CAEL CAEL - Canadian Academic English Language Grammar and Sentence Structure Questions and Answers

Question 1

Which sentence demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement in academic English?

Accepted Answer

The number of students is increasing.

Answer

'The number of' is treated as a singular subject in academic English, so it takes the singular verb 'is.'

Question 2

Which of the following correctly uses the passive voice in academic writing?

Accepted Answer

The experiment was conducted by the researcher.

Answer

The passive voice ('was conducted by') is commonly used in academic writing to emphasize the action rather than the agent.

Question 3

Identify the error in this sentence: 'Each of the students have submitted their assignment.'

Accepted Answer

'have' should be 'has' because 'each' is singular

Answer

'Each' is a singular pronoun and requires the singular verb 'has,' not 'have.'

Question 4

Which sentence correctly uses a relative clause?

Accepted Answer

The study, which was published in 2020, had major findings.

Answer

For non-restrictive relative clauses modifying a non-human noun, 'which' (not 'that' or 'who') is used with commas.

Question 5

What is a dangling modifier in academic writing?

Accepted Answer

A modifier placed too far from the word it modifies, creating ambiguity

Answer

A dangling modifier is a phrase that does not logically connect to the noun it is intended to modify, creating confusion in meaning.

CAEL - Canadian Academic English Language Practice Test