16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsMediumParallel structure

Standard English Conventions practice question

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? On weekends, Priya enjoys hiking, swimming, and ____.

  1. A. to cycle
  2. B. she cycles
  3. C. cyclingCorrect
  4. D. will cycle

Answer: C. cycling

Items in a list must share the same grammatical form. 'Hiking' and 'swimming' are gerunds (-ing), so the third item must be 'cycling' to stay parallel.

Why the other answers are wrong

A. to cycle
You switched from the -ing form to an infinitive; since 'hiking' and 'swimming' are gerunds, the third item has to be 'cycling' to match.
B. she cycles
This turns the third list item into a full clause with its own subject and verb, so it no longer matches the gerunds 'hiking' and 'swimming'.
D. will cycle
A future-tense verb can't sit in a list alongside the gerunds 'hiking' and 'swimming'; the item needs the -ing form.

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