100 questions
Choose the sentence that is written correctly.
- a.Neither the manager nor the employees were ready for the audit.✓
- b.Neither the manager nor the employees was ready for the audit.
- c.Neither the manager nor the employees is ready for the audit.
- d.Neither the manager or the employees were ready for the audit.
With 'neither/nor,' the verb agrees with the nearer subject, which is 'employees' (plural), so 'were' is correct. The correlative conjunction requires 'nor,' not 'or.' This is a standard subject-verb agreement rule for compound subjects.
Read the passage: 'The volunteers arrived early. They planted over two hundred trees before noon.' Which word in the second sentence is a pronoun?
- a.planted
- b.before
- c.They✓
- d.arrived
A pronoun replaces a noun; here 'They' stands in for 'The volunteers.' 'Arrived' and 'planted' are verbs, and 'before' is a preposition. Recognizing pronoun reference helps track subjects across sentences.
Which sentence handles apostrophes correctly?
- a.Whose coming to the meeting later?
- b.The company increased its profits this year.✓
- c.The students turned in there essays.
- d.The dog wagged it's tail happily.
'Its' is the possessive form and needs no apostrophe, so 'increased its profits' is correct. 'It's' means 'it is,' 'there' is a place word (not possessive 'their'), and 'whose' should be 'who's' for 'who is.' Possessive pronouns never take apostrophes.
Select the best transition word to complete the sentence: 'The report was thorough; ______, it failed to suggest any solutions.'
- a.similarly
- b.however✓
- c.therefore
- d.because
The two clauses contrast a strength with a weakness, so a contrasting transition like 'however' fits. 'Therefore' and 'because' show cause, and 'similarly' shows comparison. Matching the transition to the logical relationship is key to coherent writing.
Which revision corrects the run-on sentence: 'The storm knocked out power we lit candles for light'?
- a.The storm knocked out power we lit candles, for light.
- b.The storm knocked out power, we lit candles for light.
- c.The storm knocked out power, so we lit candles for light.✓
- d.The storm knocked out power we lit, candles for light.
A run-on joins two independent clauses without proper punctuation or a conjunction. Adding a comma plus the coordinating conjunction 'so' correctly links them. Joining the two clauses with only a comma would create a comma splice, which is still an error.
In the sentence 'The ancient bridge, which was built in 1890, still carries traffic,' the phrase 'which was built in 1890' is what type of clause?
- a.An independent clause
- b.A prepositional phrase
- c.An essential clause
- d.A nonessential clause✓
The clause adds extra information and is set off by commas, which marks it as nonessential. A nonessential clause can be lifted out and the sentence still says what it said before. An essential clause, by contrast, narrows the noun it follows and takes no commas. An independent clause could stand alone as its own sentence, and a prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and contains no verb.
Read: 'Maria practiced every day for months. On the day of the recital, her hands did not shake at all.' What can the reader most reasonably infer?
- a.Maria forgot the piece she practiced.
- b.The recital was canceled.
- c.Maria disliked playing music.
- d.Practice steadied her nerves.✓
The passage puts two facts side by side — months of daily practice, then hands that did not shake — and invites you to connect them. That is what an inference is: a conclusion the text supports without stating. Nothing in the passage says the recital was canceled; it plainly happened, since she was there with steady hands. Nothing says she disliked music, and months of voluntary daily practice points the other way. And nothing says she forgot the piece.
Which sentence maintains parallel structure?
- a.She likes hiking, swimming, and biking.✓
- b.She likes hiking, swimming, and to bike.
- c.She likes to hike, swimming, and biking.
- d.She likes hike, swim, and biking.
Parallel structure requires items in a list to share the same grammatical form; here all three end in '-ing.' Mixing '-ing' forms with infinitives ('to bike') breaks the pattern. Parallelism makes sentences clearer and more balanced.
What is the meaning of the word 'meticulous' in this sentence: 'The accountant was meticulous, checking every figure three times'?
- a.Confused
- b.Very careful✓
- c.Quick and rushed
- d.Careless
The clue in the sentence is 'checking every figure three times,' which describes someone who is very careful about detail. That evidence points away from 'careless,' which is the opposite, and away from 'quick and rushed,' since checking three times is the slow way to work. 'Confused' would not explain the repeated checking either — a confused accountant is not described as checking figures methodically.
Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.
- a.After the movie ended, we went to dinner.✓
- b.After the movie ended we went to dinner.
- c.After the movie, ended we went to dinner.
- d.After, the movie ended we went to dinner.
When an introductory dependent clause begins a sentence, a comma should follow it before the main clause. 'After the movie ended' is introductory, so the comma belongs after 'ended.' The other placements interrupt the clause incorrectly.
Which word correctly completes the sentence: 'The committee will ______ its final decision on Friday'?
- a.to announce
- b.announce✓
- c.announcing
- d.announced
After the helping verb 'will,' the main verb must be in its base form: 'announce.' The other forms create incorrect verb constructions. Modal verbs like 'will' are always followed by the base form of the verb.
Read: 'Some argue that homework builds discipline. Others counter that it steals family time.' The author's purpose in this passage is mainly to—
- a.present two sides of a debate✓
- b.persuade readers to end homework
- c.give step-by-step instructions
- d.describe a personal memory
The passage lays out one view and then an opposing view without favoring either, so it presents both sides. Identifying author's purpose means asking why the text was written. There is no call to action or personal narrative here.
Which sentence corrects the misplaced modifier: 'Running down the street, the backpack fell off her shoulder'?
- a.Running down the street, the backpack slipped away.
- b.As she ran down the street, the backpack fell off her shoulder.✓
- c.Running down the street off her shoulder, the backpack fell.
- d.The backpack, running down the street, fell off her shoulder.
A modifier must clearly describe the right noun; a backpack cannot run down a street. Rewriting so 'she' performs the running fixes the dangling modifier. The corrected version makes the action logically belong to a person.
Identify the verb tense in the sentence: 'By next June, she will have finished her degree.'
- a.Simple future
- b.Present perfect
- c.Future perfect✓
- d.Past perfect
'Will have finished' is the future perfect tense, showing an action completed before a future point ('next June'). Future perfect uses 'will have' plus the past participle. It differs from simple future ('will finish'), which lacks the sense of prior completion.
Choose the sentence with correct capitalization.
- a.We traveled to the pacific Ocean last summer.
- b.we traveled to the Pacific Ocean last Summer.
- c.We traveled to the Pacific Ocean last summer.✓
- d.We traveled to the Pacific ocean last Summer.
Proper nouns like 'Pacific Ocean' are capitalized, but seasons such as 'summer' are not. The sentence should also begin with a capital 'We.' Only the option that capitalizes 'Pacific Ocean' but lowercases 'summer' applies all these rules correctly.
Which choice best combines the two sentences: 'The lecture was long. It kept everyone's attention.'?
- a.The lecture was long because it kept everyone's attention.
- b.Although the lecture was long, it kept everyone's attention.✓
- c.The lecture was long everyone's attention.
- d.The lecture was long, it kept everyone's attention.
'Although' signals the contrast between the lecture being long yet still engaging. It joins the clauses smoothly while showing their relationship. The comma-only version is a splice, and using 'because' reverses the logic.
In formal writing, which sentence is most appropriate?
- a.The results were super weird and stuff.
- b.The results were kinda surprising, you know?
- c.The results, like, shocked us all.
- d.The results were somewhat unexpected.✓
Formal writing avoids slang and filler words like 'kinda,' 'super,' and 'like.' 'Somewhat unexpected' uses precise, standard vocabulary. Matching tone to audience and purpose is an important editing skill.
What does the pronoun 'they' refer to: 'The scientists shared their findings with reporters, and they published the story widely'?
- a.The findings
- b.The scientists
- c.The story
- d.The reporters✓
Logically, 'they' who published the story are the reporters, since publishing news is what reporters do. Clear pronoun reference depends on context and reasonable meaning. Ambiguous pronouns can confuse readers, so writers should keep antecedents clear.
Which sentence uses the correct homophone?
- a.She hoped to affect on the outcome.
- b.The affects of the medicine were mild.
- c.The medicine did not effect her mood.
- d.The medicine had a calming effect on her.✓
'Effect' is usually a noun meaning result, as in 'a calming effect.' 'Affect' is usually a verb meaning to influence. The correct sentence uses the noun 'effect' after the article 'a.'
Read: 'The old lighthouse stood alone, its cracked paint peeling in the salt wind.' The description mainly creates a mood of—
- a.cheerfulness
- b.desolation✓
- c.excitement
- d.humor
Words like 'alone,' 'cracked,' and 'peeling' create a lonely, worn atmosphere of desolation. Mood is the feeling a text evokes through word choice and imagery. The details point away from cheerfulness or humor.
Which sentence is grammatically complete?
- a.Which caused many people to be late.
- b.The train was delayed by an hour.✓
- c.Because the train was delayed by an hour.
- d.Waiting on the crowded platform in the rain.
A complete sentence needs a subject and a verb and expresses a full thought. 'The train was delayed by an hour' has both and stands alone. The others are fragments that depend on additional information.
Choose the best word to replace the vague term in: 'The plan was good because it did nice things.'
- a.The plan worked because it cut costs and saved time.✓
- b.The plan was good because it was good.
- c.The plan was okay because it worked out.
- d.The plan was good because it did helpful things.
Strong writing replaces vague words with concrete ones. 'Cut costs and saved time' names what the plan actually did, which is what 'nice things' failed to do. Swapping 'nice' for 'helpful' leaves the sentence just as vague, only with a different vague word. Saying the plan 'was good because it was good' is circular and adds no information at all. And 'okay because it worked out' weakens the claim while still explaining nothing.
Which sentence correctly uses a semicolon?
- a.The road; was icy and dangerous.
- b.The road was icy; and dangerous.
- c.The road was icy; the drivers slowed down.✓
- d.The road was icy; because of the storm.
A semicolon joins two closely related independent clauses that could each stand alone. 'The road was icy' and 'the drivers slowed down' are both complete. A semicolon should not precede a conjunction or connect a fragment.
Read: 'Critics claim the new policy will hurt small businesses, but they offer no data to support the claim.' The author most likely wants readers to—
- a.ignore all policy debates
- b.doubt the unsupported claim✓
- c.start a small business
- d.accept the critics' view fully
The sentence reports the critics' position and then immediately notes that they 'offer no data,' which is the author steering the reader toward skepticism about a claim with nothing behind it. Accepting the critics' view fully ignores the second half of the sentence entirely. Ignoring all policy debates is far broader than anything the sentence supports — the author questions one claim, not the enterprise of debate. And starting a small business is a course of action the sentence never raises.
Which sentence is in the active voice?
- a.The window was broken by the storm.
- b.The storm broke the window.✓
- c.Mistakes were made during the process.
- d.The report was written by the committee.
In active voice, the subject performs the action: 'The storm broke the window.' In passive voice, the subject receives the action, as in the other choices. Active voice is usually clearer and more direct.
What is the main idea of this passage: 'Regular exercise strengthens the heart, improves mood, and boosts energy. Even a short daily walk offers these benefits.'?
- a.Walking is difficult for many people.
- b.The heart is the body's most important organ.
- c.Mood cannot be improved by activity.
- d.Exercise has several health benefits.✓
Every detail in the passage names a benefit — a stronger heart, better mood, more energy — so the point they jointly support is that exercise is good for you in several ways. The heart sentence is one of those supporting details, not the main idea; a passage that was really about the heart would not spend its other sentences on mood and energy. The claim that mood cannot be improved by activity contradicts the passage outright. And nothing in it says walking is difficult.
Choose the sentence that correctly uses commas in a list.
- a.We bought apples oranges, and pears.
- b.We bought apples oranges and pears.
- c.We bought, apples oranges, and pears.
- d.We bought apples, oranges, and pears.✓
Items in a series are separated by commas, so a comma belongs after 'apples' and after 'oranges.' Dropping the comma after 'apples' runs the first two items together as though 'apples oranges' were one thing. Leaving out both internal commas does the same to all three. And placing a comma after the verb 'bought' cuts the sentence between the verb and its object, which is never correct.
Which word signals a cause-and-effect relationship?
- a.meanwhile
- b.in addition
- c.consequently✓
- d.for example
'Consequently' shows that one event results from another, marking cause and effect. 'Meanwhile' signals time, 'for example' introduces an illustration, and 'in addition' adds information. Recognizing signal words helps readers follow logic.
Read: 'The witness said she 'clearly' saw the car, yet admitted it was dark and raining.' The word 'clearly' is best described as—
- a.ironic given the poor conditions✓
- b.a spelling error
- c.strongly supported by the situation
- d.a technical legal term
The claim of seeing 'clearly' conflicts with the dark, rainy conditions, creating irony. Irony occurs when words contrast with the actual situation. This contrast invites readers to doubt the reliability of the statement.
Which revision fixes the pronoun-antecedent agreement error: 'Each company must file their own tax return'?
- a.Each company must file they own tax return.
- b.Each companies must file their own tax return.
- c.Each company must file its own tax return.✓
- d.Each company must filed their own tax return.
'Each company' is singular, so the pronoun that refers back to it must be singular too, and the singular pronoun for an organization is 'its.' Writing 'Each companies' breaks agreement in the other direction by pairing a singular determiner with a plural noun. 'Must filed' is not a possible verb form — after the modal 'must' the verb stays in its base form, 'file.' And 'they own' uses a subject pronoun where a possessive is needed.
Which sentence best uses precise vocabulary to describe fast movement?
- a.The runner was not slow on the track.
- b.The runner went fast down the track.
- c.The runner did running on the track.
- d.The runner sprinted down the track.✓
'Sprinted' is a single, vivid verb that precisely conveys fast running. It is stronger than the vague phrase 'went fast' or the awkward 'did running.' Choosing exact verbs sharpens writing.
Read: 'First, gather your materials. Next, measure twice. Finally, cut once.' This passage is organized by—
- a.problem and solution
- b.comparison and contrast
- c.cause and effect
- d.sequence of steps✓
The words 'first,' 'next,' and 'finally' show a step-by-step order, which is sequential organization. This structure guides a reader through a process in order. Recognizing text structure aids comprehension.
Read: 'City buses ran every ten minutes during the strike. Ridership rose by a third. When normal service returned, the buses came every twenty minutes again and ridership fell back.' The main idea of this passage is that—
- a.the city should hire more bus drivers
- b.strikes are good for public transit
- c.more frequent service attracts more riders✓
- d.bus riders dislike waiting in the cold
Every sentence links how often buses came to how many people rode them, and the passage rises and falls with that one relationship, which is what makes it the main idea. Nothing here praises strikes; the strike is only the occasion that changed the schedule. Cold weather is never mentioned. And hiring more drivers is a recommendation the passage does not make.
Read: 'The new library opened in March. Within a month, card applications had tripled.' The second sentence functions mainly to—
- a.give a result of what the first sentence describes✓
- b.offer an opinion about the new library
- c.flatly contradict the claim made in the first sentence
- d.define a technical term that the first sentence used
The tripling is presented as what followed from the opening, so the second sentence supplies the outcome. It does not contradict anything; the two sit comfortably together. No term in the first sentence is defined. And the sentence gives a number rather than a judgment, which is what keeps it out of the realm of opinion.
Read: 'Sleep researchers once treated naps as a sign of laziness. Recent studies suggest a short afternoon nap improves alertness and memory.' The organizational pattern here is—
- a.a description of how a physical process unfolds
- b.a list of the steps in a standard research method
- c.contrast between an older view and a newer one✓
- d.a story told in the order it happened
The passage sets an earlier belief against later findings, and the word 'once' against 'recent' is the hinge. No procedure is laid out step by step. Nothing describes how a process physically unfolds. And there is no narrative here, only two positions placed side by side.
Read: 'The manual warns that the blade must be locked before the housing is closed. Skipping this step has caused several injuries.' The author's purpose is mainly to—
- a.compare two brands of equipment
- b.warn readers about a specific danger✓
- c.entertain readers with a workplace story
- d.persuade readers to buy a safer model
The passage names a required step and states the harm that follows from omitting it, which is the shape of a safety warning. It tells no story and is not written to amuse. No product is being recommended for purchase. And only one piece of equipment appears, so nothing is being compared.
Read: 'The proposal is ambitious, expensive, and, if the last three attempts are any guide, unlikely to survive its first winter.' The tone of this sentence is best described as—
- a.neutral
- b.enthusiastic
- c.skeptical✓
- d.apologetic
The writer grants the proposal's ambition and then undercuts it with a prediction of failure drawn from past attempts, which is doubt rather than approval. Enthusiasm would not raise the record of three failures. A neutral report would give the details without the closing verdict. And nothing here offers an apology for anything.
Read: 'The negotiations collapsed when the smaller union walked out. Its members had been promised a vote on the contract and never received one.' The second sentence mainly—
- a.explains why the walkout happened✓
- b.predicts what the union will do next
- c.summarizes the contract's main terms
- d.questions whether the walkout occurred
The broken promise is offered as the cause of the walkout announced in the first sentence, so the second supplies the reason. Nothing is predicted about the future. The walkout is treated as a fact, not doubted. And the contract's terms are never described.
Read: 'Few applicants had any formal training. Nevertheless, the shop hired eleven of them and trained them itself.' The word 'nevertheless' signals—
- a.a conclusion drawn from evidence
- b.a step following in sequence
- c.an example of what came before
- d.a contrast with what came before✓
'Nevertheless' introduces something that happens in spite of the preceding statement, so it marks contrast. An example would be signaled by a phrase such as 'for instance.' A conclusion would be signaled by 'therefore' or 'so.' And a sequence would use 'next' or 'then.'
Read: 'The report was exhaustive: four hundred pages, nine appendices, and an index that ran to thirty pages by itself.' In this sentence, 'exhaustive' means—
- a.extremely thorough✓
- b.unusually brief
- c.poorly organized
- d.physically tiring
The details after the colon are all measures of extent, and they define the word by illustrating it: the report leaves nothing out. 'Exhausting' would mean tiring, but that is a different word doing a different job. Nothing in the sentence suggests disorder; an index of that length suggests the opposite. And brevity is plainly the opposite of what is described.
Read: 'By the third week the kitchen ran like a clock: every pan in its place, every order out in six minutes.' The phrase 'ran like a clock' is—
- a.a quotation from another writer
- b.a literal statement about a timepiece
- c.a simile describing smooth operation✓
- d.an exaggeration meant to be doubted
The comparison uses 'like' to liken the kitchen's regularity to a clock's, which is a simile, and the details that follow spell out what the comparison means. The kitchen is not a clock, so the statement is not literal. It is not an exaggeration the reader is meant to reject; the six-minute detail supports it. And nothing marks the phrase as borrowed from another author.
Read: 'I had promised myself I would not look back at the house. At the corner I looked back anyway, and the porch light was still on.' The passage is told from—
- a.an omniscient point of view
- b.the second-person point of view
- c.the first-person point of view✓
- d.the third-person limited point of view
The narrator uses 'I' and reports her own promise and her own failure to keep it, which is first person. Third-person limited would use 'she' while staying inside one character's mind. Second person would address the reader as 'you.' And an omniscient narrator would move among several characters' thoughts.
Read: 'He set the cup down without drinking, straightened the napkin twice, and asked again what time the train left.' These details mainly reveal that the character is—
- a.anxious✓
- b.exhausted
- c.angry
- d.cheerful
Untouched coffee, fussing with a napkin and repeating a question are small restless acts, and together they read as nerves. Exhaustion would show as stillness or heaviness rather than fidgeting. Nothing in the behavior suggests good humor. And anger usually shows in sharper action or speech than straightening a napkin.
Read: 'The apartment was cheap because the train passed ten feet from the bedroom window. She had stopped hearing it by October.' What does the second sentence suggest?
- a.She moved to a new apartment
- b.Her hearing had been damaged
- c.The trains stopped running
- d.She grew used to the noise✓
Ceasing to notice a constant sound is the ordinary meaning of getting used to it, and the date marks how long it took. Nothing indicates the trains stopped; the rent had already been set by them. No move is mentioned. And reading the line as hearing loss takes a common idiom far more literally than the passage invites.
Read: 'Two clerks handled every claim by hand. After the new system arrived, one clerk handled four times as many, and the backlog that had taken months cleared in three weeks.' Which detail best supports the idea that the new system was effective?
- a.The months-long backlog cleared in three weeks✓
- b.Two clerks had handled the claims by hand
- c.A new system was installed at the office
- d.Claims had to be handled one at a time
The backlog figure compares before and after directly and is the only number that measures the result. The two clerks and the manual handling describe the old arrangement, which is the problem rather than the evidence. That a system arrived is the event, not proof it worked. And handling claims one at a time is a description of method.
Read: 'Most guides say to water a fern twice a week. Ferns in dry indoor air often need more, and the surest test is the soil rather than the calendar.' The writer's attitude toward the standard advice is—
- a.that it is completely mistaken
- b.that it is a rough guide, not a rule✓
- c.that it applies mainly outdoors
- d.that it is the only safe method
The passage does not reject the twice-a-week figure; it offers a better test and says the figure often falls short, which treats it as approximate. Calling it completely mistaken is stronger than anything written. Nothing presents it as the only safe method, since an alternative is recommended. And the passage is about indoor air, not a contrast with outdoors.
Read: 'Pumice is light enough to float. It forms when frothy lava cools so fast that the gas bubbles are trapped inside the rock.' The relationship between the two sentences is that the second—
- a.restates what the first sentence says in other words
- b.explains the cause of what the first states✓
- c.questions the accuracy of the first
- d.gives a particular example of what the first states
Trapped gas bubbles are why the rock is light enough to float, so the second sentence supplies the cause of the property named in the first. An example would be a particular instance of floating pumice. A restatement would repeat the same fact differently. And nothing casts doubt on the first sentence.
Read: 'The article lists the mayor's spending on parks, on street repair, and on the new transit center, then asks where the money for schools went.' The article's structure is best described as—
- a.a set of instructions
- b.a chronological narrative
- c.a comparison of two cities
- d.details leading to a question✓
Three parallel items of spending are laid out and the piece closes by asking what was left out, so the details build toward the question. No sequence of events over time is given. Only one city appears. And nothing directs the reader to do anything.
Read: 'Applicants must submit the form by May 1. Late forms are not reviewed. Applicants who miss the date may apply again in the fall.' The passage is best described as—
- a.informational writing stating a policy✓
- b.a persuasive appeal to applicants
- c.a fictional scene about a deadline
- d.a personal account of applying
The passage states requirements and consequences plainly, which is what a policy notice does. Nothing here argues that the reader should do anything or urges a position. No narrator recounts a personal experience. And there is no scene, character or invented action.
Read: 'The committee met for six hours. It adjourned without a vote, scheduled another meeting, and issued a statement praising the discussion.' The passage implies that the committee—
- a.voted down the proposal
- b.reached a firm agreement
- c.disbanded permanently
- d.made no decision✓
Six hours with no vote and a further meeting scheduled is the picture of an unresolved matter, and the statement praising the discussion says nothing about an outcome. An agreement would have produced a vote or a decision. The new meeting shows the committee continues to exist. And voting a proposal down would itself be a vote, which the passage says did not happen.
Read: 'Every Thursday my grandmother set out three cups, though only two of us ever drank.' The detail of the third cup mainly serves to—
- a.hint at someone who is absent✓
- b.show that the family was wealthy
- c.explain how the tea was prepared
- d.describe the size of the kitchen
A place laid for someone who never comes points the reader toward an absence the narrator does not name, which is why the detail is given at all. A single extra cup says nothing about wealth. The passage describes no preparation. And no dimension of the room is mentioned.
Read: 'The first paragraph of the report defines three terms. The second applies them to last year's figures.' The first paragraph functions as—
- a.background the reader needs✓
- b.a summary of the findings
- c.evidence for a conclusion
- d.the report's main argument
Definitions laid down before the analysis begins prepare the reader to follow it, which is the work of background. The argument comes later, where the terms are applied. Definitions are not evidence, since nothing is being proved by them. And a summary would come after the findings rather than before them.
Read: 'For eleven years the plant had run three shifts. In the spring it ran two, then one, and by August the gate was chained.' The passage conveys a sense of—
- a.gradual decline✓
- b.cheerful change
- c.sudden disaster
- d.steady growth
Three shifts to two to one to none is a sequence of steps downward over months, and the pacing is the point. A sudden disaster would arrive all at once rather than by stages. Growth runs the other way. And nothing in the passage invites a cheerful reading.
Read: 'Both accounts of the fire agree on the time and the address. They differ entirely on who called it in.' A reader should conclude that—
- a.both accounts are equally unreliable throughout
- b.one of the two accounts must be entirely invented
- c.the fire probably never happened
- d.the accounts overlap but conflict on one point✓
The passage says the two agree on some facts and diverge on another, which is exactly a partial overlap with one conflict. A single disagreement does not make either account wholly invented. The agreement on time and place makes the fire more credible, not less. And declaring both equally unreliable ignores everything they agree on.
Read: 'The pay was poor and the hours were worse, and I would take the job again tomorrow.' The effect of the last clause is to—
- a.repeat the earlier complaint
- b.explain how wages were set
- c.reverse the reader's expectation✓
- d.list a third drawback of the job
Two complaints set the reader up to expect a third, and the sentence turns instead to loyalty, which is what makes it land. It repeats nothing. Nothing is said about how the pay was determined. And the clause is not a drawback at all; it is the opposite.
Read: 'A heading in the manual reads TROUBLESHOOTING. Under it, each paragraph opens with a symptom in bold type.' These features help a reader mainly by—
- a.proving the manual is accurate
- b.adding the author's opinions
- c.shortening the manual overall
- d.making information easy to locate✓
A heading and bolded openers let a reader scan for the problem at hand instead of reading the section through, which is what text features are for. Formatting does not establish accuracy. Headings add words rather than removing them. And neither device carries an opinion.
Read: 'The town should repave Mill Road. It carries eight thousand cars a day, and the county logged forty-one pothole complaints there last year.' The writer's claim is—
- a.that eight thousand cars use the road
- b.that Mill Road should be repaved✓
- c.that the county logs pothole complaints
- d.that forty-one complaints were filed
A claim is the position the writer wants accepted, and everything else in the passage is offered to support it. The traffic count and the complaint total are the evidence, not the point being argued. And the fact that the county keeps such a log is background that makes the evidence available.
Read: 'Our cafeteria should stay open until eight. Nearly half of evening students finish class after six, and the nearest market is two miles away.' Which sentence states evidence rather than the claim?
- a.Nearly half of evening students finish after six✓
- b.The cafeteria should stay open until eight
- c.Students deserve a better campus experience
- d.The current closing time is unreasonable
Evidence is a checkable fact offered in support, and the proportion of students finishing late is exactly that. The sentence about staying open until eight is the claim itself. Deserving a better experience is a value judgment. And calling the current hour unreasonable restates the claim in other words.
Read: 'Three of my cousins learned to swim before they were five, so children can obviously learn to swim at any age.' The weakness in this argument is that it—
- a.relies on a definition nobody accepts
- b.quotes a source that does not exist
- c.generalizes from a very small sample✓
- d.attacks the character of an opponent
Three relatives cannot establish what children in general can do, and the word 'obviously' hides how little has been shown. Nobody's character is attacked here. No definition is in dispute. And no source is cited at all, correctly or otherwise.
Read: 'Ice cream sales and drowning deaths both rise in July. Clearly one causes the other.' The flaw in this reasoning is that—
- a.the statistics quoted are almost certainly false
- b.ice cream sales vary by region
- c.two things rising together need not be linked✓
- d.drowning deaths are notoriously hard to count accurately
Both figures rise in hot weather, so a third factor explains the pattern, and treating a correlation as a cause is the error. The passage gives no reason to doubt the figures themselves. Difficulty of counting would weaken the data but is not the flaw shown. And regional variation is beside the point being made.
Read: 'Everyone at the meeting supported the plan, so it must be the right choice.' This argument relies on—
- a.a calculation of the plan's cost
- b.a comparison with a closely similar case from the past
- c.the recorded testimony of an expert who studied the plan
- d.the popularity of a view rather than its merits✓
Agreement among those present says nothing about whether the plan will work, and substituting the count of supporters for reasons is the whole of the argument. No past case is offered. No expert is cited. And no cost appears anywhere in the sentence.
Read: 'You can dismiss her argument about the budget; she has never balanced one in her life.' The problem with this response is that it—
- a.concedes the point it means to deny
- b.depends on a statistic that is outdated
- c.offers too much detail about the budget
- d.attacks the person instead of the argument✓
Whether the speaker has balanced a budget has no bearing on whether her reasoning about this one is sound, and the reply never engages that reasoning. It offers no detail about the budget at all. It concedes nothing. And no statistic, current or stale, is used.
Read: 'Either we cut the arts program or we lay off teachers.' The weakness in this statement is that it—
- a.repeats a point that the other side already conceded
- b.presents only two options when others exist✓
- c.uses figures that cannot be verified anywhere
- d.quotes an opponent out of context
Framing a budget problem as a choice between exactly two painful outcomes shuts out every other possibility, from new revenue to smaller cuts spread across departments. No figures appear in the sentence. Nothing is repeated. And no opponent is quoted.
Read: 'This policy is the best one available because no better policy exists.' This reasoning is weak because it—
- a.assumes what it is supposed to prove✓
- b.cites a source with an interest in the outcome
- c.generalizes from a single unusual case
- d.confuses the order of two events
The reason given restates the conclusion in other words, so the argument goes in a circle and never reaches outside itself for support. No source is named. No case, unusual or otherwise, is offered. And no sequence of events is described.
Which of these is a statement of fact rather than opinion?
- a.The library should open earlier on Tuesdays
- b.The library closed at six on Tuesday✓
- c.The library is the best building in town
- d.The library's hours are far too short
A fact can be checked against a record, and the closing time either was six or it was not. Calling the hours too short is a judgment about what is enough. Naming a building the best is a matter of taste. And saying the library should open earlier recommends an action rather than reporting one.
Read: 'The new brand of paint dried faster in our test than the leading brand.' A reader should ask first—
- a.how heavy each can was
- b.where the paint was purchased
- c.who conducted the test✓
- d.what color the paint was
If the manufacturer ran its own test, the result may still be true but it deserves more scrutiny, so the source is the first question a careful reader asks. Color, weight and place of purchase have no bearing on drying time or on the credibility of the comparison.
Read: 'A survey of twelve neighbors found that most oppose the new parking rule. The city should repeal it.' The clearest weakness is that—
- a.the neighbors were not named
- b.parking rules of this kind are rarely repealed
- c.twelve neighbors cannot speak for the city✓
- d.surveys can never measure public opinion reliably
A dozen people on one street is far too small and too narrow a group to stand for a city's residents, so the evidence does not reach the conclusion. How often rules get repealed says nothing about whether this one should be. Surveys can measure opinion well when the sample is adequate. And naming the respondents would not fix the size of the sample.
Read: 'Some argue that the fee is a burden on small shops. In fact the fee is waived for any business under twenty employees.' The second sentence functions as—
- a.a rebuttal of the stated objection✓
- b.a concession that the objection is right
- c.a restatement of the objection
- d.an example supporting the objection
The writer names an opposing point and then answers it with a fact that removes its force, which is what a rebuttal does. It does not restate the objection, since it introduces new information. It works against the objection rather than illustrating it. And a concession would agree rather than reply.
Read: 'Night classes should be expanded. Enrollment in the two existing sections has been full for six straight terms, and ninety students were turned away last fall.' The evidence supports the claim mainly by showing—
- a.that students prefer evenings to mornings
- b.that demand exceeds the current supply✓
- c.that night classes are taught well
- d.that the college can afford more sections
Full sections and ninety rejected students are measures of unmet demand, which is precisely what an argument for expansion needs. Nothing in the figures speaks to teaching quality. Affordability is a separate question the passage never addresses. And a preference for evenings is not established, since the students turned away may have had no other option.
Read: 'Since the speed limit dropped, crashes on Route 9 have fallen by a fifth.' Which additional fact would most weaken this argument that the lower limit worked?
- a.Most drivers say they support the change
- b.The road was closed for repairs half that year✓
- c.The speed limit fell by ten miles per hour
- d.Crashes rose on a different road nearby
If the road was shut for months, there was less traffic to crash, which supplies an alternative explanation for the drop and undercuts the causal claim. The size of the speed reduction describes the policy rather than testing it. A change on another road does not explain this one. And driver approval is opinion, not evidence about crashes.
Read: 'The program must be working. My neighbor enrolled and found a job within a month.' This argument depends on—
- a.a single story standing in for a pattern✓
- b.a definition that shifts halfway through
- c.a threat about what will happen next
- d.an appeal to an unnamed authority
One person's experience may be encouraging, but it cannot show what a program does in general, and nothing else is offered. No definition is used, let alone changed. No authority is invoked. And nothing is threatened.
Read: 'The measure will save money, improve safety, and, according to the engineers who studied it, cut travel times by nine minutes.' The strongest evidence in this sentence is—
- a.the promise that it will save money
- b.the engineers' estimate of nine minutes✓
- c.the fact that the measure exists
- d.the assurance that safety will improve
A specific figure attributed to people who studied the problem can be examined and challenged, which is what makes it evidence rather than assertion. Saving money and improving safety are stated without any support. And that the measure exists is not evidence for anything.
Read: 'Studies suggest that walking thirty minutes a day may reduce the risk of heart disease.' Compared with a claim that walking prevents heart disease, this statement is—
- a.identical in meaning to the stronger claim
- b.an opinion rather than a report
- c.more cautious and easier to defend✓
- d.stronger and harder to support
The words 'suggest,' 'may' and 'reduce the risk' all limit what is being asserted, which makes the claim easier to back with real findings. A stronger claim would be harder to defend, not this one. The two are not identical: prevention and risk reduction are different claims. And reporting what studies indicate is not a statement of preference.
Read: 'Anyone who cares about children will support this bond measure.' The persuasive technique at work is—
- a.tying the position to the reader's identity✓
- b.defining an unfamiliar technical term
- c.conceding the strongest opposing point
- d.citing the results of a controlled study
The sentence makes disagreement look like not caring about children, so the reader is pressed by self-image rather than by reasons about the bond. No study is cited. No opposing point is granted. And no term is defined.
Read: 'Two writers disagree about the bridge. One cites the repair estimate; the other cites the number of daily crossings.' The disagreement is best described as—
- a.a dispute about what the words in question mean
- b.a difference in which evidence matters most✓
- c.a disagreement about a past event
- d.a case of one of the writers inventing facts
Both writers use real figures; they differ over which consideration should govern the decision, cost or use. Nothing suggests a quarrel over definitions. Nothing indicates either figure is fabricated. And neither is describing an event that already happened.
Read: 'The council's so-called reform hands a windfall to developers.' The phrase 'so-called' mainly—
- a.identifies the reform's official title
- b.signals the writer's disapproval✓
- c.shows the writer is quoting a source
- d.marks a term the reader may not know
Placing 'so-called' before 'reform' tells the reader the writer does not accept the label, which is loaded language doing argumentative work. It does not supply an official name. It is not a quotation. And it is not glossing an unfamiliar word.
Read: 'The clinic treats more patients than any other in the county, and its waiting times are the longest.' A reader who concludes the clinic is poorly run has—
- a.misread what the word county is being used to mean
- b.overlooked that volume can explain the wait✓
- c.assumed that the figures given had been invented
- d.confused the clinic with another one
The same sentence that reports long waits also reports the highest patient volume, which is an obvious alternative explanation the hasty conclusion ignores. The meaning of 'county' is not in question. The figures are taken at face value by both readings. And no confusion of identity is involved.
Read: 'If we allow food trucks downtown, the next thing will be carnival rides on Main Street.' This argument is weak because it—
- a.presents an opinion as a statistic
- b.relies on a source that cannot be checked
- c.uses a word in two different senses
- d.assumes one small step leads to an extreme one✓
Nothing connects permitting food trucks to permitting carnival rides, so the chain is asserted rather than shown, which is the slippery-slope move. No source is mentioned. No word shifts its meaning. And no statistic appears.
Read: 'The company says the layoffs were unavoidable. The union says the company spent forty million on stock buybacks in the same quarter.' The union's response works by—
- a.agreeing with the company's reasoning
- b.predicting what the company will do next
- c.offering a fact that tests the company's claim✓
- d.questioning the meaning of the word layoff
If the money was there for buybacks, the claim that layoffs could not be avoided becomes much harder to sustain, so the figure is a direct challenge. The union is not agreeing. No definition is disputed. And nothing is predicted.
A writer claims that a new bus route would be well used. Which evidence would support that claim most strongly?
- a.A council member's promise to fund the route
- b.Ridership counts from a similar route in the same city✓
- c.A statement that buses are good for the environment
- d.The number of buses the city currently owns
Counts from a comparable route measure the very thing in question, how many people actually ride, and come from the same city. Environmental benefit is a separate argument for the route, not evidence of use. The size of the bus fleet is a capacity fact. And a promise of funding says nothing about ridership.
Read: 'Because the tax was cut in January and hiring rose in June, the tax cut created the jobs.' The argument assumes—
- a.that hiring figures are measured every month
- b.that the tax cut in question was a small one
- c.that nothing else could explain the hiring✓
- d.that January precedes June
The reasoning treats sequence as proof of cause, which only works if every other explanation, from seasonal hiring to a general recovery, has been ruled out. The size of the cut is not at issue. How often hiring is measured is a detail of the data. And that January comes before June is true but is exactly the weak point rather than a hidden assumption.
Read: 'Sixty percent of respondents favored the change.' Which question would most help a reader judge this claim?
- a.What format was the report published in
- b.Who paid to print the final document
- c.Who was asked and how were they chosen✓
- d.How long did the survey take to complete
A percentage means little until you know whose opinions it summarizes and whether they represent the group in question, which is a matter of sampling. The time the survey took does not affect whom it reached. The publication format is irrelevant. And printing costs say nothing about the sample.
Read: 'Critics of the plan say it costs too much. They are wrong, because the plan is affordable.' The reply fails because it—
- a.misquotes what the critics actually said about cost
- b.concedes the critics' main point
- c.restates the disagreement without evidence✓
- d.introduces a new topic that is irrelevant here
Asserting affordability is simply denying the objection in different words, and no figure or reason is offered to settle which side is right. The reply stays on the topic the critics raised. It represents their position accurately. And it concedes nothing.
Read: 'The author concludes that the program should be expanded, and admits that the evaluation covered only one site.' The admission mainly—
- a.shows that the author is being dishonest with readers
- b.makes the evidence irrelevant
- c.proves that the conclusion the author reached is false
- d.limits how far the conclusion can be pushed✓
Stating the limits of the evidence tells the reader how much weight the conclusion can bear, which is a mark of careful argument rather than a defect. A single site does not prove the conclusion wrong. Disclosing a limitation is the opposite of dishonesty. And evidence from one site is still evidence, just narrower.
Read: 'Four schools tried the later start time. Test scores rose in three of them and fell slightly in the fourth.' A fair summary is that the results were—
- a.entirely positive across the board
- b.too mixed to show any pattern
- c.mostly positive but not uniform✓
- d.negative in the majority of schools
Three improvements and one small decline is a favorable pattern with an exception, and saying so reports what happened without overstating it. Claiming it was positive across the board erases the fourth school. Calling it patternless ignores the three. And describing a majority as negative reverses the count.
Read: 'The report is dated 2004 and describes the internet habits of teenagers.' Using it to describe teenagers today is a problem mainly because—
- a.reports are never reliable sources
- b.the author had an obvious bias
- c.the sample was certainly too small
- d.the evidence may be out of date✓
Behavior in this area has changed enormously since 2004, so the age of the study is the immediate objection, whatever its quality was at the time. Reports are perfectly capable of being reliable. Nothing is said about the sample size. And no evidence of bias is given.
Read: 'Opponents claim the fee will drive shops away. Yet every shop that closed last year cited rent, not fees.' The writer answers the objection by—
- a.questioning the motives of opponents
- b.offering evidence that points elsewhere✓
- c.conceding that shops did close
- d.changing the subject to rents in general
The reason shops actually gave is used to challenge the proposed cause, which is a reply on the merits. The writer does note that shops closed, but that is the setting for the evidence rather than a concession of the point. Rent is raised because the shops raised it, not as a new subject. And nobody's motives are questioned.
Which word correctly completes the sentence: 'The box of rusted nails ______ on the top shelf'?
- a.sit
- b.sits✓
- c.were sitting
- d.have sat
The subject is 'box,' which is singular, so the verb must be singular no matter how many nails the phrase after it mentions. 'Sit' agrees with 'nails' instead of with the real subject, which is the trap the phrase is there to set. 'Were sitting' is plural as well. And 'have sat' is likewise a plural form of the present perfect.
Which word correctly completes the sentence: 'The supervisor ______ we met on Tuesday approved the order'?
- a.whom✓
- b.whose
- c.which
- d.who
The pronoun is the object of 'met' — we met him — and the objective form is 'whom.' 'Who' is the subject form and would be right only if the pronoun did the meeting. 'Which' is used for things rather than people. And 'whose' shows possession, which nothing here requires.
Which word correctly completes the sentence: 'Of the three routes, the coastal one is the ______'?
- a.more longer
- b.most long
- c.longer
- d.longest✓
With three or more items the superlative is required, and for a short adjective that means the -est ending. 'Longer' is the comparative and is used when exactly two things are compared. 'Most long' forms the superlative the wrong way for a one-syllable adjective. And 'more longer' doubles the comparative, which is never correct.
Which sentence uses a colon correctly?
- a.The kit contains: a wrench, pliers, and a driver.
- b.The kit contains three tools, a wrench: pliers and a driver.
- c.The kit: contains three tools, a wrench, pliers, and a driver.
- d.The kit contains three tools: a wrench, pliers, and a driver.✓
A colon introducing a list must follow a complete sentence, and 'The kit contains three tools' can stand alone. Putting the colon straight after 'contains' breaks the sentence in the middle of a verb and its object. Dropping a colon inside the list itself separates nothing meaningful. And a colon after the subject cuts the sentence off from its own verb.
Which word correctly completes the sentence: 'The new safety rule will ______ every department in the plant'?
- a.affect✓
- b.effect
- c.effected
- d.affects
The verb meaning to have an influence on something is 'affect'; 'effect' as a noun is the result. 'Affects' is the wrong form after 'will,' which needs the bare infinitive. And 'effected' would mean brought about, which a rule cannot do to a department, besides being the wrong tense here.
Which word correctly completes the sentence: 'The second applicant had more experience ______ the first'?
- a.as
- b.from
- c.then
- d.than✓
'Than' is the word used in comparisons, and 'more experience' demands it. 'Then' refers to time or sequence and is a different word entirely, however similar it sounds. 'From' is used with 'different,' not with 'more.' And 'as' would need the form 'as much experience as.'
Which sentence shows the correct plural possessive?
- a.The employees lounge was repainted last week.
- b.The employees' lounge was repainted last week.✓
- c.The employees's lounge was repainted last week.
- d.The employee's lounge was repainted last week.
A lounge belonging to more than one employee takes the plural 'employees' with the apostrophe after the s. Placing the apostrophe before the s makes the lounge belong to one employee. Leaving the apostrophe out removes the possession altogether. And adding a second s after the apostrophe is not the form used for a regular plural.
Which word keeps the verb tenses consistent: 'He walked to the counter and ______ for a receipt'?
- a.will ask
- b.asked✓
- c.asks
- d.is asking
'Walked' sets the sentence in the past, so the second verb in the pair must be past as well. 'Asks' shifts to the present in the middle of one action. 'Is asking' shifts to the present progressive. And 'will ask' jumps to the future, which leaves the two halves describing different times.
Which sentence punctuates the quotation correctly?
- a.'We close at nine' the clerk said.
- b.'We close at nine.' the clerk said.
- c.'We close at nine', the clerk said.
- d.'We close at nine,' the clerk said.✓
When a quotation is followed by words such as 'the clerk said,' the comma goes inside the closing quotation mark. Placing the comma outside is the British convention and is marked wrong on American tests. A period ends the sentence and cannot be followed by 'the clerk said.' And omitting the punctuation entirely runs the quotation into the attribution.
Which revision corrects the dangling modifier in 'After finishing the inspection, the report was filed'?
- a.The report, after finishing the inspection, was filed.
- b.After the inspection was finishing, the report was filed.
- c.After finishing the inspection, the report was filed promptly.
- d.After finishing the inspection, the engineer filed the report.✓
The opening phrase needs a subject that could have done the finishing, and naming the engineer supplies one. Adding 'promptly' leaves the report as the thing that finished the inspection. Moving the phrase into the middle of the sentence changes nothing about who finished. And 'was finishing' creates a new error without fixing the old one.
Which sentence hyphenates the compound modifier correctly?
- a.She interviewed a well-known author last spring.✓
- b.The author she interviewed is well-known.
- c.She interviewed a well known author last spring.
- d.She interviewed a well-known-author last spring.
A two-word modifier placed before the noun it describes takes a hyphen, so 'well-known author' is correct. Leaving the hyphen out before the noun loses the link between the two words. Hyphenating the noun into the modifier joins words that are not a unit. And after the verb, as in 'is well known,' the hyphen is normally dropped.
Which sentence uses the correct pronoun form?
- a.The dispute was settled between yourself and I.
- b.The dispute was settled between you and myself.
- c.The dispute was settled between you and me.✓
- d.The dispute was settled between you and I.
'Between' is a preposition, so the pronouns after it take the objective form, which is 'me.' 'I' is the subject form and sounds formal here without being correct. 'Yourself' and 'myself' are reflexive forms, used when the subject and object are the same person, which is not the case in this sentence.
Which word correctly completes the sentence: 'If I ______ more time, I would rewrite the whole section'?
- a.will have
- b.would have
- c.have
- d.had✓
A condition contrary to present fact pairs the past form in the if-clause with 'would' in the main clause, so 'had' is the form required. 'Have' states a real present condition and does not match 'would rewrite.' 'Will have' puts a future in a clause that cannot take one. And 'would have' repeats the modal that already appears in the second half.