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Hi, I have taken these problematic(for me) questions from a test and need your help in choosing correct answers.
I've put my opinion in brackets.

1.How much water does that tank..........?
a) comprise b) include c) consist d) contain

(I'm not sure between 'comprise' and 'contain')

2. I don't...... of smoking at all.
a) allow b) accept c) agree d) approve

(probably 'approve')

3. After working for six hours without a break, Emily.......... for a cup of tea.
a) longed b) desired c) interested d) wanted

(there is possible choice between 'long for' and 'desire for')

4. It was my father who suggested..... the boat
a) purchase b) to purchase c) buying d) why not to buy

5. Riding a horse isn't as difficult as it looks. In fact, there's nothing..... it!
a) by b) to c) on d) about

6. Before going to India, my father..... for an American bank for three years.
a) has been working b) has worked c) worked d) works

(probably 'has worked')

7. Brad's understanding of the language is improving......................................
a) by hook or by crook b) by leaps and bounds c) from time to time d) slow but sure

Could you be so kind and write short explanation.

Thank you
Peter

MrPedantic · Accepted Answer

Hello Peter

1. You're right that it's either comprise or contain. Look again at the definitions. Which one is a 'doing' word and which one is a 'being' word?

2. Correct!

3. Look up 'desire for' again. What does it say?

4. You need a kind of word that can both take an object (the boat) and follow 'suggest'. What kind of word would that be?

5. Only one of the options forms an idiom. Look up 'nothing'.

6. This needs a verb in the past tense. Which option is a past tense verb?

7. Look up B. Look up D. There's a grammatical reason why one of these can't follow 'improving'.

MrP

CalifJim · Answer

1.How much water does that tank..........?
a) comprise b) include c) consist d) contain

(I'm not sure between 'comprise' and 'contain')

"comprise" takes as its object(s) persons or things that are constituent parts.
"That tank comprises a lot of water" says that a lot of water is a constituent part of the tank. That makes no sense; I don't think you want that!

2. I don't...... of smoking at all.
a) allow b) accept c) agree d) approve
(probably 'approve')
Of the choices, only "approve" can be followed by "of".

3. After working for six hours without a break, Emily.......... for a cup of tea.
a) longed b) desired c) interested d) wanted
(there is possible choice between 'long for' and 'desire for')
Of the choices, only "long" can be followed by "for".

4. It was my father who suggested..... the boat
a) purchase b) to purchase c) buying d) why not to buy
"suggest" governs gerunds, so "suggested buying" is the only possibility.

5. Riding a horse isn't as difficult as it looks. In fact, there's nothing..... it!
a) by b) to c) on d) about
"nothing to it" is the idiom. Contrary to what is done with most prepositional phrases, stress the preposition "to" when saying this one.

6. Before going to India, my father..... for an American bank for three years.
a) has been working b) has worked c) worked d) works
(probably 'has worked')
"before" triggers the past tense. "before going to India" is a specific time in the past; therefore, it is incompatible with any present perfect forms, such as a) and b).

7. Brad's understanding of the language is improving......................................
a) by hook or by crook b) by leaps and bounds c) from time to time d) slow but sure
By the meaning and aspect of "improving", "by leaps and bounds" is the only possibility.
"by hook or by crook" relates only to actions undertaken with determination. The abstract subject "understanding" could not undertake anything with determination, of course. "improving" shows a continuous aspect, so "from time to time", clearly non-continuous, won't do. To show how the improving is progressing, you might have adverbs as in "slowly but surely", but not the adjectives in "slow but sure".

TheStudent · Answer

Thank you teachers I really appreciate your help. About that 'desire for' thing I would probably use 'long for' but I found in dictionary that 'desire' and  'for' is possible to use together and this confused me.

CalifJim · Answer

"desire for" is possible, but in that case "desire" is a noun, not a verb. Check your dictionary again and you will see that the mention of "desire for" is in the subsection defining the noun "desire", not the verb "desire"!

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