401 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.
What is 15% of 240?
- a.45
- b.36✓
- c.24
- d.360
To find 15% of 240, multiply 240 by 0.15, which equals 36. Percent means 'per hundred,' so 15% is 0.15 in decimal form. This is a basic percentage calculation.
Solve for x: 3x + 7 = 22.
- a.15
- b.3
- c.5✓
- d.7
Subtract 7 from both sides to get 3x = 15, then divide by 3 to find x = 5. Isolating the variable step by step solves a linear equation. Checking: 3(5) + 7 = 22, which is correct.
A rectangle has a length of 12 cm and a width of 5 cm. What is its area?
- a.60 cm²✓
- b.34 cm²
- c.120 cm²
- d.17 cm²
Area of a rectangle is length times width: 12 × 5 = 60 square centimeters. Area is always expressed in square units. The perimeter, by contrast, would be 2(12 + 5) = 34 cm.
What is the value of 2³ + 4²?
- a.24✓
- b.20
- c.14
- d.18
2³ equals 8 and 4² equals 16, and their sum is 24. An exponent tells how many times to multiply the base by itself. Evaluating exponents before adding follows the order of operations.
Simplify the fraction 18/24 to lowest terms.
- a.6/8
- b.9/12
- c.2/3
- d.3/4✓
The greatest common factor of 18 and 24 is 6, and dividing both by 6 gives 3/4. A fraction is in lowest terms when the numerator and denominator share no common factor other than 1. Forms like 6/8 and 9/12 are equal in value but not fully reduced.
If a car travels 180 miles in 3 hours, what is its average speed?
- a.540 mph
- b.63 mph
- c.50 mph
- d.60 mph✓
Average speed equals distance divided by time: 180 ÷ 3 = 60 miles per hour. This uses the relationship speed = distance/time. The units confirm the answer is in miles per hour.
What is the mean (average) of 4, 8, 10, and 14?
- a.36
- b.10
- c.8
- d.9✓
Add the numbers to get 36, then divide by the count of 4, giving 9. The mean is the sum of values divided by how many values there are. The total, 36, is not the average itself.
Solve for y: y/4 = 9.
- a.5
- b.36✓
- c.13
- d.2.25
Multiply both sides by 4 to undo the division, giving y = 36. Since y divided by 4 equals 9, y must be 4 times 9. Checking: 36 ÷ 4 = 9, which is correct.
A shirt originally costs $40 and is on sale for 25% off. What is the sale price?
- a.$30✓
- b.$10
- c.$15
- d.$35
A 25% discount on $40 is $10, so the sale price is $40 − $10 = $30. You can also multiply $40 by 0.75 to get $30 directly. The discount is subtracted from the original price.
What is the slope of the line passing through the points (1, 2) and (3, 8)?
- a.6
- b.4
- c.3✓
- d.2
Slope equals the change in y over the change in x: (8 − 2) / (3 − 1) = 6/2 = 3. Slope measures how steep a line is. A positive slope means the line rises from left to right.
The ratio of boys to girls in a class is 3:5. If there are 24 students, how many are girls?
- a.12
- b.9
- c.15✓
- d.18
The ratio 3:5 has 8 parts total, so each part equals 24 ÷ 8 = 3 students. Girls make up 5 parts: 5 × 3 = 15. Ratios divide a whole into proportional shares.
What is 3/4 written as a decimal?
- a.0.75✓
- b.0.34
- c.1.33
- d.0.43
Dividing the numerator 3 by the denominator 4 gives 0.75. A fraction represents division of the top number by the bottom number. This is a common fraction-to-decimal conversion.
A circle has a radius of 6 cm. What is its circumference? (Use π ≈ 3.14.)
- a.18.84 cm
- b.37.68 cm✓
- c.113.04 cm
- d.12 cm
Circumference equals 2πr: 2 × 3.14 × 6 = 37.68 cm. The radius is the distance from center to edge. Using the area formula πr² would instead give about 113 cm².
Evaluate the expression 5(x − 2) when x = 6.
- a.20✓
- b.28
- c.10
- d.40
Substitute x = 6 to get 5(6 − 2) = 5(4) = 20. Following order of operations, solve inside the parentheses first, then multiply. Substituting values into expressions is a key algebra skill.
What is the next number in the pattern: 3, 6, 12, 24, ___?
- a.48✓
- b.30
- c.72
- d.36
Each term is double the one before it, so 24 × 2 = 48. Recognizing that the pattern multiplies by 2 reveals the rule. This is a geometric sequence.
A recipe needs 2 cups of flour for 12 cookies. How many cups are needed for 30 cookies?
- a.2.5 cups
- b.4 cups
- c.5 cups✓
- d.6 cups
Set up a proportion: 2/12 = x/30, so x = (2 × 30)/12 = 5 cups. Proportions keep the ratio of flour to cookies constant. Scaling recipes uses this direct relationship.
What is the area of a triangle with a base of 10 cm and a height of 6 cm?
- a.24 cm²
- b.30 cm²✓
- c.16 cm²
- d.60 cm²
Area of a triangle is one-half the base times the height: (1/2)(10)(6) = 30 cm². The factor of one-half distinguishes a triangle from a rectangle of the same base and height. Area is measured in square units.
Solve the inequality: 2x − 3 < 7.
- a.x > 5
- b.x < 2
- c.x < 5✓
- d.x < 10
Add 3 to both sides to get 2x < 10, then divide by 2 to get x < 5. When dividing an inequality by a positive number, the direction of the sign stays the same. The solution is all values less than 5.