In the following sentence one part of the sentence is italicised. Four…
2016
In the following sentence one part of the sentence is italicised. Four alternatives to the italicised part which may improve the sentence are given. Choose the appropriate alternative.
The main business of the Parliament is to deal with matters pertained to the legislation.
- A.
pertained with
- B.
pertaining to
- C.
pertain to
- D.
pertaining with
Attempted by 60 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Answer: "pertaining to" is correct.
Why this is correct:
The phrase "pertaining to" is an adjective phrase that modifies "matters," so it naturally follows the noun: "matters pertaining to the legislation."
An alternative correct structure would be a relative clause using the base verb: "matters that pertain to the legislation."
Why the other choices are wrong:
"pertained with" is wrong because "pertain" pairs with "to," not "with," and the past participle form is not appropriate here.
"pertain to" by itself is not grammatical in this position without a relative word; you would need "that pertain to" to form a correct clause.
"pertaining with" is incorrect because "pertaining" requires the preposition "to," so "pertaining with" is not a valid collocation.
Corrected sentence examples:
The main business of the Parliament is to deal with matters pertaining to the legislation.
The main business of the Parliament is to deal with matters that pertain to the legislation.
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