Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: that whether he would be
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This item checks complementizer usage with reporting verbs like “ask”. English uses either a “that-clause” or an interrogative “whether/if-clause”, but not both simultaneously. Doubling them creates a faulty construction.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
With “ask”, use “whether/if” without “that”: “He asked whether he would be permitted …”. The sequence “that whether” is ungrammatical because English does not stack complementizers this way in standard usage.
Step-by-Step Solution:
1) Identify the clause marker(s) introducing the content of “asked”.2) Remove “that” and keep the interrogative complementizer: “whether”.3) Correct clause: “he asked his superiors whether he would be permitted to leave early”.4) Therefore, the error resides in C.
Verification / Alternative check:
Try parallel patterns: “asked whether/if …”, “said that …”. Mixing these leads to obvious awkwardness (“said whether that …”).
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Common Pitfalls:
Stacking complementizers; translating directly from languages that allow “that whether” sequences.
Final Answer:
Option C
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