1.
The guests had arrived for John's party but no one greeted them at the door.
Correct Answer
C. The guests had arrived for John's party, but no one greeted them at the door.
Explanation
The correct answer is "The guests had arrived for John's party, but no one greeted them at the door." This answer correctly uses a comma before the coordinating conjunction "but" to separate the two independent clauses in the sentence. The use of the comma helps to clarify the relationship between the two clauses and improves the overall readability of the sentence.
2.
They knocked on his door called his name and tapped on his window.
Correct Answer
B. They knocked on his door, called his name, and tapped on his window.
Explanation
The correct answer is "They knocked on his door, called his name, and tapped on his window." The explanation is that the sentence is listing three actions that were performed by "they" - knocking on the door, calling his name, and tapping on his window. To separate these actions and make the sentence clearer, commas are used to indicate the pause between each action.
3.
Bill drove to the nearest telephone Rose sat on the steps and Adolph walked across the street.
Correct Answer
B. Bill drove to the nearest telepHone, Rose sat on the steps, and AdolpH walked across the street.
Explanation
The correct answer is "Bill drove to the nearest telephone, Rose sat on the steps, and Adolph walked across the street." This answer correctly uses commas to separate the actions of each person in the sentence. Without the commas, it would be unclear whether Rose sat on the steps while Bill drove to the telephone or if Rose sat on the steps after Bill drove to the telephone. The use of commas clarifies the sequence of events and makes the sentence grammatically correct.
4.
Bill telephoned the neighbor who lived across the street.
Correct Answer
A. The sentence is correctly written.
Explanation
The given sentence "Bill telephoned the neighbor who lived across the street" is correct because it clearly states that Bill telephoned the neighbor who lived across the street. The use of "who" in the sentence correctly identifies the neighbor as the one who lived across the street.
5.
Not expecting his guests until the following week John had driven to Hopkinsville Kentucky on December 2 1974.
Correct Answer
B. Not expecting his guests until the following week, John had driven to Hopkinsville Kentucky on December 2, 1974.
Explanation
The correct answer is "Not expecting his guests until the following week, John had driven to Hopkinsville Kentucky on December 2, 1974." This answer is correct because it adds a necessary comma after "week" to separate the introductory phrase from the rest of the sentence. The comma helps to clarify the meaning of the sentence and improve its readability.
6.
The guest rather disappointed and puzzled went home.
Correct Answer
B. The guest, rather disappointed and puzzled, went home.
Explanation
The correct answer is "The guest, rather disappointed and puzzled, went home." This answer is correct because it adds the necessary commas to set off the phrase "rather disappointed and puzzled." Without the commas, the sentence would be missing necessary punctuation and would not be grammatically correct.
7.
As you might have guessed John was not expecting guests that night.
Correct Answer
C. As you might have guessed, John was not expecting guests that night.
Explanation
The correct answer is "As you might have guessed, John was not expecting guests that night." This answer is correct because it properly uses punctuation to set off the introductory phrase "As you might have guessed" with a comma. It also correctly places the comma after the name "John" to separate it from the rest of the sentence.
8.
John is usually a dependable thoughtful person.
Correct Answer
B. John is usually a dependable, thoughtful person.
Explanation
The correct answer is "John is usually a dependable, thoughtful person." The correct answer includes a comma after "dependable" to separate the two adjectives, "dependable" and "thoughtful." This helps to clarify that both adjectives are describing John. The incorrect answer "John, is usually a dependable thoughtful person" includes a comma before "is," which is unnecessary and disrupts the flow of the sentence.
9.
Because Willard liked Rose he commented about her laugh.
Correct Answer
C. Because Willard like Rose, he commented about her laugh.
Explanation
The correct answer is "Because Willard like Rose, he commented about her laugh." The verb "like" should be in the present tense to match the subject "Willard." Additionally, a comma is needed after "Rose" to separate the dependent clause "Because Willard like Rose" from the independent clause "he commented about her laugh."
10.
In spite of what happened they still like John.
Correct Answer
C. In spite of what happened, they still like John.
Explanation
The correct answer is "In spite of what happened, they still like John." The sentence is correctly written because it uses the correct punctuation and placement of the phrase "in spite of what happened." This phrase is used to show that despite a certain event or situation, the subject still likes John. The correct answer includes the necessary comma to separate the phrase from the rest of the sentence.