Adjective Test - 29

'Fewer' is used for plural countable nouns, 'less' is used for uncountable nouns. Costume is a countable noun, which is why we can't leave the statement as it is, option A is incorrect. We use 'fewer costumes' which is the correct option (option B). Since less isn't used for non-countable nouns, Option C is incorrect. Option D 'fewer' does not say which noun is fewer, hence the last option is also incorrect due to ambiguity.

The sentence is comparing two things. The comparison has to be made between things of the same form or type in order to be logical. The only logical comparison is that between 'Nubian pyramids of Sudan' and 'those of Egypt'. Hence, option B is the right answer. 

Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more words or ideas are of equal importance. Words in the parallel structure should not only have the same structure but also tense. In the given sentence, two clauses are correctly connected with a word of comparison i.e. than. Thus, option A is the correct answer per rule. 

A comparison is being made of 'the ratio of flour to sugar' between 'a pound cake' and 'other cakes'. We need a demonstrative to refer to this ratio in the phrase 'other cakes'. In the sentence, that demonstrative is not present, so we need to change it, so Option A is incorrect. The second option states only the flour without the mention of the ratio and sugar. so this one is incorrect. Similarly, the third option leaves out the flour and its ratio, so it's incorrect. The fourth option contains a demonstrative 'that' which refers back to the phrase 'ratio of flour to sugar'. This statement is parallel to the grammatical structure of the first part as well, hence this is the correct option.

A comparison is being made between two activities, 'swimming' is mentioned whereas the second activity isn't mentioned but the following noun 'billiards' is mentioned. We know that billiards is a game and it would be played, so we need to change the underlined noun by adding 'playing' which is in the same grammatical structure as 'swimming' both being gerunds. Option C is hence correct and option D isn't. Options A and B do not contain the required gerund and do not complete the meaning of the sentence, hence they're incorrect.

The question wants you to choose the correct option with an error. Option A does not have an error because the adverb correctly describes the manner of the library's stocking of books. Option B does not have an error because it's a conjunction that joins two contrasting ideas. Option C does not have an error because it's a possessive adjective which talks about the atmosphere as a part of the new library which is grammatically correct. Option D does not have an error because a similarity is drawn between "the new library" and "the old library" and both these phrases are of the same grammatic form. Option E is the correct option because there is no error in the entire sentence.

The comparison is between reading 'classic novels' and 'autobiographies'. The phrase 'to read autobiographies' should be parallel in its grammatical structure to the phrase 'reading classic novels', which it isn't hence there's an error and option E is incorrect. 'To read' is incorrect in the sentence as it's an infinitive i.e. to + verb, we need the gerund 'reading' (a verb form that ends in '-ing' and acts as a noun), Option C has the error, hence we choose this option. Katz's claim is meant to be in present tense, the sentence is in present tense, and 'is' is the correct verb that is used hence option A does not have an error and we don't choose this option. Option B is 'illuminating' which correctly describes how classic novels are more insightful. It has no error hence we don't choose option B. 'Written' is in past tense because the autobiographies which are being compared have already been written. There's no error in option D hence it's not the option to choose.

The comparison is between two activities 'building sandcastles' and 'watching movies'. The act of 'watching' is missing from the sentence, though we can figure out the action through its context, still it's grammatically incorrect and needs to be changed. Option A is wrong and since we're correcting the underlined word by adding 'watching before it' option B is correct. Options C and D both are incorrect as they don't include the watching and are also grammatically incorrect.

The phrase 'do the same' is ambiguous and does not specify what exactly the father wants to do: to retire early or to enjoy his early retirement. To make the meaning clearer, we may change this phrase to 'take an early retirement', etc. 

The comparison is between "Alice's voice" and "any other's voice", not "Alice's voice" and "any other". Alice ends with an apostrophe s because the apostrophe shows possession of the noun 'voice'. The apostrophe s is missing from the underlined noun, so when we say any other, we are comparing the voice of Alice to another person and not that person's voice, a change is needed, hence option D is incorrect. Option A ends with an apostrophe s, thereby expanding the phrase to "any other's voice". We can eliminate 'voice' from the second phrase because it's been mentioned before and it's evident that the voice is being compared. Option A is hence correct. Since the sentence is a comparison, the phrases being compared should be parallel to each other in structure. In Option B, 'that' is a demonstrative of 'voice', the phrase "voice of any other" is not parallel to the structure of the first phrase "Alice's voice", hence it's incorrect. It's not 'the recording' that's being compared, but the 'voice', hence option C is incorrect.