From Twitter
A. Was your dad in the service?
B. Yes–in __ navy.
A. And yours?
B. __ army.
A. Where was he stationed?
B. Alaska. My uncle was in two branches: __ Navy in world war II and the army in during the Korean war.
A. Really?
B. Yeah, but he bailed before Vietnam.
* a
* that
*the
Answers And Explanation
The answer in both cases is ‘the,’ because this is the way we talk: a special, common thing–known to everyone, such as the branches of the military, take the definite article ‘the,’ for that special quality and because of their being so common, but most importantly because they are singular countable entities.
Category: Conversation
Getting It Right
From Twitter:
(1.) Can you __ this with me and make sure it’s good? I would like the
(2.) instructor to be impressed when he __ it.
* see
* look
* look over
* look for
* go over
* looks over
* inspect
Answers and Explanations:
1. go over means to review, proof or proof-read.
2. looks over (third-person-singular-present form, which is needed here) means to check, but from the position of a person who knows better, like an advisor, coach, instructor, a teacher, a boss or some other a superior.
Cookies
A: Where do you want me to put the cookies, mom?
B: Not in your stomach–til after dinner.
A: So–where?
1. B: Put ’em __ the fridge.
2. A: Not __ the cabinet with the snacks?
3. B: No, __ the fridge, so your little brother doesn’t eat them now.
A: Okay Ma.
a. on
b. on top of
c. in
d. at
Answers And Explanation:
1. b., on top of – more specific than on and refers to the very top of something.
2. c., in – We don’t usually keep cookies in the refrigerator (AKA “fridge”)
3. b., on top of – Mother is repeating herself.
On A Train
- A: Please __ all the way in, so the rude, inconsiderate people pushing to get in–crushing us like farm animals–can stop that.
B: Huh?
2. A: Please __ as far as you can–in, so others may enter too.
B: We don’t mind.
A: We do.
Choose:
a. go
b. step
c. set foot
d. tread
Answers and Explanations
1. b., step meaning to walk–by putting one foot forward after another and is used with ‘into’ (or with ‘in,’ ‘on,’ ‘over,’ and ‘around.’
2. a., go meaning to proceed or continue moving.
寝ると眠る=Fall Asleep?
From Twitter:
A. What time did you go to bed?
B. Dunno–2?
A. Why do ya look tired?
1. B. I didn’t __ until 3.
2. A. __ to sleep later then?
But lack of sleep reduces memory, memory organization, brain cleansing and testosterone–even testicle size!
B. Yeah?
A. Yup!
Choose:
a. go to sleep
b. fall asleep
Answers and Explanation:
1. b., fall asleep, which means to slip into the brain-rest-state of unconsciousness
2. a., go to sleep, which means to (sometimes to go to the bed and to) try to fall into the brain-rest-state of unconsciousness
Flat Earth?
From Twitter:
A. You think Earth is flat?
1. B. Yes. __ it isn’t.
2. A. I can show you the __.
3. B. What’s your __?
A. Ever seen a lunar eclipse?
B. Sure.
A. Earth’s shadow is curved on the moon.
B. That’s the moon’s curve!
A. Ug. So–fly to 13,624 ft, or higher!
B. Oh.
a. proof
b. evidence
c. prove
Answers and Explanation:
1. c., prove (a verb)
2. a., proof or b., evidence (both nouns)
3. a., proof or b., evidence (both nouns)
Sleep Time
From Twitter:
1. Mom: It’s _.
Kid: Okay, Mom, but can I get something to eat?
2. Mom: After you _.
Kid: I’m hungry now!
Mom: You ate a ton. Pajamas–now.
…
3. Mom: Okay, you ate; now _!
Kid (from bed): Mom!
4. Mom: _.
a. Sleep
b. Go to sleep
c. Get ready for bed
d. bed time
e. Go to bed
Answers & Explanation:
1. d. Bed time means “the time one should go to the bed and begin to sleep.“
2. c. Get ready for bed means “prepare to sleep.”
3. e. Go to bed means “go to the bed room, get in the bed and sleep.“
4. b. Go to sleep means “begin to sleep.“
To The Moon Again
Pick the best answers:
1. __ the rocket, the SLS* will take Americans to the moon next time.
2. __ selecting crews, NASA will have a male/female landing team this time.
a. about
b. concerning
c. regarding
e. in terms of
f. with
g. as for
h. in the case of
Answers:
1. d. as for
2. e. in terms of
Explanation:
Number 1. First the bad answers:
a., About works in conversation but is not the best literate answer. It is a casual beginning–not lending the proper sophistication to the subject–but again, it is an “okay” basic preposition for the phrase.
b., Concerning also works, but … well, but nothing. It is fine, but it lends a feeling of awkwardness and perhaps too much formality; it also sounds like there is a problem. What we are really looking for is a neutral preposition to introduce the rocket.
f., With is too informal and sound as if we have already mentioned the type of rocket.
h., In the case of also sounds too specific, like with, meaning it sounds like we have spoken of the rocket type already.
The best answer is g., as for, because it is like about, but lends a feeling of uncertainty, until we get to the certainty… of the type of rocket that has been chosen. But the best reason is that… though we can use it for selecting crews–a process– in this case it is better to be paired with a single noun (rocket); so we use as for, more than in terms of for single things or people.
Number 2. e. In terms of is the best answer for ‘selecting crews’ because ‘terms’ suggests separate ideas or procedures, and a selection process is about that kind of thing–procedures, especially with a partitive (the ‘of’ portion), suggesting parts (in this case of a process).
Baby Sitter
Mom: The kids are fighting too much; if they start again, __ them and give them each something to do. And when the pizza comes, be sure to __ it up evenly for them, so they don’t complain.
Baby Sitter: Okay. Don’t worry.
a. break up
b. break down
c. separate
d. divide
e. punish
Answers:
1. c., separate
2. d., divide
Explanation:
Generally, separate is used with 2or more nouns and means putting them in different places or categories:
~the summer clothes from the winter ones.
~the projects into finished and unfinished.
Generally, divide is used in reference to one noun, or a group of single things; we break it (or them) into distinct parts:
~the class into two groups.
~the pie into 8 slices.
移動するってMoving or Transferring?
From Twitter:
Choose.
David Hernandez (1.) __ Japan and liked it, so the next year he resigned from his job in New York and (2.) __ to Tokyo, where he got a job at a company. After a year, he was (3.) __ to Osaka and loves it.
a. moved
b. transferred
c. moved house
d. moving house
e. transfer
f. visited
Answers and Explanation
(1.) f. visited; with no preposition (t0), this is really the only option for #1.
(2.) a. moved; move means to change living locations.
(3.) b. transferred; transferred (the past of transfer) means to “be switched” (by a company or a boss) to a new work location. The presence of was shows this transfer was done by others–meaning David Hernandez didn’t do it by choice, so after the linking verb ‘was’ we need the past tense of transfer–transferred.