The professors said that Ade was …

Analyze the question This is a test of correct word order and natural English expression. You must choose the option that is grammatical and idiomatic.

Concept In English, "potential" used as a noun is usually followed by "for" or used after "of": a student of great potential. The phrase "of great potential" describes a quality of the person, and it comes after the noun it modifies. Adjectives like "great" go directly before the noun they describe (here, "potential").

Step-by-step check

• A. a great student of potential: This is awkward. "Of potential" without an adjective sounds incomplete, and it changes the meaning to "a great student" who happens to have potential, which is not the standard expression.
• B. a student of great potential: This is correct. "Great" modifies "potential," and "of great potential" describes the student. It is a common, natural phrase.
• C. a great potential student: This is unidiomatic. It treats "potential" as an adjective meaning "possible or future," which suggests he is not yet a student (a "potential student" is someone who might enrol).
• D. of potential a great student: This is ungrammatical word order.

Answer The correct option is B. a student of great potential.

The full sentence is: The professors said that Ade was a student of great potential.

Tip Remember the pattern "a person of + adjective + noun" (e.g., a man of great wisdom, a woman of high integrity, a student of great potential). When you see this pattern in the options, it is usually the correct one. Also watch out for "potential" as an adjective, because it changes the meaning to "possible/future."