16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsMediumParallel infinitives

Standard English Conventions practice question

The workshop teaches participants to sharpen a blade, to read the grain of a board, and ____ a joint that needs no glue.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

  1. A. to cutCorrect
  2. B. cutting
  3. C. how they cut
  4. D. the cutting of

Answer: A. to cut

The series is 'to sharpen, to read, and to cut' — parallel infinitives.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. cutting
'Cutting' breaks the parallel with the two infinitives.
C. how they cut
'How they cut' is a clause, not an infinitive.
D. the cutting of
'The cutting of' is a noun phrase that breaks the series.

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