OOPT Sentence Structure and Syntax 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence uses a correctly placed participial phrase?
- Running through the park, the trees looked beautiful to her.
- Running through the park, she admired the beautiful trees. (Correct answer)
- She admired the trees, running through the park beautifully.
- The trees, running through the park, looked beautiful.
Correct answer: Running through the park, she admired the beautiful trees.
The participial phrase 'Running through the park' must immediately precede the noun it modifies — 'she.'
Question 2: Identify the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement involving a collective noun.
- The committee are divided on the issue.
- The committee is divided on the issue. (Correct answer)
- The committee were divided on the issue.
- The committee have divided on the issue.
Correct answer: The committee is divided on the issue.
In American English, collective nouns like 'committee' typically take a singular verb.
Question 3: Which option correctly uses an appositive phrase?
- My brother, who is a doctor he works long hours.
- My brother, a doctor, works long hours. (Correct answer)
- My brother a doctor works long hours.
- My brother works long hours, a doctor.
Correct answer: My brother, a doctor, works long hours.
An appositive phrase is set off by commas and placed directly after the noun it renames.
Question 4: Which sentence demonstrates correct use of parallel structure?
- She likes hiking, to swim, and riding bikes.
- She likes hiking, swimming, and to ride bikes.
- She likes hiking, swimming, and riding bikes. (Correct answer)
- She likes to hike, swimming, and ride bikes.
Correct answer: She likes hiking, swimming, and riding bikes.
Parallel structure requires all listed items to share the same grammatical form — here, gerunds.
Question 5: What type of clause is underlined in: 'I left early [because the meeting ran long]'?
- Noun clause
- Relative clause
- Adverbial clause (Correct answer)
- Adjectival clause
Correct answer: Adverbial clause
An adverbial clause modifies the main verb and is introduced by a subordinating conjunction like 'because.'
Question 6: Which sentence avoids a run-on error?
- It was raining, we stayed inside.
- It was raining we stayed inside.
- It was raining therefore we stayed inside.
- Because it was raining, we stayed inside. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Because it was raining, we stayed inside.
Using a subordinating conjunction like 'because' correctly joins the two clauses without creating a run-on.
Question 7: Which sentence correctly inverts subject and verb for emphasis?
- Never I have seen such courage.
- Never have I seen such courage. (Correct answer)
- Never seen have I such courage.
- Such courage never I have seen.
Correct answer: Never have I seen such courage.
When a negative adverb like 'never' begins a sentence, the auxiliary verb inverts before the subject.
OOPT Sentence Structure and Syntax 4
Which sentence uses a correctly placed participial phrase?