GED Language Arts (RLA) : Syntax
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Example Questions
Example Question #122 : Language Usage And Grammar
1 Over the past few decades, an abundance of new cooking techniques [Question 1]. 2 A combination of internet tutorials, popular cooking shows, and celebrity chefs [Question 2]. 3 Today, professional and amateur cooks alike have access to information and tools that allow them to explore everything from fire-roasting vegetables [Question 3]. 4 Some chefs [Question 4], a strategy they say allows them to respect tradition while maintaining innovation. 5 Among these old techniques [Question 5] pickling, fermenting, and smoking, for instance. 6 Whether you’re interested in X, Y, or Z [Question 6].
Which of the following phrases best completes Sentence 2?
are responsible for its rising popularity.
are responsible for this rise in popularity.
were responsibility of its rising popularity.
is responsibly rising its popularity.
is responsible for this rise in popularity.
is responsible for this rise in popularity.
Note that the subject of this sentence is “combination,” a singular noun that requires the verb “is.” This allows us to rule out all but two of the answers. Of the remaining options, “is responsibly rising its popularity” is very awkward, leaving us with “is responsible for this rise in popularity.”
Example Question #123 : Language Usage And Grammar
1 Over the past few decades, an abundance of new cooking techniques [Question 1]. 2 A combination of internet tutorials, popular cooking shows, and celebrity chefs [Question 2]. 3 Today, professional and amateur cooks alike have access to information and tools that allow them to explore everything from fire-roasting vegetables [Question 3]. 4 Some chefs [Question 4], a strategy they say allows them to respect tradition while maintaining innovation. 5 Among these old techniques [Question 5] pickling, fermenting, and smoking, for instance. 6 Whether you’re interested in X, Y, or Z [Question 6].
Which of the following phrases best completes Sentence 3?
while infusing oils, syrups, and liquors with herbs.
, and infusing oils, syrups, and liquors with herbs.
to infusing oils, syrups, and liquors with herbs.
, with infusing oils, syrups, and liquors with herbs.
; moreover, infusing oils, syrups, and liquors with herbs.
to infusing oils, syrups, and liquors with herbs.
Based on the middle of Sentence 3, we can see that we have a “everything from _____________ to _______________” construction. This construction can’t have other prepositions substituted in it; you must use “from” and “to” to write it correctly. The construction also does not require any punctuation before the “to.”
Example Question #124 : Language Usage And Grammar
1 Writer’s block is a challenge that faces many creative people [Question 1]. 2 Inventors and theoreticians alike have long speculated about the possible [Question 2]. 3 Some people believe that it comes from lack of preparation [Question 3]. Recently, neurological and psychological studies have identified potential underlying causes of creative block [Question 4]. 5 Still others assert that a lack of resources (including time, money, and community) [Question 5].
6 People faced with writer’s block [Question 6] may take comfort in the fact that many of the world’s greatest artists have struggled similarly. 7 Take Ludwig van Beethoven, Vincent van Gogh, and Frida Kahlo as just a few examples of individuals who [Question 7] prevailed in creating lasting masterpieces. 8 [Question 8] then an artist can always try consulting with peers, taking a break, or turning their attention to a new art form altogether. 9 After all, through [Question 9] a person can overcome almost any artistic impediment.
Which of the following phrases best completes Sentence 1?
, just writers.
, not just writers.
not just writers
; including writers.
just writers
, not just writers.
Since “just writers” is in contrast with “many creative people,” the “not” is essential to clarify this relationship of contrast. Similarly, since “not just writers” is not part of the main independent clause of the sentence, it needs to be set off with a comma. A semicolon is incorrect because “not just writers” is not an independent clause of its own.
Example Question #125 : Language Usage And Grammar
1 Writer’s block is a challenge that faces many creative people [Question 1]. 2 Inventors and theoreticians alike have long speculated about the possible [Question 2]. 3 Some people believe that it comes from lack of preparation [Question 3]. Recently, neurological and psychological studies have identified potential underlying causes of creative block [Question 4]. 5 Still others assert that a lack of resources (including time, money, and community) [Question 5].
6 People faced with writer’s block [Question 6] may take comfort in the fact that many of the world’s greatest artists have struggled similarly. 7 Take Ludwig van Beethoven, Vincent van Gogh, and Frida Kahlo as just a few examples of individuals who [Question 7] prevailed in creating lasting masterpieces. 8 [Question 8] then an artist can always try consulting with peers, taking a break, or turning their attention to a new art form altogether. 9 After all, through [Question 9] a person can overcome almost any artistic impediment.
Which of the following phrases best completes Sentence 2?
causes of this artistic corollary.
causes of this artistic community.
causes of this artistic contusion.
causes of this artistic colloquium.
causes of this artistic conundrum.
causes of this artistic conundrum.
Here, the only difference between your answer choices is the main noun. The sentence requires you to home in on the fact that we’re talking about some sort of “challenge” (Sentence 1) or dilemma and identify which noun fits best. A colloquium is an academic gathering or seminar, a corollary is a mathematical proposition, and a contusion is another word for a bruise. Community doesn’t fit the context, so that leaves us with conundrum, a dilemma or difficult problem.
Example Question #126 : Language Usage And Grammar
1 Writer’s block is a challenge that faces many creative people [Question 1]. 2 Inventors and theoreticians alike have long speculated about the possible [Question 2]. 3 Some people believe that it comes from lack of preparation [Question 3]. Recently, neurological and psychological studies have identified potential underlying causes of creative block [Question 4]. 5 Still others assert that a lack of resources (including time, money, and community) [Question 5].
6 People faced with writer’s block [Question 6] may take comfort in the fact that many of the world’s greatest artists have struggled similarly. 7 Take Ludwig van Beethoven, Vincent van Gogh, and Frida Kahlo as just a few examples of individuals who [Question 7] prevailed in creating lasting masterpieces. 8 [Question 8] then an artist can always try consulting with peers, taking a break, or turning their attention to a new art form altogether. 9 After all, through [Question 9] a person can overcome almost any artistic impediment.
Which of the following phrases best completes Sentence 3?
, others fearing inadequacy or negative criticism.
; others fear an inadequacy or negative criticism.
; others, a fear of inadequacy or negative criticism.
; while others fear inadequacy, or negative criticism.
; while others fear inadequacy or negative criticism.
; others, a fear of inadequacy or negative criticism.
Here, we have to make the two parts of the sentence parallel. When two independent clauses appear in the same sentence, either a semicolon or a comma and conjunction word are needed to separate them. The best choice here is “; others, a fear of inadequacy or negative criticism” because, while it ellipses or implies the verb “believe,” it is still a correctly punctuated independent clause.
Example Question #127 : Language Usage And Grammar
1 Writer’s block is a challenge that faces many creative people [Question 1]. 2 Inventors and theoreticians alike have long speculated about the possible [Question 2]. 3 Some people believe that it comes from lack of preparation [Question 3]. Recently, neurological and psychological studies have identified potential underlying causes of creative block [Question 4]. 5 Still others assert that a lack of resources (including time, money, and community) [Question 5].
6 People faced with writer’s block [Question 6] may take comfort in the fact that many of the world’s greatest artists have struggled similarly. 7 Take Ludwig van Beethoven, Vincent van Gogh, and Frida Kahlo as just a few examples of individuals who [Question 7] prevailed in creating lasting masterpieces. 8 [Question 8] then an artist can always try consulting with peers, taking a break, or turning their attention to a new art form altogether. 9 After all, through [Question 9] a person can overcome almost any artistic impediment.
Which of the following phrases best completes Sentence 4?
, damage to the brain’s frontal lobe, anxiety, and depression, to name a few.
; damage to the brain’s frontal lobe, anxiety, and depression; to name a few.
; damage to the brain’s frontal lobe, anxiety, and depression, to name a few.
: damage to the brain’s frontal lobe, anxiety, and depression, to name a few.
: damage to the brain’s frontal lobe, anxiety, and depression; to name a few.
: damage to the brain’s frontal lobe, anxiety, and depression, to name a few.
Since the first part of Sentence 4 introduces a list, we would use a colon to begin the list. “To name a few” is a dependent clause, so it should be separated from the main list by a comma and not a semicolon. These two rules eliminate all the wrong choices, leaving us with the correct answer of “: damage to the brain’s frontal lobe, anxiety, and depression, to name a few.”
Example Question #131 : Language Usage And Grammar
1 Writer’s block is a challenge that faces many creative people [Question 1]. 2 Inventors and theoreticians alike have long speculated about the possible [Question 2]. 3 Some people believe that it comes from lack of preparation [Question 3]. Recently, neurological and psychological studies have identified potential underlying causes of creative block [Question 4]. 5 Still others assert that a lack of resources (including time, money, and community) [Question 5].
6 People faced with writer’s block [Question 6] may take comfort in the fact that many of the world’s greatest artists have struggled similarly. 7 Take Ludwig van Beethoven, Vincent van Gogh, and Frida Kahlo as just a few examples of individuals who [Question 7] prevailed in creating lasting masterpieces. 8 [Question 8] then an artist can always try consulting with peers, taking a break, or turning their attention to a new art form altogether. 9 After all, through [Question 9] a person can overcome almost any artistic impediment.
Which of the following phrases best completes Sentence 5?
, are the root culprit of writer’s block
, is the root culprit of writer’s block
None of these other choices
is the root culprit of writer’s block
are the root culprit of writer’s block
is the root culprit of writer’s block
To get this question right, you may want to consider the sentence without the parentheses. The thing that is the root culprit of writer’s block is a “lack,” a singular noun, so the proper verb tense is “is,” not “are.” Similarly, the sentence does not require a comma in it without the parentheses (indeed, the parentheses serve as markers for a parenthetical clause that could otherwise be separated with commas), so it does not require a comma at all.
Example Question #132 : Language Usage And Grammar
1 Writer’s block is a challenge that faces many creative people [Question 1]. 2 Inventors and theoreticians alike have long speculated about the possible [Question 2]. 3 Some people believe that it comes from lack of preparation [Question 3]. Recently, neurological and psychological studies have identified potential underlying causes of creative block [Question 4]. 5 Still others assert that a lack of resources (including time, money, and community) [Question 5].
6 People faced with writer’s block [Question 6] may take comfort in the fact that many of the world’s greatest artists have struggled similarly. 7 Take Ludwig van Beethoven, Vincent van Gogh, and Frida Kahlo as just a few examples of individuals who [Question 7] prevailed in creating lasting masterpieces. 8 [Question 8] then an artist can always try consulting with peers, taking a break, or turning their attention to a new art form altogether. 9 After all, through [Question 9] a person can overcome almost any artistic impediment.
Which of the following phrases best completes Sentence 6?
— be they chefs, choreographers, or cinematographers —
None of these other choices
, be they chefs, choreographers, or cinematographers;
, be they chefs, choreographers, or cinematographers —
: be they chefs, choreographers, or cinematographers
— be they chefs, choreographers, or cinematographers —
Since the parts of Sentence 6 outside the brackets are a standalone independent clause, we know that what’s inside the brackets must be offset by a pair of commas, parentheses, or em dashes. We can therefore eliminate all the choices that don’t contain a matching pair of these types of punctuation marks.
Example Question #51 : Syntax
1 Writer’s block is a challenge that faces many creative people [Question 1]. 2 Inventors and theoreticians alike have long speculated about the possible [Question 2]. 3 Some people believe that it comes from lack of preparation [Question 3]. Recently, neurological and psychological studies have identified potential underlying causes of creative block [Question 4]. 5 Still others assert that a lack of resources (including time, money, and community) [Question 5].
6 People faced with writer’s block [Question 6] may take comfort in the fact that many of the world’s greatest artists have struggled similarly. 7 Take Ludwig van Beethoven, Vincent van Gogh, and Frida Kahlo as just a few examples of individuals who [Question 7] prevailed in creating lasting masterpieces. 8 [Question 8] then an artist can always try consulting with peers, taking a break, or turning their attention to a new art form altogether. 9 After all, through [Question 9] a person can overcome almost any artistic impediment.
Which of the following phrases best completes Sentence 8?
Because that’s still no consolation,
While that’s still no consolation,
If that’s still no consolation,
Although that’s still no consolation,
Whether that’s still no consolation,
If that’s still no consolation,
This sentence has a classic “if… then” structure, wherein “if” cannot be replaced by other words. Using “because,” “although,” and “while” ruins the logic of the sentence. “Whether,” while tempting, does not lead to a grammatically correct sentence.
Example Question #52 : Syntax
1 Writer’s block is a challenge that faces many creative people [Question 1]. 2 Inventors and theoreticians alike have long speculated about the possible [Question 2]. 3 Some people believe that it comes from lack of preparation [Question 3]. Recently, neurological and psychological studies have identified potential underlying causes of creative block [Question 4]. 5 Still others assert that a lack of resources (including time, money, and community) [Question 5].
6 People faced with writer’s block [Question 6] may take comfort in the fact that many of the world’s greatest artists have struggled similarly. 7 Take Ludwig van Beethoven, Vincent van Gogh, and Frida Kahlo as just a few examples of individuals who [Question 7] prevailed in creating lasting masterpieces. 8 [Question 8] then an artist can always try consulting with peers, taking a break, or turning their attention to a new art form altogether. 9 After all, through [Question 9] a person can overcome almost any artistic impediment.
Which of the following phrases best completes Sentence 9?
sedimentary effort,
sedentary effort
serrated effort
sedulous effort,
senescent effort,
sedulous effort,
Since this is a parenthetical (dependent) clause, we need to offset it with commas on both sides. This narrows down the answer choices somewhat. However, getting the question right ultimately depends on knowing the vocabulary word “sedulous,” or hardworking. It’s the only adjective that makes sense in this context.
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