Academic Grammar and Syntax Flashcards
7 cards from real CALP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Academic Grammar and Syntax flashcards as text
Which sentence demonstrates correct use of a subordinating conjunction in academic writing?
Answer: Although the study was limited, the results were significant.
A subordinating conjunction like 'although' introduces a dependent clause and should not be paired with a coordinating conjunction or conjunctive adverb in the same clause.
In academic writing, a passive voice construction is most appropriate when:
Answer: The agent performing the action is unknown or unimportant.
Passive voice is preferred in academic contexts when the focus is on the action or result rather than on who performed it, especially in scientific writing.
Which sentence correctly uses a relative clause to provide essential information?
Answer: The researcher who published the findings won an award.
An essential (restrictive) relative clause is not set off by commas and uses 'who' for people, identifying which specific researcher is meant.
What is the function of a noun clause in the sentence 'The professor explained what the experiment demonstrated'?
Answer: It serves as the direct object of the verb 'explained'.
'What the experiment demonstrated' is a noun clause functioning as the direct object, receiving the action of the verb 'explained'.
Which verb form correctly completes this academic sentence: 'The data _____ that the hypothesis was incorrect.'?
Answer: suggests
In academic English, 'data' is increasingly treated as a singular collective noun, so 'suggests' (singular) is the preferred form in formal academic writing.
Which sentence correctly uses parallel structure?
Answer: The study aimed to collect, analyze, and report data.
Parallel structure requires that items in a series use the same grammatical form; here, three infinitives ('to collect, analyze, and report') maintain parallelism.
In the sentence 'Having reviewed the literature, the researcher identified a gap in the field,' what is the grammatical term for 'Having reviewed the literature'?
Answer: A participial phrase
A participial phrase begins with a present or past participle and modifies a noun; 'Having reviewed' is a perfect participle modifying 'the researcher'.