EmSAT English Language 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following sentences is written in the passive voice?
- The committee approved the budget yesterday.
- The budget was approved by the committee yesterday. (Correct answer)
- Yesterday the committee had approved the budget.
- The committee will approve the budget soon.
Correct answer: The budget was approved by the committee yesterday.
Passive voice places the object of the action as the subject and uses 'to be' + past participle.
Question 2: Choose the word that is closest in meaning to 'benevolent.'
- Hostile
- Charitable (Correct answer)
- Cautious
- Demanding
Correct answer: Charitable
'Benevolent' means well-meaning and generous, which is closest in meaning to 'charitable.'
Question 3: Which sentence demonstrates correct use of a colon?
- She wanted: to travel, study, and work abroad.
- He had one goal: to win the championship. (Correct answer)
- The meeting is scheduled: for Monday morning.
- They arrived early: but the doors were locked.
Correct answer: He had one goal: to win the championship.
A colon is correctly used after an independent clause to introduce an explanation or list.
Question 4: In academic writing, which transition best introduces a counterargument?
- Furthermore
- As a result
- Admittedly (Correct answer)
- In conclusion
Correct answer: Admittedly
'Admittedly' acknowledges an opposing viewpoint before the writer refutes or qualifies it.
Question 5: Read the extract: 'The city was a maze of contradictions — gleaming towers beside crumbling alleyways.' What literary device is used?
- Simile
- Juxtaposition (Correct answer)
- Personification
- Alliteration
Correct answer: Juxtaposition
Juxtaposition places contrasting elements ('gleaming towers' and 'crumbling alleyways') side by side to highlight their differences.
Question 6: Which sentence contains an error in parallel structure?
- She enjoys reading, writing, and painting.
- He likes to swim, to run, and cycling. (Correct answer)
- They plan to study, to travel, and to work.
- We laughed, sang, and danced all night.
Correct answer: He likes to swim, to run, and cycling.
'To swim, to run, and cycling' breaks parallelism — all items should use the same grammatical form.
Question 7: What does the prefix 'mal-' indicate in words like 'malfunction' and 'malpractice'?
- Many
- Bad or wrongly (Correct answer)
- Before
- Again
Correct answer: Bad or wrongly
The Latin prefix 'mal-' means bad, wrong, or ill, indicating a negative or faulty condition.
EmSAT English Language 4
Which of the following sentences is written in the passive voice?