10 exercises — how "on close inspection" introduces a finding revealed by careful, deliberate examination.
Quick reference
On close inspection: introduces a finding revealed by careful examination
Fixed form: no article — "on close inspection," not "on the close inspection"
Natural partner: often paired with "at first glance" for contrast
Close synonym: "upon closer examination"
Register: neutral-to-formal, common in spoken code reviews and written audit reports
0 / 10 completed
1 / 10
A code review comment reads: "This function looked correct at a skim. ___ , it mutates the input array in place, which the caller doesn't expect." Which phrase best signals a deeper look revealing a hidden problem?
On close inspection is a fixed idiom meaning "after examining something carefully." It takes no article before "close inspection" and uses "on," not "at." The other options wrongly add "the," pluralize "inspection," or use the wrong preposition.
2 / 10
Which sentence uses "on close inspection" correctly?
"The migration script looked idempotent. On close inspection, it actually double-charges retried customers" correctly reveals a problem found through careful examination of something that initially seemed fine. It cannot introduce a bare future plan, an instruction, or a scheduled event.
3 / 10
Fill the blank: "The dashboard numbers matched at a glance. ___ , the two charts were pulling from different time zones."
On close inspection has a fixed word order: "on" + "close" + "inspection." The other options scramble this into invalid, meaningless sequences.
4 / 10
Which pair correctly distinguishes "on close inspection" from "at first glance"?
The two phrases are natural partners: "At first glance, the diff looks trivial. On close inspection, it changes a public API's return type." The first sets up a quick impression; the second reveals what deeper scrutiny uncovers.
5 / 10
A security audit note reads: "The token validation appeared solid in the demo. ___ , it never checked the token's expiry field." Which best completes the sentence?
On close inspection is the correct, fixed form. The other options scramble the required word order into invalid phrases.
6 / 10
Which sentence contains an error in the use of "on close inspection"?
"On close inspection that the auditor performed last week, the server crashed overnight" incorrectly attaches a relative clause and applies the phrase to a standalone event with nothing that was superficially examined first. The other three sentences correctly pair a surface impression with a deeper finding.
7 / 10
Choose the sentence where "on close inspection" is best replaced by "upon closer examination" without changing the meaning.
"The library seemed unmaintained. Upon closer examination, the last 'real' commit was disguised as a dependency bump" preserves the meaning exactly. The other options misuse the phrase as an urgency marker, an unrelated construction, or a pairing with a specific future date.
8 / 10
A code review reads: "The pagination logic seemed correct in the happy path. ___ , it drops the last page whenever the total count is an exact multiple of the page size." Which best fits?
On close inspection is the correct, standard form — no article, and "inspection" stays singular. Option A wrongly turns "close" into an adverb. Option B wrongly pluralizes "inspection." Option D wrongly adds "the."
9 / 10
Which register note about "on close inspection" is accurate?
"On close inspection" works equally well in a spoken code review ("On close inspection, this leaks a connection") and a written security audit report. It always introduces a finding uncovered by careful scrutiny.
10 / 10
Which sentence best demonstrates "on close inspection" revealing a flaw that a surface-level review missed?
"The load balancer's health check passed consistently. On close inspection, it only pinged the loopback interface..." is the textbook use: a reassuring surface signal followed by a deeper, more troubling finding. The other options misuse the phrase as a command intensifier, insert it awkwardly mid-clause, or pair it incorrectly with a specific future date.
What will I practise in ""On Close Inspection" as a Scrutiny Marker — IT English Grammar"?
Practice using "on close inspection" to reveal a problem uncovered by careful examination, in code reviews and security audits.
How many exercises are in this module?
This module has 10 multiple-choice exercises, each with instant feedback and a full explanation of the correct answer.
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How is this different from reading an article on the same topic?
Articles explain grammar rules in prose; this exercise tests and reinforces those rules through active recall with immediate feedback — the two work best together.
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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.