1. The skin of a rhinoceros ... more than an inch think.
a. may be
b. it may be
c. to be it
d. for it to be
Note: Perhatikan Subject dari kalimat di atas.
Pilihan a betul karena setelah Subject (the skin of a rhinoceros) langsung modal (may
be).
Pilihan b salah karena terdapat it may be sehingga ada dua Subject lagi, yaitu it. Ingat:
dalam satu kalimat tidak boleh ada lebih dari satu Subject.
Pilihan c salah karena susunan grammaticalnya salah. Setelah Subject tidak boleh
langsung kata to.
Pilihan d salah karena setelah Subject tidak boleh langsung kata for.
Susunan kalimat dalam Bahasa Inggris: Subject + Verb atau Subject + to be atau Subject +
modal.
2. Little League Baseball bats may not to be longer than 33 inches.
Jawabannya: to be
Dalam soal seperti ini, kita harus mencari mana susunan yang salah.
Rumus umum modal (can, will, have, may, dan lain2): modal+Verb 1 atau modal+not atau
modal+not+be
3. A complex system of levers in a piano is accessed as each keys are struck.
Jawabannya: keys are
Karena dalam kalimat tersebut mempunyai subject tunggal (a complex system) maka harusnya
key is (tunggal).
4. The first person who ... in less than four minues was Roger Bannister.
a. running a mile
b. a mile was run
c. he ran a mile
d. ran a mile
Note: setelah who langsung Verb (kata kerja).
5. The first electronic computer, the ENIAC, was introduce in 1946.
Note: Arti yang dimaksud dalam kalimat adalah diperkenalkan >> Passive Voice.
Rumus Passive Voice: to be + Verb 3
To be harus menyesuaikan Tenses kalimat.
Jika Present maka: is, am, are
Jika Past: was, were
Jika Future: will be
Jika Perfect: has been, have been, had been
6. A black hole is what ... at the end of the life of a star
a. the remnants
b. remains
c. remaining
d. that remains
Note: Simple Present Tense. Subjectnya tunggal (a black hole), maka Verb harus menggunakan
s (remains).
7. Some adhesive occur in nature or are easy made from plant or animal materials.
Note: seharusnya easily (adverb)
8. The 19th Amendment to the Constitution, passed in 1920, ... the right to vote.
a. granted women
b. women granted
c. granting women
d. the grant for women
Note: Di soal tersebut ada induk kalimat dan anak kalimat, sebagai berikut:
Induk kalimat: The 19th Amendment to the Constitution ... the right to vote.
Anak kalimat: passed in 1920.
Dari penjelasan di atas, berarti yang diminta adalah mencari Verb untuk Induk kalimat. Rumus
kalimat adalah Subject+Verb.
Karena ini menggunakan Simple Past Tense, maka menggunakan Verb 2 (granted).
9. On the third Monday in February, Americans celebrate the births of both George Washington
or Abraham Lincoln.
Note: Jika ada kata both maka seharusnya or diganti and.
Bagaimanapun bentuk kalimatnya, ingatlah beberapa pasangan ini:
Both – and
Either – or
Neither - nor
10. The lenses on near-sighted eyes do not grow thin enough, so ... distant objects clearly.
a. they cannot see
b. cannot be seen
c. their sight
d. seeing them
Note: mencari kalimat utuh >> Subject + Verb atau Subject + modal.
11. Something that produces a very low temperature when added to gas are borax.
Note: Jawabannya is >> karena mengacu pada Subject tunggal (something).
12. In 1869, the first railroad ... the east and west coasts of the United States was completed.
a. it connected
b. was connecting
c. connecting
d. connected
Note: Ingat materi tentang induk kalimat dan anak kalimat? Mari kita bedah:
Induk kalimat: In 1869, the first railroad ... was completed.
Anak kalimat: ... the east and west coasts of the US.
Untuk menjelaskan anak kalimat, kita tidak perlu membuat kalimat utuh. Cukup menggunakan
Gerund (jika aktif: V-ing, jika pasif: V3).
13. In an orchestra, more than half of the musicians plays stringed instruments.
Note: Berdasarkan Subject yang jamak (more than half of the musicians), maka Verb harus
VERB 1 (tanpa tambahan s/es).
14. Both Copernicus and Galileo ... that the Sun was the center of the solar system.
a. they postulated
b. postulated
c. it was postulated
d. the postulation
Note: Simple Past Tense : Subject + V2
15. The Earth’s crust is very thin under the oceans, but its thicker under the continents.
Note: Seharusnya it is. Karena its menyatakan kepemilikan (bukan Subject+to be).
16. A little types of snakes, such as boas and phytons, retain remnants of vertigial limbs.
Note: Karena pembahasan di kalimat tersebut adalah jamak (ular boas dan phyton), maka subject
juga harus merepresentasikan jamak. Seharusnya little (bukan a little).
17. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) achieved great success in the
North but banning in the most of the South.
Note: Makna yang cocok seharusnya “dilarang” (Passive Voive) >> seharusnya was banned
(Subject + V3).
18. Poll taxes, which potential voters had to pay before voting in federal elections, ... in 1964.
a. were outlawed
b. the outlaws
c. to outlaw
d. outlawing
Note: Kembali tentang induk dan anak kalimat.
Induk kalimat: poll taxes ... in 1964
Anak kalimat: which potential voters had to pay before voting in federal elections.
Jadi kita diminta untuk mencari Verb. Karena merupakan Simple Past Tense (masa lampau)
dan Passive Voice, maka seharusnya to be (was/ were) + V3.
