Direction III. Read each question carefully and choose the best answer

Here are the solutions to the grammar and usage questions:

13. If the government planted more trees, the local climate would improve significantly.

• This is a Type 2 conditional sentence, requiring the simple past tense in the "if" clause.
• The correct option is C.

14. The Nile River, which flows through several countries, is the longest in Africa.

• "Which" is used to introduce a non-restrictive clause about a thing (The Nile River).
• The correct option is D.

15. By the time the students reached the school, the morning bell had rung.

• "By the time" indicates an action completed before another past action, requiring the past perfect tense.
• The correct option is C.

16. I am not used to living in such a cold climate like the Simien Mountains.

• The phrase "be used to" is followed by a gerund (verb + -ing).
• The correct option is D.

17. He has been writing since 8:00 a.m., and he still hasn't finished the report.

• "Since 8:00 a.m." and "still hasn't finished" indicate an action that started in the past and continues up to the present, requiring the present perfect continuous tense.
• The correct option is B.

18. Neither the director nor the teachers were present at the meeting yesterday.

• With "neither...nor," the verb agrees with the noun closest to it ("teachers" is plural). "Yesterday" indicates past tense.
• The correct option is A.

19. You must not drive a car unless you have a valid driver's license.

• "Must not" expresses a prohibition or a strong obligation not to do something.
• The correct option is B.

20. "Where is the headmaster?" "He has gone to Adama for a workshop."

• "Has gone" indicates that he left and is currently not here, which answers the question about his present whereabouts.
• The correct option is C.

21. This is the worst road I have ever travelled on in this region.

• "Ever travelled" requires the superlative degree of the adjective "bad," which is "worst."
• The correct option is C.

22. The teacher asked us not to make any noise while the exam was in progress.

• The structure for a negative instruction after "ask" is "ask + object + not + to-infinitive."
• The correct option is C.

23. I would have helped you with the project if you had asked me earlier.

• This is a Type 3 conditional sentence, requiring the past perfect tense in the "if" clause.
• The correct option is C.

24. The traditional clothes are worn by many people during the holiday.

• "By many people" indicates the passive voice. "Clothes" is plural, so "are worn" is the correct present simple passive form.
• The correct option is A.

25. I prefer drinking traditional coffee to drinking tea in the morning.

• The correct preposition used with "prefer X" when comparing it to "Y" is "to."
• The correct option is B.

26. Although it was raining heavily, no need of conjunction the students arrived on time.

• "Although" already serves as the conjunction introducing the concessive clause. No additional conjunction is needed between the two clauses.
• The correct option is D.

27. The old man who is sitting under the tree is my grandfather.

• "Who" is the correct relative pronoun to refer to a person when it is the subject of the relative clause ("is sitting").
• The correct option is C.