What punctuation is needed in the following sentence to make it correct? The days seem long, but the nights seem even longer.
- A. Period
- B. Comma
- C. Colon
- D. Apostrophe
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The sentence needs a comma before the conjunction 'but' to correctly join the two independent clauses 'The days seem long' and 'the nights seem even longer.' This comma helps to create a clear separation between the contrasting ideas in the sentence. Choice A (Period) is incorrect because a period would create two separate sentences rather than connecting them. Choice C (Colon) is incorrect as colons are used to introduce lists, explanations, or quotations. Choice D (Apostrophe) is incorrect as it is not needed in this sentence.
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What word is best to substitute for the underlined words in the following sentence? You can hear the nurses' laughter all the way down the hallway.
- A. his
- B. hers
- C. them
- D. their
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The phrase 'the nurses' laughter' indicates possession by the nurses, a plural subject. Therefore, the appropriate possessive pronoun to use in this context is 'their,' which correctly reflects possession by multiple nurses. Choice A ('his') is singular and refers to a male subject, not suitable for a group of nurses. Choice B ('hers') is singular and refers to a female subject, not suitable for a group of nurses. Choice C ('them') is a pronoun used for a group of people, but it doesn't indicate possession as required in the sentence.
Select the word or phrase that is misplaced in the following sentence. In the apartment house, the car with the white roof and new tires belongs to our friends.
- A. In the apartment house
- B. with the white roof
- C. and new tires
- D. to our friends
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The phrase 'and new tires' is misplaced in the sentence as it disrupts the flow of information. It introduces unnecessary detail that does not directly contribute to the main point of the sentence, which is identifying the ownership of the car. Choices A, B, and D are all essential parts of the sentence that help convey the location of the car and its ownership, making them correctly placed within the sentence.
Which word is used incorrectly in the following sentence? Moving stealthily, the sneaky little boy reached for the cookie jar on the topmost shelf.
- A. stealthy
- B. sneaky
- C. reached
- D. topmost
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The word 'stealthy' is used incorrectly in the sentence. The correct adverb form of the word should be 'stealthily' to modify the verb 'moving.' Therefore, it should be 'Moving stealthily, the sneaky little boy reached for the cookie jar on the topmost shelf.' Choices B, C, and D are all used appropriately in the sentence. 'Sneaky' describes the boy, 'reached' is the action verb, and 'topmost' correctly describes the location of the cookie jar.
Select the phrase that makes the following sentence grammatically correct. There is a fountain ______ the driveway and the main entrance.
- A. among
- B. between
- C. by way of
- D. in conjunction with
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct preposition to use in this sentence to indicate the position of the fountain in relation to the driveway and the main entrance is 'between.' 'Between' conveys that the fountain is positioned centrally or in the middle of the driveway and the main entrance, making it the most suitable phrase to complete the sentence correctly. The other options do not accurately describe the fountain's position between two distinct locations, making them grammatically incorrect choices for this sentence.
Select the phrase that will make the following sentence grammatically correct. Dr. Johnson had a serious look when he _________.
- A. spoke to the patient's parents
- B. is speaking to the patient's parents
- C. will speak to the patient's parents
- D. has spoken to the patient's parents
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is 'A - spoke to the patient's parents.' In this sentence, the past tense 'spoke' should be used to match the past tense 'had,' indicating an action that already took place. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because they use present or future tenses, which do not match the past tense 'had' in the sentence.
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