In the following passage about checklists and education, choose the correct noun form to complete the sentence “Is the _______________ implication equally clear? Perhaps not.”

Introduction / Context:
This cloze test is taken from a passage that explains what a checklist is and how it differs from the usual, subjective approach in education. The specific sentence reads, “This is clear. Is the _______________ implication equally clear? Perhaps not.” The aim is to examine your sensitivity to collocation and correct use of adjective and noun forms. Here, the writer is talking about the implications or the consequences that arise from the earlier statement, and the phrase must sound natural in formal written English. Understanding how “consequence” and “consequential” are used is essential to choosing the correct option.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The key fragment is: “Is the _______________ implication equally clear? Perhaps not.” • Options: consequences, consequence, consequential, consequentially. • The noun “implication” is already present in the sentence. • The passage is formal, analytical prose about checklists and objectivity.

Concept / Approach:
“Implication” is a noun that often takes an adjective before it, such as “moral implication”, “legal implication” or “practical implication”. The sense of the sentence is that the implication in terms of consequences or effects may not be equally clear. Therefore, the blank should be filled with an adjective modifying “implication”. Among the options, “consequences” is a plural noun, “consequence” is a singular noun, “consequential” is an adjective meaning “significant” or “resulting from something”, and “consequentially” is an adverb. The only adjective is “consequential”, and the phrase “consequential implication” is a natural way to express “implication in terms of consequences or resulting effects”. Thus, “consequential” best fits both grammar and meaning.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Identify “implication” as the head noun in the phrase, with a descriptive word needed before it. 2. Recognise that the blank must be filled by an adjective that can modify “implication”. 3. Classify each option: “consequences” (noun), “consequence” (noun), “consequential” (adjective), “consequentially” (adverb). 4. Test possible pairings: “consequential implication” is valid; “consequence implication” or “consequences implication” are awkward and grammatically unsound; “consequentially implication” is wrong because an adverb cannot directly modify a noun. 5. Conclude that “consequential” is the correct word to express the idea of implications in terms of consequences.

Verification / Alternative check:
Read the full sentence in context: “Very simply, a checklist is a list of items required, things to be done or points to be considered, used as a reminder. This is clear. Is the consequential implication equally clear? Perhaps not.” The phrase “consequential implication” suggests that there are important, result-oriented implications of viewing tasks through a checklist. This fits the author’s intention, which is to explore a deeper, perhaps less obvious impact of checklists on teaching and evaluation. Trying “consequence implication” or “consequences implication” sounds clumsy and is not standard English usage. “Consequentially implication” is clearly ungrammatical because adverbs cannot directly modify nouns.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
• “consequences” is a plural noun; the phrase “consequences implication” is incorrect and would normally be phrased as “implication in terms of consequences”. • “consequence” is a singular noun that again does not naturally appear before “implication” in this way; we would say “implication of this consequence”, not “consequence implication”. • “consequentially” is an adverb, which modifies verbs, adjectives or other adverbs, not the noun “implication”.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates often choose nouns instead of adjectives in such phrases because they focus only on meaning, not on part-of-speech function. Another mistake is assuming that adding “-s” makes a word more formal or better suited to academic writing. In fact, correctness depends entirely on grammar and collocation. When you see a blank directly before a noun, first decide whether you need an adjective, an adverb, or another noun in a specific compound pattern. Here, once you recognise that you need an adjective, “consequential” stands out as the only suitable choice.

Final Answer:
The correct word to complete the sentence is consequential, giving the phrase “Is the consequential implication equally clear? Perhaps not.”