ELAR Oral & Written Communication 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement?
- The team are playing well today.
- Neither the students nor the teacher are ready.
- Each of the reports were submitted on time.
- Neither the coach nor the players were informed. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Neither the coach nor the players were informed.
When 'neither...nor' connects subjects, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it — 'players' is plural, so 'were' is correct.
Question 2: A speaker uses the phrase 'in other words' during a presentation. This transitional phrase signals that the speaker is about to:
- Introduce a contradicting idea
- Clarify or restate a point (Correct answer)
- Provide a chronological sequence
- Conclude the presentation
Correct answer: Clarify or restate a point
'In other words' is a transitional phrase used to restate or clarify a previous statement in simpler terms.
Question 3: Which of the following is an example of a complex sentence?
- She ran, and he walked.
- He studied hard for the exam.
- Although it was raining, they continued the game. (Correct answer)
- The dog barked loudly.
Correct answer: Although it was raining, they continued the game.
A complex sentence contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause; 'Although it was raining' is the dependent clause.
Question 4: When giving an oral presentation, maintaining eye contact with the audience primarily helps the speaker:
- Remember the script more accurately
- Build credibility and engagement (Correct answer)
- Speak at a faster pace
- Use more technical vocabulary
Correct answer: Build credibility and engagement
Eye contact establishes a connection with the audience, enhances the speaker's credibility, and keeps listeners engaged.
Question 5: Which revision best corrects the dangling modifier in this sentence? 'Running to catch the bus, the bag was dropped.'
- Running to catch the bus, the bag was dropped by her.
- Running to catch the bus, she dropped the bag. (Correct answer)
- She was running to catch the bus, the bag dropped.
- The bag, running to catch the bus, was dropped.
Correct answer: Running to catch the bus, she dropped the bag.
A dangling modifier is fixed by ensuring the subject of the sentence is the one performing the action in the modifier phrase.
Question 6: A student writes: 'The committee have reached their decision.' This sentence reflects:
- A grammatical error in all contexts
- British English usage of collective nouns (Correct answer)
- A misplaced modifier
- An incorrect pronoun reference
Correct answer: British English usage of collective nouns
In British English, collective nouns like 'committee' are often treated as plural and take plural verbs, unlike standard American English usage.
Question 7: Which element is most important when adapting a written message for a specific audience?
- Using the longest words available
- Matching vocabulary and tone to the audience's knowledge level (Correct answer)
- Including as many details as possible
- Following a strict five-paragraph structure
Correct answer: Matching vocabulary and tone to the audience's knowledge level
Effective communication requires tailoring vocabulary, tone, and complexity to match what the audience can understand and relate to.
ELAR Oral & Written Communication 2
Which sentence demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement?