Reading Review - SC - Alex Flashcards
Correct for parallelism: The students did poorly on the test more because they had not studied than the material was difficult.
more X than Y:
more BECAUSE X than BECAUSE Y.
The students did poorly on the test more because they had not studied than BECAUSE the material was difficult.
Correct for parallelism:
The experiences we have in childhood influence our behavior as adults.
The experiences we have AS CHILDREN influence our behavior as adults.
Correct for parallelism:
Tobacco companies, shaken by a string of legal setbacks in the United States, but WHICH retain strong growth prospects in the developing world face an uncertain future.
Tobacco companies, WHICH have been shaken by a string of legal setbacks in the United States, but WHICH retain strong growth prospects in the developing world face an uncertain future.
The consultant is looking for a cafe where there are comfortable chairs and that provides free internet access.
The consultant is looking for a cafe THAT has comfortable chairs and THAT provides free interent access.
Correct: A leopard cannot catch a wildebeest as fast as a cheetah.
This sentence is ambiguous because it is unclear what is being compared to what. Does it mean the wildebeest is as fast as the cheetah?
https://www.dropbox.com/s/apz7ypboe7eg5kq/Screenshot%202018-04-21%2015.21.15.png?dl=0
Correct? Y/N: The clothes inside the store looked more appealing than on the racks outside.
No. It is hard to tell whether the author wants to compare two separate sets of clothes or one set of clothes in two display locations.
Correct Y/N: The clothes looked more appealing inside the store than on the racks outside.
Yes.
Thomas is more interested in video games than his girlfriend.
No. Sentence can mean Thomas is more interested in Video Games THAN GF, or Thomas is more interested in video games than his girlfriend is.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/x7s7fvtt8r1qe6u/Screenshot%202018-04-21%2015.33.49.png?dl=0
What does “it” refer to? https://www.dropbox.com/s/kh2v7a7rdn6krcl/Screenshot%202018-04-21%2015.54.04.png?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/o5r4kldislardnp/Screenshot%202018-04-21%2015.54.29.png?dl=0
Correct? Y/N: Whenever a student calls, take down their information.
No! Their is incorrect. should be his/her:
Whenver a student calls, take down (his or her) information.
Their would be plural:
Whenver a students calls, take down their information.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/tr85qtsj8cvd6hj/Screenshot%202018-04-21%2016.29.50.png?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/yci5qw0ata15mb2/Screenshot%202018-04-21%2016.30.05.png?dl=0
Ok? All students need his or her own copy of the textbook in order to take the class.
INCORRECT.
“His or her” is singular. “all stuents” is plural. Sentence should read:
“All students need their own copy of the textbook in order to take the class.”
OK?
The scientist believed that the machine would be wonderful.
YES
OK?
“The scientist believes that the machine would be wonderful.”
NO! Would be should be “will be”. Cannot have conditional tense (Would be) with “The scientist BELIEVES” (present tense)
Ok?
“Last Monday, Mary realized that she would have to spend all of that night rewriting her application because she did not back up her files”
NO!
Because “did not back up her files” is in the past, and it clearly happened before her realization, you must use “had not backed up”. (Past perfect tense).
Correct Sentence:
“Last Monday, Mary realized that she would have to spend all of that night rewriting her application because she had not back up her files”
Correct? Y/N:
“The dealer was asked to sell a painting by Picasso.”
No.
Ambiguous. Did Picasso as to sell a painting? or was the painting by Picasso?
Sentence Correction
BEGIN!
Orinico.com, a major internet retailer, announced mixed results for the second quarter: the number of people shopping at Orinoco.com grew by a 34% rise, but profit per customer sharply fell as consumers shifted to lower-margin items in response to uncertain economic conditions.
“grew by a 34% rise” is redundant. Should be “grew by 34%”, the noun “rise” is redundant.
Are both correct?
Both are correct: https://www.dropbox.com/s/0lyp225epn4728z/Screenshot%202018-04-14%2020.17.48.png?dl=0 I only said 1st one was correct SC-Ch2-6
Cost to vs. Cost of
Cost to X is what X has to pay. Cost of X are how much somebody must pay to buy X
Which one is correct: a) “The driver took the people for a ride who had been waiting.” or b) “The driver took the people who had been waiting at the airport.”
B. in A, “who had been waiting” is modifies the closer noun (the ride)
Is this a complete sentence: “The cat sitting by the stairs.” ?
Nope. present participle “sitting” is not a working verb.
Is this a complete sentence: “Because the dog was never mine.” ?
Nope. Because is a modifier (connecting word). Not an independent clause
The discovery of new medicines (was/were) vital to the companies growth.
WAS. “The discovery” is the noun. “the discovery of new medicines” is a prepositional phrase, the noun “medicines” is part of that prepositional phrase, therefore it can’t be a subject
Lin, as well as Guy, (drive/drives) to work every day.
DRIVES. The correct answer is “drives” because the subject is Lin, “as well as Guy”, is a MODIFIER.
Lin and Guy (drive/drives) to work every day.
DRIVE.
Conjunctions - FANBOYS
For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So
Prepositions
in, on, to the, by, for, at, of
Prepositional Phrases
A phrase that modifies or describes other parts of a sentence. Ex: of mice, for milk, by 1800, in Zambia, with her, at that level, to the store, on their orders, from the office
In the waning days of the emperor’s life, the conquest of new lands on the borders of the empire (was/were) considered vital.
WAS. Conquest is the subject.
The tidal forces to which an object falling into a black hole (is/are) subjected (is/are) sufficient to tear the object apart.
IS, ARE. (Ch3, pg32. two subject-verb pairs)
Rewrite this sentence: “The recent string of burglaries, in addition to poor building maintenance, have inspired the outspoken resident to call a tenants meeting.”
“The recent string of burglaries, in addition to poor building maintenance HAS inspired the outspoken resident to call a tenants meeting.” Note that the String caused. Omit middlemen “of burglaries” and “in addition to poor building maintenance”
Rewrite this sentence: “The proliferation of computer games designed to involve many players at once were first developed before the widespread availability of high-speed internet connections. “
Answer: omit “The prolifiration of..” because the computer games were developed and the sentence is illogical with “The proliferation of” because the verb “were” is referring to “The prolifiration”, which is illogical. It should refer to “Computer games”
Is anything wrong with this sentence: The teacher is confident her students mastered the lesson
“The teacher is confident THAT her students mastered the lesson”
Is anything wrong with this sentence: “Lin rode his bike, Guy drove a car.”
“Lin rode his bike, BUT Guy drove his car.”. It is incorrect to connect two independent clauses without a conjunction! Even if comma is present. This is called a comma splice
Andrew and Lisa are inseparable, therefore, we never see them apart
“Andrew and Lisa are inseparable; therefore, we never see them apart.” Use semi colon when transitional elements aren’t true conjunctions (don’t have comma after them..)
The decision to place the beautiful artifacts in out-of-the-way nooks around the mansion’s various rooms was inspiring
OMIT middlemen phrases beginning with “to”, “in”, and “around”.
Correct this sentence: After all the the gardening we did, the sun shining on the flowerbeds make a beautiful site.
swap “make” for “makes”. Sun is subject. The sun MAKES, not the sun make.
Correct this sentence: Just around the corner is a fantastic bakery and a small supermarket.
replace IS with ARE. the word “AND” makes it a compound subject, thus it is plural!
We had an arrangement (Where/In Which) I cooked and he cleaned.
in which, because “where” cannot be used to modify something that is not physical or is metaphorical.
Correct or Incorrect: “10 items or less”
Incorrect! Since items is countable, the sign should read “10 items or fewer”. Do not use the word “less” with countable things. use “less” with uncountable things. i.e- “less patience”, etc.
<p>Correct or Incorrect: "there were less Nomidian Kings than Roman empowers" </p>
<p> INCORRECT. FEWER. </p>
