A new clothing company is hoping to create as (1)_________ as 500 jobs in its factory and nationwide chain of stores. The company, New Trend was set up by Peter Dalton, a 36-year-old businessman (2)_________ Liverpool. The company, which is due to start production early next year, will provide employment for 300 people in its factory on the edge of Liverpool. In 12 months' time, (3)_________ will be a further 200 jobs, as the company begins opening shops in towns in all parts of Britain. Peter Dalton is also (4)_________ to open a shop in new York. "This project has (5)_________ me over four years to finalise," says Peter Dalton.
Passage Blank 1 Explanation
The question asks us to fill in the first blank in a passage about a new clothing company, 'New Trend', planning to create jobs. The specific sentence is: "A new clothing company is hoping to create as (1)_________ as 500 jobs in its factory and nationwide chain of stores." We need to choose the best word from the given options to complete this sentence grammatically and meaningfully.
Grammar Focus: Using 'As...As' with Countable Nouns
The structure "as ______ as" is used to make comparisons. When comparing quantities, the word used depends on whether the noun that follows is countable or uncountable.
- We use 'much' with uncountable nouns (things we cannot count individually, like 'water', 'time', 'money'). Example: "He doesn't have as much time as he thought."
- We use 'many' with countable nouns (things we can count individually, like 'jobs', 'books', 'people'). Example: "There are as many students as seats."
In the sentence, the noun is 'jobs'. 'Jobs' are countable; we can have one job, two jobs, 500 jobs, etc. Therefore, we need a determiner that works with countable nouns.
Analyzing the Options for Blank 1
- Option 1: lot - The phrase "as lot as" is grammatically incorrect. We might say "a lot of jobs", but not "as lot as".
- Option 2: much - 'Much' is used for uncountable nouns. Since 'jobs' is countable, 'much' is incorrect here. We wouldn't say "as much jobs".
- Option 3: many - 'Many' is used for countable nouns. "As many jobs as" correctly indicates a large, countable number of jobs. This fits the context perfectly, suggesting the company aims to create up to 500 jobs.
- Option 4: more - 'More' is used for comparisons (e.g., "more jobs than before"). While related to quantity, the structure "as more as" is not standard English for this type of comparison of quantity. It doesn't fit the "as ______ as [number]" pattern for expressing a potential total.
Based on the grammatical rules for countable nouns and the "as...as" comparison structure, 'many' is the correct word to use before 'as 500 jobs'.
Similar Questions
- Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 3.
- Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 2.
- Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 4.
- Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 5.
Important Questions from Cloze Test
- Directions: Select the most appropriate option that will fill in the blank number 1.
- Directions: Select the most appropriate option that will fill in the blank number 2.
- Directions: Select the most appropriate option that will fill in the blank number 3.
- Directions: Select the most appropriate option that will fill in the blank number 4.
- Directions: Select the most appropriate option that will fill in the blank number 5.
