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Only after the final witness had testified ___ the judge allow the hearing to continue.
- a) did ✓ (correct answer)
- b) had
- c) was
- d) would Explanation: When a sentence begins with the restrictive adverbial “Only after…”, the main clause uses subject–auxiliary inversion. The past-tense auxiliary “did” is followed by the bare infinitive “allow”.
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The panel insisted that each applicant ___ an original copy of the certificate.
- a) submit ✓ (correct answer)
- b) submitted
- c) submits
- d) has submitted Explanation: After “insisted that” in this mandative sense, the subjunctive uses the base form “submit”. The singular subject “each applicant” does not add an -s to this form.
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If Mara had taken the earlier train, she ___ here by now.
- a) will be
- b) would have being
- c) would have been
- d) would be ✓ (correct answer) Explanation: This is a mixed conditional: the past unreal condition (“had taken”) has a present result (“would be here by now”). “Would have been” would normally refer to a past result.
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I would rather you ___ the figures before sending the report yesterday.
- a) would check
- b) had checked ✓ (correct answer)
- c) checked
- d) have checked Explanation: “Would rather” takes a past perfect form when expressing a preference about an action that should have happened before a past time. “Yesterday” makes that earlier past reference explicit.
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Choose the sentence in which the opening participial phrase clearly modifies the correct noun.
- a) Having been revised twice, the manuscript was finally accepted by the editor. ✓ (correct answer)
- b) Having revised the manuscript twice, it was finally accepted by the editor.
- c) Having been revised twice, the editor finally accepted the manuscript.
- d) Having revised twice, the manuscript was finally accepted by the editor. Explanation: The phrase “Having been revised twice” describes the manuscript, which is the subject of the main clause. In the other options, the grammatical subject does not match the person or thing that performed or underwent the revision.
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No sooner ___ than both sides announced a breakthrough.
- a) the negotiations did end
- b) had the negotiations ended ✓ (correct answer)
- c) did the negotiations ended
- d) the negotiations had ended Explanation: When “No sooner” comes at the beginning of a sentence, subject-auxiliary inversion is required. We use the past perfect tense (had + past participle) followed by the subject and the main verb. The correct structure is “No sooner had the negotiations ended than…”
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The house is believed ___ in 1820.
- a) to have built
- b) to have been built ✓ (correct answer)
- c) to be built
- d) having been built Explanation: The passive reporting structure “is believed to…” is followed by the perfect passive infinitive “to have been built” to refer to a completed event in the past.
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Not only ___ the deadline, but she also failed to notify the team.
- a) she did missed
- b) did she miss ✓ (correct answer)
- c) she missed
- d) did she missed Explanation: When “Not only” begins the clause, the auxiliary precedes the subject: “did she miss”. The main verb then appears in its bare form, “miss”.
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By the time the auditors arrive tomorrow, the finance team ___ the accounts.
- a) will have completed ✓ (correct answer)
- b) would have completed
- c) has completed
- d) will complete Explanation: The future perfect, “will have completed”, describes an action expected to be finished before a specified future point. The future time clause uses the present simple “arrive”.
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The more carefully the data are examined, ___.
- a) the less convincing the original conclusion becomes ✓ (correct answer)
- b) the original conclusion becomes less convincing
- c) the less the original conclusion is convincing
- d) less convincing the original conclusion becomes Explanation: This comparative correlative structure requires “the + comparative” in both clauses: “The more carefully…, the less convincing…”. The other options do not complete the paired construction correctly.