ALDERSGATE COLLEGE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION 2

COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCES AND EDUCATION DEBORA B. SAMPAGA, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO STRUCTURE

Overview

This module examines students’ understanding of English grammar and usage. There are two types of
questions in this module: Sentence Completion and Error Identification. There are 20 to 25 items in this module, and
the time limit ranges from 15 to 20 minutes.

Objectives

At the end of the module, the students are expected to:

1. Master English grammar and usage and points
2. Familiarize themselves with the structure of Sentence Completion and Error Identification items
3. Answer Sentence Completion and Error Identification items correctly

Pretest

STRUCTURE

Directions: This section tests your ability to recognize both correct and incorrect English structures. There are two
types of items in this section.

One type involves a sentence that is missing a verb or phrase. Four words or phrases appear below the sentence.
You must choose the one that best completes the sentence.

Example I

__________ large natural lakes are found in the state of South Carolina.

(A) There are no

(B) Not the
(C) It is not
(D) No

The correct answer is (D). This sentence should properly read, "No large natural lakes are found in the
state of South Carolina."

The other type of item involves a sentence in which four words or phrases have been underlined. You must identify
the one underlined word or phrase that must be changed for the sentence to be considered correct.

Example II

When painting a fresco, an artist is applied paint directly to the damp plaster of a wall.
A B C D

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ALDERSGATE COLLEGE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION 2
COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCES AND EDUCATION DEBORA B. SAMPAGA, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

The correct answer is (B). This sentence should read, "When painting a fresco, an artist applies paint
directly to the damp plaster of a wall." Keep in mind the letter choices will not appear below the answer choices. We
have included them here to make it easier to discuss the questions in the Answer Keys.

As soon as you understand the directions, begin work on this Preview Test. There are 25 questions.

1. Martha Graham (A) who, as one of the pioneers of modern dance, didn't begin dancing until she was 21.
(A) who, as one (C) one
(B) she was (D) was one
2. There are thousand of different types of roses.
A B C D
3. Sponges have neither heads or separate body organs.
A B C D
4. Tiger moths _____ wings marked with stripes or spots.
(A) have (C) their
(B) with (D) whose
5. The first recorded use of natural gas to light street lamps it was in the town of Frederick, New York, in 1825.
A B C D
6. Most of Annie Jump Cannon's career as an astronomer involved the observation, classification, and_____.
(A) she analyzed stars (C) stars were analyzed
(B) the stars' analysis (D) analysis of stars
7. The French Quarter is the most famous and the most old section of New Orleans.
A B C D
8. Liquids take the shape of any container which in they are placed.
A B C D
9. There are several races of giraffes, but there are only one species.
A B C D
10. Platinum is harder than copper and is almost as pliable_____.
(A) gold (C) as gold
(B) than gold (D) gold is
11. Many communities are dependent on groundwater _____ from wells for their water supply.
(A) that obtained (C) is obtained
(B) obtained (D) obtain it
12. Boolean algebra is most often used to solve problems in logic, probability, and engineer.
A B C D
13. There were _____ federal laws regulating mining practices until 1872.
(A) none (C) no
(B) not (D) nor
14. A number of the materials used in manufacturing paint are potential dangerous if mishandled.
A B C D

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ALDERSGATE COLLEGE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION 2
COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCES AND EDUCATION DEBORA B. SAMPAGA, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

15. _____ experimental studies of the aging process, psychologist Ross McFarland determined that people could
work productively much longer than had previously been thought.
(A) In that (C) Since
(B) Through (D) Into
16. Despite they are small, ponies are strong and have great stamina.
A B C D
17. Physical therapists help patients relearn how to use their bodies after disease or injure. '
A B C D
18. Designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, the _____.
(A) United States was given the Statue of Liberty by the people of France
(B) people of France gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States
(C) Statue of Liberty was given to the United States by the people of France
(D) French people presented the United States with a gift, the Statue of Liberty
19. In 1791, Quebec was divided into two sections, Upper Canada and Lower Canada, _____ were ruled by elected
assemblies.
(A) they both (C) in which both
(B) both of them (D) both of which
20. _____ quicksand can be found all over the world, little was known about its composition until recently.
(A) Except (C) Even
(B) Although (D) Despite
21. _____are a form of carbon has been known since the late eighteenth century.
(A) Diamonds (C) That diamonds
(B) Because diamonds (D) Diamonds, which
22. In the late nineteenth century, many public buildings, especially that on college campuses, were built in
A B C
the Romanesque Revival style of architecture.
D
23. Not only _____ places of beauty, but they also serve scientific and educational purposes as well.
(A) are botanical gardens (C) botanical gardens are
(B) botanical gardens to be (D) to be botanical gardens
24. Since 1908, breeders set out to produce chickens that could survive Canada's cold climate.
A B C D
25. There was once a widespread believe that all lizards were poisonous.
A B C D

This is the end of Preview Test 1.

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ALDERSGATE COLLEGE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION 2
COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCES AND EDUCATION DEBORA B. SAMPAGA, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

Learning Focus (Presented in PPT)

SENTENCE COMPLETION

This type of item consists of an incomplete sentence. Some portion of the sentence has been replaced by a
blank. Under the sentence, four words or phrases are listed. One of these completes the sentence grammatically and
logically.
Sample Item

Pepsin __________an enzyme that is useful in digestion.

(A) that (C) of

(B) is (D) being
The correct answer is (B). The sentence consists of an incomplete main clause (Pepsin __________an
enzyme) and an adjective clause (that is used in digestion). Each clause must contain a subject and a verb. There is
a subject but no verb in the main clause. Only choices (B) and (D) are verb forms. However, an –ing verb can never
be used alone as a sentence verb. Only choice (B), the verb is, supplies a verb for the main clause.
What is the Best Way to Answer Sentence Completion Items?

If the answer choices are fairly short, you should begin by taking a quick look at the answer choices to get
an idea of what is missing from the sentence. A glance at the answer choices can often tell you that you are looking
at a problem involving verb forms, word order, parallel structure, misplaced modifiers, and others.

If the answer choices are long or complicated, begin by reading the stem. Don’t analyze it word for word, but as
you are reading, try to form a picture of the sentence’s overall structure. How many clauses will there be in the
complete sentences? Does each clause have a complete subject and verb? Is there a connecting word to join
clauses? Are any other elements obviously missing? If you can’t find the answer immediately, try to eliminate as
many distractors as possible. Distractors for Sentence Completion items are generally incorrect for one of the
following reasons:

 A necessary word or phrase is missing, so the sentence is still incomplete

 An unnecessary word or phrase is included
 Part of the answer choice is ungrammatical when put into the stem
Don’t choose an answer until you’ve read the sentence completely; sometimes am option seems to fit in the
sentence unless you read every word.

After you have eliminated as many answer choices as possible, read the sentence quickly to yourself with the
remaining choice or choices in place of the blank. If an answer doesn’t ‘sound right,’ it probably isn’t. If you can’t still
decide, guess and go on.

ERROR IDENTIFICATION

This type of item consists of a sentence in which four expressions – single words or two- or three-word
phrases – are underlined. Your job is to identify which of these phrases must be rewritten (it can’t simply be omitted)
for the sentence to be correct. All the errors involve grammar or usage – never punctuation or spelling.

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ALDERSGATE COLLEGE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION 2
COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCES AND EDUCATION DEBORA B. SAMPAGA, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

Sample Item

Music, dramatic, and art contribute to the culture of any community.

A B C D
The correct answer is (A). The sentence should correctly read, “Music, drama, and art contribute to the
culture of any community.” Choice (A) would have to be rewritten to correct the sentence, so that is the best answer.
Lenses may having either concave or convex shapes.
A B C D
The correct answer is (A). The correct verb form after a modal auxiliary is the simple form have. This
sentence should read, “Lenses may have either concave or convex shapes,” so the best answer is choice (A).
What Is the Best Way to Answer Error Identification Items?

You should begin with a quick reading of each sentence to find any obvious errors. Don't simply read the
underlined portions, because, in most items, the underlined expression is incorrect only in the context of the
sentence. Don't answer the question until you've read the entire sentence.
Easy questions can be answered after the first reading; click on the answer and go on to the next problem. If
you can't find the error immediately, reread the sentence, now concentrating on the underlined expressions. You
can't use the same techniques for reading these items as you would to read other materials, such as newspapers or
magazine articles. Usually, a person's eyes move quickly over "little words," such as articles and prepositions,
because these words don't contain much information. However, in this part of the test, these expressions may be
used incorrectly. You should train your eyes to move slowly and pronounce the sentences in your mind as if you were
speaking them.
If you haven't identified the error after a careful reading of the sentence, go through a mental checklist of the
most common errors: word form, word choice, and verb error. Do the underlined expressions fit into any of these
categories?
If you still can't find an error, eliminate expressions that seem to be used correctly, then make the best
guess you can from any items that remain.

STRATEGIES FOR STRUCTURE

IN GENERAL

 Be familiar with the directions for Structure.

 You can spend an average of 45 seconds on each item. If an item seems difficult, eliminate unlikely items and
make the best guess that you can. Don't spend too much time working on items you find difficult.
 Never answer any item too quickly, even if it seems easy. Always consider all four answer choices. It is easy to
make mistakes in Structure because of carelessness.
 Pace yourself carefully through this section. Don't work so slowly that there will still be unanswered problems
when time expires, but don't work so quickly that you finish long before the time expires.

SENTENCE COMPLETION
 If the answer choices are short, look them over before you read the sentence. Try to get an idea of what type of
problem you are working with.

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ALDERSGATE COLLEGE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION 2
COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCES AND EDUCATION DEBORA B. SAMPAGA, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

 Read the sentence, trying to determine which elements are missing. Never choose an answer until you have
read the entire sentence; sometimes an answer will seem to fit until you have read the last few words of the
sentence.
 Mark your choice immediately if the answer is obvious. If you're not sure, try to eliminate incorrect answers.
 Read the sentence with the remaining answer choices in place of the blank. Choose the option that sounds best.
 Save yourself time by clicking on the answer itself rather than on the oval.
 If you are still unable to decide on an answer, guess and go on.

ERROR IDENTIFICATION

 Skim each sentence, looking for obvious errors.

 If you haven't found the error, read the sentence again carefully, concentrating on the underlined parts. Go
through a mental checklist of the most common types of errors (word form, word choice, and verb error) to see if
any of the underlined expressions seem to fall into those categories.
 If you are still unable to find an error, try eliminating options that seem to be correct. If more than one option
remains, take a guess and go on.

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