Advanced Grammar and Syntax

1. Choose the grammatically correct sentence.

• A. Less people attended than expected.
• B. Fewer people attended than expected. ✓
• C. Lesser people attended than expected.
• D. Little people attended than expected.

💡 "Fewer" is used with countable nouns (people). "Less" is used with uncountable nouns (water, time).

2. What is a "split infinitive"?

• A. An infinitive without "to"
• B. An adverb placed between "to" and the verb ✓
• C. Two infinitives in one sentence
• D. An infinitive used as a noun

💡 A split infinitive places a word (usually an adverb) between "to" and the verb: "to boldly go."

3. Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier?

• A. She almost drove her children to school every day. ✓
• B. She drove her children to school almost every day.
• C. Almost every day she drove her children to school.
• D. Every day she almost drove her children to school.

💡 "Almost" modifies "drove" here, implying she barely drove. It should modify "every day": "almost every day."

4. What is a "cataphoric reference"?

• A. A word referring back to something mentioned earlier
• B. A word referring forward to something mentioned later ✓
• C. A pronoun with no clear antecedent
• D. A noun used in place of a pronoun

💡 Cataphoric reference points forward to something that will be explained later in the text.

5. What is "asyndeton"?

• A. Using many conjunctions
• B. Repeating a word at the start of clauses
• C. Omitting conjunctions between clauses ✓
• D. Inverting the normal word order

💡 Asyndeton omits conjunctions for effect: "I came, I saw, I conquered." (no "and" between clauses)

6. Which sentence is correct?

• A. He is one of those people who always complain. ✓
• B. He is one of those people who always complains.
• C. He is one of those peoples who always complain.
• D. He is one of those person who always complains.

💡 The relative clause refers to "people" (plural), so the verb must be "complain" (plural).

7. Which sentence uses the pluperfect tense correctly?

• A. She had been waiting for two hours when he arrived. ✓
• B. She has been waiting for two hours when he arrived.
• C. She was waiting for two hours when he arrived.
• D. She waited for two hours when he arrived.

💡 Pluperfect (past perfect continuous) = had been + -ing. Used for an ongoing action before another past event.

8. What is zeugma?

• A. Repetition of a word at the end of clauses
• B. A word governing two others in different senses ✓
• C. Omission of a word that can be inferred
• D. Inversion of normal word order

💡 Zeugma uses one word to govern two others in different senses: "She lost her keys and her temper."

9. Identify the dangling modifier: "Walking through the park, the flowers were beautiful."

• A. Walking through the park ✓
• B. the flowers
• C. were beautiful
• D. through the park

💡 "Walking through the park" is a dangling modifier — it incorrectly implies the flowers were walking.

10. Identify the type of clause: "Although it was raining, they went for a walk."

• A. Noun clause
• B. Relative clause
• C. Result clause
• D. Concessive clause ✓

💡 A concessive clause expresses contrast or concession. "Although" introduces a concessive clause.

11. Identify the error: "The committee have reached their decision unanimously."

• A. committee
• B. have ✓
• C. their
• D. unanimously

💡 In American English, collective nouns like "committee" take singular verbs: "The committee has reached its decision."

12. Which sentence correctly uses the subjunctive mood?

• A. I wish I was taller.
• B. I wish I am taller.
• C. I wish I were taller. ✓
• D. I wish I will be taller.

💡 The subjunctive mood uses "were" for all persons in hypothetical or wishful statements: "I wish I were taller."

13. Choose the correct sentence.

• A. Whom shall I say is calling?
• B. Who shall I say is calling? ✓
• C. Who shall I say are calling?
• D. Whom shall I say are calling?

💡 "Who" is correct because it is the subject of "is calling". "Whom" is used for objects.

14. Which sentence is grammatically correct?

• A. The data shows a clear trend.
• B. The data show a clear trend.
• C. The data are showing a clear trend.
• D. Both A and B are acceptable. ✓

💡 "Data" is technically the plural of "datum" so "show" is formally correct, but "shows" is now widely accepted. Both are acceptable.

15. What is an "appositive phrase"?

• A. A phrase that modifies a verb
• B. A phrase expressing condition
• C. A phrase that renames or explains an adjacent noun ✓
• D. A phrase expressing contrast

💡 An appositive phrase renames or describes a nearby noun. Example: "My brother, a doctor, lives in London."

16. Which sentence demonstrates correct use of the Oxford comma?

• A. I bought apples, oranges and bananas.
• B. I bought apples, oranges, and bananas. ✓
• C. I bought apples oranges, and bananas.
• D. I bought, apples, oranges, and bananas.

💡 The Oxford comma is placed before the final "and" in a list: "apples, oranges, and bananas."

17. Which correctly uses "lay" vs "lie"?

• A. I need to lay down for a while.
• B. The book is laying on the table.
• C. She laid the baby in the cot. ✓
• D. The dog is laying on the floor.

💡 "Lay" (past tense: laid) takes an object. "Lie" (past tense: lay) does not. "She laid the baby" is correct.

18. Which is the correct use of "whom"?

• A. Whom do you think will win?
• B. To whom did you give the letter? ✓
• C. Whom is calling?
• D. Whom wrote the report?

💡 "Whom" is correct as the object of the preposition "to": "To whom did you give the letter?"

19. What is "ellipsis" in grammar?

• A. Adding unnecessary words
• B. Repeating a word for emphasis
• C. Omission of words that can be understood from context ✓
• D. Using a word in an unusual position

💡 Ellipsis is the omission of words understood from context: "She can play guitar and he can too [play guitar]."

20. What is a "nominalization"?

• A. Turning a verb or adjective into a noun ✓
• B. Turning a noun into a verb
• C. A noun used as an adjective
• D. A proper noun used as a common noun

💡 Nominalization converts a verb or adjective into a noun: "decide" → "decision", "happy" → "happiness".