NBT NBT Sentence Construction and Grammar 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence correctly uses a semicolon?
- She studied hard; and passed the exam.
- She studied hard; she passed the exam. (Correct answer)
- She studied; hard and passed.
- She; studied hard and passed.
Correct answer: She studied hard; she passed the exam.
A semicolon joins two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.
Question 2: Identify the misplaced modifier: 'Running down the street, the rain soaked the children.'
- The sentence is correct.
- 'Running down the street' should follow 'children'. (Correct answer)
- 'The rain' should be moved to the end.
- 'Soaked' should be replaced with 'drenched'.
Correct answer: 'Running down the street' should follow 'children'.
The participial phrase 'Running down the street' must be placed next to the noun it modifies — 'children,' not 'rain.'
Question 3: Which option corrects the dangling modifier: 'After finishing the report, the meeting was cancelled.'?
- After finishing the report, we were cancelled for the meeting.
- After finishing the report, the cancellation happened.
- After we finished the report, the meeting was cancelled. (Correct answer)
- The meeting was cancelled after finishing the report was done.
Correct answer: After we finished the report, the meeting was cancelled.
A dangling modifier is fixed by naming the actual subject that performed the action.
Question 4: Choose the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement:
- Neither the students nor the teacher are ready.
- Neither the students nor the teacher is ready. (Correct answer)
- Neither the students nor the teacher were ready.
- Neither the students nor the teacher have been ready.
Correct answer: Neither the students nor the teacher is ready.
With 'neither…nor,' the verb agrees with the subject closest to it — 'teacher' (singular), so 'is' is correct.
Question 5: Which sentence avoids an awkward passive construction?
- The book was read by me last night.
- The book had been being read by me.
- I read the book last night. (Correct answer)
- By me, the book was read last night.
Correct answer: I read the book last night.
The active voice ('I read the book') is clearer and more direct than the passive.
Question 6: Select the correctly punctuated sentence with an appositive:
- My brother, a skilled engineer built the bridge.
- My brother a skilled engineer, built the bridge.
- My brother, a skilled engineer, built the bridge. (Correct answer)
- My brother a skilled engineer built the bridge.
Correct answer: My brother, a skilled engineer, built the bridge.
A non-restrictive appositive must be set off by commas on both sides.
Question 7: Which sentence demonstrates correct parallel structure?
- She likes hiking, to swim, and running.
- She likes hiking, swimming, and to run.
- She likes to hike, swimming, and runs.
- She likes hiking, swimming, and running. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: She likes hiking, swimming, and running.
Parallel structure requires all items in a list to use the same grammatical form — here, gerunds (-ing).
NBT NBT Sentence Construction and Grammar 4
Which sentence correctly uses a semicolon?