Grammatical Structure & Syntax Recognition Flashcards

In the sentence 'The data suggest different conclusions,' why is 'suggest' plural?

Answer: 'Data' is the plural form of 'datum' and takes a plural verb in formal usage.

'Data' is formally the plural of 'datum,' so in academic and formal contexts it takes a plural verb.

Which construction illustrates an absolute phrase?

Answer: The storm having passed, we resumed the hike.

An absolute phrase has a noun plus a participle ('having passed') and is grammatically independent of the main clause.

What does 'cleft sentence' mean, as in 'It was Maria who solved the problem'?

Answer: A construction that splits a clause to emphasize one element

A cleft sentence uses 'it + be' to foreground a specific constituent (here, 'Maria') for emphasis.

Identify the passive construction: 'The report will have been submitted by Friday.'

Answer: Future perfect passive

'Will have been submitted' combines the future perfect auxiliary ('will have') with the passive participle ('been submitted').

Which sentence uses a restrictive relative clause correctly?

Answer: The car that has the red bumper belongs to my neighbor.

Restrictive relative clauses use 'that' (no commas) to identify which specific car is meant.

In 'No sooner had she arrived than the meeting started,' what syntactic feature appears?

Answer: Negative inversion with auxiliary fronting

Negative adverbials like 'no sooner' trigger subject-auxiliary inversion ('had she' rather than 'she had').

What is the term for the relationship between 'The dog chased the cat' (active) and 'The cat was chased by the dog' (passive)?

Answer: Voice alternation

Changing from active to passive voice is called voice alternation—it shifts the grammatical roles of subject and object.