Tag: english

Questions Related to english

The lampshades shone pleasantly in Jim's room (he preferred low lighting) and a breeze wafted in through the window.

Choose the option that best corrects the sentence.

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. The lampshades shone pleasantly in Jim's room - he preferred low lighting, and a breeze wafted in through the window.

  3. The lampshades shone pleasantly in Jim's room, he preferred low lighting; and a breeze wafted in through the window.

  4. The lampshades shone pleasantly in Jim's room; he preferred low lighting (and a breeze wafted in through the window).


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Parenthesis is used to enclose information that clarifies or is used as an aside. Its use indicates that writer considered the information less important. In the given sentence, commas can be used in place of parenthesis. But, there is no option available with commas. Parenthesis is correctly used in sentence. Thus. option A is correct. 

Which of the following is NOT the function of parentheses?

  1. To provide additional information

  2. To enclose numbers while drawing a list

  3. To provide the full form of an abbreviation

  4. To introduce a list of items


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

The punctuation mark, parentheses ( ), is used to enclose additional or extra information in a sentence, without influencing that sentence grammatically (the single bracket is called parenthesis whereas in a pair, ( ) is called parentheses). The functions of parenthesis include providing additional information, for example, 'The teacher (and his students) thoroughly enjoyed the museum tour'. It is used to enclose numbers while drawing a list, for example, 'Carry these items with you for the field trip: (1) an extra change of clothes, (2) a water bottle and (3) lunch'. Parentheses are used to provide the full form of an abbreviation, example, 'The INU (Indian National Union) addressed the current concerns during the press conference'. These three are the functions of the parentheses, but we have to choose the option that is not a function, hence options A, B and C are incorrect. The colon ':' usually introduces a list of items, like in the second example. Hence it's not a function of parentheses and we choose option D.

Which of the following statement(s) about double dashes is/are NOT true?

  1. Depending on the context, the double dash (or em dash) takes the place of a parentheses.

  2. When dashes are used in the place of parentheses, the surrounding punctuation should be omitted.

  3. Double dashes do not draw attention to the information they enclose.

  4. While replacing a parenthesis at the end of a sentence, a double dash is used.


Correct Option: C,D
Explanation:

The double dash -- contains two em dashes, which are longer in length than the hyphen. Depending on the context, they can replace the parentheses, comma, and colon. It's more informal, compared to the parentheses. It adds emphasis to a group of words that it encloses, hence separating it from the sentence. When the double dash is used to enclose additional information, the surrounding punctuation shall be omitted, since options A and B are true, we can't choose these options. Double dashes add emphasis to the word or phrase they enclose, and when it's used at the end of a sentence, a single dash is used; for example, 'I cannot tolerate her mannerisms--or, rather, lack of mannerisms. Since the statements C and D both aren't true, we have to choose these options.

Choose the option that best describes the function of parenthesis.

  1. It allows a writer to provide additional information.

  2. It is used in certain mathematical expressions.

  3. It is used to enclose an email address.

  4. To provide clarification if the original material contains a noun or pronoun that is unclear.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Parenthesis are marked by these brackets ( ) which contain a word or phrase, sometimes even a sentence that provides additional information. Without these words, the sentence surrounding it is grammatically correct. For example, 'The reporter Mr. Shekhar (along with his intern) came to the press conference.' Here the information in the brackets merely provides extra information and the sentence is complete if these words 'along with his intern' are omitted. Hence the correct option is A. Braces { } (or curly brackets) are used in certain mathematical expressions and in programming languages. Parenthesis is not used for this purpose, hence option B is incorrect. Option C is a characteristic of angle brackets < > which is used to enclose an email address, like <[email protected]> and isn't a function of parenthesis ( ), hence option C is incorrect. Square brackets [ ] are used to provide clarification, for example, 'She [Susan] came to meet me yesterday.' This isn't the function of parenthesis, hence option D is incorrect.

Correct the given sentence using double dash where necessary:
Everyone at the event men, women, children, supported the cause.

  1. -Everyone at the event --men, women, children supported the cause.

  2. Everyone at the event -- men, women, children -- supported the cause.

  3. Everyone at the event men - women, children - supported the cause.

  4. Everyone at the event men, women - children - supported the cause.


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Double dash (--) is used to separate a group of words from a sentence. It puts the focus on the information. 'Men, women, children' are separated with double dash to put emphasis on them. Thus, option B is correct. 

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.

  1. Spain is a beautiful country; the beache's are warm, sandy and spotlessly clean.

  2. Spain is a beautiful country: the beaches are warm, sandy and spotlessly clean.

  3. Spain is a beautiful country, the beaches are warm, sandy and spotlessly clean.

  4. Spain is a beautiful country; the beaches are warm, sandy and spotlessly clean.


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Option D is correct. The first part of the sentence describes the country Spain, whereas the second part denotes the change in the subject, the beaches of Spain. Here, the use of semi colon is apt because it connects two independent clauses. The punctuation mark comma has been appropriately put between warm and sandy because it indicates a pause between the different items in a sentence. The other options are incorrect as they do not have proper usage of punctuation marks.

Over the last few years, there has been a radical change in the village's population ... most people under the age of 35 have migrated to nearby cities.

Choose the option that best corrects the underlined word.

  1. population;

  2. population,

  3. population.

  4. NO CHANGE


Correct Option: A
Explanation:
The given sentence describes the radical changes in the village over the years.The punctuation semi colon (;) is used between two independent clauses when the coordinating conjunction is omitted.
Option B - A comma is used before a coordinating conjunction that joins two independent clauses.
Option C - A period is used only at the end of a declaratory sentence and not in between.
Option D - An ellipsis (…) is a set of three dots indicating an omission. This punctuation is not required in the given sentence.
Thus, the most suitable answer will be Option A.

There were seeds, nuts and fruit in the salad, it was a nutritious meal.

Choose the option that best corrects the underlined words.

  1. seeds, nuts, fruit in the salad:

  2. seeds, nuts and fruit in the salad:

  3. seeds, nuts and fruit in the salad;

  4. NO CHANGE


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Compound sentences are those which contain more than one subject or predicate. Semicolon is used to show bigger separation when there is already comma within a sentence for smaller separations. 'Seeds', 'nuts' and 'fruit' are more than one subject in the sentence thus semi colon is used after them to show bigger separation. Hence, option C is correct. 

Choose the option that best corrects the underlined part of the sentence.

The bridge was sturdy, flexible and strong; it withstood the storm well.

  1. sturdy, flexible, strong: it

  2. sturdy, fleixble and strong - it

  3. sturdy, flexible, strong; it

  4. NO CHANGE


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Compound sentences are those which contain more than one subject or predicate. Semicolon is used to show bigger separation when there is already comma within a sentence for smaller separations. 'Sturdy', 'flexible' and 'strong' are more than one predicate in the sentence thus semi colon is used after them to show bigger separation. The statement given is correct. thus, option D is correct option. 

The umbrella was faded, torn and broken, it was old and much-used.

Choose the option that best corrects the underlined word.

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. broken;

  3. broken ...

  4. broken:


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Compound sentences are those which contain more than one subject or predicate. Semicolon is used to show bigger separation when there is already comma within a sentence for smaller separations. 'Faded', 'torn' and 'broken' are more than one predicate in the sentence and comma is used within sentence thus semi colon should be used after them to show bigger separation. Thus, option B is correct.