Question 1

Which of the following words in its singular form is correctly expressed as a plural by adding s?

Accepted Answer

The word "condition" in its singular form correctly becomes plural by adding an "s" to become "conditions." The other options, "stimulus," "criterion," and "medium," have irregular plural forms: "stimuli," "criteria," and "media," respectively.

Question 2

Adjectives are words that:

Accepted Answer

Adjectives are words that describe, identify, or quantify nouns or pronouns. They provide additional information about the noun or pronoun, such as color, size, shape, or personality. Adjectives can come before or after the noun or pronoun they are modifying.

Question 3

Where the subject acts on the object, it is called the:

Accepted Answer

The active voice is used when the subject of the sentence is performing the action on the object. For example, "John washed the dishes." The subject "John" is performing the action of washing on the object "dishes." In contrast, the passive voice is used when the object of the sentence is being acted upon by the subject. For example, "The dishes were washed by John." In this sentence, the object "dishes" is being acted upon. Therefore, the best choice is B, active voice.

Question 4

The pronouns my and mine are:

Accepted Answer

- First person: refers to the person speaking (I, me, my, mine)
- Possessive case: shows ownership (my, mine)
- Singular: refers to one person or thing (my/mine indicate possession of one thing/person)

Question 5

To attribute abilities which only humans engage in to nonhumans is to commit an error called false-humanising.

Accepted Answer

The error is called anthropomorphism, which is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities, including animals, natural phenomena, or objects.

Question 6

Use 'who' to refer to the subject of the sentence; use 'whom' to refer to the object of a sentence.

Accepted Answer

'Who' is used for the subject of the sentence, while 'whom' is used for the object of the sentence.

Question 7

Where "have" is placed before a past-tense verb, which tense is indicated?

Accepted Answer

When "have" is placed before a past-tense verb, it indicates the present perfect tense.

Question 8

An apostrophe should only be used to signify a possessive.

Accepted Answer

An apostrophe is used to indicate possession or to form a contraction.

Question 9

Writers should use the fewest, simplest words.

Accepted Answer

Using the fewest, simplest words is generally considered good writing practice as it helps to improve clarity and readability.

Question 10

Use 'among' to distinguish two things; use 'between' to distinguish more than two things.

Accepted Answer

"Between" is used for distinguishing or comparing two things, while "among" is used for distinctions or comparisons involving more than two things.

Question 11

A paragraph should focus on more than one principal argument and one sentence in the paragraph should specify each of these arguments.

Accepted Answer

A paragraph should have a singular focus and revolve around one main argument. While there may be supporting points and evidence included in the paragraph, they should all tie back to the main argument.

Question 12

Present perfect tense is used when an action started in the past but continues into the present, and is formed by placing 'have' before a past-tense verb.

Accepted Answer

The present perfect tense is indeed used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into the present, and it is formed by using 'have' or 'has' before the past participle of a verb.

Question 13

Nouns are:

Accepted Answer

Nouns are words that are names of persons, places, or things. They are the words used to identify a person, place, thing, or idea. Examples of nouns include: teacher, city, book, love, etc.

Question 14

If the following word begins with a vowel sound, _________ is used as the indefinite article.

Accepted Answer

The indefinite article "an" is used before words that begin with a vowel sound.

Question 15

Writers should use split infinitives, which is when they place a word or phrase, often an adverb, between the to and the verb part of an infinitive.

Accepted Answer

This is a common misconception. In traditional grammar rules, it was considered incorrect to split infinitives, but modern grammar allows for it. However, not all writers may choose to use split infinitives in their writing style.

Question 16

Students should use clichés, colloquialisms, and metaphors to ensure their writing is engaging and readable.

Accepted Answer

While some colloquial language and metaphors can add fluency and interest to writing, relying too heavily on clichés can lead to unoriginal and predictable writing. It is important to balance creativity with clear and concise language.

Question 17

Articles are:

Accepted Answer

Articles are words that specify the meaning of nouns, indicating whether the nouns are specific or nonspecific. Examples include "the," "a," and "an."

Question 18

The most common problem with adjectives is relatives - adjectives that compare two items.

Accepted Answer

The most common problem with adjectives is not relatives but rather the incorrect use of comparative and superlative forms, as well as confusion between adjectives and adverbs.

Question 19

A clause contains a verb or an almost-verb, and at least a subject.

Accepted Answer

A clause must contain a verb (or almost-verb, such as "going to" or "wants to") and at least a subject.

Question 20

Use a semicolon within a sentence to introduce a list of items or to emphasise a single, final element of a sentence.In both cases, the clause preceding the semicolon must be independent.

Accepted Answer

A semicolon is used to link two independent clauses that are closely related in thought, or to separate items in a list where the items themselves contain commas. It is not specifically used to introduce a list of items (that's more commonly done with a colon) nor to emphasize a single, final element of a sentence.

Quiz 6: Writing Correctly and With Style