The school orchestra's three sections practiced their parts for the spring concert with varying levels of precision. The string section played accurately, hitting most notes correctly but occasionally going slightly off-pitch. The brass section performed with greater exactness, maintaining consistent intonation throughout their challenging passages. The woodwind section achieved perfect precision, executing every note and rhythm flawlessly during their complex solo sections.
Which statement correctly employs comparative and superlative adverbs to describe how precisely each section performed during practice?
- The string section played precisely, the brass section played more precise, and the woodwind section played the most precisely of all three sections at rehearsal.
- The string section played precisely, the brass section played more precisely, and the woodwind section played the most precise of all three sections at rehearsal.
- The string section played precisely, the brass section played more precisely, and the woodwind section played the most precisely of all three sections at rehearsal. (correct answer)
- The string section played precise, the brass section played more precisely, and the woodwind section played the most precisely of all three sections at rehearsal.
Explanation: The correct statement uses the base adverb 'precisely' for the strings (occasionally off-pitch), the comparative adverb 'more precisely' for the brass (greater exactness), and the superlative adverb 'most precisely' for the woodwinds (perfect precision). Because you are describing how each section played—an action—you need adverbs in every position, not adjectives. The option that says the brass 'played more precise' wrongly uses the adjective 'precise' where the comparative adverb 'more precisely' is needed. The option that says the woodwinds played 'the most precise' wrongly uses the adjective 'precise' where the superlative adverb 'most precisely' belongs. The option that says the strings 'played precise' wrongly uses the adjective 'precise' where the base adverb 'precisely' is required. Only one statement keeps the correct adverb form—base, comparative, then superlative—in all three positions, so it is the best answer.