OOPT Sentence Structure and Syntax 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which is an example of a cleft sentence used for emphasis?
- John broke the window.
- It was John who broke the window. (Correct answer)
- The window was broken by John.
- John had broken the window.
Correct answer: It was John who broke the window.
A cleft sentence uses 'It is/was + focus + that/who' to highlight a specific element of the sentence.
Question 2: Choose the sentence that uses fronting with correct inversion:
- Never I have seen such a beautiful sunset.
- Never have I seen such a beautiful sunset. (Correct answer)
- I never have seen such a beautiful sunset.
- Such a beautiful sunset I never saw it.
Correct answer: Never have I seen such a beautiful sunset.
When a negative adverb is fronted for emphasis, the auxiliary verb and subject must be inverted.
Question 3: Which sentence contains an appositive phrase?
- My sister, who lives in London, is visiting next week.
- My sister lives in London, and she is visiting next week.
- My sister, a doctor, works at the city hospital. (Correct answer)
- My sister works because she is a doctor.
Correct answer: My sister, a doctor, works at the city hospital.
An appositive phrase renames or describes a noun without using a verb; 'a doctor' is an appositive for 'My sister'.
Question 4: Identify the sentence with a dangling modifier:
- Feeling tired, she went to bed early.
- Feeling tired, the bed felt very comfortable. (Correct answer)
- She went to bed early because she was tired.
- The tired woman went to bed early.
Correct answer: Feeling tired, the bed felt very comfortable.
'Feeling tired' dangles because its implied subject is a person, but the main clause subject is 'the bed'.
Question 5: Which sentence demonstrates correct use of ellipsis?
- He can play guitar and she can play guitar too.
- He can play guitar and she can too. (Correct answer)
- He can play guitar and she also can play it too.
- He can play guitar and she is playing guitar.
Correct answer: He can play guitar and she can too.
Ellipsis omits repeated elements that are already understood from context; 'she can too' ellipts 'play guitar'.
Question 6: Choose the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement in a complex noun phrase:
- The quality of the products have improved significantly.
- The quality of the products has improved significantly. (Correct answer)
- The quality of the products are improving significantly.
- The quality of the products were improved significantly.
Correct answer: The quality of the products has improved significantly.
The subject is 'quality' (singular), not 'products'; the prepositional phrase 'of the products' does not change the verb agreement.
Question 7: Which sentence uses an embedded (indirect) question correctly?
- I wonder that he will come.
- I wonder if he will come. (Correct answer)
- I wonder whether will he come.
- I wonder what will he do.
Correct answer: I wonder if he will come.
Indirect questions use 'if/whether + subject + verb' in statement word order, not question word order.
OOPT Sentence Structure and Syntax 2
Which is an example of a cleft sentence used for emphasis?