Blockbuster Grammar Test Flawed

Discussion in 'Linguistics' started by lixluke, Jan 22, 2009.

  1. lixluke Refined Reinvention Valued Senior Member

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    9,072
    6. Select the best word to complete the sentence:

    They _______________ the incident to find the guilty.

    investigated

    investigating

    investigate

    investigates




    You can only choose one of the answers, but 2 of them are proper answers.
     
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  3. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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  5. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    or investigate
     
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  7. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    Yep both are valid.
    What is the point if this exercise ?
     
  8. leopold Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    17,455
    in my opinion the only way 'investigate' could be proper is if 'the' was dropped and an 's' added to 'incident'.
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2009
  9. draqon Banned Banned

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    35,006
    investigated
     
  10. Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

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    24,690
    * * * * MODERATOR'S NOTE * * * *

    Here is my response to inquiries regarding the formatting error in the bulletin board engine. I have deleted all other posts on this issue to keep the thread on topic.
    I got your report on that. Don't worry about it, it happens all the time. The word processing component of this bulletin board engine has a few quirky features. Apparently it thinks there really is a space in there and there's no way to argue over it. You can't put in more than one space because it always condenses them back to a single.

    One space Two spaces Three spaces Four spaces Five spaces

    They all display as one space.

    When you're typing a reply, scroll down into the post chain and take a look at it. It's all in a different font with different formatting, and the spacing is not the same as the final display.
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2009
  11. Captain Kremmen All aboard, me Hearties! Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    12,738
    Investigated is clearly OK.

    Investigate, possibly.
    You could use it in a storyboard.

    The police are called to a man's house.
    They investigate the incident to find the guilty.
    They charge the man and his wife with the crime.
     
  12. Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

    Messages:
    24,690
    I agree. Both the present indicative and past indicative are grammatically correct. In a news report you would probably see the past tense because a "news report" by definition generally (but not always) speaks of something that has already occurred. In a textbook on civics you might see the present tense in a description of how police work is customarily performed.
     

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