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6/1
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Select a score band
Manage phrases and clauses in a sentence
Skills needed to score in this band
SKILL 1: Recognize the difference between main verb and participle/gerund while working with parallel structure
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Recognize the difference between main verb and participle/gerund while working with parallel structure
ExampleThe following sentence tests correctness and effectiveness of expression. Part of the sentence or the entire sentence is underlined; beneath the sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material. Choice A repeats the original phrasing; the other four choices are different. If you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives, select choice A; if not, select one of the other choices.
In making your selection, follow the requirements of standard written English; that is, pay attention to grammar, choice of words, sentence construction, and punctuation. Your selection should result in the most effective sentence-clear and precise, without awkwardness or ambiguity.
The nineteenth-century laying of the first telegraph cables between Europe and America was a project plagued by cable breakage, financial setbacks, and overcoming logistical problems.
Skills needed to score in the next band
In your reading, choose a paragraph from a more difficult piece of nonfiction prose that contains complex syntactical structures. In your own writing, attempt to employ more sophisticated syntactical structures when appropriate.
