What the question looks like
The question reads: “Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?” Every grammar question uses that wording, so look at the choices.
In most questions on A word or phrase that describes something else in the sentence. In “the kiln, still warm,” it’s still warm., the passage ends on some opening words and a comma, then a blank that covers the rest of the sentence. The four choices use nearly the same words, but each one puts a different A word for a person, place, thing, or idea, like harbor or silence. right after the comma. Some choices hide the person behind “by,” an The mark in “don’t” and “the crew’s log,” which stands for missing letters or shows ownership.Read the lesson, or a phrase like “the review of.”
A few put the blank in the middle of a sentence, and the choices are four forms of one A word for what something does or is, such as carry or seem., such as “studying,” “studies,” and “had studied.” The last section covers those.
Who or what comes after the comma?
Run the test on this blank:
“Marisol photographed the same tide pool every morning for a month. Hoping to catch the anemones while they were open, ______”
- A. the photos were taken by Marisol just after sunrise.
- B. Marisol’s photos were taken just after sunrise.
- C. Marisol took the photos just after sunrise.
- D. the tide pool was where Marisol took the photos just after sunrise.
- Cover the choices. Read the opening words and ask who was hoping. Say the answer in one word: Marisol.
- Look at the start of each choice and ask what that sentence is about. A is about the photos. B is about photos too, since “Marisol’s” only says whose they are. C is about Marisol, and D is about the tide pool.
- Keep the choice that starts with your noun. That’s C.
- Read the whole sentence back: “Hoping to catch the anemones while they were open, Marisol took the photos just after sunrise.” Marisol is the one hoping, so it works.
The opening words have no The who or what a sentence is about. In “The vault held papers,” it’s the vault. of their own, so they describe whatever comes right after the comma. In A, that’s the photos, and the sentence ends up saying the photos were hoping. An opening attached to the wrong thing like that is a A describing phrase placed next to the wrong thing, as in “Walking home, the rain started,” where the rain seems to be walking..
If no choice puts your noun right after the comma, reread the opening words. You’ve probably named the wrong thing.
- Do this
- Say who or what the opening describes before you read the choices.
- Not this
- Read all four choices and pick the one that sounds best.
All four are real sentences, and all four mention Marisol. The noun you named is what tells them apart.
Naming what the opening describes
Not every opening is something a person did. Plenty describe what something is like, or what was done to it, so change your question to fit:
| Opening words | Ask |
|---|---|
| Working with samples; After passing the gate | Who did this? |
| Pulled out of their relaxed position | What was pulled? |
| To verify that the surfaces meet evenly | Who wants to verify it? |
| Aware of; Curious about; Sensitive to | Who or what is like this? |
| A wooden chest with brass corners | What is a wooden chest? |
An opening that says what something is like still describes the noun right after the comma.
- Right
- Aware that volcanic soil drains well, growers plant coffee on the slopes.
- Wrong
- Aware that volcanic soil drains well, the slopes are planted with coffee.
Only the growers can know anything about the soil.
The right noun isn’t always a person. When every choice names a thing, ask which thing the opening could happen to.
The noun after the comma can be the thing the opening action was done to.
- Right
- Separated from the outer shell by a vacuum, the inner vessel loses heat slowly.
- Wrong
- Separated from the outer shell by a vacuum, heat is lost slowly from the inner vessel.
The vacuum separates the vessel from the shell. It doesn’t separate the heat.
The opening words can also sit in the middle of a sentence, after a word like “so.” Find the comma that closes them and check the noun after it.
Opening words in the middle of a sentence describe the noun right after their closing comma.
- Right
- The counts varied, so, seeking to rule out seasonal noise, the researchers repeated the surveys.
- Wrong
- The counts varied, so, seeking to rule out seasonal noise, the surveys were repeated.
The researchers are the ones trying to rule out noise.
Openings that compare
“Higher than the yields of the southern plots, ______”
The opening compares yields, so the noun after the comma has to be yields too.
After an opening that compares, the subject has to be the same kind of thing.
- Right
- Higher than the yields of the southern plots, the yields of the northern terraces surprised the growers.
- Wrong
- Higher than the yields of the southern plots, the northern terraces surprised the growers.
The wrong one compares a piece of land with the crop the southern plots grew.
“Those of” and “that of” stand in for a noun. In “Higher than those of the southern plots, the yields of the northern terraces surprised the growers,” “those” means yields, so you’re still comparing yields with yields. Openings with “Compared with,” “Unlike,” or “Larger than” work the same way.
When the name comes after “by”
“Working with sediment samples, ______”
The one doing the opening action has to come right after the comma.
- Right
- Working with sediment samples, Omar classified the layers.
- Wrong
- Working with sediment samples, the layers were classified by Omar.
The wrong one says the layers were working with the samples.
The wrong one is in the A sentence where the thing acted on comes first and whoever did it comes later or not at all, as in the roots were examined by Vidal.. It puts the thing acted on, the layers, first and leaves whoever did it until after “by.”
Trap: The name after “by”
“The layers were classified by Omar” has the right person in it, so it feels safe. The layers are still the ones right after the comma.
What to do: Cover everything from “by” on. What’s left after the comma has to fit the opening.
A passive choice can still be right when the thing acted on is what the opening describes.
“A wooden chest with brass corners, ______”
Check the noun right after the comma, whether the choice is passive or not.
- Right
- A wooden chest with brass corners, the trunk was restored by Lionel.
- Wrong
- A wooden chest with brass corners, Lionel restored the trunk.
A trunk is a wooden chest. Lionel isn’t.
When an opening names a kind of thing, test each choice’s first noun with “is a.”
A name before ’s
“Having measured water movement, ______”
A name with ’s describes the noun after it, and that noun is the subject.
- Right
- Having measured water movement, Iqbal linked slower currents to thicker deposits.
- Wrong
- Having measured water movement, Iqbal’s study linked slower currents to thicker deposits.
The wrong one is about a study, and a study can’t measure anything. “Iqbal’s” only says whose study it is.
Trap: The name with ’s
“Iqbal’s study” starts with the name you were looking for, so it’s easy to stop reading there. The sentence is still about the study.
What to do: Cover the name and its ’s. The noun left over has to fit the opening.
The same goes for things. “The limbs released” is about the limbs, and “the limbs’ stored energy” is about energy. The plurals and possessives lesson covers how to spell a The form of a word that shows ownership, like the crew’s log or its handle.Read the lesson.
An activity can’t do the opening action
“To verify that the surfaces meet evenly, ______”
When the words after the comma name an activity, the opening ends up describing the activity.
- Right
- To verify that the surfaces meet evenly, Quentin checks the work with a gauge.
- Wrong
- To verify that the surfaces meet evenly, checking the work with a gauge is Quentin’s job.
Quentin wants to verify the fit. Checking is an activity, and an activity can’t want anything.
Trap: An activity after the comma
Choices that start with “checking the work,” “the review of,” or “a comparison of” name something being done. The person doing it gets pushed later, into words like “Quentin’s job” or “by Quentin.”
What to do: Ask whether the words right after the comma could do or feel what the opening says. An activity can’t be curious or aware, and it can’t try to find anything out.
Describing words after the subject
“Anchored to the streambed, ______”
Cross out the describing words after the subject before you check it against the opening.
- Right
- Anchored to the streambed, a network of sensors used by Bahri recorded temperatures.
- Wrong
- Anchored to the streambed, Bahri’s study using a network of sensors recorded temperatures.
Cross out “using a network of sensors” and the wrong one is about a study. A study can’t be anchored to anything.
In the right one, cross out “of sensors used by Bahri” and you’re left with “a network recorded temperatures.” A network can be anchored to a streambed. The wrong one mentions the sensors too, but only inside the words you crossed out.
A blank in the middle of the sentence
“Biologist Sina, ______ how young gulls learn, tracked which birds copied others.”
Find the The verb that says what the subject does. In “The crew mapped the river,” it’s mapped.Read the lesson first. Here it’s “tracked,” which says what Sina did. The blank sits between Sina and that verb, so all it can do is describe Sina.
Once the sentence has its main verb, the blank takes a describing form such as “studying.”
- Right
- Biologist Sina, studying how young gulls learn, tracked which birds copied others.
- Wrong
- Biologist Sina, studies how young gulls learn, tracked which birds copied others.
“Tracked” is already Sina’s verb. “Studies” adds a second one with nothing joining them.
Trap: A second main verb
“Studies,” “studied,” and “had studied” each look complete on their own. Put any of them in the blank and Sina has two verbs with nothing joining them.
What to do: Read past the blank until you find what the subject did. If that verb is already there, pick the describing form, such as “studying.”
In a long sentence the main verb can sit a dozen words past the blank, so keep reading until you reach it. The verb tense and form lesson has more on when a sentence has its verb.
Practice
Work the three examples, then try five more. Their explanations call the full sentence after the comma the main A stretch of words with a subject and a verb in it. Both “the road reopened” and “because the road reopened” count.Read the lesson.
To map acidity across a community orchard, Tomas marked twelve sampling points and waited until a light rain had evenly moistened the soil there. Carrying a handheld meter from one marked point to the next, ______
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- A
every result was carefully entered in a field notebook by Tomas.
- B
Tomas carefully entered every result in a field notebook.
- C
the field notebook received every result carefully entered by Tomas.
- D
carefully entering every result in a field notebook was Tomas’s task.
Show the answer
- A
every result was carefully entered in a field notebook by Tomas.
This creates a A describing phrase placed next to the wrong thing, as in “Walking home, the rain started,” where the rain seems to be walking.Read the lesson because “every result,” the The who or what a sentence is about. In “The vault held papers,” it’s the vault. of the A sentence where the thing acted on comes first and whoever did it comes later or not at all, as in the roots were examined by Vidal.Read the lesson A stretch of words with a subject and a verb in it. Both “the road reopened” and “because the road reopened” count.Read the lesson, appears to be carrying the meter. Tomas appears only in the by-phrase.
- B
Tomas carefully entered every result in a field notebook.
Correct answerThe opening A word or phrase that describes something else in the sentence. In “the kiln, still warm,” it’s still warm.Read the lesson “Carrying a handheld meter from one marked point to the next” correctly describes Tomas, who immediately follows the The mark , which separates parts of a sentence. as the The who or what a sentence is about. In “The vault held papers,” it’s the vault..
- C
the field notebook received every result carefully entered by Tomas.
This creates a A describing phrase placed next to the wrong thing, as in “Walking home, the rain started,” where the rain seems to be walking.Read the lesson by making “the field notebook” the The who or what a sentence is about. In “The vault held papers,” it’s the vault. that appears to be carrying the meter.
- D
carefully entering every result in a field notebook was Tomas’s task.
This creates a A describing phrase placed next to the wrong thing, as in “Walking home, the rain started,” where the rain seems to be walking.Read the lesson because the The who or what a sentence is about. In “The vault held papers,” it’s the vault. is the activity “carefully entering every result,” so that activity appears to be carrying the meter.
Solution
The opening phrase “Carrying a handheld meter from one marked point to the next” must modify the person performing that action. The A word for a person, place, thing, or idea, like harbor or silence. immediately after the The mark , which separates parts of a sentence. should therefore be “Tomas.”
“Tomas carefully entered every result in a field notebook” gives the A word or phrase that describes something else in the sentence. In “the kiln, still warm,” it’s still warm.Read the lesson a clear The who or what a sentence is about. In “The vault held papers,” it’s the vault. and forms a complete sentence.
At a neighborhood bakery, sourdough loaves on one side of the counter rose higher during their final overnight rest, despite containing equal amounts of dough and resting for equal lengths of time. Curious about whether uneven warmth across the wide counter could explain this difference in height, ______.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- A
Rani’s comparison of temperatures near the loaves tested that explanation.
- B
Rani compared temperatures near the loaves to test that explanation.
- C
a comparison of temperatures near the loaves was conducted by Rani.
- D
temperatures near the loaves were compared by Rani to test that explanation.
Show the answer
- A
Rani’s comparison of temperatures near the loaves tested that explanation.
The opening A word or phrase that describes something else in the sentence. In “the kiln, still warm,” it’s still warm.Read the lesson “Curious about whether uneven warmth” must describe the The who or what a sentence is about. In “The vault held papers,” it’s the vault. that follows. In “Rani’s comparison,” the subject is “comparison,” which cannot be curious; “Rani’s” is only The form of a word that shows ownership, like the crew’s log or its handle.Read the lesson.
- B
Rani compared temperatures near the loaves to test that explanation.
Correct answer“Rani” immediately follows the opening A word or phrase that describes something else in the sentence. In “the kiln, still warm,” it’s still warm.Read the lesson, so “Curious about whether uneven warmth” correctly describes her. The sentence also clearly states that she compared temperatures to test the explanation.
- C
a comparison of temperatures near the loaves was conducted by Rani.
The The who or what a sentence is about. In “The vault held papers,” it’s the vault. following the opening A word or phrase that describes something else in the sentence. In “the kiln, still warm,” it’s still warm.Read the lesson is “a comparison,” which cannot be curious. The A sentence where the thing acted on comes first and whoever did it comes later or not at all, as in the roots were examined by Vidal.Read the lesson construction moves Rani, the curious person, to the end of the A stretch of words with a subject and a verb in it. Both “the road reopened” and “because the road reopened” count.Read the lesson.
- D
temperatures near the loaves were compared by Rani to test that explanation.
The The who or what a sentence is about. In “The vault held papers,” it’s the vault. following the opening A word or phrase that describes something else in the sentence. In “the kiln, still warm,” it’s still warm.Read the lesson is “temperatures,” so the sentence incorrectly describes the temperatures as curious. The A sentence where the thing acted on comes first and whoever did it comes later or not at all, as in the roots were examined by Vidal.Read the lesson construction places Rani after the A word for what something does or is, such as carry or seem. instead of attaching the modifier to her.
Solution
The introductory A word or phrase that describes something else in the sentence. In “the kiln, still warm,” it’s still warm.Read the lesson “Curious about whether uneven warmth across the wide counter could explain this difference in height” must describe the grammatical The who or what a sentence is about. In “The vault held papers,” it’s the vault. immediately after the The mark , which separates parts of a sentence.. Rani is the person who can be curious, so her name must serve as that subject.
“Rani compared temperatures near the loaves to test that explanation” correctly attaches the modifier to Rani and clearly states what she did. The other constructions make “comparison” or “temperatures” the subject, creating a A describing phrase placed next to the wrong thing, as in “Walking home, the rain started,” where the rain seems to be walking.Read the lesson because neither can be curious.
A research team comparing soil acidity at several depths collected samples from a field before spring planting, then mixed each sample with water for testing with a device. Lowered into each mixture only after the soil had been thoroughly stirred, ______.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- A
the comparison of readings from the device revealed differences in acidity among the samples.
- B
the device’s measurement of acidity provided the team with a value for each sample.
- C
acidity readings for each sample were provided to the team by the device.
- D
the device used by the team to test samples from different depths provided a reading.
Show the answer
- A
the comparison of readings from the device revealed differences in acidity among the samples.
This creates a A describing phrase placed next to the wrong thing, as in “Walking home, the rain started,” where the rain seems to be walking.Read the lesson: the The who or what a sentence is about. In “The vault held papers,” it’s the vault. is “comparison,” so the opening phrase describes a comparison being lowered into the mixture. “The device” appears inside a modifying phrase and cannot serve as the subject.
- B
the device’s measurement of acidity provided the team with a value for each sample.
This creates a A describing phrase placed next to the wrong thing, as in “Walking home, the rain started,” where the rain seems to be walking.Read the lesson because the The form of a word that shows ownership, like the crew’s log or its handle.Read the lesson “device’s” is not the The who or what a sentence is about. In “The vault held papers,” it’s the vault.. The subject is “measurement,” which makes the opening phrase describe a measurement being lowered.
- C
acidity readings for each sample were provided to the team by the device.
This creates a A describing phrase placed next to the wrong thing, as in “Walking home, the rain started,” where the rain seems to be walking.Read the lesson by placing “acidity readings” in the The who or what a sentence is about. In “The vault held papers,” it’s the vault. position of the A sentence where the thing acted on comes first and whoever did it comes later or not at all, as in the roots were examined by Vidal.Read the lesson A stretch of words with a subject and a verb in it. Both “the road reopened” and “because the road reopened” count.Read the lesson. The device underwent the lowering, but it appears only in the phrase “by the device.”
- D
the device used by the team to test samples from different depths provided a reading.
Correct answerThe opening phrase “Lowered into each mixture” describes the device. Making “the device” the The who or what a sentence is about. In “The vault held papers,” it’s the vault. of the main A stretch of words with a subject and a verb in it. Both “the road reopened” and “because the road reopened” count.Read the lesson correctly connects that phrase to the The person or thing a verb acts on. In “The crew carried a map,” it’s a map. that was lowered.
Solution
The opening phrase describes something lowered into each mixture after the soil was stirred. That The person or thing a verb acts on. In “The crew carried a map,” it’s a map. is the device, so the The who or what a sentence is about. In “The vault held papers,” it’s the vault. of the main A stretch of words with a subject and a verb in it. Both “the road reopened” and “because the road reopened” count.Read the lesson must be the device.
Identify the subject in each completion: “comparison,” “measurement,” “acidity readings,” or “device.” The completion beginning “the device used by the team” supplies the subject that the opening phrase describes. The words “used by the team to test samples from different depths” modify “device,” and “provided a reading” completes the main clause.
Next steps
Drills need a free account, which also saves your lesson progress on every device. Sign up free
Related lessons