MLAT Grammatical Structure & Syntax Recognition 5

Question 1

Which sentence demonstrates correct use of a non-restrictive relative clause?

Accepted Answer

My brother, who lives in Boston, is visiting this weekend.

Answer

Non-restrictive clauses add extra (non-essential) information and are set off by commas; 'who' (not 'that') is used for persons.

Question 2

In transformational grammar, what is a 'deep structure'?

Accepted Answer

The abstract underlying meaning of a sentence before surface transformations

Answer

Deep structure represents the abstract semantic and syntactic organization before transformational rules produce the surface form.

Question 3

Which sentence correctly uses a past perfect to show earlier action?

Accepted Answer

By the time we arrived, the show had already started.

Answer

The past perfect ('had started') marks an action completed before another past event ('we arrived').

Question 4

What syntactic phenomenon occurs in 'She is easy to please' vs. 'She is eager to please'?

Accepted Answer

In the first, 'she' is the logical object of 'please'; in the second, 'she' is the logical subject.

Answer

This illustrates the 'tough-movement' construction: 'easy to please' makes 'she' the understood object, while 'eager to please' makes 'she' the understood subject.

Question 5

Identify the error in: 'Between you and I, this plan will fail.'

Accepted Answer

'I' should be 'me' because pronouns after prepositions take objective case.

Answer

The preposition 'between' governs its objects in the objective case, so 'me' is required, not 'I.'

(MLAT) Modern Language Aptitude Test Practice Test

(MLAT) Modern Language Aptitude Test Practice Test

MLAT Grammatical Structure & Syntax Recognition 5