized
(D) recognizing
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19. _____B____ all behavior is learned behavior is a basic assumption of social
scientists.
(A) Nearly
(B) That nearly
(C) It is nearly
(D) When nearly
(noun clause: that [conjunction] + all behavior [subject] + is [verb])
(adverb: “nearly” modifies “all”)
II. [subject-verb agreement] Correct Ones
2. Water vapor changing to liquid ___A_____ heat. (subject-verb agreement)
(A) releases
(B) its
(C) it releases
(D) the
11. A lunar eclipse ___D_______ the earth passes between the sun and the moon, causing
the moon to become dark.
(A) occurs
(B) that occurs
(C) which occurs
(D) occurs when
(subject-verb agreement)
My Errors:
III. [Sentence Structure] Correct Ones
1. ______C______, the North Country Trail will be the world’s longest hiking system.
(A) It stretches 3,246 miles over seven states
(no conjunction)
(B) That it stretches 3,246 miles over seven states
(C) Stretching 3,246 miles over seven states
(wrong conjunction)
(participle construction)
(D) Because stretching 3,246 miles over seven states
(wrong conjunction)
4. Dry cleaning is a wet process in which the first step ___A_____ a garment in a cleaning
solution. (A) involves soaking
(B) that soaks
(C) involving
(D) which involves
(relative clause: in which [conjunction] + the first step [subject] + involves [verb] + gerund
[object])
6. A new television series teaches handicapped children __B______ can and should think
about career development.
(A) and
(B) that they
(C) both
(D) who they
(noun clause: that [conjunction] + they [subject] + think [verb])
7. Not until a baby kangaroo is four months old ____D______ to live outside its mother’s
pouch. (A) it begins
(B) beginning
(C) and begins
(D) does it begin
(inversion)
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8. ___D_____ 1980 that Voyager transmitted photographs of Saturn to earth.
(A) When it was
(B) That was in
(C) During
(D) It was in
(Cleft sentence: It + be . . . that . . .)
12. Fainting can result from either a lack of oxygen __A______ a loss of blood.
(A) or
(B) and from
(C) or from
(D) and
(parallelism: N1 + coordinate conjunction + N2)
13. Romany is an Indic language ___A_____ gypsies speak.
(A) which
(B) which is of
(C) and which
(D) is that which
(relative clause: which [conjunction//object] + gypsies [subject] + speak [verb])
15. ____D_____ is surpassed only by that of monkeys and apes.
(A) The intelligent dog
(B) The dogs whose intelligence
(C) The dogs have intelligence
(D) The intelligence of dogs
(parallelism: the intelligence of dogs vs. the intelligence of monkeys and apes)
16. “The City of London” actually refers to only a small part of London, ___A____ there
is a concentration of banks, insurance companies and financial markets.
(A) where
(B) which
(C) with which
(D) when
(relative clause: where [conjunction//adverb] + there-construction)
20. At thirteen ____D____ at a district school near her home, and when she was fifteen,
she saw her first article in print.
a. the first teaching position that Mary Jane Hawes had
b. the teaching position was Mary Jane Hawes’ first
c. when Mary Jane Hawes had her first teaching position
d. Mary Jane Hawes had her first teaching position
(clause1 + coordinate conjunction + clause2)
(coordinate conjunction: and)
(clause1: Mary Jane Hawes [subject] + had [verb])
(clause2: She [subject] + saw [verb])
21. Essentially, a theory is an abstract , symbolic representation of ___C____ reality.
(A) what it is considered
(B) that is conceived
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(C) what is conceived to be
(D) that is being conceived of
(noun clause: what [conjunction//subject] + is conceived [verb])
22. His career has been an active one: ___C______.
a. writing poetry, working on magazines, and the war in Greece
b. poetry, editing magazines, and the Greek War
c. writing poems, editing magazines, and serving in the Greek War
d. poetry work, editing magazines, and fighting in Greece
(parallelism: gerund1 + gerund2 + coordinate conjunction + gerund3)
23. ____C_____ Rodrigo used bribery to be elected pope, his election was generally
welcomed.
(A) Even
(B) How
(C) Even though
(D) In spite of
(adverbial clause: even though [conjunction] + Rodrigo [subject] + used [verb])
24. ___C____ agreement among scientists as to whether there is life on other planets
such as Mars.
(A) No general
(B) Generally, no
(C) There is no general
(D) Although no general
(main clause: there-construction)
(noun clause: whether [conjunction] + there-construction)
25. _____B_____, Walt Whitman is renowned for his free-verse poetry celebrating the
American spirit.
a. He is one of America’s greatest poets
b. One of America’s greatest poets
c. One of America’s poets who are
d. Despite one of America’s greatest poets
(appositive: Walt Whitman = one of America’s greatest poets)
26. No matter how ___A_______, many people have escaped from big cities to rural
areas.
a. inconvenient country life may be
b. country life may be inconvenient
c. may country life be inconvenient
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d. country life inconvenient may be
(adverbial clause: no matter how inconvenient [conjunction] + country life [subject] + may
be [verb])
27. Pearls in edible clams and oysters are usually small, rough, and ___A_____.
(A) of poor quality
(B) poor quality
(C) their quality
(D) their poor quality
My Errors:
9. So far, there is no vaccine ____C______ in sight for the common cold.
(A) or curing
(B) has cured
(C) or cure (D) having cured
(parallelism: N1 + coordinate conjunction + N2)
10. Why _____C____ at a given time is not known.
(A) does a drought occur
(B) it is a drought that
(C) a drought should occur
(D) a drought that occurs
(noun clause: why [conjunction] + a drought [subject] + occur [verb])
14. Since there were no honeybees in North America, early European settlers ____B___.
(A) importing them
(B) imported them
(C) imported themselves
(D) their importation
(main clause: settlers [subject] + imported [verb] + them [object])
28. Dairy farming is limited in Africa, ___C_____ primarily around urban centers in
eastern and southern Africa.
(A) its location
(B) locating
(C) located
(D) which located
(participle construction)
20. Anthropology is a science ____A_____ anthropologists use a rigorous set of methods
and techniques to document observations that can be checked by others.
(A) in that
(B) that in
(C) that
(D) in
(conjunction: “in that” + explanation)
(parallelism: adjective1 + adjective2 + coordinate conjunction + adjective3)
29. The world would be less homogeneous than it is today __C___.
a. if television was not invented
b. if television not invented
c. had television not been invented
d. television having not been invented
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(past hypothetical conditions;) inverted hypothetical