5 exercises — practise the additive emphasis marker "not least".
0 / 14 completed
1 / 14
Which sentence correctly uses "not least" before a "because" clause to highlight a particularly important reason?
"...risky, not least because the rollback procedure has never been tested" correctly uses the fixed two-word phrase "not least" directly before "because". Option B wrongly inserts "the". Option C reverses the word order. Option D wrongly inserts "of".
2 / 14
Which sentence correctly uses "not least" before a noun phrase to single out one factor among several?
"...several factors, not least the added latency, argue against..." correctly places the bare noun phrase directly after "not least". Option B wrongly inserts "of". Option C reverses the word order. Option D wrongly inserts "at".
3 / 14
Which sentence correctly distinguishes the additive emphasis marker "not least" from the unrelated superlative phrase "the least" (meaning the smallest amount)?
"...not least the compliance team, raised concerns, though the least significant one..." correctly keeps the additive marker "not least" and the unrelated superlative "the least" each in their own fixed word order. The other options scramble or misuse one of the two phrases.
4 / 14
Which sentence correctly uses "not least" to emphasize one benefit among several in a proposal?
"...several benefits, not least improved fault tolerance" correctly places the noun phrase directly after "not least" with no article or preposition inserted. Option B wrongly inserts "the". Option C wrongly inserts "of". Option D scrambles the word order.
5 / 14
Which sentence correctly uses "not least" at the end of a sentence to add a final, important reason?
"...preferred the managed database, not least because it removed the need..." correctly places "not least" directly before "because", introducing the clause it modifies. The other options move "not least" inside or after the "because" clause, breaking the fixed pattern.
6 / 14
Code Review Comment: 'The database query was slow, SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ?, not least because it didn't use an index. We really need to optimize this.' Which of the following best illustrates the function of "not least" in this comment?
'Not least' in this context isn't just adding information; it's highlighting the *most* crucial reason – the missing index. The phrase emphasizes that the indexing problem was the primary driver of the slowdown, signaling a more serious concern than simply stating 'it was slow.' The incorrect options misinterpret 'not least' as a simple additive clause or suggesting a trivial fix.
7 / 14
Code Review Comment: 'The database query was slow, SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ?, not least because it didn't use an index. We really need to optimize this.' Which of the following best illustrates the function of "not least" in this comment?
'Not least' in this context isn't just adding information; it's highlighting the *most* crucial reason – the missing index. The phrase emphasizes that the indexing problem was the primary driver of the slowdown, signaling a more serious concern than simply stating 'it was slow.' The incorrect options misinterpret 'not least' as a simple additive clause or suggesting a trivial fix.
8 / 14
Code Review Comment: 'The database query was slow, SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ?, not least because it didn't use an index. We really need to optimize this.' Which of the following best illustrates the function of "not least" in this comment?
'Not least' in this context isn't just adding information; it's highlighting the *most* crucial reason – the missing index. The phrase emphasizes that the indexing problem was the primary driver of the slowdown, signaling a more serious concern than simply stating 'it was slow.' The incorrect options misinterpret 'not least' as a simple additive clause or suggesting a trivial fix.
9 / 14
Sarah (to the team): 'We need to prioritize fixing this bug, not least because it's blocking our users from completing key tasks. Ignoring it will only exacerbate the problem.' What is Sarah trying to convey with 'not least'?
'Not least' in this Slack message highlights that the bug's impact—blocking users—is *particularly* significant. It's not merely one of several issues; it's the most important reason for prioritization. Options A and C misrepresent the emphasis, while option B is a direct contradiction.
10 / 14
David (during standup): 'I've been working on improving the data pipeline, not least because we were experiencing significant delays in processing new customer information. This was impacting our reporting accuracy.' What does David mean by 'not least'?
'Not least' in David's standup update emphasizes that delays in customer information processing is *the most important* reason he's focused on improving the data pipeline. It signifies that this delay was the fundamental driver of his efforts; options A and C are incorrect interpretations of emphasis, while option D contradicts the statement.
11 / 14
The team is discussing a potential security vulnerability. Liam says, 'We need to patch this immediately, not least because it's a zero-day exploit.' What is Liam primarily emphasizing?
Liam is using 'not least' to highlight the *most* critical reason – the immediacy and severity of a zero-day exploit. The phrase emphasizes that patching is not just one important step, but the *most* important due to its immediate potential for harm. Options B, C, and D represent other considerations, but aren't the primary emphasis.
12 / 14
Alex (to team): 'We're seeing a lot of latency in the user interface, not least because we're hitting the database connection limit. Scaling up the DB is definitely needed.' What does Alex primarily intend to communicate using 'not least'?
'Not least' here signals that hitting the DB connection limit is a key reason for the UI latency. It's adding another important element to the problem without implying it's the sole cause. Option A is too definitive; options C and D misinterpret the emphasis.
13 / 14
Reviewer: 'The service was intermittently failing, not least because of a race condition in the thread pool management. We need to implement proper synchronization.' Which sentence best explains why 'not least' is used here?
'Not least' indicates that the race condition in the thread pool is a significant factor contributing to the intermittent failures. It's adding emphasis to this specific issue alongside other potential causes for the problem – it doesn't imply it's the *only* reason.
14 / 14
Mark is explaining a recent performance issue to his team. He says: 'The API response times are slow, not least because the caching layer wasn't properly configured.' Which of the following best describes Mark's intent when using 'not least'? It highlights a significant contributing factor that, if overlooked, would worsen the problem.
'Not least' in this context emphasizes that the misconfigured caching layer is a key reason for the slow response times. The phrase isn't merely listing a cause; it highlights one as particularly important and potentially problematic if unaddressed. The incorrect options misinterpret the emphasis – 'not least' doesn't imply exclusivity or casualness.
What will I practise in ""Not Least" as an Additive Emphasis Marker — IT Grammar Exercise"?
Practise using the fixed parenthetical "not least" before a noun phrase or a because-clause to single out one particularly important reason among several.
How many exercises are in this module?
This module has 14 multiple-choice exercises, each with instant feedback and a full explanation of the correct answer.
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Every exercise is written by the CoderSlingo team, drawing on real workplace English used in IT roles, then reviewed for accuracy and clarity.