MCQ: Sentences - 2 - SSC CGL MCQ

Parallel structure involves using the same grammatical form for items in a list or series. In Option C, the sentence "He enjoys reading books, watching movies, and going to the theater" maintains consistent verb forms ("reading," "watching," "going") in the list, displaying correct parallel structure.

Interesting Fact: Parallel structure helps maintain clarity and balance in sentences, making them easier to read and comprehend.

A misplaced modifier occurs when the modifier in a sentence is not placed near the word it is meant to modify, leading to confusion or ambiguity. In Option A, the modifier "Having finished their homework" seems to modify "the television," which doesn’t make sense logically. It suggests that the television finished homework, which is incorrect. To fix this, the sentence could be rephrased to something like, "Having finished their homework, the kids turned on the television."

The correct placement of modifiers is crucial for clear and coherent sentence structure. In this case, repositioning the modifier to correctly relate to the subject being modified helps in conveying the intended meaning without ambiguity.

Interesting Fact: Misplaced modifiers can result in humorous or confusing sentences. Being mindful of their placement enhances the clarity and precision of writing.

A dangling participle is a phrase or clause that is intended to modify a word that is not actually present in the sentence. In Option B, the phrase "Jumping into the pool" doesn't have a clear subject to attach to in the sentence. It seems to suggest that "my sunglasses" were the ones jumping into the pool, which creates a dangling modifier.

To correct the sentence, it could be rephrased as "While I was jumping into the pool, my sunglasses fell off," which would properly connect the participial phrase to the correct subject, avoiding the dangling modifier error.

Interesting Fact: Dangling participles can create confusion and ambiguity in sentences, making it essential to ensure proper subject-verb agreement and clarity in writing.

The subjunctive mood is used to express a hypothetical situation, a wish, a demand, or a suggestion. In Option C, the sentence "It is essential that she be present at the meeting" correctly uses the subjunctive mood by using the base form "be" after the conjunction "that."

Interesting Fact: The subjunctive mood is used less frequently in modern English but is still important in formal or specific contexts, such as formal requests, recommendations, or hypothetical situations.

A split infinitive occurs when an adverb is placed between 'to' and the base form of the verb (e.g., "to boldly go"). In Option B, the phrase "to boldly go" contains the split infinitive, where the adverb "boldly" is inserted between "to" and "go." While it's generally considered acceptable in modern usage, traditional grammar rules discourage splitting infinitives.

Interesting Fact: The phrase "to boldly go" is famous from the opening sequence of the TV show Star Trek and has become an example often cited in discussions about split infinitives.

A dangling modifier occurs when the modifier in a sentence doesn’t have a clear connection to the word it's intended to modify. In Option A, the phrase "After finishing the novel" doesn’t logically connect to "the movie adaptation," creating a dangling modifier. To rectify this, the sentence could be rephrased as "After finishing the novel, they eagerly awaited the movie adaptation."

Interesting Fact: Dangling modifiers can lead to confusion or ambiguity in sentences, highlighting the importance of clearly connecting modifiers to the appropriate subject.

The passive voice is formed using a form of the verb 'to be' (such as "was," "is," "were") along with the past participle of the main verb. In Option B, the sentence "The cake was baked by her" correctly uses the passive voice ("was baked") by placing emphasis on the action performed on the cake rather than the doer of the action.

Interesting Fact: The passive voice is often used to shift the focus from the doer of the action to the action itself.

Correct punctuation involves using appropriate punctuation marks like commas, periods, question marks, or exclamation marks. In Option B, the sentence "She exclaimed, 'I can't believe it!'" uses the comma to set off the introductory phrase and the quotation marks to enclose the spoken words, demonstrating correct punctuation.

Interesting Fact: Punctuation marks serve to clarify meaning, indicate pauses, and convey emotions or emphasis in written communication.

Continuing with more questions below.

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs and should be placed properly in a sentence to convey the intended meaning. In Option A, the adverb "almost" properly modifies the adverb "always" and is correctly placed before "always" to describe the frequency of her late arrival.

Interesting Fact: Adverbs often provide additional information about the action or describe how something is done in a sentence.

A restrictive clause provides essential information about the noun it modifies and is not set off by commas. In Option B, the sentence "The teacher who teaches math is Mrs. Smith" correctly uses the restrictive clause "who teaches math" to specify which teacher is being referred to without using commas.

Interesting Fact: Restrictive clauses are also called essential or defining clauses as they define the noun they modify, while non-restrictive clauses are more like additional information and are set off by commas.

A semicolon is used to join two independent clauses without using a conjunction. In Option B, the sentence "The train arrived late; many passengers missed their connections" correctly uses a semicolon to connect two related independent clauses.

Interesting Fact: Semicolons help create a stronger connection between two independent clauses than a period alone, emphasizing their relationship.

Let's proceed with more questions to complete the set.

A gerund is a verb form ending in "-ing" that functions as a noun. In Option A, the sentence "Swimming is my favorite activity during summer" correctly uses "Swimming" as the subject of the sentence, demonstrating the use of a gerund.

Interesting Fact: Gerunds can function as subjects, objects, or complements in a sentence, functioning similarly to nouns while derived from verbs.

Relative pronouns (like who, whom, whose, which, and that) connect dependent clauses to the main clause in a sentence. In Option D, the sentence "The house where I grew up was demolished" correctly uses the relative pronoun "where" to introduce the dependent clause that provides additional information about the noun "house."

Interesting Fact: Relative pronouns not only connect clauses but also help avoid repetition and make sentences more concise by combining information.

A participial phrase modifies a noun or pronoun and consists of a participle (an "-ing" or past participle verb form) and other accompanying words. In Option C, the sentence "The car raced down the highway, passing all other vehicles" correctly places the participial phrase "passing all other vehicles" after the noun it modifies ("car").

Interesting Fact: Participial phrases, when correctly placed, add descriptive details and contribute to the flow of a sentence by providing additional information.

A conjunctive adverb is used to connect independent clauses and show the relationship between ideas. In Option C, the sentence "She worked hard; therefore, she succeeded" correctly uses the conjunctive adverb "therefore" to show a cause-and-effect relationship between the two independent clauses.

Interesting Fact: Conjunctive adverbs, like "however," "also," "therefore," and "but," provide transitions between ideas and enhance the coherence of a text.