iTEP Grammar Section Structures Flashcards

Identify the sentence with correct use of the past perfect passive voice.

Answer: The report had been submitted before the deadline was announced.

Past perfect passive is formed with 'had been + past participle'. 'Had been submitted' correctly uses this structure.

Which sentence correctly uses an inversion for emphasis?

Answer: Never before had the committee faced such a complex decision.

When a negative adverb ('never') is placed at the beginning for emphasis, subject-auxiliary inversion is required: 'had the committee' (inverted), not 'the committee had'.

Choose the sentence with the correct use of a cleft structure for emphasis.

Answer: It was the unexpected budget cuts that caused the project to fail.

A 'it-cleft' structure uses 'It was + [emphasized element] + that + [rest of clause]'. 'That' (not 'which' or 'what') is the standard connector.

Which sentence correctly uses a mixed conditional?

Answer: If she had studied harder in school, she would be in a better position now.

A mixed conditional combines Type 3 condition (past hypothetical: 'if + past perfect') with Type 2 result (present consequence: 'would + base verb').

Identify the correct use of ellipsis in this sentence pair: 'Maria completed the project on time, and so did ______.'

Answer: James

Ellipsis omits repeated information. 'So did James' uses auxiliary ellipsis — only the subject is needed after 'so did'.

Which sentence correctly uses a nominal (noun) clause as the subject?

Answer: What the committee decided remains confidential.

'What the committee decided' is a wh-nominal clause functioning as the subject of the sentence. It refers to the specific content of the decision.