general knowledge test · 5/9/2018 4 subject-verb agreement two singular subjects connected by or,...
TRANSCRIPT
5/9/2018
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TEAS
English & Language UsageDana Davidson & Gregg Stone
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Format of the English Subtest
28 multiple choice questions
28 minute time limit
Broad topics:
Conventions of standard English (9)
Knowledge of language (9)
Vocabulary acquisitions (6)
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Subject-Verb Agreement Errors in subject-verb agreement often occur when other words in the
sentence separate the subject and verb. To help recognize these errors, read
the sentence without the interrupting words.
EXAMPLES:
The president of the club, as well as other officers, feel that the membership dues
need to be raised.
The president of the club, as well as other officers, feels that the membership
dues need to be raised.
The class, including all of the teacher’s lectures and slideshows, are boring.
The class, including all of the teacher’s lectures and slideshows, is boring.
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Subject-Verb Agreement
Two singular subjects connected by or, either/or, or neither/nor require a
singular verb.
My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.
If one subject is singular and one is plural, the verb agrees with the noun our
pronoun closest to it.
Neither the plates nor the serving bowl goes on that shelf.
Neither the serving bowl nor the plates go on that shelf.
In sentences beginning with here or there, reorder the sentence.
There are four hurdles to jump. (Hurdles are….)
There is a high hurdle to jump. (Hurdle is….)
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Subject-Verb Agreement The words each, either, neither, everyone, and everybody are singular and
always require a singular verb.
Each of these hot dogs is juicy.
Collective nouns name groups (things) composed of members (usually people).
Some examples include: cabinet, committee, council, jury, family, team.
Collective nouns can be either singular or plural depending on context. Is the group
working as one, or is each person working individually within the group?
Examples:
The jury agrees that the state prosecutors did not provide enough evidence, so its verdict
is not guilty.
In this example, all members of the jury are thinking the same way. Therefore a
singular verb (agrees) and a singular pronoun (its) is used.
The jury disagree about the guilt of the accused and have told the judge that they are
hopelessly deadlocked.
In this example, each jury member is acting individually. They are not thinking the
same way. Therefore plural verbs (disagree, have told) and pronouns (they) are used.
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Parallel Structure
The ideas in sentences should be parallel, meaning they should be expressed
in the same way.
Which sentence is correct?
Sarah’s actions were heroic and to be praised.
Sarah’s actions were heroic and praiseworthy.
The teacher said Tom was a poor student because he waited until the last minute
to study, completed his labs in a careless manner, and lacked motivation.
The teacher said Tom was a poor student because he waited until the last minute
to study, completed his labs in a careless manner, and his motivation was low.
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Misplaced or Dangling Modifiers
A modifier is a word or phrase that adds detail or description to a sentence.
To avoid confusion, modifiers should be placed near the words they modify.
Which sentence is correct?
Driving through the woods, the photographer saw several black bears.
The photographer saw several black bears driving through the woods.
While looking for the vandals, a burglary that had not been reported was
discovered by the police.
While looking for the vandals, the police found evidence of a burglary that had not
been reported.
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Apostrophes Use an apostrophe to form possessives of nouns.
Add ‘s to the plural forms of nouns that do not end in –s:
the children’s game; the geese’s honking
Add ‘ to the end of plural nouns that end in –s
the two cats’ toys, the countries’ laws
Add an apostrophe to the last noun to show joint possession of an object
John and Amy’s apartment (John and Amy share an apartment)
Add an apostrophe to each noun when separate possession is shown
Tim’s and Todd’s ice cream (Each boy has his own ice cream)
You don’t always need an apostrophe just because a word ends with an “s”
Where is the apostrophe used correctly, and where is it used incorrectly in the following sentence?
On Parents’ Day, a public holiday in the Democratic Republic of Congo, families celebrate parents’ as a sign of respect.
* Don’t confuse the contraction it’s with the possessive pronoun its.
The dog wagged its tail.
The dog wagged it’s tail.
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Capitalization Capitalize a title only if it precedes a specific person’s name.
My son loves Coach Brady.
My son loves his coach.
Capitalize the specific name of a class/subject.
I am really struggling to pass my algebra class this semester.
I am really struggling to pass Algebra 101 this semester.
The exception to this rule is languages. EX) I am really struggling in French class this semester.
Capitalize government departments, organizations and historical periods &
documents.
The Declaration of Independence, the Enlightenment, the Constitution, Federal Bureau
of Investigation, the Supreme Court, Congress, Sierra Club
Capitalize a region but not a direction.
To get to Miami, drive south on I-95.
I was born and raised in the South.
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Pronoun Case (Subject vs. Object)
Subject pronouns are those pronouns that perform the action in a sentence. They
include I, you, he, she, we, they, who, and whoever.
Object pronouns are those pronouns that receive the action in a sentence. They
include me, you, him, her, us, them, whom, and whomever.
Which sentence is correct?
She gave Jim and me extra cookies.
She gave Jim and I extra cookies.
A trick to figuring this out is to get rid of Jim in the sentence and see which option
sounds best.
She gave Jim and me extra cookies.
She gave Jim and I extra cookies.
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A trick for figuring out “who vs. whom” For this trick, use the following key:
who = she, he, I, they (all subjects)
whom = her, him, me, them (all objects)
(Tip: Who does what to whom?)
Let’s use this sentence: Nicole is a girl (who/whom) likes to read.
Step 1: Cover up the part of the sentence that comes before who/whom.
Nicole is a girl (who/whom) likes to read.
Step 2: Test with a pronoun from the key above.
Who likes to read = She likes to read.
Whom likes to read = Her likes to read.
Step 3: Ask yourself which option sounds correct.
“She likes to read” sounds better, so the correct choice is “who.”
Nicole is a girl who likes to read.
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Quotation marks
Mr. Johnson said, “The alien spaceship appeared right before my eyes.”
Take note of the following:
There is a comma after the introductory element
The actual quote begins with a capital letter
The end punctuation is inside the closing quotation mark.
Sometimes the person you are quoting is quoting someone else. In this case,
you will use single quotation marks.
The reporter told me, “When I interviewed the quarterback, he said they simply
‘played a better game.’”
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Quotation marks
Quotes that are questions can sometimes be tricky. Sometimes the question
mark goes inside the quotation mark, but sometimes it goes outside.
A question mark goes inside the quotation mark when the quote itself is a
question.
Beth asked, “May I have a bite of your sandwich?”
However, if the entire sentence is a question, then the question mark goes
outside of the quotation mark.
Did he just say, “I don’t care what you think”?
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Fragments
A fragment is a group of words that looks like a sentence but really isn’t.
To be a sentence, groups of words need to have at least one independent clause.
It must have a subject, verb, and express a complete thought.
How can these fragments be changed into complete sentences?
Toys of all kinds thrown everywhere.
Running so quickly that she ran out of breath and collapsed.
Fragments are frequently dependent clauses that follow a main clause.
Dependent clauses have a subject and a verb, but they begin with words called
subordinate/subordinating conjunctions (such as, since, because, which…), so they
depend on another sentence to make them complete.
Where is the fragment and how can it be fixed?
The county’s current policy on housing is incomplete as it stands. Which is why we
believe the proposed amendments should be passed.
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Comma Splices and Run-on Sentences A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are connected with only a
comma. Example: Your first geometry test is tomorrow, you better study.
Ways to fix the problem:
Your first geometry test is tomorrow, so you better study. Adding a coordinating conjunction
(for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) fixes the problem. Think FANBOYS.
Since your first geometry test is tomorrow, you better study. Adding the subordinating
conjunction since changes the clause from an independent clause to a dependent clause.
Your first geometry test is tomorrow; you better study. Changing the comma to a semicolon
fixes the problem.
Your first geometry test is tomorrow; therefore, you better study. You can also add a
conjunctive adverb after the semicolon (however, also, otherwise, consequently, etc.).
A run-on sentence occurs when two independent clauses are connected with no
punctuation at all. Example: Your first geometry test is tomorrow you better
study.
Ways to fix the problem: same as above
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Subordinate Conjunctions
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Compound vs. Complex Sentences
A compound sentence has two or more independent clauses and no
dependent clauses.
Meriwether Lewis is famous for his expedition into the territory of the
Louisiana Purchase, but few people know of his contributions to natural
science.
Plague, generally not a major health concern, actually continues to spread
among rodent populations today, and it even occasionally makes its way into
a human host.
A complex sentence has only one independent clause and one or more
dependent clauses.
While she was at the county fair, Christy ate so much junk food that she got
sick.
When we buy his birthday cake, we have to make sure it’s lemon because it’s
his favorite.
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Vocabulary in Context
Common types of context clues are:
Examples-when an example within the sentence helps you figure out meaning
The adverse effects of the drug, including dizziness, nausea, and headaches, have
caused it to be withdrawn from the market.
Synonyms- when a word with similar meaning is used
Because my friends had advised me to scrutinize the lease, I took time to examine all
the fine print.
Antonyms- when a word with the opposite meaning is used
Many people have pointed out the harmful effects that a working mother may have on
her family, yet there are many salutary effects as well.
Other clues- anything else in the sentence that can help you figure out the
meaning of the word
The car wash we organized was a fiasco—it rained all day.
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Other things to study
Meanings of common prefixes and suffixes
Google “medical roots, prefixes, and suffixes”
Commonly confused words
Google “commonly confused words” & refer to handout
provided
Parts of speech
Google “parts of speech” & refer to handout provided
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Let’s practice!
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Which of the following is a complex sentence?
A) When skywriting, a pilot flies a small aircraft in specific, particular
formations, creating large letters visible from the ground.
B) The public defense attorney was able to maintain her optimism
despite her dearth of courtroom wins, her lack of free time, and her
growing list of clients.
C) Because the distance between stars in the galaxy is far greater than
the distance between planets, interstellar travel is expected to be an
even bigger challenge than interplanetary exploration.
D) Invented in France in the early nineteenth century, the stethoscope
underwent a number of reiterations before the emergence of the
modern form of the instrument in the 1850’s.
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Choose the option that is punctuated correctly.
A. When you broke your promise, I was extremely upset, I hope that I
will be able to trust you in the future.
B. When you broke your promise I was extremely upset I hope that I will
be able to trust you in the future.
C. When you broke your promise, I was extremely upset. I hope that I
will be able to trust you in the future.
D. When you broke your promise I was extremely upset. I hope that I will
be able to trust you in the future.
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Which of the following sentences has the correct subject-verb agreement?
A) The Akhal-Teke horse breed, originally from Turkmenistan, have long
enjoyed a reputation for bravery and fortitude.
B) The employer decided that he could not, due to the high cost of
healthcare, afford to offer other benefits to his employees.
C) Though Puerto Rico is known popularly for its beaches, its landscape also
include mountains, which play home to many of the island’s rural
villages.
D) Each of the storm chasers decide whether or not to go out when rain
makes visibility low.
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The Welsh kingdom of Gwynedd existed as an independent state from the
early 5th century, when the Romans left Britain, until the late 13th
century, when the king of England took control of Wales.
Which of the following functions as an adjective in the sentence above?
A) independent
B) century
C) government
D) control
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Since each member had a different opinion on the issue, the council
decided to rest until _____ could discuss the matter further.
Which of the following pronoun(s) best complete(s) the sentence above?
A) it
B) he and she
C) they
D) each
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Which of the following sentences contains an incorrect use
of capitalization?
A) For Christmas, we are driving to the South to visit my grandmother in
Mississippi.
B) Last year, we went to East Texas to go camping in Piney Woods.
C) Next month, we will visit my Aunt Darla who lives just East of us.
D) When my sister-in-law Susan has her baby, I will take the train north
to see her.
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Which of the following sentences shows the correct use of quotation marks?
A) Grady asked Abe, ‘Did you know that an earthquake and a tsunami hit
Messina, Italy, in 1908?’
B) Grady asked Abe, “Did you know that an earthquake and a tsunami hit
Messina, Italy, in 1908”?
C) Grady asked Abe, “Did you know that an earthquake and a tsunami hit
Messina, Italy, in 1908?”
D) Grady asked Abe, “‘Did you know that an earthquake and a tsunami hit
Messina, Italy, in 1908’?”
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Which of the following is an appropriate synonym for insolent as it is used in
the sentence?
The students’ insolent behavior drove the teacher to punish the class with
extra homework.
A. confusing
B. disrespectful
C. delightful
D. unlikely
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Which of the following prefixes would be used to indicate that
something is opposite?
A. fore-
B. bi-
C. anti-
D. trans-
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The End
We hope you have learned something today and feel your
time with us was well spent.
We wish you the best of luck on the TEAS!
5/9/2018
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Which of the following is a complex sentence?
A) When skywriting, a pilot flies a small aircraft in specific, particular
formations, creating large letters visible from the ground.
B) The public defense attorney was able to maintain her optimism
despite her dearth of courtroom wins, her lack of free time, and her
growing list of clients.
C) Because the distance between stars in the galaxy is far greater than
the distance between planets, interstellar travel is expected to be an
even bigger challenge than interplanetary exploration.
D) Invented in France in the early nineteenth century, the stethoscope
underwent a number of reiterations before the emergence of the
modern form of the instrument in the 1850’s.
5/9/2018
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Choose the option that is punctuated correctly.
A. When you broke your promise, I was extremely upset, I hope that I
will be able to trust you in the future.
B. When you broke your promise I was extremely upset I hope that I will
be able to trust you in the future.
C. When you broke your promise, I was extremely upset. I hope that I
will be able to trust you in the future.
D. When you broke your promise I was extremely upset. I hope that I will
be able to trust you in the future.
5/9/2018
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Which of the following sentences has the correct subject-verb agreement?
A) The Akhal-Teke horse breed, originally from Turkmenistan, have long
enjoyed a reputation for bravery and fortitude.
B) The employer decided that he could not, due to the high cost of
healthcare, afford to offer other benefits to his employees.
C) Though Puerto Rico is known popularly for its beaches, its landscape also
include mountains, which play home to many of the island’s rural
villages.
D) Each of the storm chasers decide whether or not to go out when rain
makes visibility low.
5/9/2018
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The Welsh kingdom of Gwynedd existed as an independent state from the
early 5th century, when the Romans left Britain, until the late 13th
century, when the king of England took control of Wales.
Which of the following functions as an adjective in the sentence above?
A) independent
B) century
C) government
D) control
5/9/2018
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Since each member had a different opinion on the issue, the council
decided to rest until _____ could discuss the matter further.
Which of the following pronoun(s) best complete(s) the sentence above?
A) it
B) he and she
C) they
D) each
5/9/2018
36
Which of the following sentences contains an incorrect use
of capitalization?
A) For Christmas, we are driving to the South to visit my grandmother in
Mississippi.
B) Last year, we went to East Texas to go camping in Piney Woods.
C) Next month, we will visit my Aunt Darla who lives just East of us.
D) When my sister-in-law Susan has her baby, I will take the train north
to see her.
5/9/2018
37
Which of the following sentences shows the correct use of quotation marks?
A) Grady asked Abe, ‘Did you know that an earthquake and a tsunami hit
Messina, Italy, in 1908?’
B) Grady asked Abe, “Did you know that an earthquake and a tsunami hit
Messina, Italy, in 1908”?
C) Grady asked Abe, “Did you know that an earthquake and a tsunami hit
Messina, Italy, in 1908?”
D) Grady asked Abe, “‘Did you know that an earthquake and a tsunami hit
Messina, Italy, in 1908’?”
5/9/2018
38
Which of the following is an appropriate synonym for insolent as it is used in
the sentence?
The students’ insolent behavior drove the teacher to punish the class with
extra homework.
A. confusing
B. disrespectful
C. delightful
D. unlikely
5/9/2018
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Which of the following prefixes would be used to indicate that
something is opposite?
A. fore-
B. bi-
C. anti-
D. trans-