Which word best completes the sentence: 'The scientist's breakthrough was met with _____ applause.'

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The word 'thunderous' is the most suitable choice in this context. It accurately conveys the idea of loud, intense, and enthusiastic applause, which aligns with the significance of the breakthrough mentioned in the sentence. 'Scattered,' 'polite,' and 'hesitant' do not adequately capture the level of excitement and appreciation conveyed by the word 'thunderous' in the context of a significant scientific breakthrough.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A uses the subjunctive mood correctly as it expresses a wish or hypothetical situation. The phrase 'I wish I could have gone to the beach' implies a desire to have done something in the past that did not happen, which aligns with the usage of the subjunctive mood. Choice B uses the past subjunctive 'were' correctly in the conditional statement 'If I were you,' which is a common usage as well. Choice C, 'He insisted that she stay home,' is also correct as it follows the rule that the base form of the verb is used after verbs like insist, demand, request, etc., in the subjunctive mood. Choice D, 'Although it was raining, we decided to go for a walk,' does not use the subjunctive mood. It is a complex sentence with a subordinate clause but lacks the specific mood required to fit the context.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The clause 'as the sun dipped below the horizon' functions as a subordinate clause because it provides additional information about the main clause 'We sat on the beach,' indicating a dependent relationship between the two clauses. An independent clause can stand alone as a complete sentence, which is not the case here. Appositive clauses rename or explain nouns, while noun clauses act as nouns within a sentence. In this context, 'as the sun dipped below the horizon' acts as a dependent clause, making it a subordinate clause.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Option C correctly uses the phrase 'by the way' to introduce additional information that is not directly related to the previous sentence, making it a natural and appropriate use of the phrase in casual conversation. Choices A, B, and D do not use 'by the way' in the same context as option C. Choice A incorrectly uses 'by the way' to convey winning the lottery, which is not a casual or incidental piece of information. Choice B incorrectly uses 'by the way' after a semicolon in a way that disrupts the flow of the sentence. Choice D correctly uses 'by the way' but the information provided about the movie starting time is not a casual or incidental addition, unlike in option C.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: In this sentence, 'neither' is followed by two subjects, 'Michael' and 'Sarah.' When 'neither' is followed by two singular subjects joined by 'nor,' the verb should agree with the subject closer to the verb, which is 'Sarah' in this case. Therefore, the correct pronoun to complete the sentence is 'have.' Choice A, 'has,' is incorrect because it is singular and does not agree with the plural subject 'Sarah.' Choice C, 'are having,' is incorrect as it changes the sentence structure and does not fit grammatically. Choice D, 'does have,' is incorrect as 'does' is unnecessary and 'have' does not agree with the singular verb 'does.'