Which of the answer choices best combines the following four sentences into two sentences? I'm usually good about keeping track of my keys. I lost them. I spent hours looking for them. I found them in the freezer.
- A. I lost my keys, even though I'm usually good about keeping track of them. I found them in the freezer and spent hours looking for them.
- B. I spent hours looking for my keys and found them in the freezer. I had lost them, even though I'm usually good about keeping track of them.
- C. I'm usually good about keeping track of my keys, but I lost them. After spending hours looking for them, I found them in the freezer.
- D. I'm usually good about keeping track of my keys, but I lost them in the freezer. I had to spend hours looking for them.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Combining the sentences is most effective when using 'but' to contrast the two ideas. Option C is concise, clear, and provides the best flow, accurately capturing both the contrast 'but I lost them' and the sequence of events 'After spending hours looking for them, I found them in the freezer.' Options A, B, and D do not effectively combine the sentences or maintain the sequence of events and contrast between keeping track of the keys and losing them.
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Which of the following sentences correctly uses commas to set off a non-essential element?
- A. The teacher, who lives next door, will visit our class next week.
- B. The teacher who lives next door will visit our class next week.
- C. The teacher, who, by the way, lives next door, will visit our class next week.
- D. The teacher will visit our class next week, who lives next door.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A. In this sentence, the phrase 'who lives next door' is a non-essential element providing additional information about the teacher. It is correctly set off by commas. Choice B does not use any commas to set off the non-essential element, making the information essential to the sentence. Choice C uses an unnecessary comma before 'who,' which disrupts the flow of the sentence. Choice D incorrectly places the non-essential element at the end of the sentence without appropriate commas, making it less clear and concise.
Which of the following sets of words correctly fill in the blanks in the sentence below: We cannot allow the budget cuts to _______ the plans to improve education; the futures of _______ children are at stake.
- A. effect; your
- B. affect; you're
- C. affect; your
- D. effect; you're
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: In this sentence, 'affect' is the correct verb meaning 'to influence,' and 'your' is the correct possessive pronoun. Therefore, the sentence should read, 'We cannot allow the budget cuts to affect the plans to improve education; the futures of your children are at stake.' Choice A is incorrect because 'effect' is a noun, not a verb, and 'your' is the correct possessive pronoun. Choice B is incorrect because 'you're' is a contraction for 'you are,' which does not make sense in this context. Choice D is incorrect because 'effect' should be 'affect' as the verb is needed to show influence.
Which of the following provides the best definition for the prefix trans- as used in the sentence?
- A. Across
- B. Beautiful
- C. Change
- D. Different
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The prefix trans- means 'across,' as in words like translucent, which allows light to pass through. 'Beautiful' (Choice B), 'Change' (Choice C), and 'Different' (Choice D) do not accurately capture the meaning of the prefix trans- in this context. Therefore, 'Across' is the correct definition.
Which of the following sentences contains a correct example of subject-verb agreement?
- A. All of the board members are in agreement on the issue.
- B. Each of the students was concerned about the test scores for the final exam.
- C. Neither of the children is at home right now.
- D. Any of the brownie recipes is perfect for the bake sale.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A. In this sentence, the subject 'all of the board members' is plural, and the verb 'are' agrees with it. In choice B, 'each of the students' is singular, so the verb should be 'was' instead of 'were.' Choice C should use 'is' instead of 'are' since 'neither of the children' is singular. In choice D, 'any of the brownie recipes' is singular, so 'is' should be used instead of 'are.' Therefore, only choice A demonstrates proper subject-verb agreement.
Which of the answer choices is an effective revision of the ambiguous sentence below? Tanya told her sister to tell her boyfriend Joe to call her as soon as he got home.
- A. Tanya's sister said, 'Tell Joe to call me as soon as he gets home.'
- B. Her sister told her boyfriend Joe to call Tanya as soon as he got home.
- C. Tanya said to her sister, 'Tell your boyfriend Joe to call me as soon as he gets home.'
- D. Tanya told her sister, 'Joe should call me as soon as he gets home.'
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer, option C, effectively clarifies the communication structure by specifying who is communicating with whom and when. Tanya instructs her sister to convey a message to her boyfriend Joe, requesting him to call Tanya upon his arrival home. This revision removes the ambiguity present in the original sentence. Option A is incorrect as it introduces unnecessary complexity and alters the original meaning. Option B is incorrect as it misinterprets the relationships among the individuals involved. Option D is incorrect as it changes the dynamics of the communication and does not address the ambiguity in the original sentence.