Peterson’s master toefl writing skills part 27 docx

EXERCISES: STYLE
Error Identification
Directions: For the Error Identification questions, each sentence contains four
underlined words or phrases. Select the one word or phrase that must be changed in
order for the sentence to be correct. Circle your answer in the book or mark your answer
on a separate sheet of paper.
1. The design for
(A)
the new community
center combines
(B)
both refreshing origi-
nality as well as
(C)
an impressive respect
for the traditional architecture of
(D)
the
area.
2. He described his best friend as being
(A)
adventuresome, witty
(B)
, and
(C)
successful,
but very plane-looking.
(D)
3. In order to earn
(A)
enough money to

complete his education, John worked
last summer like
(B)
a lifeguard at
(C)
a girls’
(D)
camp.
4. When
(A)
I was at the grocery store, I
realized
(B)
that the prices of
(C)
many items
had been rised.
(D)
5. The natives of
(A)
that region gathered
plants and hunted small animals, but
supplies were bought by them
(B)
in
(C)
the
market-place, which they visited
infrequently.
(D)

6. Our trek
(A)
in the Sahara Dessert
(B)
was
extremely
(C)
fascinating, totally challeng-
ing, and enormously relaxing.
(D)
7. The political polls indicated that most
(A)
people were not as
(B)
much in favor with
(C)
the new law as was previously thought.
(D)
8. We did not hire him because
(A)
his only
(B)
experience was coaching a high school
basketball team, leading a parochial
(C)
school choir, and to work
(D)
as a substi-
tute teacher.
9. The new teacher was both

(A)
surprised
and
(B)
delighted when she realized that
her class consisted with
(C)
many students
from faraway
(D)
countries.
10. According to my calculations, the cost
of two dozen roses are
(A)
fifty dollars,
which is
(B)
considerably less than
the sixty-two
(C)
dollars I was charged.
(D)
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11. In contrast of
(A)
his earlier behavior, the

young man demonstrated surprising
(B)
maturity in
(C)
the face of
(D)
severe stress.
12. I told them to take there
(A)
boots off
(B)
outside so they would
(C)
not bring in
(D)
a lot
of snow.
13. Try to image
(A)
what life was like
(B)
for
(C)
the
early settlers of that part of
(D)
the world.
14. Emergency relief, including
(A)
medicine,

clothing, and foodstuffs
(B)
, were sent
(C)
to
the earthquake zone immediately
following
(D)
news of the disaster.
15. It was so ferociously
(A)
hot yesterday that
our supposed
(B)
day of outdoor enjoyment
ended with
(C)
everyone’s laying
(D)
in the
shade.
Sentence Completion
Directions: In the Sentence Completion questions, one or more words are left out of
each sentence. Under each sentence, you will see four words or phrases. Select the one
word or phrase that completes the sentence correctly, then write it in the space provided
in the book or on a separate sheet of paper.
1. The young couple liked to buy,
redecorate, and ________ older
homes for a profit.
(A) resold

(B) reselling
(C) resell
(D) to resell
2. The management was shocked to
realize that its trusted employee was
________ of stealing a large sum of
money from the company.
(A) suspicioned
(B) suspicioning
(C) suspected
(D) suspicion
3. Not only having graduated magna
cum laude ________, Steve made his
family very proud of him.
(A) and also having finished first
in the national competition
(B) also having finished first in the
national competition
(C) but having finished first in the
national competition
(D) but also having finished first in
the national competition
4. ________ his earlier study, Dr.
Melon’s new study indicates a
general warming trend in global
weather.
(A) In contrast of
(B) In contrast to
(C) In contrast by
(D) In contrast as

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5. The workers have finished pouring
the floors, and ________ waiting for
the house to be framed.
(A) there
(B) they’re
(C) their
(D) they
6. The reason he wants to take a leave
of absence is ________.
(A) because he is needing a
complete rest
(B) because he needs a complete
rest
(C) that he needs a complete rest
(D) because a complete rest is
needed by him
7. The teacher objected to the students’
________ their opened umbrellas
near the door.
(A) sitting
(B) having sat
(C) setting
(D) sat
8. He was a dynamic figure who
inspired awe, devotion, and ________
in his followers.

(A) love
(B) loving feelings
(C) feelings of love
(D) loveliness
9. The rich young newlyweds bought a
beautiful new home and ________.
(A) their pool was installed
(B) had a pool installed
(C) had a pool being installed
(D) a pool was installed
10. My boss ________ my taking two
weeks’ leave without pay.
(A) consented to
(B) consented for
(C) consented of
(D) consented about
11. The students worked on the problem
for several minutes before ________.
(A) they came to the realization
that this problem was one that
had no solution
(B) realizing that it was insolvable
(C) they were able to understand
that this problem which
seemed merely difficult was, in
reality, insolvable
(D) the insolvability of the problem
was realized by them
12. Henry went to the conference
________ about government con-

tracts.
(A) to learn
(B) with the purpose of learning
(C) in order to have the opportu-
nity to learn
(D) in order to be in a position to
learn
13. Try as he might, he could never
manage to get an ________ balance
in his checkbook.
(A) accuracy
(B) accurately
(C) accurate
(D) accurateness
14. The professor asked the students
________.
(A) not only to write a report or
give a speech
(B) either to write a report or give
a speech
(C) neither to write a report or
give a speech
(D) neither to write a report but
give a speech
15. She writes such ________ poetry that
it is hard to believe she has never
had a formal education.
(A) beauty
(B) beautiful
(C) beautifully

(D) beautify
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ANSWER KEY AND EXPLANATIONS
Some of the incorrect answers contain more than one kind of error. However, in general, we
have limited our error-references to those points contained in this chapter.
Error Identification
1. C
2. D
3. B
4. D
5. B
6. B
7. C
8. D
9. C
10. A
11. A
12. A
13. A
14. C
15. D
1. The correct answer is (C). (and).
See Correlative Conjunctions, page
157.
2. The correct answer is (D). (plain-
looking). See Words Often Confused,

Group II, page 150.
3. The correct answer is (B). (as). See
Prepositions (General Use), page 164.
4. The correct answer is (D). (had
been raised). See Usage, page 142.
5. The correct answer is (B). (bought
supplies). See Voice, page 129.
6. The correct answer is (B). (Sahara
Desert). See Words Often Confused,
Group I, page 146.
7. The correct answer is (C). (in favor
of). See Prepositions in Combinations,
page 167.
8. The correct answer is (D). (work-
ing). See Parallelism, page 133.
9. The correct answer is (C). (con-
sisted of). See Prepositions in Combi-
nations, page 167.
10. The correct answer is (A). (is). See
Subject/Verb Agreement
, page 159.
11. The correct answer is (A). (contrast
to). See Prepositions in Combinations,
page 167.
12. The correct answer is (A). (their).
See Words Often Confused, Group III,
page 154.
13. The correct answer is (A). (to
imagine). See Parts of Speech, page
162.

14. The correct answer is (C). (was
sent). See Subject/Verb Agreement,
page 159.
15. The correct answer is (D). (lying).
See Usage, page 142.
Sentence Completion
1. C
2. C
3. D
4. B
5. B
6. C
7. C
8. A
9. B
10. A
11. B
12. A
13. C
14. B
15. B
1. The correct answer is (C). Choices
(A), (B), and (D), see Parallelism, page
133.
2. The correct answer is (C). Choices
(A), (B), and (D), see Substandard,
page 139.
3. The correct answer is (D). Choices
(A), (B), and (C), see Correlative Con-
junctions, page 157.

4. The correct answer is (B). Choices
(A), (C), and (D), see Prepositions in
Combinations, page 167.
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5. The correct answer is (B). Choices
(A), (C), and (D), see Words Often
Confused, Group III, page 154.
6. The correct answer is (C). Choices
(A), (B), and (D), see Substandard,
page 139 and Voice, page 129.
7. The correct answer is (C). Choices
(A), (B), and (D), see Usage, page 142.
8. The correct answer is (A). Choices
(B), and (C), see Parallelism, page 133.
Choice (D), The meaning of loveliness
does not fit here.
9. The correct answer is (B). Choices
(A) and (D), see Voice, page 129. Choice
(C), see Chapter 4, “Verbs”—Verbals,
page 77.
10. The correct answer is (A). Choices
(B), (C), and (D), see Prepositions in
Combinations, page 167.
11. The correct answer is (B). Choices
(A) and (C) see Wordiness, page 136.
Choice (D), see Voice, page 129.
12. The correct answer is (A). Choices

(B), (C), and (D), see Wordiness, page
136.
13. The correct answer is (C). Choices
(A), (B), and (D), see Parts of Speech,
page 162.
14. The correct answer is (B). Choices
(A), (C), and (D), see Correlative
Conjunctions, page 157.
15. The correct answer is (B). Choices
(A), (C), and (D), see Parts of Speech,
page 162.
answers
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SUMMING IT UP
• In English, the active voice is more common than the passive voice, although the passive
voice is acceptable and even preferred at times.
• Items in a series must be parallel; that is, they must have the same grammatical form.
• A general rule in English might be that “shorter is better.” When the same idea can be
expressed directly in fewer words, choose the shorter version.
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P
ART IV

THREE PRACTICE TESTS

PRACTICE TEST 2
PRACTICE TEST 3
PRACTICE TEST 4