1.
Which of the following is correct?
Correct Answer
A. Rome, Italy
Explanation
A. Rome, Italy. Cities and countries are capitalized. See Lesson: Capitalization.
2.
What is the mistake in the following sentence?
It’s unfortunately raining outside today.
Correct Answer
D. There should be commas before and after unfortunately.
Explanation
D. There should be commas before and after unfortunately. Commas are used to set off thoughts and emotions.See Lesson: Punctuation.
3.
What is the correct plural of sheep?
Correct Answer
A. Sheep
Explanation
A. This word is irregular in that the plural is the same as the singular.See Lesson: Spelling.
4.
Select the part of speech of the underlined words in the following sentence.
Like the Wind is a fast racehorse, but On the Mark is faster.
Correct Answer
C. Adjective
Explanation
C. These words are adjectives that describe the noun racehorse. See Lesson: Adjectives and Adverbs
5.
Which word in the following sentence is a conjunction?
Margot can speak English, Russian, and Polish fluently.
Correct Answer
C. And
Explanation
C. And is a conjunction. See Lesson: Conjunctions and Prepositions.
6.
Which of the following verbs cannot take a direct object?
Correct Answer
A. Snore
Explanation
A. Snore is intransitive and cannot take a direct object. See Lesson: Direct Objects and Indirect Objects.
7.
Which word is a modifier in the following sentence?
I am following the news story closely.
Correct Answer
D. Closely
Explanation
D. Closely is a modifier; it is an adverb that describes following.See Lesson: Modifiers, misplaced modifiers, dangling modifiers.
8.
Which word or phrase in the following sentence is not a modifier?
Several tigers escaped from the zoo last night.
Correct Answer
B. Escaped
Explanation
B. Escaped is the main verb in this sentence; it is not a modifier.See Lesson: Modifiers, misplaced modifiers, dangling modifiers.
9.
How many nouns in the following sentence have incorrect capitalization?
The Patel Family moved to the United States, and now they live in the Boston Area.
Correct Answer
C. 2
Explanation
C. Family and area are common nouns and should not be capitalized.See Lesson: Nouns.
10.
Which word in the following sentence is a pronoun?
Alexi's grandfather was a well-known lawyer who won many cases.
Correct Answer
C. Who
Explanation
C. Who is a relative pronoun.See Lesson: Pronouns.
11.
Select the correct verbs to complete the following sentence.
We ____ she will fall in love with the puppy the first time she ___ him.
Correct Answer
B. know, sees
Explanation
B. We know and she sees have the correct subject-verb agreement.See Lesson: Subject and Verb Agreement.
12.
How would you connect the following clauses?
They went to dinner. The movie.
Correct Answer
A. They went to dinner after the movie.
Explanation
A. They went to dinner after the movie. With an independent and dependent clause, a subordinating conjunction is used to connect them. “After” is the only choice that makes sense. See Lesson: Types of Clauses.
13.
Which of the following options correctly fixes the run-on sentence below?
Taking a foreign language class is important speaking another language allows us to connect with others in our world.
Correct Answer
B. Taking a foreign language class is important. Speaking another language allows us to connect with others in our world.
Explanation
B. This sentence correctly fixes the run-on sentence. See Lesson: Types of Sentences.
14.
What verb tenses are used in the following sentence?
While the burglars were grabbing the money, the police broke down the door.
Correct Answer
B. Past progressive and simple past
Explanation
B.Were grabbing is past progressive, and broke is simple past.See Lesson: Verbs and Verb Tenses.
15.
Select the meaning of the underlined word in the sentence based on the context clues.
The old man was miserly, and he rarely spent his money on anything.
Correct Answer
A. Stingy
Explanation
A. The meaning of miserly in the context of this sentence is “stingy.” See Lesson: Context Clues and Multiple Meaning Words
16.
Select the context clue from the following sentence that helps you define the word boisterous.
The heavy metal concert had a boisterous crowd of fans who hooted and howled during the whole performance.
Correct Answer
C. “hooted and howled”
Explanation
C. The meaning of boisterous in this context is “noisy and active in a lively way.” The phrase “hooted and howled” helps you figure out the meaning of boisterous. See Lesson: Context Clues and Multiple Meaning Words
17.
Which of the following prefixes means former?
Correct Answer
A. Ex-
Explanation
A. The prefix that means “former” is ex- as in the word ex-husband.
18.
The use of the prefix mono- in the word monolingual indicates that a person knows which of the following about language?
Correct Answer
B. How to speak one language
Explanation
B. The prefix mono- means “one” so a monolingual person would only know how to speak one language.
19.
Quaff : Beverage :: Garnish : __________
Correct Answer
A. Plate
Explanation
A. Quaff is an action that you do with a beverage in the same way that garnish is an action you do with a plate of food. See Lesson: Synonyms, Antonyms, and Analogies.
20.
Which of the following words in the list of synonyms shows the strongest degree in meaning?
Correct Answer
C. Distraught
Explanation
C. Distraught is the word that shows the strongest degree in the list of synonyms. See Lesson: Synonyms, Antonyms, and Analogies.
21.
What part of speech is the underlined word in the following sentence?
The team played on despite the rain.
Correct Answer
B. Preposition
Explanation
B. Despite is a preposition, and despite the rain is a prepositional phrase. See Lesson: Conjunctions and Prepositions.
22.
Which sentence combines all of the information using a parallel structure?
New York City is exciting. New York City is full of different cultures. New York City has so much to offer.
Correct Answer
A. New York City is exciting, diverse, and interesting.
Explanation
A. This sentence combines the information using parallel structure. See Lesson: Types of Sentences.
23.
Which of the following is correct?
Correct Answer
D. American Civil Liberties Union
Explanation
D. American Civil Liberties Union. National organizations need to be capitalized. See Lesson: Capitalization.
24.
Select the sentence that best describes something that is happening at this moment.
Correct Answer
C. The chef is roasting a chicken.
Explanation
C. This sentence is in present progressive tense, and it describes something that is happening at this moment. See Lesson: Verbs and Verb Tenses.
25.
Select the part of speech of the underlined word in the following sentence.
Let me give you some friendly advice.
Correct Answer
D. Adjective
Explanation
D. Friendly is an adjective that describes the noun advice. See Lesson: Adjectives and Adverbs
26.
Identify the verb, if any, that has a direct object in the following sentence.
Dr. Popov sat and squinted as he viewed cells through the microscope.
Correct Answer
C. viewed
Explanation
C. Cells is the direct object of the verb viewed. See Lesson: Direct Objects and Indirect Objects.
27.
Select the meaning of the underlined word in the sentence.
Susan is known as a business magnate and is at the top of her industry.
Correct Answer
B. A wealthy and powerful person
Explanation
B. The root word magn means “great or large,” so, a magnate would be a wealthy and powerful person. See Lesson: Root Words, Prefixes, and Suffixes.
28.
What is the best definition of the word loquacious?
Correct Answer
C. Talkative
Explanation
C. The root locu means “speak,” so a loquacious person would be talkative. See Lesson: Root Words, Prefixes, and Suffixes.
29.
Select the correct definition of the underlined word that has multiple meanings in the sentence.
Stella was pleased since her university offered a wide range of interesting courses.
Correct Answer
A. An assortment of things
Explanation
A. The meaning of range in the context of this sentence is “an assortment of things.” See Lesson: Context Clues and Multiple Meaning Words.
30.
Select the context clue from the following sentence that helps you define the multiple meaning word mask.
Charlie tried to mask his habit of biting his nails by hiding when he did it.
Correct Answer
C. “hiding”
Explanation
C. The meaning of mask in this context is “conceal.” The phrase “hiding” helps you figure out which meaning of mask is being used. See Lesson: Context Clues and Multiple Meaning Words.
31.
Which sentence is correct?
Correct Answer
B. Honesty is the best policy.
Explanation
B. Honesty is the best policy. All the other sentences are missing some punctuation. See Lesson: Punctuation.
32.
Which word is a correct plural form?
Correct Answer
A. Deer
Explanation
A. Deer is both the singular and plural form for the noun deer. See Lesson: Nouns.
33.
Select the sentence that has a noun as its subject.
Correct Answer
B. Susan made dinner.
Explanation
B. Susan is a noun; the other answers have pronouns as their subjects. See Lesson: Nouns.
34.
Select the correct verb to complete the following sentence.
The news I got ___ not the news I was expecting.
Correct Answer
B. Was
Explanation
B. The subject news is third person singular, so it takes the verb was. See Lesson: Subject and Verb Agreement.
35.
Fill in the blank with the correct subordinating conjunction.
I had a bad stomach flu but started to regain my appetite, ____ is good news.
Correct Answer
C. Which
Explanation
C. Which. The word "which" signifies the beginning of a dependent clause and is the only conjunction that makes sense in the sentence. See Lesson: Types of Clauses.
36.
Which of the following spellings is correct?
Correct Answer
B. Criticism
Explanation
B. Criticism is the only correct spelling. See Lesson: Spelling.
37.
Which of the following uses a conjunction to combine the sentences below so the focus is on Tony preparing for his job interview?
Tony prepared well for his job interview. Tony ended up getting an offer.
Correct Answer
D. Tony ended up getting an offer because he prepared for his job interview.
Explanation
D. The subordinate conjunction “because” combines the sentences and puts the focus on Tony preparing for his job interview. See Lesson: Types of Sentences.
38.
Which word is a modifier in the following sentence?
The black dog was barking.
Correct Answer
A. Black
Explanation
A. Black is a modifier; it is an adjective that describes dog. See Lesson: Modifiers, misplaced modifiers, dangling modifiers.
39.
Which is not a prepositional phrase?
Let's meet at 3:00 in the guest lounge of the airport.
Correct Answer
A. Let's meet
Explanation
A. Let's meet does not contain a preposition. At, in and of are prepositions. See Lesson: Conjunctions and Prepositions.
40.
How many modifiers describe the underlined word in the following sentence?
The royal wedding was beautiful and meaningful.
Correct Answer
D. 3
Explanation
D. Royal, beautiful, and meaningful describe wedding. See Lesson: Modifiers, misplaced modifiers, dangling modifiers.
41.
Select the correct adverb to complete the following sentence.
Harry ran more ________ than Olive.
Correct Answer
B. Slowly
Explanation
B. Slowly is an adverb that describes the verb ran. See Lesson: Adjectives and Adverbs.
42.
Fill in the blank with the correct coordinating conjunction.
Desert climates are hot and dry, ____ many plants grow there.
Correct Answer
B. Yet
Explanation
B. Yet. It is the only conjunction that fits within the context of the sentence. See Lesson: Types of Clauses.
43.
Select the verb that acts on the underlined direct object in the following sentence.
James Madison and Thomas Jefferson were among the men who helped to write the Constitution.
Correct Answer
D. Write
Explanation
D. The Constitution is a direct object of the verb write. See Lesson: Direct Objects and Indirect Objects.
44.
The following words have the same denotation. Which of the words has a negative connotation?
Correct Answer
A. Ruthless
Explanation
A. Ruthless has a negative connotation. See Lesson: Synonyms, Antonyms, and Analogies.
45.
Doctor : Pediatrician :: Instrument : __________
Correct Answer
A. Harp
Explanation
A. A pediatrician is an example of a doctor in the same way that a harp is an example of an instrument. See Lesson: Synonyms, Antonyms, and Analogies.
46.
Which exclamation contains a verb?
Correct Answer
D. That's great!
Explanation
D. That's great contains the contraction That is. Is is a verb. See Lesson: Verbs and Verb Tenses.
47.
Select the form of the verb that agrees with the following subject.
The dancers on the stage
Correct Answer
C. Are
Explanation
C. The verb are agrees with the subject dancers. On the stage is a prepositional phrase; it is not the main subject. See Lesson: Subject and Verb Agreement.
48.
What is the correct use of a period in the following sentence?
Correct Answer
B. She had a bad day.
Explanation
B. She had a bad day. A period is only used at the end of a sentence, and not anywhere in between. See Lesson: Punctuation.
49.
Which word in the following sentence is a possessive pronoun?
That's our new house.
Correct Answer
A. Our
Explanation
A. Our is a possessive pronoun, showing ownership of the noun house. See Lesson: Pronouns.
50.
What part of speech are the underlined words?
My boss asked me to work late tonight, so I won't be able to go to your party.
Correct Answer
C. Pronouns
Explanation
C. These words are pronouns. See Lesson: Pronouns.