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Those supplies all need to be brought directly to myself.
The only issue with the sentence is the use of the reflexive pronoun "myself" without a previous use of the first person pronoun. All reflexive pronouns need to refer back to an earlier use of the pronoun in the sentence. The solution to this issue is to change "myself" to the simple "me," making "directly to me" the correct answer choice.
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"Lincoln as a Child" by Caleb Zimmerman (2013)
Abraham Lincoln's forefathers were pioneers. People that left their homes to open up the wilderness and make the way clear for others to follow them. For one hundred and seventy years, ever since the first Lincoln came from England to Massachusetts in 1638, he had been moving slowly westward as new settlements were made in the forest. They faced solitude, privation, and all the dangers and hardships that beset those who take up their homes where only beasts and wild men have had homes before; but they continued to press steadily forward, though they lost fortune and sometimes even life itself in their westward progress.
Back in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, some of the Lincolns had been people of wealth and influence. In Kentucky, where the future President was born on February 12, 1809, his parents live in deep poverty. Their home was a small log cabin of the rudest kind, and nothing seemed more unlikely than that their child, coming into the world in such humble surroundings, was destined to be the greatest man of his time and true to his heritage, he also was to be a pioneer—not into new woods and unexplored fields like his ancestors, but a pioneer of a nobler and grander sort, directing the thoughts of people ever toward the right, and leading the American people, through difficulties and dangers and a mighty war, to peace and freedom.
Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded portion of the passage. If the bolded portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
"NO CHANGE" and "pioneers. People that" are incorrect because the clause, “People that left their homes to open up the wilderness and make the way clear for others to follow them,” is a dependent clause lacking a subject (forefathers).
"pioneers—people that" is incorrect because the pronoun “that” is impersonal, while pioneers are people. The personal pronoun “who” is most appropriate here.
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Adapted from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (1861)
As she applied herself to set the tea-things, Joe peeped down at me over his leg, as if he was mentally casting me and himself up and calculating what kind of pair we practically should make, under the grievous circumstances foreshadowed. After that, he sat feeling his right-side flaxen curls and whisker, and following Mrs. Joe about with his blue eyes, as his manner always was at squally times.
My sister had a trenchant way of cutting our bread and butter for us, that never varied. First, with her left hand she jammed the loaf hard and fast against her bib, where it sometimes got a pin into it and sometimes a needle, which we afterwards got into our mouths. Then, she took some butter (not too much) on a knife and spread it on the loaf, in an apothecary kind of way, as if she were making a plaster. She used both sides of the knife with a slapping dexterity and trimming and moulding the butter off round the crust. Then, she gave the knife a final smart wipe on the edge of the plaster and then sawed a very thick round off the loaf: which she finally, before separating from the loaf, hewed into two halves, of which Joe got one and I the other.
On the present occasion, though I was hungry, I dared not eat my slice. I felt that I must have something in reserve for my dreadful acquaintance, and his ally the still more dreadful young man. I knew, “Mrs. Joe's housekeeping to be of the strictest kind,” and that my larcenous researches might find nothing available in the safe. Therefore, I resolved to put my hunk of bread and butter down the leg of my trousers.
To what does the underlined "that" refer?
The relative clause "that never varied" is placed far after its appropriate antecedent. Therefore, we need to infer its correct antecedent. The thing that never varies is her "way of cutting." Strictly speaking, it is the "way" that does not differ. ("Of cutting" modifies this in a helpful way, of course.)
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Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
Are you mad about me going to the party with them?
When the "–ing" form of a verb is used as a noun (called a "gerund"), the pronoun immediately preceding it should be in the possessive form.
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John and Michael both made good points, but in the end, I had to side with him.
It is unclear if the “him” refers to John or Michael. The correct answer makes it clear with whom I side.
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Adapted from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (1890)
As they entered, they saw Dorian Gray who was seated at the piano his back to them, turning over the pages of a volume of Schumann's "Forest Scenes." "You must lend me these, Basil," he cried. "I want to learn them. They are perfectly charming." "That entirely depends on how you sit to-day, Dorian."
"Oh, I am tired of sitting, and I don't want a life-sized portrait of myself," answered the lad, swinging round on the music-stool in a willful, petulant manner. When he caught sight of Lord Henry, a faint blush colored his cheeks for a moment, and he started up. "I beg your pardon, Basil. I did’nt know you had any one with you."
"This is Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian, an old Oxford friend of mine. I have just been telling him what a capital sitter you were, and now you have spoiled everything."
"You have not spoiled my pleasure in meeting you, Mr. Gray," said Lord Henry, stepping forward and extended his hand. "My aunt has often spoken to me about you. You are one of her favorites, and, I am afraid, one of her victims also."
"I am in Lady Agatha's black books at present," answered Dorian with a funny look of penitence. "I promised to go to a club in Whitechapel with her last Tuesday, and I really forgot all about it. We were to have played a duet together: three duets, I believe. I don't know what she will say to me. I am far too frightened to call."
Which of the following is the best form of the underlined selection, "saw Dorian Gray who was seated"?
Since the relative clause (beginning with "who") adds somewhat extraneous information, you need to separate it from its antecedent by using a comma. If the relative clause were a necessary component of the sentence, identifying the antecedent, you should not have a comma. For instance, "He smiled at the man who was seated by the window." Since "Dorian Gray" is a proper name, it adequately marks out the person. The relative clause adds extra descriptive information.
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Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices repeats the underlined portion as it is written.
Over the course of history, powerful people have always asserted their selves when a crisis has occurred.
"Their selves" means essentially their independent identities, and is not a reflexive pronoun that refers back to the "powerful people" Therefore, the correct answer is "themselves," which is just such a reflexive pronoun.
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Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
While they are both great pastry chefs, Eric's chocolate chip cookies are definitely better than Henry.
It is incorrect to compare Eric's cookies to Henry; they are two different things. You can only compare Eric's cookies and Henry's cookies, and the most efficient way to do so is by saying "Henry's."
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Communist rule in Poland ended in 1989 and the following year proved disastrous for the Polish economy. Prices rapidly ballooned while incomes dropped. Attempting to find a solution, the Balcerowicz Plan was implemented by Polish officials. The plan liberalized the economy by abolishing price controls, exposing markets to international competition, and it discontinued most industrial subsidies. In the time of the years following these efforts, economic growth has increased steady.
After years of negotiations and economic and political reforms, Poland became a member of The European Union on May 1, 2004. Soon after, Polish officials voted in favor for laws that would eventually mend the unemployment problem in Poland significantly. In fact, the unemployment rate improved for the first time in five years immediately following Poland's membership. The involvement of Poland in the Eastern Bloc is currently greater than the Czech Republic. The passage of two policies regarding energy credits from foreign countries provide evidence of the emergence of Poland in the global economy.
Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded portion of the passage. If the bolded portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
The original text contains a faulty comparison of two items: 1) the involvement of Germany and 2) the entire Czech Republic. We cannot compare involvement to countries, but only countries to countries and involvements to involvements.
In this case, we need to compare the involvement of Germany to the involvement of The Czech Republic. The only answer choice that does so is "that of The Czech Republic."
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When the patent on Alexander Graham Bell’s revolutionary invention, the telephone, expired in 1894 thousands of new firms entered the telecommunication industry. Among them were a collection of profitable companies that merged to form what would later become known as The Bell System. The Bell System had amassed such weight in the industry that in 1933, when Congress passed a law declaring phone service a public utility, the Bell System quickly transformed into a monopoly. Lawmakers enthusiastic supported a series of provisions intended to stimulate competition. Appointed as the nation’s sole provider of telecommunication services, widespread criticism about the Bell System began to surface.
The Federal Communications Act has so far been highly effective and the industry has grown tremendously as a result. In fact, for the past three years, the profitability of the largest three telecommunication companies has been greater than the largest three automotive companies. The number of calls provided by the top three companies range from five billion to six billion per day. Today, virtually everyone has made a phone call over the course of their lives. Most people do not know, however, that payment for swaths of electromagnetic wavelengths have become commonplace.
One explanation for such high call volume and large profits is that calls are becoming much less expensive for companies to provide, regardless for many large fixed expenses such as communication towers, base stations, and paying for utility poles. Over the last century, telephones had become an important part of modern society. In fact, the cost of delivering one telephone call today is about a thousandth of the cost in the 1950s. The increasing affordability and abundance of phone calls mark the progress made since the time of Alexander Graham Bell and the Bell System.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the passage. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
The original text contains a faulty comparison. We cannot compare the profitability of one company to another whole company; instead, we must compare the profitability of one company to the profitability of another company. Since "profitability" is a singular noun phrase, we need an answer choice that substitutes"profitability" for a singular noun phrase such as "that". The correct way to express the sentence is "In fact, for the past three years, the profitability of the largest three telecommunication companies has been greater than that of the largest three automotive companies."
The answer choice "NO CHANGE" is incorrect because the text contains a faulty comparison. The answer choices "greater than those of" and "greater than these of" are incorrect because they use plural noun phrases in the comparison, rather than singular noun phrases to match the singular noun phrase "profitability."
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During the final months of 2007, the prices of basic grains nearly doubled in Northern Africa, Latin America, and much of Asia, the high prices caused a global food crisis. The catastrophe sparked and incited an international debate regarding the licensing of new technologies to developing nations. One economist warned that because of the risk of unforeseen price shocks, officials should proceed very cautiously. The construction of private farms pose a serious financial threat to farmers in the United States; nevertheless, of the five most industrialized nations, the United States exports more crops.
How do some countries cope with food crises better than others. It is technology that accounts for the majority of the difference. The rate at which countries adopt innovations depends significantly on environmental factors. These environmental factors include climate, soil and elevation. The variability in environment inhibits new technologies from gaining worldwide popularity that are suited for one particular region over another. For example, the pesticides used in Europe are much more acidic than North America. Without the different levels of acidity, pests would prevent the crops to grow.
Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded portion of the passage. If the bolded portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
Consider the original sentence, "The pesticides used in Europe are much more acidic than North America." It contains a flawed comparison because it compares the pesticides used in Europe to the entire continent of North America.
The proper way to express the sentence is to say "The pesticides used in Europe are much more acidic than those used in North America" because in that case, we are comparing pesticides to pesticides. Note: we must say "more acidic than those" rather than "more acidic than that" because "pesticides" is a plural noun.
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has become wide recognized as one of the most brilliant and influential musicians of all time. At only thirteen years old, he skillfully played several instruments and wrote in a variety of musical genres. Over the past century, his orchestral music, along with his many operas, have delighted audiences around the world. Mozart wrote his music for wealthy patrons and aristocrats, yet even the commoners of the time enjoyed his music. The music of Mozart is richer and more textured than his contemporary, Joseph Haydn.
The Austro-Turkish War, which began in 1787, prompted the redirection of much of Austria’s resources from arts and music to the military. As a result, Mozart faced financial difficulties. In 1788, he discontinued his public concerts and his income declined. In 1790, hoping to improve his financial situation and circumstances, Mozart toured Berlin and several other cities in Germany. The tours were unsuccessful, however, and did not improve his financial problems.
Scholars have proposed several hypotheses regarding the cause of Mozart’s death, such as influenza, smallpox and meningitis. Their is little physical evidence, however, to support these claims. Mozart's funeral belied the elaborate ornamentation of his music: the ceremony was basic and reserved. In the period following his death, Mozart’s popularity increased significantly. Concert halls throughout Europe featured his music, and composers sought to imitate his style. Modern audiences praise Mozart’s music for its liveliness, expressiveness, and the fact that it is sophisticated.
Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded portion of the passage. If the bolded portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
The author is trying to compare Mozart's music to Haydn's music. The original text incorrectly compares Mozart's music to Haydn, the person.
Instead, we need to compare music to music. To do so, we should write "Mozart's music is richer and more textured than that of his contemporary, Joseph Haydn."
We use the phrase "that of" because music is a singular noun, a fact that rules out the answer choice "those of," which is in plural.
While "that of his contemporary's" correctly uses the phrase "that of," it is incorrect because it adds an unnecessary 's to the word "contemporary."
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Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
Yesterday, you asked me whether I agree more with John F. Kennedy or Richard Nixon; after reading about their policies, I realize that I agree more with him.
It is unclear if the “him” refers to Kennedy or Nixon. The correct answer makes it clear with whom I agree.
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Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
Does one have a responsibility to help others, or do you only have a responsibility to help yourself?
In the sentence as it is written, "one" and "you" are both used. You should stick to using one of these pronouns or the other, and not switch between them in a sentence.
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Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
Wealthy patrons often give anonymous gifts because identities are protected.
The sentence as written is incorrect because it does not specify what or whose "identities are protected" by "anonymous gifts." The correct answer needs to at least refer back to the "wealthy patrons" in order to explain their behavior. "So their identities are protected" is the best choice among the answers.
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Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
When you are done with your work, please show it to myself.
The sentence presented uses a reflexive pronoun, "myself," that does not refer back to anything previously mentioned. The proper form would be the standard pronoun "me," which is the correct answer.
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Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
The board only requires you to attend this meeting.
The sentence is correct as it is written. The use of "you" in this sentence is proper instead of "yourself," because "yourself" is a reflexive pronoun, meaning it needs to refer back to an earlier use of "you."
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Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
There is many issues with the prosecution's case against the mafia leader.
The verb in the underlined portion is used with the "many issues," a plural. Therefore, the verb needs to be plural. Also, the word beginning the sentence needs to appropriately reference the "many issues." "There are" is the only answer choice that fits both criteria.
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Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
Many people do not trust them to watch their own weight.
The use of "them" is imprecise, as it is unclear who exactly "them" is referring to in the sentence. To clear up this confusion, the use of "themselves" is the best way to indicate this usage refers to the subject of the sentence. "Themselves to watch their own weight" is the correct answer choice.
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Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices repeats the underlined portion as it is written.
After the essay is written, please deliver a copy to ourselves.
The use of "ourselves" is incorrect, as it is a referential pronoun, meaning that the word must refer to an earlier use of the first person plural pronoun. The use at the end of the sentence is the first one, and should not be a referential pronoun. "To us" is the correct answer choice.
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