Complete an original connected text with 15 multiple-choice gaps. Read the whole passage and use the surrounding context. Answers and explanations appear after completion.
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Choose an option for each numbered gap. Your choices appear in the text; they are checked when you finish.
The department had been under pressure to demonstrate improvement, (1)___ its enthusiasm for a single performance score. The score was intended to serve (2)___ a convenient summary, not a complete account of the work. In practice, it soon became the criterion (3)___ which every decision was judged. Staff began prioritising activities that could readily be (4)___. (5)___ did we realise how much useful work would consequently become less visible.
Time spent preventing problems was difficult to distinguish (6)___ time in which nothing happened. The absence of recorded failures could thus be interpreted in more than one (7)___. An independent review recommended that the measure (8)___ only alongside qualitative evidence. This was not tantamount (9)___ abandoning accountability. It was an acknowledgement that a measure can distort behaviour when it becomes an end in (10)___.
(11)___ the score remained our sole objective, we would have continued rewarding a narrower version of the job. The revised system places greater emphasis (12)___ explaining outcomes in context. Managers are expected to account (13)___ both improvements and the limitations of their evidence. No system can entirely do (14)___ with the need for judgement. The point is to make that judgement more informed, rather than give it a misleading (15)___ of precision.
The department had been under pressure to demonstrate improvement, ___ its enthusiasm for a single performance score.
Your answer: Unanswered
Correct answer: hence
The department had been under pressure to demonstrate improvement, hence its enthusiasm for a single performance score. The linking adverb expresses the logical relationship and fits the punctuation.
The score was intended to serve ___ a convenient summary, not a complete account of the work.
Your answer: Unanswered
Correct answer: as
The score was intended to serve as a convenient summary, not a complete account of the work. This is the established combination or expression required by the sentence.
In practice, it soon became the criterion ___ which every decision was judged.
Your answer: Unanswered
Correct answer: by
In practice, it soon became the criterion by which every decision was judged. This word completes the prepositional pattern in the sentence.
Staff began prioritising activities that could readily be ___.
Your answer: Unanswered
Correct answer: quantified
Staff began prioritising activities that could readily be quantified. A passive construction requires be + past participle, with the appropriate tense.
___ did we realise how much useful work would consequently become less visible.
Your answer: Unanswered
Correct answer: Little
Little did we realise how much useful work would consequently become less visible. An inverted conditional uses had + subject + past participle. After a fronted negative expression, put an auxiliary before the subject.
Time spent preventing problems was difficult to distinguish ___ time in which nothing happened.
Your answer: Unanswered
Correct answer: from
Time spent preventing problems was difficult to distinguish from time in which nothing happened. This word completes the prepositional pattern in the sentence.
The absence of recorded failures could thus be interpreted in more than one ___.
Your answer: Unanswered
Correct answer: way
The absence of recorded failures could thus be interpreted in more than one way. This is the established combination or expression required by the sentence.
An independent review recommended that the measure ___ only alongside qualitative evidence.
Your answer: Unanswered
Correct answer: be retained
An independent review recommended that the measure be retained only alongside qualitative evidence. After a recommendation, demand or requirement, a mandative that-clause can use the base form, including be.
This was not tantamount ___ abandoning accountability.
Your answer: Unanswered
Correct answer: to
This was not tantamount to abandoning accountability. This word completes the prepositional pattern in the sentence.
It was an acknowledgement that a measure can distort behaviour when it becomes an end in ___.
Your answer: Unanswered
Correct answer: itself
It was an acknowledgement that a measure can distort behaviour when it becomes an end in itself. A reflexive pronoun refers back to the same subject or completes the fixed reflexive expression.
___ the score remained our sole objective, we would have continued rewarding a narrower version of the job.
Your answer: Unanswered
Correct answer: Had
Had the score remained our sole objective, we would have continued rewarding a narrower version of the job. An inverted conditional uses had + subject + past participle. After a fronted negative expression, put an auxiliary before the subject.
The revised system places greater emphasis ___ explaining outcomes in context.
Your answer: Unanswered
Correct answer: on
The revised system places greater emphasis on explaining outcomes in context. This word completes the prepositional pattern in the sentence.
Managers are expected to account ___ both improvements and the limitations of their evidence.
Your answer: Unanswered
Correct answer: for
Managers are expected to account for both improvements and the limitations of their evidence. This word completes the prepositional pattern in the sentence.
No system can entirely do ___ with the need for judgement.
Your answer: Unanswered
Correct answer: away
No system can entirely do away with the need for judgement. This is the established combination or expression required by the sentence.
The point is to make that judgement more informed, rather than give it a misleading ___ of precision.
Your answer: Unanswered
Correct answer: air
The point is to make that judgement more informed, rather than give it a misleading air of precision. This is the established combination or expression required by the sentence.
Question 1 of 150% complete
Gap 1The department had been under pressure to demonstrate improvement, ___ its enthusiasm for a single performance score.
Not quite. Keep learning.
Correct answer: hence
The department had been under pressure to demonstrate improvement, hence its enthusiasm for a single performance score. The linking adverb expresses the logical relationship and fits the punctuation.
Not quite. Keep learning.
Correct answer: as
The score was intended to serve as a convenient summary, not a complete account of the work. This is the established combination or expression required by the sentence.
Not quite. Keep learning.
Correct answer: by
In practice, it soon became the criterion by which every decision was judged. This word completes the prepositional pattern in the sentence.
Not quite. Keep learning.
Correct answer: quantified
Staff began prioritising activities that could readily be quantified. A passive construction requires be + past participle, with the appropriate tense.
Not quite. Keep learning.
Correct answer: Little
Little did we realise how much useful work would consequently become less visible. An inverted conditional uses had + subject + past participle. After a fronted negative expression, put an auxiliary before the subject.
Not quite. Keep learning.
Correct answer: from
Time spent preventing problems was difficult to distinguish from time in which nothing happened. This word completes the prepositional pattern in the sentence.
Not quite. Keep learning.
Correct answer: way
The absence of recorded failures could thus be interpreted in more than one way. This is the established combination or expression required by the sentence.
Not quite. Keep learning.
Correct answer: be retained
An independent review recommended that the measure be retained only alongside qualitative evidence. After a recommendation, demand or requirement, a mandative that-clause can use the base form, including be.
Not quite. Keep learning.
Correct answer: to
This was not tantamount to abandoning accountability. This word completes the prepositional pattern in the sentence.
Not quite. Keep learning.
Correct answer: itself
It was an acknowledgement that a measure can distort behaviour when it becomes an end in itself. A reflexive pronoun refers back to the same subject or completes the fixed reflexive expression.
Not quite. Keep learning.
Correct answer: Had
Had the score remained our sole objective, we would have continued rewarding a narrower version of the job. An inverted conditional uses had + subject + past participle. After a fronted negative expression, put an auxiliary before the subject.
Not quite. Keep learning.
Correct answer: on
The revised system places greater emphasis on explaining outcomes in context. This word completes the prepositional pattern in the sentence.
Not quite. Keep learning.
Correct answer: for
Managers are expected to account for both improvements and the limitations of their evidence. This word completes the prepositional pattern in the sentence.
Not quite. Keep learning.
Correct answer: away
No system can entirely do away with the need for judgement. This is the established combination or expression required by the sentence.
Not quite. Keep learning.
Correct answer: air
The point is to make that judgement more informed, rather than give it a misleading air of precision. This is the established combination or expression required by the sentence.
Keep learning
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