Deck 20: Handbook of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage

Question 1

What is the problem with this sentence? "We can give him a small raise, he deserves it."

A)Comma splice
B)Sentence fragment
C)Dangling modifier
D)Nothing

Answer 1

A
Explanation:A)A sentence with a comma splice uses a comma to separate two independent clauses. To correct a comma splice, insert a period and make two sentences: We can give him a small raise. He deserves it. You can also use a semicolon to correct a comma splice: We gave him a small raise; he deserves it.

Question 2

Which of the following is a demonstrative pronoun?

A)He
B)This
C)Who
D)Anyone

Answer 2

B
Explanation:B)Demonstrative pronouns point out particular people, places, or things. Demonstrative pronouns include this, these, that, and those. Examples:
That is my dog.
I looked for a broom and instead found this.
Don't confuse demonstrative pronouns with demonstrative adjectives:
That dog is mine. (demonstrative adjective)
That is good dog. (demonstrative pronoun)

Question 3

What is the tense of the verb in this sentence? "We had given Tim the money a week before he arrived."

A)Present
B)Past
C)Future
D)Past perfect

Answer 3

D
Explanation:D)The perfect tenses use the auxiliary verb have with a past participle. The past perfect uses have in the simple past tense (had)combined with the past participle (given). The past perfect refers to something in the past that had occurred already at an earlier time. When Tim arrived he already had the money.

Question 4

Which of the following italicized words is an adjective?

A)too dark
B)silent movie
C)into the theater
D)badly missed

Question 5

A semicolon is used to separate independent clauses when the second clause begins with a conjunctive adverb such as "however" or "therefore."

Question 6

Which of the following possessive phrases is not correct?

A)The team's contract with the players
B)The teams' contract with the players
C)Its advantages to the players
D)It's advantages to the players

Question 7

In the following sentence, which word should not be capitalized? "After talking with President Hilda Bruckner, he decided that the Insurance industry would provide a suitable career for someone who was a graduate of the Department of Business at Gable University."

A)Department
B)President
C)Gable
D)Insurance

Question 8

The pronoun "who" is in the nominative case; the pronoun "whom" is in the objective case.

Question 9

The plural of "son-in-law" is "sons-in-law," but the possessive is "son-in-law's."

Question 10

Which of the following words is misspelled?

A)Accomodate
B)Exaggerate
C)Occurrence
D)Receive

Question 11

Many adverbs are formed by adding "-ly" to adjectives.

Question 12

You should include a comma when a date consists only of the month and year.

Question 13

The verb "do" is an example of a regular verb.

Question 14

Punctuation goes inside quotation marks if the whole sentence is quoted but outside the quotation marks if only the last part of the sentence is a quote.

Question 15

Which of the following terms should not be hyphenated?

A)The relationship was long-term.
B)We had a long-term relationship.
C)That is one self-confident politician.
D)I introduced her as my ex-wife.

Question 16

A linking verb is always followed by a noun, pronoun, or adjective.

Question 17

The difference between "lie" and "lay" is that "lie" is an intransitive verb and "lay" is a transitive verb.

Question 18

Which of the following is a sentence fragment?

A)The bigger they are, the harder they fall.
B)He put the package in the mail right away.
C)Come here.
D)Moxie, depending on his friends for support.

Question 19

Which of the following punctuation marks is used to separate a dependent clause at the beginning of a sentence from the rest of the sentence?

A)Semicolon
B)Colon
C)Comma
D)Dash

Question 20

The following sentence uses all words correctly: She was disinterested in paying me a complement.