Advanced nouns. 45 challenging questions on nominalisation, noun clauses, and nuanced countability.
What this test covers
- Nominalisation
- Noun Clauses
- Nuanced Countability
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All 45 questions with answers
Pick an answer for each question to see if you are right, with the explanation. Submit when you are done; you can submit before answering them all.
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Q1The board decided to expedite the merger. The ___ of the merger was completed within weeks.
Answer: A. expediting
The gap requires a noun to function as the subject. 'Expediting' serves here as a gerund — a verb form ending in -ing that functions as a noun — to describe the specific process. 'Expeditious' is an adjective, 'expeditiously' is an adverb, and 'expedite' is the base verb, none of which can function as a noun phrase head here.
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Q2The researchers failed to corroborate the findings. Their ___ of the findings was deemed insufficient.
Answer: B. corroboration
This is a case of nominalisation (turning a verb into a noun). 'Corroboration' is the established abstract noun derived from the verb 'corroborate'. 'Corroborance' is an incorrect lexical form. While the gerund 'corroborating' can function as a noun, the formal noun 'corroboration' is the standard choice to describe the official act or result of confirmation.
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Q3The government resisted the austerity measures. Their ___ to the measures was widely reported.
Answer: C. resistance
The noun 'resistance' is the standard nominalisation of 'resist' used for political opposition. 'Resister' is an action-performing noun referring to a person who resists, which is semantically incorrect here. 'Resisting' is a gerund describing the action, but 'resistance' is the idiomatic lexical noun for a state or movement of opposition.
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Q4The professor is remarkably erudite. Her ___ is evident in every lecture.
Answer: C. erudition
The noun derived from the adjective 'erudite' is 'erudition', which refers to scholarly knowledge. 'Erudity' is a non-standard form. 'Erudite' is the adjective itself and cannot follow the possessive 'her' without a noun, and 'eruditely' is an adverb used to modify verbs or adjectives.
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Q5We must implement the new protocol immediately. The ___ of the protocol is mandatory.
Answer: C. implementation
The verb 'implement' is nominalised using the suffix '-ation' to form 'implementation', describing the formal execution of a plan. While the gerund 'implementing' is grammatically possible, 'implementation' is the standard administrative noun. 'Implement' is the verb and 'implemented' is its past form.
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Q6The economy grew exponentially. The ___ of the economy was unprecedented.
Answer: C. growth
The verb 'grow' has an irregular nominal form, 'growth'. 'Growing' can function as a gerund, but 'growth' is the standard abstract noun used in economic and statistical contexts. 'Grown' is a participle/adjective, and 'grow' is a verb; neither fits the noun position following the definite article.
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Q7They investigated the corruption scandal. The ___ into the scandal continues.
Answer: B. investigation
The noun 'investigation' is the standard nominalisation for the act of investigating. Although the gerund 'investigating' can act as a noun (e.g., 'Investigating is hard work'), 'investigation' is the required lexical form for a formal procedure or inquiry. 'Investigate' and 'investigated' are verb forms.
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Q8The diplomat debated the policy effectively. The diplomat's ___ was highly persuasive.
Answer: D. debate
'Debate' is a zero-derivation noun, meaning the noun and verb share the same form. In this context, it refers to the formal discussion itself. 'Debater' refers to the person participating, 'debateable' is an adjective, and 'debated' is a past verb form; only the noun 'debate' fits after the possessive 'diplomat's'.
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Q9They agreed on the terms. The ___ regarding the terms was signed yesterday.
Answer: B. agreement
'Agreement' is the lexical noun representing a formal contract or consensus. 'Agreeing' is a gerund describing the process of reaching consensus, but the physical or formal result is called an 'agreement'. 'Agree' and 'agreed' are verb forms that cannot follow a definite article.
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Q10She argued persuasively. Her ___ was compelling to the jury.
Answer: C. argument
The abstract noun for a line of reasoning is 'argument'. 'Arguer' refers to the person (agent) making the point, and 'arguability' refers to the quality of being debatable. Neither fits the context of a presentation to a jury. 'Argued' is a verb form.
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Q11They developed the software. The ___ of the software took months.
Answer: C. development
The noun 'development' is the standard nominalisation of 'develop' used to describe the process of creation. 'Developable' is an adjective, while 'develop' (base verb) and 'developed' (past form) cannot function as nouns in this structure.
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Q12___ surprised everyone.
Answer: B. That he resigned
This sentence uses a declarative content clause (a 'that-clause') as the subject. 'That he resigned' is a complete noun clause. 'The fact that he resigned, ' is incorrect because the comma creates an ungrammatical break between the subject and the verb 'surprised'. 'Him resigning' is incorrect because the possessive determiner 'his' (not the object pronoun 'him') is required before a gerund used as a subject. 'The resignation of he' is incorrect; it requires the object pronoun 'him'.
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Q13I don't know ___ he left the meeting early.
Answer: D. why
This requires an interrogative content clause (an indirect question) as the object of 'know'. 'Why' is the interrogative adverb used to introduce a reason within a noun clause. 'Because' introduces an adverbial clause of reason, not a noun clause. 'The matter' does not collocate with 'he left the meeting early' to form a grammatical complement of 'know'. 'Although' is a concessive conjunction and cannot serve as the object of 'know'.
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Q14The primary issue is ___ we lack sufficient resources.
Answer: C. that
A 'that-clause' is used here as a subject complement (a clause that follows a linking verb to define the subject) to state a fact. 'Which', 'what', and 'where' would turn the clause into an indirect question, which does not logically define the specific 'issue' being stated as a known fact.
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Q15___ remains a mystery.
Answer: A. Where they went
Noun clauses functioning as subjects (embedded questions) must use declarative word order (Subject-Verb). 'Where they went' is correct. 'Where did they go' and 'Why did they go' use interrogative inversion (placing the auxiliary 'did' before the subject), which is only used in direct questions.
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Q16He wondered ___ the train would arrive on time.
Answer: C. whether
The verb 'wonder' expresses uncertainty and requires an interrogative content clause. 'Whether' is the standard subordinator for a polar (yes/no) indirect question. 'That' is used for factual statements and is incompatible with the uncertainty of 'wonder'. 'Because' and 'so' introduce adverbial clauses, not noun clauses.
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Q17___ she said was quite shocking to the audience.
Answer: A. What
'What' functions here as a nominal relative pronoun (meaning 'the thing that') introducing a noun clause that acts as the subject. 'Which' requires a prior antecedent noun and cannot open a sentence this way. 'That' as a subordinator would create an incomplete clause lacking a main-clause subject. 'How' introduces a manner clause and cannot stand alone as a nominal subject here — it would require a complete phrase such as 'The way she said it'.
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Q18The question remains ___ he knew about the fraud or not.
Answer: D. whether
'Whether' is the correct subordinator for an indirect alternative question, typically paired with 'or not' (either explicitly or implicitly). 'That' would introduce a fact, which contradicts the premise that a 'question remains'. 'Because' introduces a reason, not an inquiry.
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Q19___ he committed the crime is still under investigation.
Answer: D. Why
'Why' introduces an interrogative noun clause (referring to the motive) acting as the subject. While 'If' is used for indirect questions as objects, it is non-standard for subjects in formal English (where 'Whether' is preferred). 'Because' would create an adverbial clause, leaving the verb 'is' without a subject.
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Q20I am interested in ___ you think about this proposal.
Answer: C. what
This is a nominal relative clause acting as the object of the preposition 'in'. 'What' acts as the object of 'think' within the clause. 'How' would refer to the manner or intensity of thinking, rather than the content of the opinion itself. 'That' cannot be used after a preposition in this way.
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Q21___ you choose is entirely up to you.
Answer: C. Whichever
'Whichever' is a nominal relative pronoun that introduces a noun clause representing a choice among alternatives. 'That' would denote a specific known fact, which is logically inconsistent with the phrase 'is up to you' (which implies a choice has not yet been made).
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Q22The truth is ___ we are running out of time.
Answer: A. that
A declarative 'that-clause' acts as a subject complement to define 'the truth'. 'How' (manner), 'which' (selection), or 'what' (the thing that) are semantically incorrect here because the sentence is stating a direct fact to clarify a specific situation.
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Q23She has a lot of ___ in the field of medicine.
Answer: C. experience
When referring to accumulated professional knowledge or skill, 'experience' is an uncountable (mass) noun. 'Experiences' (plural) refers to specific, individual events or occurrences in a person's life, such as 'travel experiences'. 'An experience' refers to one single event.
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Q24He found a single ___ on his shirt after the haircut.
Answer: B. hair
'Hair' is uncountable when referring to the entire mass on someone's head, but it is a countable noun when referring to individual strands. Because the quantifier 'a single' is already used, we need the singular countable noun 'hair'. 'A hair' would be redundant with 'single'.
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Q25They are doing ___ to improve the system.
Answer: D. work
'Work' meaning general effort or labor is an uncountable noun. 'Works' usually refers to artistic creations ('works of art') or industrial sites ('iron works'). 'A work' typically refers to a specific masterpiece.
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Q26The artist's collected ___ are on display at the gallery.
Answer: B. works
In the context of art or literature, 'works' is a countable noun meaning individual creations. The plural verb 'are' confirms that the subject must be a plural countable noun. 'Work' (uncountable) would require the singular verb 'is'.
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Q27We need ___ for the new laboratory.
Answer: D. equipment
'Equipment' is a non-count (mass) noun in English. It cannot be pluralised with '-s' or preceded by the indefinite article 'an'. To express quantity, one must use partitive phrases such as 'pieces of equipment' or quantifiers like 'some' or 'much'.
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Q28She gave me ___ regarding my career path.
Answer: B. advice
'Advice' is strictly uncountable. It does not take 'an' and cannot be pluralised as 'advices'. To count it, we use 'pieces of advice'. Using 'some' is possible, but 'advice' on its own is the most direct grammatical answer for the mass noun.
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Q29There is no ___ in the room, so please turn on the lamp.
Answer: B. light
When referring to general illumination, 'light' is an uncountable noun. 'A light' or 'lights' refers to specific electrical fixtures or bulbs. The sentence refers to the total absence of brightness, requiring the mass noun 'light'.
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Q30I have ___ to do today before the meeting.
Answer: C. much business
'Business' meaning 'tasks' or 'matters to attend to' is uncountable and takes the quantifier 'much'. 'Businesses' and 'a business' refer to commercial companies or entities, which does not fit the context of having things to do.
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Q31The ___ provided by the witness was incorrect.
Answer: B. information
'Information' is an uncountable noun and cannot be pluralised ('informations') or used with the indefinite article 'an'. To specify a single unit, one would say 'a piece of information'.
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Q32He shared ___ with me about the merger.
Answer: B. news
'News' is an uncountable noun that is plural in form (ending in -s) but singular in grammatical agreement. It cannot be pluralised as 'newses' or preceded by 'a'. 'Some news' is correct, but 'news' alone is also standard.
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Q33They have ___ of the subject matter.
Answer: D. knowledge
'Knowledge' is an abstract uncountable noun. While 'knowledges' is occasionally used in academic theory to refer to different types of cultural knowing, in standard English it is a mass noun that does not take a plural form or an indefinite article.
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Q34The ___ is very expensive in this city.
Answer: A. accommodation
In British English, 'accommodation' is uncountable. Because the verb 'is' is singular, we must use the mass noun 'accommodation'. In American English, the plural 'accommodations' is common, but it would require the plural verb 'are'.
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Q35___ is my favorite hobby, as I find it relaxing.
Answer: D. Swimming
A gerund ('Swimming') is needed here to act as the nominal subject. A gerund is a verb ending in -ing that functions as a noun to describe an activity as a general concept.
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Q36___ early is difficult for me, but I try.
Answer: D. Waking up
The gerund phrase 'Waking up early' functions as the subject of this sentence. 'To waking up' incorrectly combines an infinitive marker with a gerund, and 'Wake up' is the imperative or base form, which cannot function as a subject.
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Q37He dislikes ___ for long periods.
Answer: C. waiting
The verb 'dislike' requires a gerund ('waiting') as its object when referring to a general aversion. While some verbs like 'hate' can take either a gerund or an infinitive, 'waiting' is the standard way to identify the activity being disliked.
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Q38___ requires immense patience.
Answer: A. Teaching
The gerund 'Teaching' functions as the subject of the sentence. Gerunds are used as nominals to refer to a profession, activity, or field of study. 'Teach' is a verb and 'Taught' is its past participle; neither can be a subject here.
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Q39___ is prohibited in this building.
Answer: C. Smoking
Formal prohibitions use the gerund ('Smoking') as a nominal subject to name the forbidden action. 'Smoke' is the verb or the substance itself, but only the gerund describes the act of using tobacco in this context.
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Q40___ in the rain is not fun.
Answer: D. Running
The gerund 'Running' serves as the nominal subject. Base forms like 'Run' or past forms like 'Ran' cannot occupy the subject position in a standard declarative sentence.
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Q41He mentioned ___ to the manager.
Answer: A. talking
The verb 'mention' licenses a gerund complement ('talking') rather than a to-infinitive. 'Talking' acts as the direct object of the verb 'mentioned'. 'To talk' is ungrammatical following 'mention'.
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Q42It is a complex task ___ the data.
Answer: B. to analyze
This sentence uses 'It' as a dummy subject, with the real subject being the extraposed infinitival clause ('to analyze the data') placed at the end. While 'analyzing' is possible in some informal contexts, the to-infinitive is the standard choice following the 'It is + noun phrase' construction.
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Q43She enjoys ___ in her spare time.
Answer: B. painting
The verb 'enjoy' is part of a specific class of verbs that must be followed by a gerund ('painting') rather than an infinitive ('to paint'). 'Paint' is the base verb and 'painted' is the past participle.
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Q44It is essential ___ effectively.
Answer: B. to communicate
In the structure 'It is + adjective + [infinitive]', the to-infinitive acts as the extraposed subject (the logical subject moved to the end). 'Essential' typically requires this infinitival construction or a 'that'-clause with a subjunctive verb.
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Q45___ early was a mistake.
Answer: B. Leaving
The gerund 'Leaving' functions as the nominal subject. In English, base verbs ('Leave') or inflected forms ('Left', 'Leaves') cannot function as subjects; a gerund or an infinitive is required.
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