Basic Flashcards

Choose the underlined area that includes a mistake. His struggles and sufferings, which he claimed were his worse, would be more satisfactory if he actually took the time to organize his thoughts.

Answer: worse

The word "worse" is a comparative adjective, used when comparing two things. However, the sentence implies that his sufferings are the *most* severe among all possible sufferings, requiring the superlative adjective "worst." The phrase should be "his worst" to correctly express the highest degree of badness.

Choose the underlined section that contains an error: My buddy had been advised to make prudent investments with her inheritance, so she delayed to purchase those stocks offered on the exchange that afternoon.

Answer: delayed to purchase

The verb "delayed" should be followed by a gerund (the -ing form of a verb) rather than an infinitive. The correct phrasing would be "delayed purchasing" those stocks. Many verbs, including "delay," take a gerund to complete their meaning.

Despite his four years of expertise in software engineering, Mr. Jones had never used a word processing tool ___________.

Answer: before

The word "before" functions as an adverb of time, indicating that Mr. Jones had never used a word processing tool at any point prior to the current situation. It effectively completes the meaning of "never used" by specifying the timeframe. While "prior" can be similar, "before" is the most natural and grammatically complete choice in this context.

The employees __________ about the closure before it was made public.

Answer: knew

The sentence describes an action that occurred and was completed in the past ("before it was made public"). Therefore, the simple past tense verb "knew" is the appropriate choice. "Have known" would be present perfect, "know" is present, and "known" is a past participle requiring an auxiliary verb.

When did Coleen _______ college?

Answer: graduate from

The correct idiomatic phrase for completing a degree or course of study at an institution is "graduate from." The preposition "from" is necessary to indicate the institution from which one graduates. Options A, B, and D are grammatically incomplete or incorrect in this context.

You seem pale. You had better _______ a doctor.

Answer: consult

The phrase "had better" is an idiom used to give strong advice or a warning, and it is always followed by the base form of the verb without "to." While "consult with" is sometimes used, "consult" alone is sufficient and often preferred when referring to seeking advice from a professional like a doctor.

Do you have __________ to do this afternoon? If not, I would want to take you to the cinema.

Answer: much work

"Work" in this context is an uncountable noun, referring to a general quantity of tasks or labor. Therefore, "much" is the correct quantifier to use with it, not "many," which is used for countable nouns. "Works" is incorrect as a plural for "work" in this sense.

The party was held ________.

Answer: on Tuesday

The preposition "on" is correctly used with specific days of the week (e.g., on Monday, on Tuesday) and dates. "At," "in," and "with" are incorrect prepositions for specifying a particular day for an event.

It's snowing. Do you want to ________ this weekend?

Answer: go skiing

The common idiomatic structure for expressing participation in recreational activities is "go + [verb]-ing." For example, "go swimming," "go hiking," or "go skiing." This construction correctly expresses the intention to engage in the activity of skiing.

The reason ________ steam vehicles was due to their difficulty starting and running.

Answer: why

The phrase "the reason why" is a common and grammatically correct way to introduce the explanation or cause for something. "Why" functions as a relative adverb here, connecting the reason to its explanation. The other options do not fit grammatically or semantically in this context.