CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Direct: She said, 'I will help you.' Reported:
A. She said that she will help me.
B. She said that she would help me.
C. She said that she would helped me.
D. She said she help me.
Correct Answer: B
'Will' normally backshifts to 'would' in reported speech after a past reporting verb.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Direct: He said, 'What are you doing?' Reported:
A. He asked what I was doing.
B. He asked what was I doing.
C. He said what I am doing.
D. He asked that what I was doing.
Correct Answer: A
Reported questions use statement word order and normally backshift tense after a past reporting verb.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Direct: The teacher said, 'Open your books.' Reported:
A. The teacher said that open your books.
B. The teacher ordered the students to open their books.
C. The teacher asked that the books opened.
D. The teacher told that open books.
Correct Answer: B
Commands are commonly reported with 'ordered/told + object + to-infinitive'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Direct: He said to me, 'Do you know Ali?' Reported:
A. He asked me if I knew Ali.
B. He told me do I know Ali.
C. He asked me that I know Ali.
D. He said me if I knew Ali.
Correct Answer: A
Yes/no questions are reported with 'asked + if/whether' and statement word order.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Direct: She said, 'I have finished my work.' Reported:
A. She said that she has finished her work.
B. She said that she had finished her work.
C. She said that she finished my work.
D. She says that she had finish her work.
Correct Answer: B
Present perfect normally backshifts to past perfect after a past reporting verb.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Direct: He said, 'I am tired.' Reported speech:
A. He said that I am tired.
B. He said that he was tired.
C. He says that he was tired.
D. He said that he is tired yesterday.
Correct Answer: B
With a past reporting verb, present 'am' normally backshifts to past 'was', and the pronoun changes according to the speaker.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Little ___ that the decision would change his life.
A. he knew
B. did he know
C. he did knew
D. knew he
Correct Answer: B
Fronted negative 'Little' requires inversion: 'Little did he know...'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
So difficult ___ that many students could not finish it.
A. the paper was
B. was the paper
C. did the paper
D. the paper did
Correct Answer: B
With fronted 'So + adjective', formal inversion is possible: 'So difficult was the paper that...'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Not until midnight ___ home.
A. he returned
B. did he return
C. he did returned
D. returned he
Correct Answer: B
Fronted 'Not until...' requires auxiliary inversion in the main clause.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Only after the meeting ___ the truth.
A. we understood
B. did we understand
C. we did understood
D. understood we
Correct Answer: B
When 'only + adverbial' is fronted, the main clause takes inversion: 'did we understand'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Rarely ___ such dedication.
A. we see
B. do we see
C. we do see
D. see we
Correct Answer: B
Fronted negative/restrictive adverbs such as 'rarely' require inversion.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Never ___ such a difficult question.
A. I have seen
B. have I seen
C. I saw
D. did I have seen
Correct Answer: B
A negative adverbial placed first triggers subject–auxiliary inversion: 'Never have I seen...'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the best correction: 'Because the road was blocked. We took another route.'
A. Because the road was blocked, we took another route.
B. Because the road was blocked; we took another route.
C. The road because was blocked, we took another route.
D. Because the road blocked we, took another route.
Correct Answer: A
The dependent clause beginning with 'because' should be joined to the independent clause.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the best correction: 'The report was late, the manager was angry.'
A. The report was late the manager was angry.
B. The report was late; the manager was angry.
C. The report was late, because the manager was angry.
D. The report was late, although the manager angry.
Correct Answer: B
A semicolon correctly separates two closely related independent clauses.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the complete sentence.
A. While waiting for the bus.
B. Since the office was closed.
C. The office was closed, so we returned home.
D. Because of the heavy rain.
Correct Answer: C
Option C contains a complete independent clause structure; the others are fragments.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Which sentence avoids a run-on?
A. The meeting ended we left immediately.
B. The meeting ended, we left immediately.
C. The meeting ended, and we left immediately.
D. The meeting ended and, we left immediately.
Correct Answer: C
Two independent clauses can be joined with a comma plus a coordinating conjunction.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correctly punctuated and structured sentence.
A. I was tired, I went to bed.
B. I was tired; I went to bed.
C. I was tired because, I went to bed.
D. I was tired I went, to bed.
Correct Answer: B
Two independent clauses may be joined with a semicolon. Option A is a comma splice.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Which option is a complete sentence?
A. Because he was tired.
B. Although it was raining.
C. He went home because he was tired.
D. After finishing the work.
Correct Answer: C
A complete sentence needs an independent clause. The other options are dependent fragments.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
The reason ___ he resigned is unknown.
A. why
B. which
C. who
D. where
Correct Answer: A
'Why' can introduce a relative clause after 'reason'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Everything ___ he said was true.
A. which
B. what
C. that
D. who
Correct Answer: C
After indefinite pronouns such as 'everything', 'that' is commonly preferred in defining relative clauses.