Question

The Brexit negotiations are faltering and the UK government's hopes to opening talks on a future trade deal with the EU this autumn looks likely to be increasingly dashed, the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, has reported back to the bloc's member states.

• A. hopes to opening talks on a future trade deal with the EU this autumn looks likely to be increasingly dashed
• B. hopes of opening talks on a future trade deal with the EU looks increasingly likely to be dashed this autumn
• C. hopes to open talks on a future trade deal with the EU this autumn look likely to be increasingly dashed
• D. hopes of opening talks on a future trade deal this autumn with the EU look likely to be dashed increasingly
• E. hopes of opening talks on a future trade deal with the EU this autumn look increasingly likely to be dashed

Hint:

In Sentence Correction, always check for the "big three" errors first: Subject-Verb Agreement, Pronoun Agreement, and Verb Tense. After that, look for issues with idioms, parallelism, and modifier placement. The best answer is not just grammatically correct, but also the most clear and logical choice.

Answer 1

Answer: (E)

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This Sentence Correction question tests several grammatical points: subject-verb agreement, idiomatic expressions, and adverb placement.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let's break down the errors in the original sentence: 1. Subject-Verb Agreement: The subject of the clause is "hopes," which is plural. The verb is "looks," which is singular. This is an error. The correct verb form is "look." 2. Idiom: The phrase "hopes to opening" is unidiomatic. The correct idioms are "hopes of opening" (used with a gerund) or "hopes to open" (used with an infinitive). 3. Adverb Placement: We need to identify which word the adverb "increasingly" should logically modify. It could modify "dashed" or "likely." Saying something is "increasingly likely" is a very common and logical construction, meaning the probability is rising. Now let's evaluate the options: (A) hopes to opening... looks...: Incorrect idiom and incorrect verb. (B) hopes of opening... looks...: Correct idiom but incorrect verb ("looks" should be "look"). (C) hopes to open... look...: Correct idiom and correct verb. This is grammatically correct. (D) hopes of opening... look... dashed increasingly: Correct idiom and verb. However, the placement of "increasingly" at the end is awkward. "Increasingly dashed" is better, but "increasingly likely" is the most logical modification. (E) hopes of opening... look increasingly likely to be dashed: Correct idiom ("hopes of opening") and correct verb ("look"). The adverb "increasingly" correctly and logically modifies "likely." This construction is clear, logical, and grammatically flawless. Comparing (C) and (E), both are grammatically sound, but (E) is superior in its logical clarity. The "likelihood" is what is increasing over time. Therefore, modifying "likely" with "increasingly" is the most precise and effective choice.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Option (E) provides the most correct and logically structured sentence, fixing the subject-verb agreement, using a proper idiom, and placing the adverb "increasingly" in its most effective position.