Verb, pronoun, and modifier forms

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HiSET › Verb, pronoun, and modifier forms

Questions 1 - 10
1

(1) Jana and I studied for our Physics exam together yesterday. We had both been struggling with the course, so our teacher urged the two of us to work together. Our professor told (2) Jana and I that there were reference materials in the library. I was not surprised, because the library was full of books for students who needed them. (no error)

Identify the answer choice which corresponds to a grammatical error.

(2) Jana and I

(1) Jana and I

the two of us

who needed them.

(no error)

Explanation

The word "I" is a pronoun and must be used as the subject of a sentence. When the person in question (to whom "I" refers) is used as the object of the sentence, the proper pronoun is "me". In the sentence "Our professor told (2) Jana and I that there were reference materials in the library," the professor is the subject of the sentence because he is the pronoun that corresponds to the verb "told". As such, Jana and the speaker are both objects of the action verb "to tell". Because both Jana and the speaker are objects, the phrase should have read: "Our professor told Jana and me".

2

The media center is a very helpful place on campus if a person is in need of information. Newcomers to the library, who do not know to whom they should address their questions regarding the center, should simply approach the information desk. There are over one thousand books here, and anyone with a library card can access it. The media center can have a very positive effect on any student's grade. (no error)

Choose the answer choice containing a grammatical error.

can access it

who do not know to whom

address

effect

(no error)

Explanation

In the sentence "There are over one thousand books here, and anyone with a library card can access it," the subject of discussion is the collection of one thousand books. The implication of the sentence is that a student with a library card can access the books. When a noun is replaced by a placeholder pronoun, such as "it" or "they" the placeholder must agree with the original noun. The word "it" does not agree with the phrase "one thousand books" because while "it" is singular, "one thousand books" is plural. The correct sentence would have been "There are over one thousand books here, and anyone with a library card can access them."

3

Jimmy is annoyed at the video game that he was playing. For one thing, there was not nearly enough interesting characters suspenseful moments or exciting escapes in the game to satisfy him. For another, it was incredibly hard while playing the game to control the cars. It always wanted to veer to the left when he tried to steer to the right. But the ending of the game was worst. By the time he got to the end, the hero had decided to stop chasing rogue spies and therefore marry his girlfriend, a surprise attack resulted in her being kidnapped, and the hero must go on a final mission to save her before the game can be completed. That would of been fine, except it involved tracking the enemy using a helicopter, and Jimmy much to his chagrin never mastered flying the helicopter.

Choose the option that best corrects the bolded and underlined section of the text.

They

(no change)

The game

Jimmy

Explanation

The previous sentence makes it clear that it is the cars that Jimmy cannot control. "Cars" is a plural noun, so the pronoun should be changed to the plural "they."

4

Jimmy is annoyed at the video game that he was playing. For one thing, there was not nearly enough interesting characters suspenseful moments or exciting escapes in the game to satisfy him. For another, it was incredibly hard while playing the game to control the cars. It always wanted to veer to the left when he tried to steer to the right. But the ending of the game was worst. By the time he got to the end, the hero had decided to stop chasing rogue spies and therefore marry his girlfriend, a surprise attack resulted in her being kidnapped, and the hero must go on a final mission to save her before the game can be completed. That would of been fine, except it involved tracking the enemy using a helicopter, and Jimmy much to his chagrin never mastered flying the helicopter.

What is the best form of the bolded and underlined section?

(no change)

decided

was deciding

is deciding

Explanation

The video game hero's decision is made in the past of other past events in the game, so the past perfect form ("had decided") is appropriate here. None of the other answers provided were possibly correct.

5

Jimmy is annoyed at the video game that he was playing. For one thing, there was not nearly enough interesting characters suspenseful moments or exciting escapes in the game to satisfy him. For another, it was incredibly hard while playing the game to control the cars. It always wanted to veer to the left when he tried to steer to the right. But the ending of the game was worst. By the time he got to the end, the hero had decided to stop chasing rogue spies and therefore marry his girlfriend, a surprise attack resulted in her being kidnapped, and the hero must go on a final mission to save her before the game can be completed. That would of been fine, except it involved tracking the enemy using a helicopter, and Jimmy much to his chagrin never mastered flying the helicopter.

Choose the option that best corrects the bolded and underlined section of the text.

had to go

will have to go

is forced to go

(no change)

Explanation

The phrase "had to go" both signals the video game hero's lack of choice about his final mission and the past tense of the action. None of the other provided answers make grammatical or logical sense.

6

Jimmy is annoyed at the video game that he was playing. For one thing, there was not nearly enough interesting characters suspenseful moments or exciting escapes in the game to satisfy him. For another, it was incredibly hard while playing the game to control the cars. It always wanted to veer to the left when he tried to steer to the right. But the ending of the game was worst. By the time he got to the end, the hero had decided to stop chasing rogue spies and therefore marry his girlfriend, a surprise attack resulted in her being kidnapped, and the hero must go on a final mission to save her before the game can be completed. That would of been fine, except it involved tracking the enemy using a helicopter, and Jimmy much to his chagrin never mastered flying the helicopter.

Choose the option that best corrects the bolded and underlined section of the text.

could be

(no change)

could have been

will be

Explanation

The phrase "could be" signals the necessity of getting through the mission to finish the game and the past tense of the action. "Before the game could be completed" could also be phrased: "before the game could possibly be completed," without altering the meaning at all (but maybe making the phrase redundant).

7

1 The recruitment of elite athletes by American universities has recently reached new levels of both sophistication and it is very competitive. The benefits of having top-quality athletic programs are obvious: massive television revenues, marketing deals with major corporate sponsors, and increased alumni donations. However, the desire to achieve these riches led many colleges to sanction practices that are both ethically and legally questionable.

2 Colleges have traditionally made allowances in their admission standards for athletes who might not have otherwise been academically qualified. In recent years, however, several cases of outright academic fraud have been uncovered at major American universities. These include fraudulent transcripts, fictitious online coursework, and the increasingly common practice of having a star athlete repeat a grade or two in order to achieve a higher grade point average.

3 The recruitment of potential college athletes is also starting at a much earlier age as it was before**.** Some football and basketball players have been given scholarship offers before they enroll in high school. The presence of various types of social media also plays a large role in the recruiting process. Of course, the offers are non-binding, and oftentimes, the athletes in question do not actually attend the school at all.

4. It would be a good idea for the leaders of American universities to remind themselves of the academic mission of their institutions before they allow the pursuit of money and fame to corrupt them. Success on the playing fields is a noble goal, but not if it comes at the cost ignoring the true purpose of higher education.

What is the best choice to replace the bolded and underlined word?

has led

have led

are leading

leads

Explanation

The subject of the sentence, "desire" is singular, thus eliminating "have lead" and "are leading" as answer choices. The sentence describes a past action that is ongoing, making the present perfect verb tense, "has led" the correct choice.

8

1 The recruitment of elite athletes by American universities has recently reached new levels of both sophistication and it is very competitive. The benefits of having top-quality athletic programs are obvious: massive television revenues, marketing deals with major corporate sponsors, and increased alumni donations. However, the desire to achieve these riches led many colleges to sanction practices that are both ethically and legally questionable.

2 Colleges have traditionally made allowances in their admission standards for athletes who might not have otherwise been academically qualified. In recent years, however, several cases of outright academic fraud have been uncovered at major American universities. These include fraudulent transcripts, fictitious online coursework, and the increasingly common practice of having a star athlete repeat a grade or two in order to achieve a higher grade point average.

3 The recruitment of potential college athletes is also starting at a much earlier age as it was before**.** Some football and basketball players have been given scholarship offers before they enroll in high school. The presence of various types of social media also plays a large role in the recruiting process. Of course, the offers are non-binding, and oftentimes, the athletes in question do not actually attend the school at all.

4. It would be a good idea for the leaders of American universities to remind themselves of the academic mission of their institutions before they allow the pursuit of money and fame to corrupt them. Success on the playing fields is a noble goal, but not if it comes at the cost ignoring the true purpose of higher education.

Which choice best replaces the bolded and underlined word?

(no change)

which

whom

they

Explanation

Since the pronoun is being used as the subject of a restrictive clause, "who" is the correct answer choice.

9

1 The recruitment of elite athletes by American universities has recently reached new levels of both sophistication and it is very competitive. The benefits of having top-quality athletic programs are obvious: massive television revenues, marketing deals with major corporate sponsors, and increased alumni donations. However, the desire to achieve these riches led many colleges to sanction practices that are both ethically and legally questionable.

2 Colleges have traditionally made allowances in their admission standards for athletes who might not have otherwise been academically qualified. In recent years, however, several cases of outright academic fraud have been uncovered at major American universities. These include fraudulent transcripts, fictitious online coursework, and the increasingly common practice of having a star athlete repeat a grade or two in order to achieve a higher grade point average.

3 The recruitment of potential college athletes is also starting at a much earlier age as it was before**.** Some football and basketball players have been given scholarship offers before they enroll in high school. The presence of various types of social media also plays a large role in the recruiting process. Of course, the offers are non-binding, and oftentimes, the athletes in question do not actually attend the school at all.

4. It would be a good idea for the leaders of American universities to remind themselves of the academic mission of their institutions before they allow the pursuit of money and fame to corrupt them. Success on the playing fields is a noble goal, but not if it comes at the cost ignoring the true purpose of higher education.

Which choice best replaces the bolded and underlined phrase?

corrupt it.

(no change)

be corrupted by it.

corrupting them.

Explanation

The antecedent for this pronoun is "academic mission", which is singular. Thus, "it" is the correct pronoun in this sentence.

10

After attending a performance of a local jazz band, a blogger wrote the following article.

1 The Mahoney Performing Arts Center played host to a truly inspiring performance by the William Eastwood Quintet last Saturday evening. Although Mr. Eastwood and his fellow musicians have a songbook comprised solely of jazz standards, many of them are over 50 years old, the Quintet breathes new life into each song they play. The works of jazz legends such as Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington were certainly in competent hands throughout the two-hour performance.

2 Eastwood departed from jazz tradition by beginning his set with a ballad, You Must Believe In Spring. While this choice meant that the audience was not as energetic as it might be had he chosen a more upbeat number, it also gave listeners a chance to appreciate the outstanding interplay between the members of the Quintet. Audience members who wanted to snap their fingers or clap along with the beat were rewarded by several livelier songs in the middle of the performance, climaxing with an incendiary rendition of Gillespie’s classic, Salt Peanuts.

3While the focus of the show was clearly the outstanding saxophone playing of the band’s leader, Eastwood gave ample opportunities for his fellow musicians to shine. In particular, pianist Devon Semien, who took the spotlight for a 5 minute solo during the classic _Body and Soul._The entire band were in synch throughout the performance, signaling that William Eastwood is going to a force in the jazz world for years to come.

Which choice best replaces the bolded and underlined phrase?

many of which

(no change)

many

many of these

Explanation

The sentence features a subordinate clause, linked to a main clause, with the underlined portion in between. Thus, any answer choice that is a main clause would create a run on sentence. "Many of which" is the appropriate restrictive clause in this sentence.

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