Sentence Completions

&
Error Analysis

EPT Preparation and Practice

Test

By Slamet Widodo, S.S.

1. Be Sure the Sentence Has a Subject and a Verb

A sentence in English must have at least one

subject and one verb.
Task!
Find out the subjects once and the verbs twice in each of the following
sentences. Then indicate if the sentences are correct or incorrect.

1) Last week went fishing for trout at the nearby mountain lake.
2) A schedule of the day’s event can be obtained at the front desk.
3) A job on the day shift or the night shift at the plant available.
4) The new computer program has provides a variety of helpful
application.
5) The box can be opened only with special screwdriver.
 1. Be Sure the Sentence Has a Subject and a Verb

E.g.,
Arizona ________ a very dry climate.
a) has
b) being
c) having
d) with

Venomous snakes with modified teeth connected to poison glands

A B
in which the venom is secreted and stored.
C D
 2. Be Careful of Objects of Prepositions
A preposition is followed by a noun or pronoun that is called
an object of the preposition.
If a word is an object of a preposition, it is not subject.
Task!
Find out the subjects once and the verbs twice in each of the following
sentences. Underline the prepositional phrases that come before the
verb. Then indicate if the sentences are correct or incorrect.

1) The interview by radio broadcasters were carried live by the station.

2) In the last possible moment before take off took his seat in the airplane.
3) In the past a career in politics was not considered acceptable in some circles.
4) For the last three years at various hospitals in the country has been practicing
medicine.
5) Shopping in the downtown area of the city it has improved a lot in recent years.
 2. Be Careful of Objects of Prepositions

E.g.,
With his friend _____ found the movie theatre.
a) Has
b) He
c) Later
d) When
Shopping in the downtown area of the city it has improved
A B C
a lot in recent years.
D
 3. Be Careful of Appositives

An appositive is a noun that comes before or after another

noun and is generally set off from the noun with commas. Id a
word is an appositive, it is not the subject.

Tom, a really good mechanic, is fixing the car.

S APP V

A really good mechanic, Tom is fixing the car.

APP S V
 3. Be careful of Appositives

E.g.,
Clones, _____ , are genetically homogenous.
a) Plan growing from a single specimen
b) That a plan grown from a single specimen
c) Plants grown from a single specimen
d) From a single specimen, plants
The Gray Wolf, a species reintroduced into their native habitat in
A B
Yellowstone National Park, has begun to breed naturally there.
C D
 4. Be careful of Present Participle
A present participle is the –ing form of the verb. The present
participle can be:

1. Part of the verb or,

2. An adjective.

It is part of the verb when it is accompanied by some form of the

verb be. It is an adjective when it is not accompanied by some form
of the verb be.
E.g.,
1. The boy is standing in the corner. (part of the verb)
2. The boy standing in the corner was naughty. (an adjective)
 4. Be careful of Present Participle
E.g.,
The journalist _____ typing an article in the room is my sister.
a) Now
b) Is
c) She
d) Was

The companies offer the lowest prices will have

A B C
the most costumers.
D
 5. Be Careful of Past Participle
A past participle often ends in –ed, but there are also many
irregular past participle. For many verbs, including –ed verb, the
simple past and the past participle are the same and can be easily
confused. The –ed form of the verb can be:
1. the simple past,
2. the past participle of a verb, or
3. an adjective.

E.g.,
She painted this picture. (simple past)
She has painted this picture. (past participle of a verb)
The picture painted by Karen is now in a museum. (an adjective)
 5. Be Careful of Past Participle
E.g.,
The packages _____ mailed at the post office will arrive Monday.
a) Have
b) Were
c) Them
d) Just

The car was listed in the advertisement had already stalled.

A B C D
 6. Use Coordinate Connectors Correctly

Tom is singing, and Paul is dancing.

Tom is tall, but Paul is short.
Tom must write the letter, or Paul will do it.
Tom told a joke, so Paul laughed.
Tom is tired, yet he is not going to sleep.

In each of those examples, there are two clauses that are

correctly joined with a coordinate conjunction and, but, or,
so, or yet and a comma (,).
 6. Use Coordinate Connectors Correctly
E.g.,
A power failure occurred, ____ the lamps went out.
a) Then
b) So
c) Later
d) Next

The software should be used on an IBM computer, then

A B C
this computer is an IBM.
D
 7. Use Adverbs Time and Cause
Connectors Correctly

Time
Cause
 After ☺Since
 As
 As soon as ☺Whenever
 Because
 Once ☺As long as
 Inasmuch as
 When ☺By the time
 Now that
 As ☺Until
 Since
 Before ☺While
 7. Use Adverbs Time and Cause
Connectors Correctly
E.g.,
________ was late, I missed the appointment.
a) I
b) Because
c) The train
d) Since he

Their backgrounds are thoroughly investigated before admitted to the

A B C D
organization.
8. Use Other Adverb Connectors Correctly

Condition Contrast Manner Place

 If  Although  As  Where
 In case  Even though  In that  Wherever
 Provided  Though
 Providing  While
 Unless  Whereas
 Whether

NOTE: A comma is often used in the middle of the sentence with a

contrast connector.
e.g., The smith family arrived at 2:00, while the Jones family arrived
an hour later.
8. Use Other Adverb Connectors Correctly
E.g.,
You will get a good grade on the exam provided _______ .
a) Studying
b) Study
c) To study
d) You study

Providing the envelope is postmarked by this Friday, your

A B C
application still acceptable.
D
9. Use Noun Clause Connectors Correctly
E.g.,
I know when he will arrive.
I am concerned about when he will arrive.
When he will arrive is not important.

Noun Clause Connectors:

 What  Whatever
 When  Whenever
 Where  Whether
 Why  If
 How  That
9. Use Noun Clause Connectors Correctly

E.g.,
_____ was late caused many problems.
a) That he
b) The driver
c) There
d) Because

Why the condition of the patient deteriorated so rapidly

A B C
it was not explained.
D
 10. Use Noun Clause Connector/Subjects
Correctly
E.g.,
@ I don’t know what is in the box. (Noun clause as object of verb)
# We are concerned about who will do the work. (Noun clause as
object of preposition)
$ Whoever is coming to the party must bring a gift. (Noun clause as
subject)

@ “What” is the subject of verb “is” and the connector of the two clauses.

# “Who” is the subject of “will do” and the connector of the two clauses.
“Who will do the work” functions as the object of the preposition about”

$ “Whoever” is the subject of the verb “is coming”, noun clause whoever is
coming to the party is the subject of “must bring”
 10. Use Noun Clause Connector/Subjects
Correctly
E.g.,
_____ was on television made me angry.
a) It
b) The story
c) What
d) When

The motorist was unable to discover who he had struck his car.
A B C D
 10. Use Noun Clause Connector/Subjects
Correctly
E.g.,
_____ was on television made me angry.
a) It
b) The story
c) What
d) When

The motorist was unable to discover who he had struck his car.
A B C D
 Sentence Completions
&
Error Analysis

EPT Preparation and Practice

Test

By Slamet Widodo, S.S.