Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one.
1............... was presented as evidence that the review process lacked transparency.
Wrong!
"The committee's rejection of the proposal" is correct because the sentence requires a compact nominal group as the subject of the formal verb phrase.
2The phased ............... of the new data policy reduced staff resistance.
Wrong!
"implementation" is correct because after 'the phased' and before 'of', a formal noun is required.
3Investors grew impatient with the board's ............... to disclose the full cost of the merger.
Wrong!
"reluctance" is correct because the preposition 'with' needs a noun phrase complement.
4The inquiry is expected to reach a ............... on liability by the end of the month.
Wrong!
"conclusion" is correct because 'reach a conclusion on' uses a noun, not a verb.
5The regulator rejected any ............... of the reporting requirements that might weaken public scrutiny.
Wrong!
"simplification" is correct because 'any' requires a noun in this position.
6The programme continued despite ............... .
Wrong!
"the severity of the budget cuts" is correct because 'despite' must be followed by a noun phrase or gerund phrase, not a finite clause.
7The department reduced duplication by ............... .
Wrong!
"the centralisation of procurement" is correct because after 'by' the cause is expressed as a noun phrase.
8The dispute was resolved only after ............... intervention during the final session.
Wrong!
"the mediator's" is correct because the person responsible is expressed with a possessive before the nominalisation 'intervention'.
9The archive's value depends not only on its accuracy but also on its ............... to external researchers.
Wrong!
"availability" is correct because 'its' must be followed by a noun in this nominalised phrase.
10Several suppliers missed the deadline; this ............... undermined confidence in the procurement timetable.
Wrong!
"failure" is correct because 'this' refers back to the whole event as a noun.
11Auditors raised concerns about ............... with the revised safety protocol.
Wrong!
"compliance" is correct because 'concerns about' must be followed by a noun phrase.
12In a brief statement, the consortium announced ............... .
Wrong!
"the withdrawal of the application" is correct because the formal announcement names the action as a noun phrase.
Done.
Score: 0/12
Answers
- The committee’s rejection of the proposal was presented as evidence that the review process lacked transparency.
- The phased implementation of the new data policy reduced staff resistance.
- Investors grew impatient with the board’s reluctance to disclose the full cost of the merger.
- The inquiry is expected to reach a conclusion on liability by the end of the month.
- The regulator rejected any simplification of the reporting requirements that might weaken public scrutiny.
- The programme continued despite the severity of the budget cuts .
- The department reduced duplication by the centralisation of procurement .
- The dispute was resolved only after the mediator’s intervention during the final session.
- The archive’s value depends not only on its accuracy but also on its availability to external researchers.
- Several suppliers missed the deadline; this failure undermined confidence in the procurement timetable.
- Auditors raised concerns about compliance with the revised safety protocol.
- In a brief statement, the consortium announced the withdrawal of the application .
