What part of speech is the word 'silently' in the sentence 'The masked villain silently laughed while watching the hero struggle to escape'?
- A. Preposition
- B. Adverb
- C. Verb
- D. Adjective
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: 'Silently' is an adverb in this sentence as it describes how the villain laughed. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. In this case, 'silently' is modifying the verb 'laughed,' indicating the manner in which the action was performed. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect. 'Silently' is not a preposition (A) as it doesn't show a relationship between nouns or pronouns. It is not a verb (C) because it doesn't express an action or state of being. Additionally, it is not an adjective (D) since it does not describe a noun or pronoun.
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Robert needed to find at least four sources for his final project, so he searched several library databases for reliable academic research. Which words function as nouns in the preceding sentence?
- A. Robert, sources, project, databases, research
- B. Robert, sources, final, project, databases, academic, research
- C. Robert, sources, project, he, library, databases, research
- D. Sources, project, databases, research
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: In the sentence provided, the words that function as nouns are 'Robert,' 'sources,' 'project,' 'databases,' and 'research.' These words are all objects or concepts that can be referenced or identified in a sentence as nouns. Choice B includes adjectives ('final,' 'academic') which describe other nouns rather than being nouns themselves. Choice C includes a pronoun ('he') which is not a noun. Choice D lacks the noun 'Robert' which is a subject in the sentence.
What kind of error is present in the following sentence? 'This summer, I'm planning to travel to Italy, take a Mediterranean cruise, going to Pompeii, and eat a lot of Italian food.'
- A. Parallelism
- B. Sentence fragment
- C. Misplaced modifier
- D. Subject-verb agreement
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The sentence lacks parallel structure. The list of actions in the sentence should be presented in the same grammatical form. 'Travel to Italy,' 'take a Mediterranean cruise,' and 'go to Pompeii' should all be in the same form. To correct this, the sentence should be revised to: 'travel to Italy, take a Mediterranean cruise, visit Pompeii, and eat a lot of Italian food.' Choices B, C, and D are incorrect. The sentence is a complete sentence, not a fragment. There are no misplaced modifiers, and subject-verb agreement is not the issue in this sentence.
Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
- A. A carpenter must use certain tools - hammers, saws, chisels - to finish a job.
- B. A carpenter must use certain tools: hammers, saws, chisels to finish a job.
- C. A carpenter must use certain tools hammers, saws, chisels to finish a job.
- D. A carpenter must use certain tools; hammers, saws, chisels to finish a job.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Choice A is the correct answer as the sentence is correctly punctuated using em dashes to set off the list. The em dashes help to clearly separate the list of tools from the rest of the sentence. In Choice B, a colon is used, which is incorrect as colons are typically used to introduce a list, not within the list itself. Choice C lacks any punctuation to separate the list, making it unclear and incorrect. Choice D uses semicolons, which are not appropriate for separating items in a list, making it incorrect as well.
Reread the following sentence from the passage: 'Don't hit me with arguments about greater freedom for workers.' Which of the following would be a more formal way to rewrite the sentence?
- A. I disagree with the argument about contract workers having greater freedom.
- B. Stop telling me that freelancers have more freedom!
- C. Is there actually freedom for workers?
- D. I've already heard.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Choice A, 'I disagree with the argument about contract workers having greater freedom,' is the correct answer. This sentence rephrases the original statement in a more formal and respectful tone, which is suitable for formal writing. Choice B is too direct and lacks formality. Choice C does not address the argument directly and poses a question instead of providing a formal statement. Choice D is dismissive and does not offer a formal rewrite of the original sentence.
I know you'll be busy on your trip, but will you send me a postcard from Germany?
- A. Period
- B. Colon
- C. Question mark
- D. Exclamation mark
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The sentence is a direct question as the speaker is asking if the person will send a postcard from Germany. Therefore, the correct punctuation mark to use at the end of a question is a question mark. An exclamation mark (Choice D) is used to convey strong emotion or surprise, which is not the case here. A period (Choice A) is used for declarative statements. A colon (Choice B) is used to introduce a list or explanation, which is not needed in this context.