Multiple choice

Here, in this room, more than four hundred years ago had assembled from various parts of the Christian world, not less than thirty cardinals, four patriarchs, twenty archbishops, one hundred and fifty bishops, two hundred professors of theology, besides princes, ambassadors, civil and ecclesiastical, abbots, priors, and inferior churchmen.

  1. Here, in this room, more than four hundred years ago had assembled from various parts of the Christian world, not less than thirty cardinals

  2. Here, in this room, more than four hundred years ago, assembled from all parts of the Christian world, no less than thirty cardinals

  3. Here, in this room, more than four hundred years ago were assembled from various parts of the Christian world, not one less than thirty cardinals

  4. Here, in this room, more than four hundred years ago had assembled from all parts of the Christian world, no less than thirty cardinals

  5. Here, in this room, more than four hundred years ago were assembled from all parts of the Christian world, no less than thirty cardinals
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

The three points of contention in the sentence are – assembled, parts of world and less than thirty. The sentence is illustrative and tells us about a room in which the writer is at the moment present, so ‘were’ is to be preferred over ‘had’. In referring to the Christian world the author is trying to focus on the huge number of the gatherers so all is a better qualifier than various. For thirty cardinals since we are talking in terms of numbers, no is preferable to not. Hence (5).

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