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Test your basic knowledge |
Elements Of Style Vocab
Start Test
Study First
Subjects
:
english
,
grammar
Instructions:
Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
If you are not ready to take this test, you can
study here
.
Match each statement with the correct term.
Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.
This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. A verb that joins the subject of a sentence to its complement. [They WERE ecstatic.]
Colloquialism
Relative pronoun
Principal verb
Linking verb
2. Two or more simple subjects joined by a coordinating or correlative conjunction. [HEMINGWAY AND FITZGERALD had little in common.]
Compound subject
Nonrestrictive modifier
Independent Clause
Infinitive/split infinitive
3. The predicating verb in a main clause or sentence.
Principal verb
Indirect object
Antecedent
Articles
4. A present or past participle with accompanying modifiers - objects or complements.
Adverbial phrase
Participial phrase
Relative clause
Sentence fragment
5. An independent clause which can stand alone as a grammatically complete sentence.
Main clause
Subordinate clause
Infinitive/split infinitive
Relative clause
6. A noun or noun phrase that renames or adds identifying information to a noun it immediately follows. [His brother - AN ACCOUNTANT WITH ARTHUR ANDERSON - was recently promoted]
Principal verb
Appositive
Prepositional phrase
Phrase
7. A sentence that expresses the main idea at the end.
Compound subject
Syntax
Direct object
Periodic sentence
8. The correspondence of a verb with its subject in person and number [Karen GOES to Cal Tech; her sister GO to Ucla] - and a pronoun with its antecedent in person - number - and gender [as soon as Karen finished the exam - SHE picked up HER books].
Prepositional phrase
Agreement
Intransitive verb
Clause
9. A shortened form of a word or group of words: CAN'T for cannot; THEY'RE for they are.
Adverb
Object
Contraction
Adverbial phrase
10. A verb that combines with the main verb to show differences in tense - person - and voice. The most common auxiliaries are forms of BE - DO and HAVE. [I AM going; we DID not go]
Phrase
Dependent Clause
Auxiliary verb
Compound subject
11. The time of a verb's action or state of being - such as past - present - or future.
Sentence fragment
Tense
Agreement
Predicate
12. A word that joins words - phrases - clauses - or sentences. [For - And - Nor - But - Or - Yet - So --> FANBOYS]
Syntax
Conjunction
Compound sentence
Pronominal possessive
13. A group of words that is not grammatically a complete sentence but is punctuated as one: BECAUSE IT MATTERED GREATLY.
Sentence fragment
Indirect object
Participle
Nominative pronoun
14. A word or group of words that expresses the action or indicates the state of being of the subject. Verbs ACTIVATE sentences.
Intransitive verb
Sentence fragment
Participle
Verb
15. A word that names a person - place - or thing.
Infinitive/split infinitive
Modal auxiliaries
Noun
Transition
16. A phrase or clause that limits the essential meaning of the sentence element it modifies or identifies. [Professional athletes WHO PERFORM EXCEPTIONALLY should earn stratospheric salaries.]
Prepositional phrase
Restrictive term - element - clause
Gerund
Predicate
17. A group of words that includes a subject and verb but is subordinate to an independent clause in a sentence. [IF - BECAUSE - SINCE - etc...]
Transitive verb
Dependent Clause
Auxiliary verb
Main clause
18. A phrase of clause that does not limit or restrict the essential meaning of the element it modifies.
Nonrestrictive modifier
Articles
Subordinate clause
Possessive
19. Two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction - a correlative conjunction - or a semicolon. [Caesar conquered Gaul - but Alexander the Great conquered the world.]
Preposition
Adverb
Compound sentence
Modal auxiliaries
20. Possessive pronouns such as HERS - ITS and THEIRS.
Participle
Pronominal possessive
Nonrestrictive modifier
Nominative pronoun
21. Correlative conjunctions [BOTH - AND; EITHER - OR; NEITHER - NOR] join the same kinds of elements (as conjunctions)
Verb
Conjunction
Correlative expression
Restrictive term - element - clause
22. A word that modifies or otherwise qualifies a verb - an adjective - or another adverb. [Gestures GRACEFULLY]
Prepositional phrase
Predicate
Adverb
Restrictive term - element - clause
23. A pronoun that refers to an unspecified person (ANYBODY) or thing (SOMETHING)
Antecedent
Modal auxiliaries
Complement
Indefinite pronoun
24. A phrase that functions as an adverb. [Landon laughs WITH ABANDON]
Adverbial phrase
Noun
Contraction
Principal verb
25. The verb and its related words in a clause or sentence. The predicate expresses what the subject does - experiences - or is. [Birds FLY.]
Articles
Predicate
Conjunction
Participial phrase
26. A noun or pronoun that receives the action of a transitive verb. [Pearson publishes BOOKS.]
Direct object
Modal auxiliaries
Gerund
Relative pronoun
27. A word or expression appropriate to informal conversation but not usually suitable for academic or business writing. [They wanted to GET EVEN.]
Principal verb
Colloquialism
Subordinate clause
Case
28. A word that modifies - quantifies - or otherwise describes a noun or pronoun. [DRIZZLY November]
Preposition
Case
Number
Adjective
29. The noun or pronoun that indicates what a sentence is about - and which the principal verb of a sentence elaborates.
Subject
Verbal
Modifier
Antecedent
30. The order or arrangement of words in a sentence.
Adjectival modifier
Pronominal possessive
Syntax
Contraction
31. The words - A - AN - and THE - which signal or introduce nouns. THE refers to a particular item - whereas A and AN refer to a general item.
Indefinite pronoun
Complement
Possessive
Articles
32. A feature of nouns - pronouns - and a few verbs referring to singular or plural.
Adjectival modifier
Number
Contraction
Indirect object
33. The case of nouns and pronouns that indicates ownership or possession.
Voice
Dependent Clause
Possessive
Direct object
34. A word or phrase (especially a noun or adjective that completes the predicate. [Martha is my NEIGHBOUR.]
Complement
Antecedent
Adjectival modifier
Compound sentence
35. The -ING form of a verb that functions as a noun: HIKING - PLAYING - etc...
Verb
Gerund
Verbal
Transitive verb
36. The name of a particular person - place or thing.
Proper noun
Subordinate clause
Syntax
Restrictive term - element - clause
37. A group of words with a subject and verb that can stand alone as a sentence. [RACCOONS STEAL FOOD.]
Independent Clause
Intransitive verb
Noun
Colloquialism
38. A sentence that begins with the main idea and then attaches modifiers - qualifiers - and additional details.
Loose sentence
Preposition
Dependent Clause
Adverbial phrase
39. Any of the verbs that combine with the main verb to express necessity [MUST] - obligation [SHOULD] - permission [MAY] - probability [MIGHT] - possibility [COULD] - ability [CAN] - or tentativeness [WOULD].
Modal auxiliaries
Preposition
Nonrestrictive modifier
Predicate
40. The form of a noun or pronoun that reflects its grammatical function in a sentence as subject (THEY) - object (THEM) - or possessor (THEIR).
Infinitive/split infinitive
Indefinite pronoun
Modifier
Case
41. A verbal that functions as an adjective. Present participles end in -ING; past - -D - -ED; or -EN. Other forms: BROKEN
Participle
Tense
Adjective
Agreement
42. A group of related words that contains a subject and predicate. [MOTHS SWARM around a burning candle.]
Relative pronoun
Clause
Adverbial phrase
Dependent Clause
43. A group of words consisting of a preposition - its object -and any of the object's modifiers. [Georgia ON MY MIND.]
Phrase
Articles
Prepositional phrase
Transition
44. A noun or pronoun that indicates to whom or for whom - to what or for what the action of a transitive verb is performed. [I asked HER a question.]
Gerund
Voice
Indefinite pronoun
Indirect object
45. A word or group of words that aids coherence in writing by showing the connections between ideas.
Dependent Clause
Verbal
Contraction
Transition
46. The noun to which a pronoun refers. A pronoun and its antecedent must agree in person - number - and gender. [Michael and HIS teammates moved off campus]
Syntax
Antecedent
Conjunction
Complement
47. A word - phrase - or clause that acts as an adjective in qualifying the meaning of a noun or pronoun. [YOUR country]
Modifier
Voice
Adjectival modifier
Participial phrase
48. The attribute of a verb that indicates whether its subject is active [Janet PLAYED the guitar]
Subject
Modal auxiliaries
Voice
Nonrestrictive modifier
49. In the present tense - a verb phrase consisting of TO followed by the base form of the verb (TO WRITE). A split infinitive occurs when one or more words separate TO and the verb [TO BOLDLY GO]
Infinitive/split infinitive
Possessive
Loose sentence
Auxiliary verb
50. A pronoun that connects a dependent clause to a main clause in a sentence: WHO - WHOM - WHOSE - WHICH - etc...
Periodic sentence
Participle
Relative pronoun
Nominative pronoun