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20 May 2022, 02:30
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Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
25%
(medium)
Question Stats:
70% (01:09) correct
30%
(01:20)
wrong
based on 104
sessions
History
Date
Time
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Not Attempted Yet
The minister had expected brickbats, complaints, and pessimism, instead what greeted him was bouquets, praise, and optimism.
(A) had expected brickbats, complaints, and pessimism, instead what greeted him was bouquets, praise, and optimism
(B) was expecting brickbats, complaints, and pessimism, and was greeted by bouquets, praise, and optimism
(C) had expected brickbats, complaints, and pessimism; instead he was greeted by bouquets, praise, and optimism
(D) expected brickbats, complaints, and pessimism, however what greeted him was bouquets, praise, and optimism
(E) expecting brickbats, complaints, and pessimism, was instead greeted by bouquets, praise, and optimism
(A) had expected brickbats, complaints, and pessimism, instead what greeted him was bouquets, praise, and optimism
(B) was expecting brickbats, complaints, and pessimism, and was greeted by bouquets, praise, and optimism
(C) had expected brickbats, complaints, and pessimism; instead he was greeted by bouquets, praise, and optimism
(D) expected brickbats, complaints, and pessimism, however what greeted him was bouquets, praise, and optimism
(E) expecting brickbats, complaints, and pessimism, was instead greeted by bouquets, praise, and optimism
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20 May 2022, 05:10
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I chose (C). Time taken 01:16.
(A) "instead what greeted him was bouquets, praise, and optimism".
S-V error, it should be "were" instead of "was".
(B) The "contrast" seems to be missing in this answer choice. Usage of "and" is incorrect, and in a moment we will see a better answer choice in (C).
(C) This is much better choice. It uses "Past perfect" to state two related events in past.
(D) You can't use "however" with a comma. "However" joins two "Independent clauses" so they must be separated by either a semi-colon or a full stop.
(E) Here, " expecting brickbats, complaints, and pessimism" acts as a "verb-ing modifier" modifying the noun it touches, that is, "the minister". This sentence looks grammatically okay to me. But, the tenses and style in (C) is superior to (E). Also, the usage of "instead" is incorrect.
(A) "instead what greeted him was bouquets, praise, and optimism".
S-V error, it should be "were" instead of "was".
(B) The "contrast" seems to be missing in this answer choice. Usage of "and" is incorrect, and in a moment we will see a better answer choice in (C).
(C) This is much better choice. It uses "Past perfect" to state two related events in past.
- Recent Past: Minister was greeted by bouquets, praise, and optimism.
Past of past: Minister expected to be roughed up.
(D) You can't use "however" with a comma. "However" joins two "Independent clauses" so they must be separated by either a semi-colon or a full stop.
(E) Here, " expecting brickbats, complaints, and pessimism" acts as a "verb-ing modifier" modifying the noun it touches, that is, "the minister". This sentence looks grammatically okay to me. But, the tenses and style in (C) is superior to (E). Also, the usage of "instead" is incorrect.
04 Jun 2022, 22:00
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Bunuel
The minister had expected brickbats, complaints, and pessimism, instead what greeted him was bouquets, praise, and optimism.
(A) had expected brickbats, complaints, and pessimism, instead what greeted him was bouquets, praise, and optimism
(B) was expecting brickbats, complaints, and pessimism, and was greeted by bouquets, praise, and optimism
(C) had expected brickbats, complaints, and pessimism; instead he was greeted by bouquets, praise, and optimism
(D) expected brickbats, complaints, and pessimism, however what greeted him was bouquets, praise, and optimism
(E) expecting brickbats, complaints, and pessimism, was instead greeted by bouquets, praise, and optimism
(A) had expected brickbats, complaints, and pessimism, instead what greeted him was bouquets, praise, and optimism
(B) was expecting brickbats, complaints, and pessimism, and was greeted by bouquets, praise, and optimism
(C) had expected brickbats, complaints, and pessimism; instead he was greeted by bouquets, praise, and optimism
(D) expected brickbats, complaints, and pessimism, however what greeted him was bouquets, praise, and optimism
(E) expecting brickbats, complaints, and pessimism, was instead greeted by bouquets, praise, and optimism
Official Explanation:
Answer: C
(A) The use of a comma to connect two independent clauses is incorrect. Also, what greeted the minister were (and not was) three things.
(B) The use of and fails to demonstrate the contrast inherent in the two clauses. Also the minister’s expectations need to be in the past perfect tense because the expectations were there before the greeting (which is in the simple past tense greeted).
(C) The correct answer.
(D) However needs to be preceded by a semicolon when it is used to connect two independent clauses. Also, what greeted the minister were (and not was) three things.
(E) This is a fragment because the helping verb (was, had been, etc.) is missing from before expecting
