Multiple choice

Directions: A part of the sentence that has been underlined has an error. Select the option that is the most coherent and precise representation of the underlined part.

Doctors sometimes have difficulty diagnosing pneumonic cold because the symptoms of this fatal disease are often quite similar to the common cold.

  1. are often quite similar to the common cold

  2. is often quite similar to the common cold

  3. is often quite similar to that of the common cold

  4. are often quite similar to those of the common cold

  5. are often quite similar to the symptoms of common cold
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence incorrectly compares 'symptoms' (plural) to 'the common cold' (disease). We must compare like with like: symptoms to symptoms. The correct comparison is 'symptoms...are similar to those [symptoms] of the common cold'. Option D correctly uses 'those of' to refer to symptoms.

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