I85PREP
⌘ K
SLE Test of Written Expression study materials
SLE Test of Written Expression study resources

SLE Test of Written Expression practice questions

One question at a time. Build your SLE Test of Written Expression understanding.

First 50 of 197 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Grammar and Usage

In the sentence 'The committee, after reviewing every proposal, awarded the contract to the smallest firm,' the phrase 'after reviewing every proposal' functions grammatically as which element?

  1. A participial phrase modifying 'committee' Correct answer.
  2. A prepositional phrase modifying 'awarded'
  3. An adverbial clause of time
  4. An appositive renaming 'committee'

Explanation

The phrase is built on a participle ('reviewing') with its own object, and set off by commas it describes the subject 'committee' rather than modifying the verb. A clause would require a finite verb such as 'after it had reviewed'. Recognizing the participle-plus-object structure is the key diagnostic.

Question 2Grammar and Usage

Which revision corrects the faulty parallelism in 'The internship taught her to draft briefs, interviewing witnesses, and how to negotiate settlements'?

  1. The internship taught her how to draft briefs, interviewing witnesses, and negotiate settlements.
  2. The internship taught her drafting briefs, interviewing witnesses, and how to negotiate settlements.
  3. The internship taught her to draft briefs, to interview witnesses, and to negotiate settlements. Correct answer.
  4. The internship taught her to draft briefs, interviewing witnesses, and negotiating settlements.

Explanation

Items joined by 'and' in a series must share the same grammatical form; here all three should be infinitive phrases complementing 'taught her to'. Only the revision with three parallel infinitives ('to draft, to interview, to negotiate') achieves that. Mixed gerunds and infinitives break the parallelism.

Question 3Grammar and Usage

In 'Had the auditors arrived earlier, they would have caught the discrepancy,' the inverted auxiliary 'Had' signals which grammatical construction?

  1. A second conditional with omitted 'if'
  2. An imperative using a past participle
  3. A third conditional with omitted 'if' Correct answer.
  4. A subjunctive noun clause

Explanation

Inversion of 'had' with the subject replaces 'if' in unreal past conditionals, and the main clause uses 'would have' plus a past participle. Together these mark the third (past unreal) conditional. Second conditionals would use 'were' or the simple past and 'would' plus a bare infinitive.

Question 4Grammar and Usage

Which sentence uses the colon correctly according to standard usage in formal written English?

  1. The report contained three flaws: missing data, faulty logic, and unclear prose. Correct answer.
  2. The report contained: missing data, faulty logic, and unclear prose.
  3. The report contained three flaws: and the reviewers rejected it.
  4. The report contained three flaws, namely: missing data, faulty logic, and unclear prose.

Explanation

A colon should follow a grammatically complete independent clause and introduce what that clause promises, such as a list or explanation. In the correct sentence the clause 'The report contained three flaws' stands alone and the colon introduces the list. The colon must not separate a verb from its object or precede a conjunction joining clauses.

Question 5Grammar and Usage

Identify the function of 'that' in 'The claim that the policy reduced costs was disputed by economists.'

  1. It introduces an adverbial clause of result.
  2. It introduces a relative clause modifying 'policy'.
  3. It introduces a complement clause naming the content of 'claim'. Correct answer.
  4. It functions as a demonstrative determiner modifying 'claim'.

Explanation

After a noun such as 'claim', 'that' introduces a complement (content) clause that spells out what is claimed. The clause is not a relative clause because 'that' is not a pronoun standing for the noun within the clause. Distinguishing complement clauses from relative clauses depends on whether the clause fills a slot required by the noun.

Question 6Grammar and Usage

Which sentence correctly observes the rule for subject-verb agreement with a collective noun used to refer to individuals acting separately?

  1. The jury has been divided on the verdict and argued for hours.
  2. The jury were divided on the verdict and argued for hours. Correct answer.
  3. The jury was divided on the verdict and argued for hours.
  4. The jury is divided on the verdict and argued for hours.

Explanation

When a collective noun such as 'jury' denotes members acting individually rather than as a unit, British and formal usage permits a plural verb. The past-tense 'were' with 'argued' fits this separate-action reading. Singular verbs treat the group as one body, which conflicts with the explicit internal disagreement.

Question 7Grammar and Usage

In 'Neither the manager nor the employees were informed of the merger,' the verb 'were' agrees with which element, and why?

  1. The whole compound subject, which is always plural
  2. 'manager', because the first subject controls agreement
  3. 'employees', because with 'neither...nor' the verb agrees with the nearer subject Correct answer.
  4. 'merger', because it is the nearest noun to the verb

Explanation

With correlative conjunctions 'either...or' and 'neither...nor', the verb agrees with the subject closer to it. Here the nearer subject is the plural 'employees', so the plural 'were' is correct. If the order were reversed, the singular verb would be required.

Question 8Grammar and Usage

Which sentence uses the semicolon in a way that conforms to formal punctuation conventions?

  1. The deadline passed; quietly, without any extension request.
  2. The deadline passed quietly; and no one had requested an extension.
  3. The deadline passed quietly; because no one had requested an extension.
  4. The deadline passed quietly; no one had requested an extension. Correct answer.

Explanation

A semicolon may join two independent clauses that are closely related and not already linked by a coordinating conjunction. The correct option places a complete clause on each side. Semicolons should not precede a coordinating conjunction or a subordinator, nor separate a clause from a fragment.

Question 9Grammar and Usage

In 'Walking through the gallery, the paintings impressed the visitors,' what is the grammatical error, and what is the standard name for it?

  1. Faulty parallelism: the participle and main clause differ in form.
  2. A squinting modifier: the participle could modify either adjacent word.
  3. A misplaced appositive: the phrase renames the wrong noun.
  4. A dangling modifier: the introductory participle does not logically modify the subject 'paintings'. Correct answer.

Explanation

An introductory participial phrase must describe the subject of the main clause. Paintings cannot walk through a gallery, so the modifier dangles and the sentence needs revision, for example 'Walking through the gallery, the visitors were impressed by the paintings.' The fault is logical attachment, not position alone.

Question 10Grammar and Usage

Which sentence places the adverb 'only' so that it clearly modifies 'the treasurer'?

  1. The treasurer knew only the account password.
  2. The treasurer knew the account password only.
  3. The treasurer only knew the account password.
  4. Only the treasurer knew the account password. Correct answer.

Explanation

A limiting adverb such as 'only' should sit immediately before the word or phrase it restricts. To restrict 'the treasurer', 'only' must directly precede that noun phrase. The other placements restrict the verb, the object, or the whole predicate instead.

Question 11Grammar and Usage

Which sentence uses 'who' or 'whom' according to its grammatical case in the subordinate clause?

  1. The consultant who the board hired him resigned within a month.
  2. The consultant whom resigned within a month was hired by the board.
  3. The consultant who the board hired resigned within a month.
  4. The consultant whom the board hired resigned within a month. Correct answer.

Explanation

'Whom' is the object form and is correct when the relative pronoun serves as the object of the verb in its clause. In 'the board hired ___', the missing element is the direct object, so 'whom' is required. 'Who' would be correct only if the pronoun were the clause's subject.

Question 12Grammar and Usage

In 'If I were the editor, I would cut the final chapter,' the form 'were' illustrates which grammatical feature?

  1. The past subjunctive (irrealis) used in a hypothetical condition Correct answer.
  2. An imperative subjunctive in a dependent clause
  3. A passive construction with an omitted auxiliary
  4. A plural past-tense indicative form

Explanation

In counterfactual conditions referring to the present or future, formal English uses 'were' for all persons, a remnant of the past subjunctive. The main clause then takes 'would' plus a bare infinitive. This 'were' does not indicate plurality or past time.

Question 13Grammar and Usage

Which sentence maintains consistent tense in a reported statement about a still-current fact?

  1. She said that the office is closing at six every evening.
  2. She said that the office closes at six every evening. Correct answer.
  3. She said that the office closed at six every evening.
  4. She said that the office will close at six every evening.

Explanation

When a reported statement describes an ongoing or habitual fact that remains true, the present tense may be retained after a past reporting verb. 'Closes at six every evening' expresses a standing schedule, so the present is appropriate. Backshifting is optional, not mandatory, in this case.

Question 14Grammar and Usage

Which sentence uses a gerund phrase as the subject of the clause?

  1. The lawyer reviewing the contracts missed lunch.
  2. Reviewing the contracts took the entire afternoon. Correct answer.
  3. Having been reviewed, the contracts were filed.
  4. To review the contracts was the team's first task.

Explanation

A gerund is a verb form ending in '-ing' that functions as a noun. In the correct option the gerund phrase 'Reviewing the contracts' occupies the subject slot and takes the singular verb 'took'. Participles and infinitives serve different functions.

Question 15Grammar and Usage

Which sentence correctly uses 'fewer' rather than 'less'?

  1. The revised edition contains fewer footnotes than the original. Correct answer.
  2. The revised edition contains less footnotes and fewer errors than the original.
  3. The revised edition contains less footnotes than the original.
  4. The revised edition contains fewer attention to detail than the original.

Explanation

'Fewer' modifies plural countable nouns, while 'less' modifies mass or uncountable nouns. Footnotes are countable, so 'fewer footnotes' is correct. The distinction applies to the noun immediately following the quantifier.

Question 16Grammar and Usage

Which sentence avoids a fused (run-on) sentence while preserving the intended relationship between the clauses?

  1. The proposal was rejected; consequently, the team revised its budget. Correct answer.
  2. The proposal was rejected, the team revised its budget.
  3. The proposal was rejected the team revised its budget.
  4. The proposal was rejected, consequently the team revised its budget.

Explanation

Two independent clauses need a semicolon, a period, or a coordinating conjunction between them. A semicolon followed by a conjunctive adverb and a comma cleanly marks the causal link. Comma splices and fused sentences fail to separate the clauses properly.

Question 17Grammar and Usage

In 'The data, which the team collected over five years, support the hypothesis,' the relative clause is best described as which type?

  1. Nonrestrictive, because it is set off by commas and adds supplementary information Correct answer.
  2. Restrictive, because it identifies which data are meant
  3. Appositive, because it renames 'the data'
  4. Adverbial, because it indicates time

Explanation

A relative clause framed by commas is nonrestrictive: it supplies extra information about an already identified noun rather than narrowing it. Restrictive clauses appear without such commas and are essential to identifying the referent. The punctuation is the decisive marker here.

Question 18Grammar and Usage

Which sentence uses the apostrophe correctly for a plural possessive?

  1. The three companies merger agreements were filed together.
  2. The three companies's merger agreements were filed together.
  3. The three companies' merger agreements were filed together. Correct answer.
  4. The three companys' merger agreements were filed together.

Explanation

A regular plural noun ending in '-s' forms the possessive by adding only an apostrophe after the existing '-s'. Thus 'companies' becomes 'companies''. Adding another '-s' or omitting the apostrophe is incorrect.

Question 19Grammar and Usage

Which sentence correctly uses a dash or parentheses to set off supplementary material?

  1. The witness, clearly nervous-answered each question carefully.
  2. The witness-clearly nervous-answered each question carefully. Correct answer.
  3. The witness clearly nervous-answered each question carefully.
  4. The witness-clearly nervous, answered each question carefully.

Explanation

Parenthetical material set off by dashes requires a matching dash at each boundary. The correct sentence pairs an opening and a closing dash around the inserted phrase. Mismatched or single punctuation marks leave the interruption unclosed.

Question 20Grammar and Usage

Which sentence uses 'lie' and 'lay' correctly?

  1. The files have laid on the desk since Tuesday.
  2. The files lay on the desk until someone moved them. Correct answer.
  3. The files laid on the desk until someone moved them.
  4. Someone lay the files on the desk yesterday.

Explanation

'Lie' is intransitive (to recline or rest) and its past tense is 'lay'. 'Lay' is transitive and requires an object, with past tense 'laid'. The files resting on the desk take the intransitive past 'lay'; the other options confuse the transitive and intransitive forms.

Question 21Grammar and Usage

In 'The professor, together with her graduate students, attends the conference annually,' why is the singular verb 'attends' correct?

  1. 'Together with' creates a compound subject requiring a plural verb.
  2. The subject is 'professor'; the phrase introduced by 'together with' does not change the subject's number. Correct answer.
  3. The singular verb is required because 'annually' signals a habitual action.
  4. The verb agrees with 'students', which is plural, so the sentence is actually incorrect.

Explanation

Phrases beginning with 'together with', 'along with', or 'as well as' are parenthetical additions, not part of the grammatical subject. The true subject is the singular 'professor', so the singular verb is correct. Only 'and' would create a compound plural subject.

Question 22Grammar and Usage

Which sentence uses the comparative and superlative forms correctly?

  1. Of the three proposals, hers was the more persuasive.
  2. Of the three proposals, hers was the most persuasiveest.
  3. Of the three proposals, hers was more persuasive than the others were the most.
  4. Of the three proposals, hers was the most persuasive. Correct answer.

Explanation

The superlative is used when comparing three or more items; the comparative is for two. With three proposals, 'most persuasive' is required. Double superlatives and mixed constructions are nonstandard.

Question 23Grammar and Usage

Identify the voice and the role of 'the auditors' in 'The accounts were reviewed by the auditors before the deadline.'

  1. Passive voice; 'the auditors' is the direct object
  2. Passive voice; 'the auditors' is the agent in a by-phrase Correct answer.
  3. Middle voice; 'the auditors' is an adjunct of time
  4. Active voice; 'the auditors' is the subject

Explanation

The sentence uses 'were reviewed', a passive verb phrase, with 'the accounts' as the grammatical subject receiving the action. The performer of the action appears in the optional 'by'-phrase as the agent. Active voice would place the auditors as the subject.

Question 24Grammar and Usage

Which sentence uses a modal verb to express epistemic possibility rather than obligation or ability?

  1. They should have arrived before noon.
  2. You must submit the form by Friday.
  3. She can speak three languages fluently.
  4. The figures may reflect a clerical error in the ledger. Correct answer.

Explanation

Epistemic modality expresses the speaker's assessment of likelihood. 'May' in 'may reflect' signals that something is possible, not required or permitted. Deontic 'must' and ability 'can' express obligation and capacity instead.

Question 25Grammar and Usage

Which sentence correctly forms the perfect infinitive in a past unreal context?

  1. She claims to finishing the audit before the deadline.
  2. She claims to have finished the audit before the deadline. Correct answer.
  3. She claims to have finish the audit before the deadline.
  4. She claims to had finished the audit before the deadline.

Explanation

The perfect infinitive is formed with 'to have' plus a past participle, expressing an action completed before the time of the main verb. 'To have finished' fits that pattern. The other options misform the auxiliary or the participle.

Question 26Grammar and Usage

In the sentence 'The committee has reached its decision,' the pronoun 'its' agrees with 'committee' because the collective noun is treated as which kind of entity?

  1. A plural noun requiring a plural pronoun
  2. A group of individuals acting separately
  3. A single unit acting as one body Correct answer.
  4. An abstract noun without number

Explanation

When a collective noun is treated as a single unified body, it takes a singular verb and a singular pronoun such as 'its'. The individual-members reading would instead license 'their' and a plural verb.

Question 27Grammar and Usage

Which sentence uses an indefinite pronoun as the subject with the verb form that formal written English prescribes?

  1. Each of the candidates has submitted a writing sample. Correct answer.
  2. Each of the candidates are submitting a writing sample.
  3. Each of the candidates have submitted a writing sample.
  4. Each of the candidates were submitting a writing sample.

Explanation

'Each' is a singular indefinite pronoun, so the verb in the main clause must be singular: 'has submitted'. The plural noun in the prepositional phrase 'of the candidates' does not control agreement.

Question 28Grammar and Usage

In 'The report that the analyst submitted was returned for revision,' what is the grammatical function of the clause 'that the analyst submitted'?

  1. It is an adverb clause modifying 'returned'.
  2. It is a relative clause modifying 'report'. Correct answer.
  3. It is a participial phrase modifying 'analyst'.
  4. It is a noun clause serving as the subject.

Explanation

The clause follows the noun 'report' and identifies which report is meant, so it is a restrictive relative (adjective) clause. It contains its own subject and verb and is not the subject of the main clause.

Question 29Grammar and Usage

Which sentence uses a colon in a way that conforms to formal written conventions?

  1. She brought: notebooks, pens, and a laptop to the meeting.
  2. The deadline is: Friday at noon.
  3. The proposal was rejected because: the budget was unrealistic.
  4. The team requested three items: a scanner, a printer, and a shredder. Correct answer.

Explanation

A colon may introduce a list after a complete independent clause, which is what 'The team requested three items' provides. The colon must not separate a verb or preposition from its object.

Question 30Grammar and Usage

Which sentence uses a comma correctly to set off a nonrestrictive element?

  1. My brother, who lives in Osaka, works as a translator. Correct answer.
  2. My brother, who lives in Osaka works as a translator.
  3. My brother who lives in Osaka, works as a translator.
  4. My brother who lives in Osaka works, as a translator.

Explanation

A nonrestrictive relative clause supplying extra information must be enclosed by commas at both ends. Option 0 supplies both commas, whereas the others supply only one or place the comma wrongly.

Question 31Grammar and Usage

In the sentence 'Having finished the audit, the partner signed the report,' what does the introductory participial phrase modify?

  1. The audit
  2. The partner Correct answer.
  3. The signing
  4. The report

Explanation

An introductory participial phrase is understood to modify the subject of the main clause, which here is 'the partner'. The partner is the one who finished the audit, so the modifier is correctly attached.

Question 32Grammar and Usage

Which sentence uses the hyphen correctly in a compound modifier?

  1. She is a well known-author of short stories.
  2. She is a well-known author of short stories. Correct answer.
  3. She is a well - known author of short stories.
  4. She is a well known author of short stories.

Explanation

A compound adjective placed before the noun it modifies should be hyphenated: 'well-known author'. When the same phrase follows the verb, as in 'the author is well known', no hyphen is needed.

Question 33Grammar and Usage

Which sentence uses the subjunctive mood correctly in a formal written context?

  1. The board insisted that the director resign by June. Correct answer.
  2. The board insisted that the director is resigning by June.
  3. The board insisted that the director resigned by June.
  4. The board insisted that the director resigns by June.

Explanation

Verbs of demand such as 'insist' take a that-clause in the mandative subjunctive, whose form is the base verb 'resign' regardless of the subject. The indicative forms would signal a factual report rather than a demand.

Question 34Grammar and Usage

In 'The manuscript was edited by a freelance proofreader,' the sentence is in the passive voice. Which element performs the action described by the verb?

  1. The manuscript
  2. The passive auxiliary 'was'
  3. A freelance proofreader Correct answer.
  4. The implied reader of the sentence

Explanation

In a passive construction the grammatical subject ('the manuscript') receives the action, while the agent introduced by 'by' performs it. Here the agent is 'a freelance proofreader'.

Question 35Grammar and Usage

Which sentence uses a modal verb to express a logical deduction rather than permission or ability?

  1. She can speak three languages fluently.
  2. The lights are off, so they must be away. Correct answer.
  3. May I borrow your pen for a moment?
  4. You must submit the form by Friday.

Explanation

In 'they must be away', 'must' expresses a strong inference from evidence, which is epistemic modality. The other sentences use modals for obligation, ability, or permission.

Question 36Grammar and Usage

Which sentence correctly uses 'amount' rather than 'number'?

  1. A large amount of protesters gathered outside the hall.
  2. A large number of water was spilled on the floor.
  3. A large amount of students signed the petition.
  4. A large number of protesters gathered outside the hall. Correct answer.

Explanation

'Number' is used with countable plural nouns such as 'protesters', while 'amount' is used with mass nouns such as 'water'. Only option 1 pairs a countable noun with the appropriate quantifier.

Question 37Grammar and Usage

In 'The results, however surprising, were replicated by two independent laboratories,' how does the phrase 'however surprising' function?

  1. It is a conditional clause stating a hypothesis.
  2. It is an appositive renaming 'the results'.
  3. It is an adverb clause modifying 'replicated'.
  4. It is a concessive parenthetical modifying 'the results'. Correct answer.

Explanation

The phrase is set off by commas and concedes a point about the results, functioning as a concessive parenthetical adjective phrase. It is not a clause because it has no finite verb.

Question 38Grammar and Usage

Which sentence uses 'between' or 'among' according to the distinction standardly taught in formal usage?

  1. The prize was divided among the five finalists. Correct answer.
  2. The prize was divided between the five finalists.
  3. She sat between the crowd and waited.
  4. The disagreement was among the two departments.

Explanation

'Among' is used for relationships involving more than two entities, while 'between' is used for two. Five finalists therefore call for 'among'.

Question 39Grammar and Usage

Which sentence maintains parallel structure in a series?

  1. The internship requires writing reports, to attend meetings, and analyzing data.
  2. The internship requires writing reports, attending meetings, and analyzing data. Correct answer.
  3. The internship requires writing reports, meeting attendance, and to analyze data.
  4. The internship requires to write reports, attending meetings, and analysis of data.

Explanation

Items in a series must share the same grammatical form; here three gerund phrases are joined by 'and'. Mixing an infinitive or a noun with gerunds breaks parallelism.

Question 40Grammar and Usage

In 'Scarcely had the meeting begun when the fire alarm sounded,' why is the auxiliary 'had' placed before the subject?

  1. Because 'scarcely' is a coordinating conjunction
  2. Because the sentence is interrogative in form
  3. Because the verb is in the passive voice
  4. Because a negative adverbial opens the clause and triggers inversion Correct answer.

Explanation

When a negative or restrictive adverb such as 'scarcely' or 'never' begins a clause, subject-auxiliary inversion is required in formal style. The sentence is declarative, so the inversion is triggered by the fronted adverbial.

Question 41Grammar and Usage

Which sentence uses a gerund as the object of a preposition?

  1. She is responsible for organizing the conference. Correct answer.
  2. Organizing the conference took three months.
  3. She will organize the conference tomorrow.
  4. The organized conference drew many attendees.

Explanation

In 'responsible for organizing', the gerund 'organizing' serves as the object of the preposition 'for'. The other sentences use a finite verb, a gerund as subject, or a participle as adjective.

Question 42Grammar and Usage

Which sentence uses 'its' or 'it's' correctly?

  1. The company revised its' style guide last quarter.
  2. The company revised it's style guide last quarter.
  3. The company revised its style guide last quarter. Correct answer.
  4. The company revised its style guide, and it's pages are clearer.

Explanation

'Its' is the possessive determiner, while 'it's' is the contraction of 'it is' or 'it has'. Only option 1 uses the possessive form correctly before a noun.

Question 43Grammar and Usage

In 'The novelist, whose early works sold poorly, later achieved fame,' what is the role of 'whose'?

  1. It is a demonstrative determiner pointing to a nearby noun
  2. It is a subordinating conjunction introducing a condition
  3. It is a relative pronoun expressing possession within the clause Correct answer.
  4. It is an interrogative pronoun introducing a question

Explanation

'Whose' is a possessive relative pronoun linking the relative clause to 'the novelist' and marking possession of 'early works'. It is not interrogative because the sentence is declarative.

Question 44Grammar and Usage

Which sentence correctly uses 'whoever' rather than 'whomever'?

  1. Whomever wins the contest receives a stipend.
  2. Whomever the committee selects will begin in June.
  3. Whoever the committee selects will begin in June. Correct answer.
  4. Whoever the committee selects him will begin in June.

Explanation

The pronoun serves as the subject of 'will begin', so the nominative 'whoever' is required even though it also functions as the object inside the embedded clause. Case is determined by the pronoun's role in its own clause.

Question 45Grammar and Usage

In 'Had the evidence been stronger, the appeal would have succeeded,' which grammatical feature is illustrated?

  1. A factual conditional expressed through 'if'
  2. A reported command in indirect speech
  3. A counterfactual conditional expressed through inversion Correct answer.
  4. A passive construction without an auxiliary

Explanation

The inverted 'Had the evidence been stronger' replaces 'If the evidence had been stronger' and presents an unreal past condition. The main clause with 'would have succeeded' confirms the counterfactual reading.

Question 46Grammar and Usage

Which sentence correctly uses a nominative absolute construction?

  1. The votes having been counted, the chair declared the motion passed. Correct answer.
  2. The votes were counted, the chair declared the motion passed.
  3. The votes having counted, the chair declared the motion passed.
  4. Having counted the votes, the motion was declared passed by the chair.

Explanation

A nominative absolute consists of a noun plus a participle that has no grammatical link to the main clause, as in 'The votes having been counted'. The passive participle 'been counted' is required because the votes are counted by someone.

Question 47Grammar and Usage

Which sentence uses 'not only ... but also' with correct parallelism and placement?

  1. Not only she edits the journal but also writes its editorials.
  2. She not only edits the journal, but she also writes editorials in it as well.
  3. She not only edits the journal but also writing its editorials.
  4. She not only edits the journal but also writes its editorials. Correct answer.

Explanation

The correlative conjunctions should frame parallel elements, here two finite verb phrases: 'edits the journal' and 'writes its editorials'. Each conjunction should sit immediately before the element it introduces.

Question 48Grammar and Usage

In 'What the auditors found surprised the board,' what is the function of the clause 'What the auditors found'?

  1. It is a restrictive relative clause modifying 'board'.
  2. It is a free relative clause serving as the subject. Correct answer.
  3. It is an interrogative clause serving as the object.
  4. It is an adverbial clause of reason.

Explanation

A free (nominal) relative clause introduced by 'what' contains its own subject and verb but has no antecedent noun, and here it fills the subject slot of 'surprised'. The main verb 'surprised' then takes 'the board' as its object.

Question 49Grammar and Usage

Which sentence correctly uses a past perfect subjunctive in a wish construction about the past?

  1. I wish I had studied linguistics before I began teaching. Correct answer.
  2. I wish I would have studied linguistics before I began teaching.
  3. I wish I have studied linguistics before I began teaching.
  4. I wish I studied linguistics before I began teaching.

Explanation

Wishes about an unreal past use the past perfect: 'I wish I had studied'. The 'would have' form after 'wish' is nonstandard in formal written English, and the simple past would refer to an unreal present.

Question 50Grammar and Usage

Which sentence avoids an ambiguous pronoun reference in formal expository prose?

  1. The supervisor told the intern that it would review the draft.
  2. The supervisor told the intern that she would review the draft.
  3. The supervisor told the intern to review the draft herself.
  4. The supervisor told the intern that she herself would review the draft. Correct answer.

Explanation

The pronoun 'she' could refer to either the supervisor or the intern, so the reflexive 'herself' attached to 'she' disambiguates the reference to the supervisor. The other options either leave the referent unclear or use 'it' for a person.