Adjective Complementation Patterns in Technical English
5 exercises — practise the correct structure required after fixed technical-writing adjectives.
0 / 17 completed
1 / 17
Choose the sentence with the correct preposition after "responsible":
"Responsible for" is the fixed preposition pairing for this adjective, always followed by a gerund or noun phrase describing the task or duty. "Responsible of", "responsible to" (in this sense), and "responsible on" are all incorrect prepositions for this meaning — note that "responsible to someone" is a separate, valid pattern meaning "answerable to a person or authority," but it does not apply when describing a task, as in this sentence about validating tokens.
2 / 17
Which sentence correctly uses the to-infinitive after "likely"?
"Likely to cause" is correct: "likely" takes a to-infinitive complement when predicting a probable outcome. Option A drops the required "to" and awkwardly uses a gerund form directly, which is not the standard pattern for "likely" describing a subject's probable action. Option C incorrectly tries to attach a that-clause to "likely" in this construction, which is ungrammatical — "it is likely that..." is a valid separate pattern using the dummy subject "it", but "this query is likely that it causes..." incorrectly duplicates the subject. Option D incorrectly uses "for" plus a gerund, which is not a valid complementation pattern for "likely".
3 / 17
A risk assessment states: "The team is _____ that the vendor API will introduce breaking changes without notice." Choose the correct adjective + complementation pattern for expressing worry with a that-clause.
"Concerned that" is correct when followed directly by a full clause with its own subject and verb ("the vendor API will introduce..."). "Concerned about" (option B) is also a valid pattern for this adjective, but it requires a noun phrase or gerund complement, not a full clause with a finite verb — "concerned about breaking changes" would be correct, but "concerned about that the vendor API will introduce" is not. "Concerned for" (option A) is used in a different sense, expressing concern for someone's wellbeing or safety, not a technical risk. "Concerned to" (option D) is not a standard complementation pattern for this adjective.
4 / 17
Choose the sentence with the correct complementation pattern for "capable":
"Capable of handling" is correct: "capable" always takes the preposition "of" followed by a gerund, never a to-infinitive or a bare gerund without the preposition. Option A incorrectly uses a to-infinitive, which "capable" does not take. Option B incorrectly attaches a that-clause, which is not a valid pattern for this adjective. Option C omits the required preposition "of" before the gerund, which is ungrammatical.
5 / 17
Which sentence correctly uses the dummy subject "it" with an adjective + that-clause pattern to express certainty in a technical recommendation?
"It is essential that the migration script run" is correct, using the subjunctive base form "run" (not "runs") after "essential that", a formal pattern common with adjectives expressing necessity or importance (also seen with "important", "critical", "vital", "necessary"). Option A uses a gerund ("running") with no verb, which is ungrammatical after this pattern. Option C incorrectly inserts "for" before the gerund, which does not fit this construction. Option D restructures the sentence so "the migration script" is the subject of "is essential", incorrectly implying the script itself is essential in some other sense, rather than expressing that its running in a maintenance window is the essential fact — this loses the intended dummy-subject "it" pattern entirely.
6 / 17
PR Description
Subject: Fix: NullPointerException in User Authentication Service.
During code review, you're asked to improve this PR description. Which of the following options best describes the issue?
Option A: The service is unreliable due to network latency.
Option B: The service is prone to errors when handling invalid user credentials.
Option C: The service is configured incorrectly with outdated dependencies.
Option D: The service throws a NullPointerException when attempting to retrieve user data from the database.
This question tests understanding of using adjectives with 'to be' verbs to describe system behavior. The correct option uses 'prone' – this is the most appropriate adjective here because it directly addresses the *likelihood* of an error occurring. Options A and C are descriptive but don't precisely capture the technical nature of the problem, while Option B is a slightly vague description of the symptom (errors) rather than the root cause. Using 'to be' verbs like 'is' or 'are' followed by an adjective is a standard pattern for reporting system characteristics in development contexts.
7 / 17
During a code review of the User Authentication Service PR, your team lead asks you to refine the description. Here's the current draft:
'This fix addresses a problem with user login.'
Which of the following options provides a more precise and technically accurate description of the issue, utilizing an appropriate adjective complementation pattern for technical documentation? Consider the specific nature of the error.
The original description is too vague. The problem isn't 'unexpected behavior,' but a specific error type. Using the adjective 'NullPointerException' clearly identifies the root cause and provides valuable technical detail for reviewers and developers. A correct description should highlight the precise technical issue—in this case, that the service *throws* a `NullPointerException` when retrieving user data. Option A is too general; B is the most accurate representation of the problem using the correct terminology.
8 / 17
PR Description
Subject: Fix: NullPointerException in User Authentication Service.
During code review, you're asked to improve this PR description. Which of the following options best describes the issue?
Option A: The service is unreliable due to network latency.
Option B: The service is prone to errors when handling invalid user credentials.
Option C: The service is configured incorrectly with outdated dependencies.
Option D: The service throws a NullPointerException when attempting to retrieve user data from the database.
This question tests understanding of using adjectives with 'to be' verbs to describe system behavior. The correct option uses 'prone' – this is the most appropriate adjective here because it directly addresses the *likelihood* of an error occurring. Options A and C are descriptive but don't precisely capture the technical nature of the problem, while Option B is a slightly vague description of the symptom (errors) rather than the root cause. Using 'to be' verbs like 'is' or 'are' followed by an adjective is a standard pattern for reporting system characteristics in development contexts.
9 / 17
During a code review of the User Authentication Service PR, your team lead asks you to refine the description. Here's the current draft:
'This fix addresses a problem with user login.'
Which of the following options provides a more precise and technically accurate description of the issue, utilizing an appropriate adjective complementation pattern for technical documentation? Consider the specific nature of the error.
The original description is too vague. The problem isn't 'unexpected behavior,' but a specific error type. Using the adjective 'NullPointerException' clearly identifies the root cause and provides valuable technical detail for reviewers and developers. A correct description should highlight the precise technical issue—in this case, that the service *throws* a `NullPointerException` when retrieving user data. Option A is too general; B is the most accurate representation of the problem using the correct terminology.
10 / 17
PR Description
Subject: Fix: NullPointerException in User Authentication Service.
During code review, you're asked to improve this PR description. Which of the following options best describes the issue?
Option A: The service is unreliable due to network latency.
Option B: The service is prone to errors when handling invalid user credentials.
Option C: The service is configured incorrectly with outdated dependencies.
Option D: The service throws a NullPointerException when attempting to retrieve user data from the database.
This question tests understanding of using adjectives with 'to be' verbs to describe system behavior. The correct option uses 'prone' – this is the most appropriate adjective here because it directly addresses the *likelihood* of an error occurring. Options A and C are descriptive but don't precisely capture the technical nature of the problem, while Option B is a slightly vague description of the symptom (errors) rather than the root cause. Using 'to be' verbs like 'is' or 'are' followed by an adjective is a standard pattern for reporting system characteristics in development contexts.
11 / 17
During a code review of the User Authentication Service PR, your team lead asks you to refine the description. Here's the current draft:
'This fix addresses a problem with user login.'
Which of the following options provides a more precise and technically accurate description of the issue, utilizing an appropriate adjective complementation pattern for technical documentation? Consider the specific nature of the error.
The original description is too vague. The problem isn't 'unexpected behavior,' but a specific error type. Using the adjective 'NullPointerException' clearly identifies the root cause and provides valuable technical detail for reviewers and developers. A correct description should highlight the precise technical issue—in this case, that the service *throws* a `NullPointerException` when retrieving user data. Option A is too general; B is the most accurate representation of the problem using the correct terminology.
12 / 17
John is responsible for debugging the performance bottleneck in the database query. Which sentence best describes his task using an adjective complementation pattern?
The correct answer uses 'optimizing' to describe the action John is taking. The 'to-infinitive + for' pattern isn't appropriate here; we need an adjective that directly modifies the verb 'fixing'. Options A and B use incorrect preposition usage. Option D is too vague.
13 / 17
Alex reports: 'The API response is consistently returning a 500 error for requests to the /users endpoint. We need to investigate why.' Which of the following options best captures the nature of this problem using an adjective complementation pattern?
The key here is identifying the *degree* of the problem. 'Unexpected' accurately describes the situation where the error rate is unusually high compared to expectations. The other options focus on different aspects (lack of response, intermittent errors, or a general issue) but don't specifically address the severity of the API's behavior.
14 / 17
During a Slack discussion about a new feature, Sarah says: 'The database schema changes are potentially disruptive. We need to ensure the migration process is thoroughly tested before deployment.' Which of the following best describes Sarah's concern using an adjective + that-clause complementation pattern?
Sarah is expressing a concern about potential negative consequences. 'Risky' accurately reflects this worry regarding performance impacts. The other options describe different types of difficulties (security vulnerabilities, integration complexities, or general challenges) but don't directly address the risk associated with the migration.
15 / 17
As a code reviewer, you're asked to assess this commit message: 'Fixed an issue where users couldn't access their profiles.' Which of the following options best uses an adjective complementation pattern to describe the *severity* of the problem?
The core of the problem is the inability for users to access their profiles, which represents a major issue. 'Critical' effectively conveys this severity because it highlights the substantial disruption caused by the bug. The other options describe less serious problems or focus on different aspects (limited impact, small number of users, or essential tasks).
16 / 17
David writes in a standup update: 'I'm currently investigating the root cause of the intermittent latency spikes we're seeing in the microservice. It's proving to be quite complex.' Which option best completes this sentence using an adjective complementation pattern?
David uses 'complex' to describe the difficulty of the investigation. This accurately reflects the need for specialized skills and knowledge to diagnose the cause of latency spikes. The other options suggest different types of urgency or potential obstacles – none directly address the technical challenge presented by the problem.
17 / 17
During a code review, you are asked to provide feedback on this PR description: 'This change improves the performance of the search function.' Which of the following options best uses an adjective complementation pattern to describe the *improvement*?
'Substantial' correctly describes a significant performance boost. The other options indicate smaller or less impactful improvements. Using 'substantial' accurately conveys the degree to which the search function now performs.
What will I practise in "Adjective Complementation Patterns in Technical English — IT Grammar Exercise"?
Practise the fixed structures — preposition, to-infinitive, gerund, or that-clause — required after adjectives like responsible, likely, concerned, capable
How many exercises are in this module?
This module has 17 multiple-choice exercises, each with instant feedback and a full explanation of the correct answer.
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Articles explain grammar rules in prose; this exercise tests and reinforces those rules through active recall with immediate feedback — the two work best together.
Who writes these exercises?
Every exercise is written by the CoderSlingo team, drawing on real workplace English used in IT roles, then reviewed for accuracy and clarity.