Multiple choice

Directions: This item presents a sentence, all or part of which is underlined. Beneath the sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined part. The first of these repeats the original; the other four are different. If you think the original is the best, choose option (1) as your answer; otherwise, choose one of the others.

Undergraduates, as well as us graduate students, are at the low end of the academic totem pole.

  1. Undergraduates, as well as us graduate students

  2. Undergraduates, as well as us graduates

  3. Undergraduates, as well as we graduates

  4. Undergraduates, as well as we graduate students
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Explanation for (1): The usage of 'us' is faulty in this option. 'Us' is used in the objective case. But here, 'us' the students 'are at the low end'. The correct usage has to be “we … are at the low end".

Explanation for (2): The usage of 'us' is faulty in this option. 'Us' is used in the objective case.

Explanation for (3): This option is grammatically correct but deletes reference to the main subject 'students'.
Justification for (4): The usage of 'us' is faulty in the sentence. 'Us' is used in the objective case. But here 'us' the students 'are at the low end'. The correct usage has to be “we … are at the low end". Explanation for (5): This option compounds the error of the use of objective case to represent subject by making repetitive use of 'students'.

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