NBT Sentence Construction and Grammar 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which word is the conjunction in the sentence: 'I wanted to go, but the weather was terrible'?
- I
- wanted
- but (Correct answer)
- terrible
Correct answer: but
'But' is a coordinating conjunction that connects two independent clauses while showing contrast. The seven coordinating conjunctions are: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (FANBOYS).
Question 2: Identify the passive voice sentence:
- The teacher marked the tests.
- The tests were marked by the teacher. (Correct answer)
- She is marking the tests now.
- They will mark the tests tomorrow.
Correct answer: The tests were marked by the teacher.
In the passive voice, the subject receives the action. 'The tests' (subject) 'were marked' (passive verb) 'by the teacher' (agent). The focus shifts from the doer to the receiver of the action.
Question 3: Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier?
- Covered in chocolate, the children ate the cake. (Correct answer)
- The children ate the cake covered in chocolate.
- Running quickly, the athlete won the race.
- The teacher happily gave the learners a reward.
Correct answer: Covered in chocolate, the children ate the cake.
'Covered in chocolate' is a misplaced modifier that seems to describe 'the children' rather than 'the cake.' The cake is covered in chocolate, not the children.
Question 4: What is the function of the word 'however' in the sentence: 'The experiment failed; however, the data was still useful'?
- Conjunction
- Conjunctive adverb (Correct answer)
- Preposition
- Interjection
Correct answer: Conjunctive adverb
'However' is a conjunctive adverb that connects two independent clauses while showing contrast. It is preceded by a semicolon and followed by a comma.
Question 5: Which sentence uses 'who' and 'whom' correctly?
- Who did you give the book to?
- The student whom passed the exam celebrated.
- The person who I spoke to was helpful.
- The lecturer whom we consulted was knowledgeable. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The lecturer whom we consulted was knowledgeable.
'Whom' is correct here as it is the object of 'consulted' (we consulted whom). Test: 'We consulted him/her' (object pronoun) confirms 'whom' is correct.
Question 6: A sentence fragment is:
- A very long sentence
- An incomplete sentence that lacks a subject, verb, or complete thought (Correct answer)
- A sentence with too many clauses
- A question
Correct answer: An incomplete sentence that lacks a subject, verb, or complete thought
A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence — it is missing a subject, a verb, or does not express a complete thought. For example, 'Because she was late' is a fragment.
NBT Sentence Construction and Grammar 2
Which word is the conjunction in the sentence: 'I wanted to go, but the weather was terrible'?