Difficult times in agriculture are making it tough for the next generation of farmers

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

C2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Fill in the blank (dropdown)

How to approach this practice

Read the complete sentence and notice the subject, verb form, time reference and word order before answering.

1. Question 1 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   The transfer would have been impossible ___ the successor’s gradual assumption of expenses.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. without
   2. unless
   3. if not
   4. whether
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   without

   The counterfactual conditional requires “without” followed by a noun phrase.

2. Question 2 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   The higher the capital requirement, ___ the transition becomes for younger farmers.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. the more difficult
   2. more difficult
   3. the most difficult
   4. more difficulty
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   the more difficult

   Correlative comparative structures require “the more difficult” here.

3. Question 3 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   Having assumed ownership, Langseth found that machinery costs ___ his financial stability.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. threaten
   2. threatens
   3. threatening
   4. to threatens
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   threaten

   The plural subject “costs” requires the present-tense verb “threaten.”

4. Question 4 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   The farm, ___ history spans more than a century, still faces contemporary economic pressures.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. whose
   2. which its
   3. that its
   4. of which its
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   whose

   A nonrestrictive relative clause referring to possession requires “whose.”

5. Question 5 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   Were operating costs to fall, more families ___ succession less financially precarious.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. would find
   2. will find
   3. found
   4. would have found
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   would find

   In a formal inverted conditional, “would find” expresses the hypothetical result.

6. Question 6 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   The report emphasizes not only rising costs ___ the uncertainty surrounding agricultural markets.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. but also
   2. and also
   3. as well
   4. but rather
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   but also

   “Not only” is paired with the coordinating conjunction “but also.”

7. Question 7 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   By the time Langseth became owner, he ___ more of the farm’s expenses for several years.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. had been assuming
   2. has been assuming
   3. would assume
   4. was assumed
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   had been assuming

   Past perfect continuous marks an ongoing earlier process before ownership began.

8. Question 8 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   The article suggests that family history alone is insufficient ___ a straightforward transition.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. to guarantee
   2. guaranteeing
   3. guarantee
   4. for guaranteed
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   to guarantee

   The adjective “insufficient” is followed by “to” and an infinitive.

What to review next

After checking an answer, explain the rule in your own words and write a new sentence using the same pattern. Revisit any rules you could not explain.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.