ISAT Written English and Grammar 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement?
- The committee are planning to meet next Tuesday.
- Neither the students nor the teacher were informed of the cancellation.
- Each of the participants has completed the survey. (Correct answer)
- The news about the discoveries are surprising.
Correct answer: Each of the participants has completed the survey.
"Each" is a singular indefinite pronoun and always requires the singular verb "has."
Question 2: Which sentence uses the correct verb tense?
- By the time she arrives, we will have finished dinner. (Correct answer)
- When she will arrive, we finish dinner.
- By the time she arrives, we had finished dinner.
- When she arrived, we will have finished dinner.
Correct answer: By the time she arrives, we will have finished dinner.
The future perfect "will have finished" correctly indicates an action that will be completed before another future event.
Question 3: Identify the sentence with correct parallel structure:
- The job requires answering phones, to file documents, and greeting clients.
- She enjoys hiking, to swim, and reading.
- The proposal was clear, concise, and well-organized. (Correct answer)
- He likes to run, cycling, and play tennis.
Correct answer: The proposal was clear, concise, and well-organized.
"Clear, concise, and well-organized" maintains parallel structure with three adjectives in the same grammatical form.
Question 4: Which sentence has a correctly placed modifier?
- Running down the street, the rain began to pour.
- Having studied all night, the exam was difficult for the student.
- Covered in mud, the dog ran through the house. (Correct answer)
- To improve your writing, practice is needed every day.
Correct answer: Covered in mud, the dog ran through the house.
"Covered in mud" correctly modifies "the dog," which is the subject that logically performs the implied action.
Question 5: Which of the following is a complete sentence?
- Although the research was extensive and covered many important topics.
- Running late because of unexpected traffic on the highway.
- The experiment yielded surprising results that challenged existing theories. (Correct answer)
- The team working together to achieve a common goal before the deadline.
Correct answer: The experiment yielded surprising results that challenged existing theories.
This is the only option containing both a complete subject ("The experiment") and a finite predicate verb ("yielded").
Question 6: Select the sentence with correct punctuation for a relative clause:
- The students, who passed the exam, were awarded certificates.
- The students who passed the exam were awarded certificates. (Correct answer)
- The students who passed the exam, were awarded certificates.
- The students, who passed the exam were awarded certificates.
Correct answer: The students who passed the exam were awarded certificates.
The restrictive relative clause "who passed the exam" identifies which students and therefore should not be set off with commas.
Question 7: Which sentence avoids a dangling modifier?
- After finishing the assignment, the television was turned on.
- To succeed in the exam, thorough preparation is required.
- Before submitting the application, all documents must be verified by the student.
- Having reviewed the data carefully, the researcher drew clear conclusions. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Having reviewed the data carefully, the researcher drew clear conclusions.
"Having reviewed the data carefully" correctly modifies "the researcher," who is the logical subject performing that action.
ISAT Written English and Grammar 1
Which sentence demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement?