Practice Sentence Correction Test 5

Each of the sentence correction questions presents a sentence, part or all of which is
underlined. Beneath the sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined
part. The first of these repeats the original; the other four are different. Follow the
requirements of standard written English to choose your answer, paying attention to
grammar, word choice, and sentence construction. Select the answer that produces
the most effective sentence; your answer should make the sentence clear, exact,
and free of grammatical error. It should also minimize awkwardness, ambiguity, and
redundancy
Q1. Part of the proposed increase in state education spending is due to
higher enrollment, since the number of students in public schools have grown
steadily since the mid-1980’s and, at nearly 47 million, are at a record high.
A. enrollment, since the number of students in public schools have grown steadily
since the mid-1980’s and, at nearly 47 million, are at.
B. Enrollment, with a number of students in public schools growing steadily
since the mid-1980’s and, at nearly 47 million, reaching.
C. Enrollment: since students in public schools have grown steadily in number
since the mid-1980’s and, at nearly 47 million, have reached.
D. Enrollment: the number of students in public schools has grown steadily since
the mid-1980’s and, at nearly 47 million, has reached.
E. Enrollment: students in public schools have grown steadily in number since
the mid-1980’s and , at nearly 47million, are at
This SC is based on one issue: making sure that the sentence has the correct NOUN
in place, then choosing the correct verb to match.
1) Nouns: The intent of this sentence is that THE NUMBER of students has grown
over time (not that the students themselves have physically grown). Eliminate B
(stating "A NUMBER" is incorrect; the total number has grown), C and E.
2) Subject-Verb: Between answers A and D, we have the verbs "have" and "has."
The number of students……has…. is correct. Eliminate A.
Answer= D
Q2. . In human hearing, subtle differences in how the two ears hear a given sound
help the listener determine the qualities of that sound.
(A) in how the two ears hear a given sound help the listener determine
(B) in the two ears hearing a given sound help the listener in determining
(C) in how a sound is heard by the two ears helps the listener determine
(D) between how the two ears hear a given sound helps the listener in determining
(E) between how a sound is heard by the two ears help the listener in determining
Meaning: The sentence talks about the mechanism of human hearing. The listener
determines the quality of the sound because of the subtle difference in how the two
ears hear a given sound.
Choice analysis: A) Plural subject “differences” agrees in number with plural verb
“help”. Modifier “in how…” correctly modifies the noun “differences” and explain the
hearing mechanism. All the verbs, “hear”, “help” and “determine” are in simple
present tense. The phrase “help the listener determine” is not wrong. We see this
usage more often than not. Example: My violin teacher helped me decide the date of
recital.
Thus, this choice seems to have no error.
B) This choice states that the differences in the two ears is the reason to determine
the sound quality and not the difference in how these two ears hear a particular
sound. This choice is grammatically correct but certainly distorts the meaning.
Differences in two ears rather than differences in the way the two ears hear sounds
illogical.
C) Plural subject “differences” does not agree in number with singular verb “helps”.
Also, the use of passive voice is unnecessary that makes the choice wordy.
D) Plural subject “differences” does not agree in number with singular verb “helps”.
Also, the correct idiom is difference “between x and y”. But here the idiom used is
differences “between x”. There is no second element to establish the difference with.
This is an incorrect idiom.
E) This choice is the passive voice form of choice D. This makes the choice wordy.
Also, just like choice D, the correct idiom is difference “between x and y”. But here
the idiom used is differences “between x”. There is no second element to establish
the difference with. This is an incorrect idiom.
Answer = A
Q3. When working with overseas clients, an understanding of cultural norms is at
least as important as grasping the pivotal business issues for the global manager.
A. When working with overseas clients, an understanding of cultural norms is at least
as important as grasping the pivotal business issues for the global manager.
B. When they work with overseas clients, understanding cultural norms is at least of
equal importance to the global manager as grasping the pivotal business issues.
C. For global managers working with overseas clients, understanding cultural norms
is at least as important as grasping the pivotal business issues.
D. For global managers working with overseas clients, an understanding of cultural
norms is at least as important to them as that they grasp the pivotal business issues.
E. Global managers working with overseas clients find an understanding of cultural
norms to be equally important as grasping the pivotal business issues.
In A, working incorrectly modifies an understanding. The intended meaning is that
the MANAGERS are working. Eliminate A.
In B, they lacks a clear antecedent. Eliminate B.
In D, them and they each lack a clear antecedent. Also, an UNDERSTANDING...is at
least as important as THAT THEY GRASP is not a parallel comparison. Eliminate D.
In E, equally...as is unidiomatic. Eliminate E.
Answer= C
Q4. . In 1914 a total of 469,000 cars and trucks were produced in the United States,
but in 1929 almost twice the numbers of trucks alone came off the assembly lines.
A. the numbers of trucks alone
B. that number of trucks alone
C. the number of trucks by themselves
D. as many trucks themselves
E. as many trucks by themselves
The "themselves" is not idiomatically correct. They're using an idiomatic version of
"alone" that means "just". But "themselves" can't mean "just," so it makes no sense
here.
C,D,E out
A- “the numbers of…” is a wrong idiom. The correct idiom is “the number of…”.
Answer =B
Q5. Providing initial evidence that airports are a larger source of pollution than they
were once believed to be, environmentalists in Chicago reported that the total
amount of pollutant emitted annually by vehicles at O'Hare International Airport is
twice as much as that which is being emitted annually by all motor vehicles in the
Chicago metropolitan area.
(A)as much as that which is being emitted annually by all
(B) as much annually as is emitted by the
(C) as much compared to what is annually emitted by all
(D) that emitted annually by all
(E ) that emitted annually compared to the
A and B: the amount is twice as much
Implied comparison:
The AMOUNT emitted by cars at the airport is twice as MUCH as the AMOUNT
emitted by all motor vehicles in the area.
The phrase in red is redundant.
If we omit this phrase, there is no loss of meaning:
The AMOUNT emitted by cars at the airport is twice the AMOUNT emitted by all
motor vehicles in the area.
Eliminate A and B.
C: twice as much compared to
E: twice that...compared to
Here, compared to is redundant with twice as much and twice that.
Eliminate C and E.
Answer = D