1.
Identify the incorrect word: The majority to the news is about violence or scandal.
Correct Answer
B. To
Explanation
The preposition “to” is incorrect in this context. The correct phrase is "the majority of the news," where "of" correctly indicates the relationship between "majority" and "news." The word "to" suggests direction or movement, which is not appropriate here. The phrase "majority of" is used to express that most of the news content is related to violence or scandal.
2.
Identify the incorrect word: Takeshi swimmed one hundred laps in the pool yesterday.
Correct Answer
A. Swimmed
Explanation
The word “swimmed” is not the correct past tense of the verb “swim.” The correct form is “swam.” In English, many verbs are irregular and do not follow the standard rule of adding -ed for past tense. "Swim" is one such verb, and its past tense form is "swam."
3.
Identify the incorrect word: When our vacation, we plan to spend three days scuba diving.
Correct Answer
A. When
Explanation
The word "When" is incorrect because it requires additional context or information to form a complete clause. In this sentence, "During" is the correct word to use as it indicates the time period in which the vacation activities will occur. "When" would be appropriate if the sentence were restructured to include more details.
4.
Identify the incorrect word: Mr. Feinauer does not take critical of his work very well.
Correct Answer
B. Critical
Explanation
The word “critical” should be replaced by “criticism.” “Critical” is an adjective, which describes a noun, but in this context, a noun is needed to specify what Mr. Feinauer does not take well. “Criticism” is the noun form that means the act of expressing disapproval or finding faults.
5.
Identify the incorrect word: Yvette and Rinaldo send e-mail messages to other often.
Correct Answer
C. Other
Explanation
The phrase “each other” is used to indicate a reciprocal action between two people. The word “other” alone does not convey the mutual exchange of messages. Adding “each” clarifies that Yvette and Rinaldo are sending messages back and forth to one another.
6.
Identify the incorrect word: Mr. Olsen is telephoning a American Red Cross for help.
Correct Answer
B. A
Explanation
The article “a” should be replaced by “the” to specify that Mr. Olsen is contacting a particular organization, which is the American Red Cross. “The” is a definite article used to refer to something specific, while “a” is indefinite and used for general references.
7.
Identify the incorrect word: I had a enjoyable time at the party last night.
Correct Answer
A. A
Explanation
The article “a” should be replaced by “an” because “enjoyable” starts with a vowel sound. In English, “an” is used before words that begin with a vowel sound to make the sentence flow more smoothly.
8.
Identify the incorrect word: The doctor him visited the patient's parents.
Correct Answer
B. Him
Explanation
The pronoun “him” is unnecessary and incorrect in this sentence. It should be removed to avoid redundancy. The subject “The doctor” is already clear, and adding "him" creates confusion and disrupts the sentence structure.
9.
Identify the incorrect word: Petra intends to starting her own software business in a few years.
Correct Answer
B. Starting
Explanation
The word “starting” should be replaced by “start.” After verbs like “intends to,” the base form of the verb (infinitive) should be used. “Intends to start” indicates a future action or plan.
10.
Identify the incorrect word: Each day after school, Jerome run five miles.
Correct Answer
C. Run
Explanation
The verb “run” should be changed to “runs” to agree with the singular subject “Jerome.” In the present simple tense, verbs must agree with their subjects in number and person. For third-person singular subjects (he, she, it, or any singular noun), the verb typically takes an -s ending. Therefore, "Jerome runs" is correct. This ensures subject-verb agreement, which is essential for grammatical accuracy in English sentences.
11.
Identify the incorrect word: He goes never to the company softball games.
Correct Answer
A. Never
Explanation
The word "never" should be placed before "goes" to follow the correct adverb placement rules in English. Adverbs of frequency, such as “never,” “always,” “often,” and “sometimes,” usually appear before the main verb in a sentence. Correct placement ensures the sentence makes sense and maintains proper word order. "He never goes" correctly indicates the frequency of the action, making the sentence clearer and grammatically correct.
12.
Identify the incorrect word: Do you know the student who books were stolen?
Correct Answer
C. Who
Explanation
The word “who” should be replaced by “whose” to indicate possession. “Whose” is the possessive form of “who” and is used to show that something belongs to someone. In this context, "whose books" specifies that the books belong to the student. Proper use of “whose” clarifies the relationship between the student and the books, making the sentence grammatically correct and more precise in conveying possession.
13.
Identify the incorrect word: Jean-Pierre will spend his vacation either in Singapore nor the Bahamas.
Correct Answer
C. Nor
Explanation
The word “nor” should be replaced by “or” to correctly pair with “either” in presenting alternative options. The correct correlative conjunction pair is “either...or,” which is used to offer a choice between two possibilities. “Nor” is used with “neither” to show two negative options. By using “either...or,” the sentence clearly presents the two positive vacation options available to Jean-Pierre, making it grammatically correct and logically consistent.
14.
Identify the incorrect word: I told the salesman that I was not interesting in buying the latest model.
Correct Answer
C. Interesting
Explanation
The word “interesting” should be changed to “interested.” “Interesting” is an adjective used to describe something that causes interest, while “interested” is an adjective that describes a person’s feeling or state of being interested in something. In this sentence, the speaker is describing their own lack of interest in buying the latest model, so “interested” is the correct word to use. This distinction ensures that the sentence accurately conveys the speaker’s intention and is grammatically correct.
15.
Identify the incorrect word: Frederick used work for a multinational corporation when he lived in Malaysia.
Correct Answer
A. Used work
Explanation
The phrase “used work” is incorrect. It should be “used to work” to indicate a past habitual action. “Used to” is a construction used to describe something that was regularly done in the past but is no longer done. By using “used to work,” the sentence correctly conveys that Frederick habitually worked for a multinational corporation during his time in Malaysia. This correction provides clarity and maintains the grammatical structure necessary to describe past routines or habits accurately.