Form, Structure, and Sense Flashcards

The flock of migratory birds _______ arrived at the wildlife refuge two weeks earlier than in previous years.

Answer: has

'Flock' is a singular collective noun, so the singular present perfect auxiliary 'has' is correct.

Neither the manager nor the shareholders _______ satisfied with the quarterly earnings report that was released on Friday.

Answer: were

With 'neither…nor,' the verb agrees with the nearer subject; 'shareholders' is plural, so 'were' is correct.

Reviewing the patient's medical history carefully, _______ noticed that a key medication had not been listed.

Answer: the nurse

The participial phrase 'Reviewing the patient's medical history' must refer to the subject performing that action — 'the nurse' is the one reviewing.

The student revised _______ essay three times before submitting the final version to the professor.

Answer: their

'Their' is the correct singular possessive pronoun referring back to 'the student'; 'they're' is a contraction, 'there' is an adverb, and 'its' refers to things, not people.

The volunteer program's objectives are to increase community engagement, to improve public safety, and _______ more sustainable local policies.

Answer: to promote

The series uses infinitives: 'to increase,' 'to improve,' 'to promote'; the infinitive 'to promote' maintains parallel structure.

The administrator confirmed that the application deadline _______ extended to accommodate students affected by the storm.

Answer: would be

The reporting verb 'confirmed' is past tense; in reported speech, 'will be' shifts to 'would be.'

The jury, after deliberating for two days, _______ returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty on all charges.

Answer: has

The subject 'jury' is a singular collective noun; the present perfect requires singular 'has' with the past participle 'returned.'