Precision, Comparison and Achievement

There are two ___ nearby.

Your answer: Unanswered

Correct answer: shoe shops

There are two shoe shops nearby. Compound nouns often use a singular modifying noun: shoe shop, car door. Possessive 's commonly links people and relationships; of often describes parts or inanimate relationships. Plural compound heads take the plural, as in sisters-in-law. Usage is partly conventional.

My two ___ are visiting. (sister-in-law)

Your answer: Unanswered

Correct answer: sisters-in-law

My two sisters-in-law are visiting. (sister-in-law) Compound nouns often use a singular modifying noun: shoe shop, car door. Possessive 's commonly links people and relationships; of often describes parts or inanimate relationships. Plural compound heads take the plural, as in sisters-in-law. Usage is partly conventional.

Choose the word or expression: A problem that delays progress.

Your answer: Unanswered

Correct answer: setback

setback: A problem that delays progress. Example: Losing our funding was a serious setback.

The colleague to ___ I spoke was helpful.

Your answer: Unanswered

Correct answer: whom

The colleague to whom I spoke was helpful. Defining relatives restrict reference; non-defining relatives add parenthetical information with commas. That is excluded from non-defining clauses and after a fronted preposition. Whom is formal for a person as object; which can refer to an entire previous clause.

He missed the train, ___ annoyed him.

Your answer: Unanswered

Correct answer: which

He missed the train, which annoyed him. Defining relatives restrict reference; non-defining relatives add parenthetical information with commas. That is excluded from non-defining clauses and after a fronted preposition. Whom is formal for a person as object; which can refer to an entire previous clause.

Choose the word or expression: An important discovery or success after difficulty.

Your answer: Unanswered

Correct answer: breakthrough

breakthrough: An important discovery or success after difficulty. Example: The research team finally made a breakthrough in the experiment.

___ seems to be a mistake.

Your answer: Unanswered

Correct answer: There

There seems to be a mistake. Existential there introduces presence or occurrence; anticipatory it holds the subject position before a to-infinitive or that-clause. There can occur with seem/appear and perfect forms. It is also used for weather, distance and cleft focus, but is not an existence marker.

___ is important to check the figures.

Your answer: Unanswered

Correct answer: It

It is important to check the figures. Existential there introduces presence or occurrence; anticipatory it holds the subject position before a to-infinitive or that-clause. There can occur with seem/appear and perfect forms. It is also used for weather, distance and cleft focus, but is not an existence marker.

Choose the word or expression: Continued effort despite difficulties.

Your answer: Unanswered

Correct answer: perseverance

perseverance: Continued effort despite difficulties. Example: Completing the marathon required patience and perseverance.

This version is much ___.

Your answer: Unanswered

Correct answer: better

This version is much better. Use much/far/a lot to emphasise comparative difference and slightly/a little/a bit to reduce it. Even can mark a further difference. Very normally modifies a plain adjective, not a comparative. No better means not better; not nearly as ... as marks a large shortfall.

The new room is slightly ___ than the old one.

Your answer: Unanswered

Correct answer: larger

The new room is slightly larger than the old one. Use much/far/a lot to emphasise comparative difference and slightly/a little/a bit to reduce it. Even can mark a further difference. Very normally modifies a plain adjective, not a comparative. No better means not better; not nearly as ... as marks a large shortfall.

Choose the word or expression: An important stage in a process or development.

Your answer: Unanswered

Correct answer: milestone

milestone: An important stage in a process or development. Example: Opening our first shop was a major milestone for the company.

It is a ___ process.

Your answer: Unanswered

Correct answer: time-consuming

It is a time-consuming process. Compound adjectives often join words before a noun with hyphens: well-known, time-consuming, five-year-old. Number units normally stay singular. Adverb + participle combinations with an -ly adverb normally do not need a hyphen. Some forms are lexicalised; consult a dictionary for unusual compounds.

She is a ___ author.

Your answer: Unanswered

Correct answer: well-known

She is a well-known author. Compound adjectives often join words before a noun with hyphens: well-known, time-consuming, five-year-old. Number units normally stay singular. Adverb + participle combinations with an -ly adverb normally do not need a hyphen. Some forms are lexicalised; consult a dictionary for unusual compounds.

Choose the word or expression: To achieve something you have wanted to do for a long time.

Your answer: Unanswered

Correct answer: fulfil an ambition

fulfil an ambition: To achieve something you have wanted to do for a long time. Example: She trained for years to fulfil an ambition and climb the mountain.