Grammar - Study Mode

[#216] On leaving the shopping plaza, Kate was robbed . . . . . . . . purse.
Correct Answer

(C) of her

Explanation

Solution: If someone is robbed, they have money or property stolen from them. If someone is robbed of something that they deserve, have, or need, it is taken away from them. The correct preposition to follow after 'robbed' is 'of'.

[#217] The market is nearer to them than . . . . . . . . .
Correct Answer

(B) us

Explanation

Solution: The word 'us' is used to convey a person or a group of people. Any other word would have created a sentence that doesn't mean anything or is grammatically incorrect.

[#218] The United States is . . . . . . . . that there are five time zones.
Correct Answer

(D) so big

Explanation

Solution: 'So' is placed before a modifier — adjective or adverb — to intensify its quality or manner. This emphasis on the modifier expresses a remarkable situation. This clause can stand alone as a sentence, or it can be paired with 'that' + clause to express an effect (result) of the remarkable situation mentioned in the main clause.

[#219] . . . . . . . . she . . . . . . . . away yesterday?
Correct Answer

(A) Did, run

Explanation

Solution: The correct answer is A: Did, run . This question tests your understanding of simple past tense questions in English. First, let's define simple past tense : It's a verb tense used to describe completed actions in the past. We use it to talk about things that happened and finished at a specific time in the past. The sentence requires a question word and a verb in the simple past tense to correctly form a grammatically sound question about a past event. Let's analyze each option: A: Did, run This option correctly uses the auxiliary verb "did" to form the simple past tense question. "Did" is used with the base form of the main verb ("run"), which is grammatically correct for forming a simple past question. The complete sentence would be "Did she run away yesterday?". B: Was, run This option is incorrect because "was" is the past tense of the verb "to be," and it needs a past participle to form a complete past tense structure. "Run" is the base form, not the past participle. It should be "Was she *running* away yesterday?" to be grammatically correct, but this changes the meaning to an ongoing action, not a completed action. C: Why, ran While "ran" is the simple past tense of "run," it's incorrect to use it without an auxiliary verb ("did") to form a question. The word "why" asks for a reason, not if she ran away. It would require a different sentence structure. D: Where, running Similar to option B, "running" is the present participle, indicating an ongoing action, not a completed action in the past. "Where" is asking for a location, but the question needs to be in simple past tense to fit the context of "yesterday." A correct sentence could be: "Where was she running yesterday?" (but this means she was running at some point during yesterday, not that she completed the action of running away.) Therefore, only option A creates a grammatically correct and contextually appropriate simple past tense question.

[#220] A: What . . . . . . . .? B: She is writing a letter.
Correct Answer

(C) is she doing

Explanation

Solution: Statement 'A' is a question, so the sentence for the blank must be in an interrogative form. Statement 'B', the answer to the question in 'A', is in the present continuous tense and so the question must also be present continuous. 'B' tells us the current action of the subject 'she'. Thus, the sentence to be used in 'A' must be a question that asks about the current activity of the subject 'she'. Option A is incorrect. Although the sentence is an interrogative form and also asks about the activity of the subject, it is not in present continuous tense. In other words, it does not ask about the current activity of the subject. Option B is incorrect. It is an incomplete phrase as it lacks a main verb and also it is not in present continuous tense. Option C is correct. It is an interrogative phrase in present continuous tense. Also, it is asking about the current activity of the subject. Thus, it meets all the required conditions. Option D is incorrect. Although 'She is doing' is in present continuous tense, it is not an interrogative phrase, so, cannot be used to ask a question.