Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one. Some sentences have two correct answers. Choose both.
1............... by the backlash, the minister cancelled the press conference at the last minute.
Wrong!
"Shocked" is a past participle clause showing how the minister felt.
2The committee, ............... to a vote, spent an hour arguing over the wording.
Wrong!
"Having come" shows that the vote happened before the argument over the wording.
3The CEO strode in, ............... his phone, and demanded an update.
Wrong!
"Checking" adds a simultaneous action to the main verb.
4............... no one to contradict him, he presented the figures as definitive.
Wrong!
"There being" forms an absolute clause giving the situation around the main action.
5The report was published, ............... in the appendix.
Wrong!
"With several key caveats buried" correctly adds an accompanying feature of the report.
6The witness, ............... under oath, chose every word with care.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
"Sworn" (a reduced passive participle) and "being" (a present participle) both form a supplementive clause describing the witness's situation; "swore" is a finite past verb and cannot be used here.
7The deadline ..............., we worked through the weekend without complaint.
Wrong!
"Approaching" completes an absolute clause showing the reason for working through the weekend.
8The negotiators left the room, ............... to return until the apology was issued.
Wrong!
"Refusing" is a present participle clause explaining what the negotiators did as they left.
9The suspect sat in silence, ............... at the floor as if counting the tiles.
Wrong!
"Staring" shows an action happening at the same time as sitting in silence.
10The proposal, ............... sound on paper, collapses under even mild scrutiny.
Wrong!
"Appearing" means the proposal seems sound before closer examination.
11............... the weather, the pilot decided to divert to another airport.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
"Considering" and "Given" both mean "taking the weather into account" and introduce the reason for the pilot's decision.
12............... the evidence, the jury returned a swift verdict.
Wrong!
"Given" means taking the evidence into account as the basis for the verdict.
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- Shocked by the backlash, the minister cancelled the press conference at the last minute.
- The committee, having come to a vote, spent an hour arguing over the wording.
- The CEO strode in, checking his phone, and demanded an update.
- There being no one to contradict him, he presented the figures as definitive.
- The report was published, with several key caveats buried in the appendix.
- The witness, being / sworn under oath, chose every word with care.
- The deadline approaching, we worked through the weekend without complaint.
- The negotiators left the room, refusing to return until the apology was issued.
- The suspect sat in silence, staring at the floor as if counting the tiles.
- The proposal, appearing sound on paper, collapses under even mild scrutiny.
- Considering / Given the weather, the pilot decided to divert to another airport.
- Given the evidence, the jury returned a swift verdict.