After a twelve-hour workday, James was exhausted when he heard the news.
- A. .
- B. ;
- C. ,
- D. -
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The comma (,) is used to separate the introductory clause 'After a twelve-hour workday' from the main clause 'James was exhausted when he heard the news.' This punctuation correctly indicates the relationship between the two clauses without interrupting the flow of the sentence. Choice A (.), a period, would create two separate sentences, which is not appropriate in this context. Choice B (;) is too strong of a pause and semicolons are typically used to connect closely related independent clauses. Choice D (-) is an em dash, which is used to set off an abrupt break or interruption in the sentence, not to separate an introductory clause from the main clause.
You may also like to solve these questions
Everyday items like potatoes, bread, onions, and even saliva are the tools of art conservators, who work to clean and restore works of art. Which of the following is misspelled in the sentence above?
- A. potatoes
- B. saliva
- C. conservators
- D. restore
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct spelling is 'potatoes,' with the correct plural form being used in this context. The other choices are spelled correctly: 'saliva,' 'conservators,' and 'restore.' 'Saliva' refers to a bodily fluid, 'conservators' are professionals who work on art conservation, and 'restore' means to bring something back to its original condition or state.
Which of the following is a complex sentence?
- A. When skywriting, a pilot flies a small aircraft in specific, particular formations, creating large letters visible from the ground.
- B. The public defense attorney was able to maintain her optimism despite her dearth of courtroom wins, her lack of free time, and her growing list of clients.
- C. Because the distance between stars in the galaxy is far greater than the distance between planets, interstellar travel is expected to be an even bigger challenge than interplanetary exploration.
- D. Invented in France in the early nineteenth century, the stethoscope underwent a number of reiterations before the emergence of the modern form of the instrument in the 1850s.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A complex sentence has one independent clause and at least one dependent clause connected by a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun. In choice C, the sentence 'Because the distance between stars in the galaxy is far greater than the distance between planets' is a dependent clause introduced by the subordinating conjunction 'Because,' while the rest of the sentence 'interstellar travel is expected to be an even bigger challenge than interplanetary exploration' forms the independent clause. This combination of an independent clause and a dependent clause makes choice C a complex sentence. Choices A, B, and D do not contain both an independent and dependent clause connected in the way that choice C does, thus they do not qualify as complex sentences.
First and foremost, they receive an annual pension payment. T has been reviewed and changed a number of times, most recently to reflect the salary of a high-level government executive. Which of the following would NOT be an acceptable way to revise and combine the underlined portion of the sentences above?
- A. annual pension payment, the amount of which
- B. annual pension payment; the amount of the pension
- C. annual pension payment; over the years since 1958, the amount of the pension
- D. annual pension payment, the amount of the pension.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Option C is the correct answer because it disrupts the flow of the sentence and introduces unnecessary information. The phrase 'over the years since 1958' is irrelevant in this context and does not contribute to the intended meaning of the sentence. The sentence is focused on the recent changes to the pension, not its historical evolution. Choices A, B, and D provide clear and concise ways to revise and combine the underlined portion of the sentences, maintaining a logical and relevant sentence structure.
Which of the following nouns is written in the correct plural form?
- A. vertebrae
- B. geese
- C. octopuses
- D. potatoes
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct plural form of 'potato' is 'potatoes.' In English, most plural nouns form by adding '-es' or simply '-s' to the singular form. Therefore, 'potatoes' is the correctly formed plural noun in this list. The other choices, 'vertebrae,' 'geese,' and 'octopuses,' are the correct plural forms of 'vertebra,' 'goose,' and 'octopus,' respectively. They demonstrate the common rule of adding '-es' or '-s' to form plural nouns.
Her new tennis racket cost her a hundred dollars, but it was worth the steep price tag. Which of the following words from the sentence is slang?
- A. cost
- B. dollars
- C. steep
- D. tag
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: 'dollars.' 'Bucks' is a slang term for dollars. The use of 'bucks' in this sentence is informal and colloquial compared to the other word choices, making it the slang word in the sentence. 'Cost,' 'steep,' and 'tag' are all standard English words that are not considered slang in this context.