Thread: Few problems
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Old 07-Jun-2004, 15:02
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Default Re: Few problems

Quote:
Originally Posted by Atesttaker
1. Wrap-around sound, a process patented by Dolby, is an audio device _______ the moviegoer in the center of the action.

A. puts
B. that puts them
C. that they put
D. that puts
Whats wrong with the option D?
Nothing. That is the correct choice.

Quote:
2- Unlike the climate of the other islands of Hawaii, ________ Kona contains 54 different temperate zones.

A. that of
B. this is
C. these are
D. those that
Answer is A.
Please explain this sentence and the rule to solve this problem out.
It is a terrible sentence, IMO, but A is the only possible answer. The sentence opens with a prepositional phrase of comparison. It word that follows such phrases must be the other part of the comparison. Since "climate" is the noun-prepositional object of "unlike", the following word must be another "climate". In this case, "that" is used as a pronoun substitute for the climate of Kona. So it says "Unlike the climates of...., that (the climate) of Kona is....

Quote:
3-That accident occurred _____.

A-before three weeks
B- three weeks before
C -three weeks ago.
Whats wrong with option B?
In my opinion, the only problem with B is that it has ellipted a word or words after "before". Before what? It could be perfectly correct in the proper context. Without context, "ago" is the better choice, because it needs no other time reference.


Quote:
5- Mozart, whose life spanned less than half century, composed a copious amount of musical works ranging from simple sonatas to highly complex symphonies and operas.
hmmmmmmmm whats wrong in the above sentence?
It is missing an article for century. It should be "spanned less than half a century" or "spanned less than a half-century".

Quote:
4-"Tom was not sure that the meeting would be held today."
"But I _____."

A-prefer to watch
B- to prefer watching
C-watch preferring
D-preferring to watch
Answer is C but why?
The only grammatical answer is A. That leaves you with coordinating conjunction-subject pronoun-verb-infinitive object of verb. It makes not sense, however.

C is not even close. You get coordinating conjunction-subject pronoun-verb?-gerund/participle. And it makes no sense.

Quote:
5-She doesn't want anything alcoholic now. She would rather _____ a soft drink.

A-have
B-to have
C-prefer
D-prefer to have
Why should not use option D?
A is correct. One could make the case that D is grammatical, but it is also hopelessly redundant. When one prefers to have something they would rather have thet than something else. We don't need "rather" and "prefer" in the same thought.

Quote:
5. From a [psychological] perspective, [those ]people who expect [what] the worse will happen to them are[ seldom] disappointed.
Whats wrong with WHAT?
If you use "what" there, it wants to be the subject of the clause as in "fear what will happen to them". This clause already has a subject "the worse" (which I think should be "worst"). Therefore, the "what" is not correct. There is an ellipted (that) before "the worse" in the sentence. When "that" is not the subject of a clause, it is often left out.

Quote:
6-CNN, [based in] the Southern state of Georgia, [it was] the first all-news television network [to begin] international [broadcasting].

They say that to begin wrong but I wonder why it was should be left unchanged?
There is nothing wrong with "to begin" in that sentence. It begins an infinitive phrase that modifies "television network". The mistake is "it was". The sentnce has a subject "CNN". It does not need a pronoun + verb, it only nedds a verb. Change "it was" to "was".

Quote:
And last but not least I would like to thank all who are helping me in improving my grammar.
You are very welcome. I hope we are helping you. :wink:
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