Question 9: Whether or not the rumors are true is besides the point.
A. the rumors are true are beside the point.
B. the rumors are true is beside the point.
C. the rumors are true are besides the point.
D. No correction required
Answer: the rumors are true is beside the point.
Explanation:
While ‘beside’ means ‘next to’, ‘besides’ means ‘apart from’. The correct idiomatic usage is ‘beside the point’.
The other aspect to note here is subject-verb agreement. ‘Whether or not the rumors are true’ has to be followed by ‘is’, not ‘are’. Note that ‘whether or not the rumors are true’ is a noun clause. You can replace it with ‘this’: This is beside the point.
So, the correct answer choice is (b)
The question is "Choose the grammatically correct option"
Hence, the answer is option B
Choice B is the correct answer.
Question 10: If I was the prime minister of the country, I will make economic growth, poverty eradication and tax reform my top priorities.
A. If I was the prime minister of the country, I would
B. If I were the prime minister of the country, I will
C. If I were the prime minister of the country, I would
D. No correction required
Answer: If I were the prime minister of the country, I would
Explanation:
‘Was’ is associated with the past tense. The usage of ‘was’ in the given sentence is incorrect.
In discussing hypothetical situations, the subjunctive mood is used.
The correct usage is ‘If I were…I would….’
Also note that ‘would’ is used instead of ‘will’: In general, would is used in situations which are hypothetical, or contingent on some unfulfilled condition; will is used in situations that are more certain.
The question is "Choose the grammatically correct option"
Hence, the answer is option C
Choice C is the correct answer.
Question 11: Actual evidence of misconduct may not be the most important criteria to determine whether a President gets impeached.
A. the most important criteria to determining the impeachment of a President.
B. the most important criterion in determining whether a President gets impeached.
C. the most important criterion to determine if a President gets impeached.
D. the most important criteria for determining the impeachment of a President.
Answer: the most important criterion in determining whether a President gets impeached.
Explanation:
Criterion is singular and criteria, plural. The sentence given refers to only one criterion—evidence of misconduct. So, the options that use ‘criteria’ are wrong.
The usages ‘criterion for determining’ and ‘criterion in determining’ are both correct in the given context. ‘To determine if a president gets impeached’ mixes up tenses, and ‘to determining the impeachment of a President’ is incorrect usage.
The question is "Choose the grammatically correct option"
Hence, the answer is option B
Choice B is the correct answer.
Question 12: The decision to pull the US out from the Paris agreement by the president drew heavy criticism within the US and internationally, including China, which swiftly recommitted itself to the agreement forged with the previous administration.
A. The decision to pull the US out of the Paris agreement by the president drew heavy criticism within the US and internationally, including China,
B. The decision by the president to pull the US out off the Paris agreement drew heavy criticism within the US and internationally, including China,
C. The president’s decision to pull the US out of the Paris agreement drew heavy criticism within the US and internationally, including China,
D. The president’s decision to pull the US out of the Paris agreement drew heavy criticism within the US and internationally, including in China,
Answer: The president’s decision to pull the US out of the Paris agreement drew heavy criticism within the US and internationally, including in China,
Explanation:
The modifier “by the president” is misplaced in the given sentence. The modifier should be close to the word it modifies, which, in this case, is the decision and not the Paris Agreement. The correct expression is “the decision by the president” or “the president’s decision”.
The second error is the use of the preposition “from”. The correct usage is “pull out of”.
The third error is the omission of the preposition ‘in’ before China. Where did the decision draw heavy criticism? Within the US, internationally, and specifically, in China.
Option (d) corrects all these errors.
The question is "Choose the grammatically correct option"
Hence, the answer is option D
Choice D is the correct answer.
Question 13: One of the problems that occur as a result of coal mining is the increasing incidences of lung cancer.
A. that occurs as a result of coal mining are the increasing incidences
B. that occurs as a result of coal mining is the increasing incidence
C. that occur as a result of coal mining are the increasing incidences
D. that occur as a result of coal mining is the increasing incidence
Answer: that occur as a result of coal mining is the increasing incidence
Explanation:
There are two verbs in the given sentence- ‘occur’ and ‘are’. Let us look at each of these in turn to identify the subject associated with the verb.
‘One of the problems’ is singular, as it refers to one of many problems. So, the right verb to be used with this subject is ‘is’, not ‘are’. The correct usage is “One of the problems……..is….”
Now, consider the verb ‘occur’. The subject that ‘occur’ is associated with is ‘problems’, not ‘one of the problems’. So, the subordinate clause - the clause beginning with ‘that’- takes a plural verb. Why is this so? The verb must agree with the subject of the clause, which is the relative pronoun ‘that’. The pronoun has the same number as its antecedent, which is ‘problems’. Since ‘problems’ is plural, ‘that’ is also plural, and so the verb associated with it must agree with ‘problems’. Problems occur. So, the correct usage is “one of the problems that occur”.
Another way to test this is to reword the sentence: Of the problems that occur, one is…
Also note that ‘incidence’ is the frequency of occurrence of something. As the sentence refers to the frequency of occurrence of a single metric- lung cancer- ‘incidence’ has to be used in singular.
The question is "Choose the grammatically correct option"
Hence, the answer is option D
Choice D is the correct answer.
Question 14: Germany’s NATO Framework Nation Concept is a ground-breaking project that serves both to increase European military capacity within NATO and create an European defence force that could eventually stand on its own.
A. both serves to increase European military capacity within NATO and create a European defence force that could eventually stand on its own.
B. both serves to increase European military capacity within NATO and to create an European defence force that could eventually stand on its own.
C. serves to both increase European military capacity within NATO and create an European defence force that could eventually stand on its own.
D. serves both to increase European military capacity within NATO and to create a European defence force that could eventually stand on its own.
Answer: serves both to increase European military capacity within NATO and to create a European defence force that could eventually stand on its own.
Explanation:
The given sentence has a faulty parallel structure. What follows ‘and’ must be parallel to what follows ‘both’. But in the given sentence, ‘both’ is followed by ‘to increase’, while ‘and’ is followed by ‘create’. The correct construction is— 'both to increase European military capacity within NATO and to create…'
Note here that ‘both serves…’ is also incorrect, as it is faulty parallelism.
Also, the article to be used with ‘European’ is ‘a’, not ‘an’, as ‘European’ begins with a consonant sound.
The question is "Choose the grammatically correct option"
Hence, the answer is option D
Choice D is the correct answer.
Question 15: The sheer number of cars on the roads has all but paralyzed the traffic in the city.
A. The sheer number of cars on the roads have
B. The shear number of cars on the roads have
C. The shear number of cars on the roads has
D. No correction required
Answer: No correction required
Explanation:
The subject of the sentence is ‘the sheer number’. This is singular, as the noun ‘number’ is singular. The verb ‘has’ relates to this, and not ‘cars’.
The expression ‘the number’ indicates a single arithmetical value. So, it is followed by a singular verb. On the other hand, expression ‘a number’ serves as an indefinite pronoun meaning many. So, it is followed by a plural verb.
The adjective ‘sheer’ meaning utter or veritable is the correct word to be used in the given context.
The question is "Choose the grammatically correct option"
Hence, the answer is option D
Choice D is the correct answer.
Question 16: Being an industry expert, I was hoping if there were some tips you can give me on how to succeed as an entrepreneur.
A. Being an industry expert, I was hoping that you could give me some tips
B. As you are an industry expert, I was hoping if you could give me some tips
C. Being that you are an industry expert, I was hoping if you could give me some tips
D. As you are an industry expert, I was hoping that you could give me some tips
Answer: As you are an industry expert, I was hoping that you could give me some tips
Explanation:
There are a couple of errors in the given sentence.
The first one relates to the modifier, ‘being an industry expert’. The industry expert is the person spoken to (you), and not the speaker (I). This error is corrected by either saying ‘as you are an industry expert’, or ‘being that you are an industry expert’.
The second error is in the use of ‘if’ after ‘hoping’. ‘Hoping’ normally followed by a noun clause beginning with ‘that’(either explicitly stated or implied), or it is followed by ‘for’, or ‘to’. The use of ‘if’ is incorrect. This error is corrected by saying, ‘I was hoping that you could give me some tips’, or ‘ I was hoping for some tips’.
The option that corrects both the errors is option (D).
The question is "Choose the grammatically correct option"
Hence, the answer is option D
Choice D is the correct answer.
