Multiple choice

Directions: This question 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 best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose one of the others. Not till a baby kangaroo is four month old, does it begin to live outside its mother's pouch.

  1. Not till a baby kangaroo is four month old, does it begin to live outside its mother's pouch.

  2. Not till a baby kangaroo is four month old, it begins to live outside its mother's pouch.

  3. Not until a baby kangaroo is four month old, does it begin to live outside its mother's pouch.

  4. Not till a baby kangaroo is four months old, does it begin to live outside its mother's pouch.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Explanation for (1): 'Not till' is used for a condition to be performed in an assertive sense and in future; until is used as a prohibition. Hence, till is incorrect here.

Explanation for (2): This option fails to correct the error of preposition and adds another error by replacing 'does it begin' by 'it begins'.

Justification for (3): Not till is used for a condition to be performed in an assertive sense and in future; until is used as a prohibition, hence until is correct.
Explanation for (4): This option fails to correct the error of preposition and adds another error by replacing 'does it begin' by 'it begins'. Explanation for (5): This option corrects the error of preposition but adds another error by replacing 'four month' by 'four months'.

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