Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correct sentence.
A. The jury has reached its verdict.
B. The jury have reached its verdicts in every formal context.
C. The jury has reach its verdict.
D. The jury are reached its verdict.
Correct Answer: A
When a collective noun acts as one unit, a singular verb and singular pronoun are appropriate.
Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correct completion: 'None of the equipment ___ damaged.'
A. are
B. have
C. is
D. were
Correct Answer: C
'Equipment' is uncountable singular, so a singular verb is required.
Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correct completion: 'None of the students ___ submitted the assignment yet.'
A. has
B. have
C. is
D. was
Correct Answer: B
With a plural count noun, 'none of the students have...' is standard and natural.
Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correct sentence.
A. The statistics in the report is inaccurate.
B. The statistics in the report are inaccurate.
C. The statistic in the report are inaccurate.
D. The statistics has inaccurate.
Correct Answer: B
When 'statistics' means numerical data, it is plural.
Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correct sentence.
A. Statistics are an important branch of mathematics.
B. Statistics is an important branch of mathematics.
C. Statistics have an important branch of mathematics.
D. Statistics were a branch mathematics.
Correct Answer: B
When 'statistics' means the field of study, it is singular.
Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correct completion: 'More than fifty percent of the voters ___ in favor.'
A. is
B. are
C. has
D. was
Correct Answer: B
Agreement follows the plural noun 'voters'.
Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correct completion: 'More than fifty percent of the land ___ cultivated.'
A. are
B. have
C. is
D. were
Correct Answer: C
With percentages, agreement follows the noun after 'of'; 'land' is uncountable singular.
Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correct sentence.
A. The phenomenon are difficult to explain.
B. The phenomenon is difficult to explain.
C. The phenomena is difficult to explain.
D. The phenomenon have difficult to explain.
Correct Answer: B
'Phenomenon' is singular; its plural is 'phenomena'.
Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correct sentence.
A. The criteria is clearly stated.
B. The criteria are clearly stated.
C. The criterias are clearly stated.
D. The criteria has clearly stated.
Correct Answer: B
'Criteria' is the plural of 'criterion' and takes a plural verb.
Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correct sentence.
A. A series of lectures are being arranged.
B. A series of lectures is being arranged.
C. A series of lecture are being arranged.
D. Series of lectures is being arrange.
Correct Answer: B
The head noun 'series' is singular here, so 'is being arranged' is correct.
Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correct completion: 'Either the principal or the teachers ___ going to supervise the test.'
A. is
B. are
C. was
D. has
Correct Answer: B
The nearer subject is plural 'teachers', so the plural verb 'are' is correct.
Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correct completion: 'Neither the students nor their teacher ___ aware of the change.'
A. are
B. were
C. is
D. have
Correct Answer: C
With 'neither...nor', the verb agrees with the nearer subject; 'teacher' is singular.
Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correct completion: 'The cost of these repairs ___ too high.'
A. are
B. have been
C. is
D. were
Correct Answer: C
The head noun is 'cost', which is singular; the phrase 'of these repairs' does not control the verb.
Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correct sentence.
A. Were it not for your help, I would fail.
B. Was it not for your help, I would fail.
C. Were it not for your help, I will fail.
D. Were not it for your help, I would failed.
Correct Answer: A
'Were it not for...' is a formal inverted conditional meaning 'If it were not for...'.
Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correct sentence.
A. He speaks as though he knew everything.
B. He speaks as though he knows everything if the meaning is clearly unreal.
C. He speaks as though he know everything.
D. He speaks as though he had know everything.
Correct Answer: A
For an unreal present comparison after 'as though', the past form 'knew' is commonly used.
Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correct sentence.
A. The sooner you start, the sooner you will finish.
B. Sooner you start, sooner you will finish.
C. The sooner you will start, the sooner you finish.
D. The soonest you start, the sooner you will finish.
Correct Answer: A
The correlative comparative pattern is 'The sooner..., the sooner...'.
Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correct sentence.
A. He is one of the best officers I have ever worked with.
B. He is one of the best officer I have ever worked with.
C. He is one of the better officers I ever work with.
D. He is one of best officers I have ever worked.
Correct Answer: A
'One of the + superlative + plural noun' is the correct construction.
Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correct sentence.
A. Not everyone agreed with the decision.
B. Everyone did not agree with the decision if the intended meaning is 'some disagreed'.
C. Not everyone did agreed with the decision.
D. Everyone not agreed with the decision.
Correct Answer: A
'Not everyone' clearly means that some people did not agree; it avoids the ambiguity of 'everyone did not'.
Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correct sentence.
A. Much of the information was outdated.
B. Many of the information were outdated.
C. Much of the informations were outdated.
D. Many information was outdated.
Correct Answer: A
'Information' is uncountable, so 'much' and a singular verb are appropriate.
Precis & Composition
Sentence Structure and Correction
Choose the correct sentence.
A. There were fewer mistakes in this report than in the last one.
B. There were less mistakes in this report than in the last one.
C. There was fewer mistakes in this report than in the last one.
D. There were fewest mistakes than the last one.
Correct Answer: A
'Fewer' is used with plural countable nouns such as 'mistakes'.