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Getting Smarter through Language

Practice 1. “Which” Referring back to a Whole Clause | (B-Level, Intermediate)

Instructions

Based on this lesson identify what the relative pronoun “which” refers back to. It may refer back to a word in the preceding clause or to the whole preceding clause.

Click on the alternative to see whether or not your answer is correct.

Note. Your answers will not be submitted. When you leave this page, they will be deleted.

PDF Handout

Sentence 1. Senator Ecks was reelected despite a turbulent political campaign, which surprised all political experts.

Correct!

What surprised all political experts is that Senator Ecks was reelected despite a turbulent campaign.

Sorry!

Senator Eck’s political campaign did not surprise all political experts. It was the fact that he was reelected that surprised them.

Sentence 2. We found a mistake in line 12 of the program code, which means all other 912 lines of code need to be corrected.

Correct!

It is the fact that they found a mistake that means they have to correct the rest of the code.

Incorrect!

The fact that they found a mistake, not the program code, is what means they have to correct the rest of the code.

Sentence 3. The Johnsons have been spending a great deal of money, which seems to indicate that their business is doing very well.

Correct!

What seems to indicate that their business is doing well is that they have been spending a great deal of money.

Sorry! That’s incorrect.

What seems to indicate that their business is doing well is that they have been spending a great deal of money.

 Having difficulties? Study the lesson again before you continue.

Sentence 4. The Johnsons bought a million-dollar house, which was built during the Civil War.

Incorrect

Sorry, that’s not correct. It is the house that was built during the Civil War.

Correct!

That’s right! It is the house that was built during the Civil War.

Sentence 5. Programmers have found a glitch, which has been causing a great deal of problems for users of the app.

Incorrect

That’s incorrect. What has been causing problems? A glitch has, not the fact that they found a it.

Correct!

That’s right. A glitch is what has been causing a great deal of problems for users, not the fact they found it.

Sentence 6. In this study, the researchers used the incorrect methodology, which is a serious problem.

Correct!

What is a problem is that they used the incorrect methodology. The methodology itself is not a serious problem.

Sorry. That's incorrect.

What is a problem is that they used the incorrect methodology. The methodology itself is not a serious problem.

Sentence 7. They also found a problem in the statistical analyses, which included the wrong variables.

Sorry!

What included the wrong variables? The analyses did.

Correct!

The analyses is what included the wrong variables.

Sentence 8. A growing number of Americans do not trust the news media, which points to the need for journalists to be impartial when reporting the news.

Correct!

The fact that a growing number of Americans do not trust the news media is what points to the need for change.

Sorry!

What points to the need for change? Not the news media but the fact that a growing number of Americans do not trust the news media.

Sentence 9. Independent journalists offer different perspectives on the news, which does not necessarily mean they are more trustworthy.

Correct!

It is the fact that independent journalists offer different perspectives on the news that should not be taken to meant that they are more trustworthy.

Incorrect

It is the fact that independent journalists offer different perspectives on the news, not perspectives, that should not be taken to meant that they are more trustworthy.

Sentence 10. Senator Ecks has announced his retirement, which no one expected him to do so soon.

Correct!

What did no one expect him to do? To have announced his retirement.

Incorrect

What did no one expect him to do? To have announced his retirement.

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