OSSLT - Ontario Secondary School Literacy Using Correct Grammar Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement?
- The team of scientists are presenting their findings today.
- The team of scientists is presenting its findings today.
- The team of scientists are presenting its findings today.
- The team of scientists is presenting their findings today. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The team of scientists is presenting their findings today.
In Canadian English, collective nouns can take singular verbs with plural pronouns for individual members.
Canadian English allows collective nouns to take singular verbs but plural pronouns when emphasizing individual members.
Question 2: Which sentence correctly uses a pronoun reference?
- When a student finishes their exam, they should raise their hand. (Correct answer)
- When a student finishes their exam, he should raise their hand.
- When a student finishes his exam, they should raise his hand.
- When a student finishes their exam, you should raise your hand.
Correct answer: When a student finishes their exam, they should raise their hand.
Using 'their/they' consistently as a singular gender-neutral pronoun maintains clear reference.
Pronoun consistency is essential. Option A uses singular 'they/their' consistently throughout.
Question 3: Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?
- Walking through the park, the birds sang beautifully. (Correct answer)
- Walking through the park, I heard the birds singing.
- While I was walking through the park, the birds sang.
- The birds sang as I walked through the park.
Correct answer: Walking through the park, the birds sang beautifully.
'Walking through the park' modifies 'the birds,' incorrectly suggesting the birds were walking.
A dangling modifier does not logically connect to the noun it appears to modify.
Question 4: Which sentence uses consistent verb tense?
- She studied hard and passes with flying colours.
- She studied hard and passed with flying colours. (Correct answer)
- She studies hard and passed with flying colours.
- She studied hard and will pass with flying colours.
Correct answer: She studied hard and passed with flying colours.
Both verbs are in the past tense, maintaining consistency.
Verb tense consistency requires actions occurring at the same time to use the same tense.
Question 5: Which sentence demonstrates correct parallel structure?
- She enjoys reading, to swim, and hiking.
- She enjoys reading, swimming, and hiking. (Correct answer)
- She enjoys reading, swimming, and to hike.
- She enjoys to read, swimming, and hiking.
Correct answer: She enjoys reading, swimming, and hiking.
All three items use the same grammatical form (gerunds).
Parallel structure requires items in a list to follow the same grammatical form.
Question 6: Which sentence correctly uses 'who' and 'whom'?
- The student whom scored the highest will receive an award.
- The student who scored the highest will receive an award.
- The student whom the teacher praised deserved the recognition.
- Both B and C are correct. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Both B and C are correct.
Option B uses 'who' as subject of 'scored,' and Option C uses 'whom' as object of 'praised.' Both are correct.
'Who' is a subject pronoun; 'whom' is an object pronoun. Both B and C demonstrate correct usage.
OSSLT - Ontario Secondary School Literacy Using Correct Grammar Questions and Answers 2
Which sentence demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement?