Test your basic knowledge |

Elements Of Style Vocab

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 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.]






2. A group of related words that contains a subject and predicate. [MOTHS SWARM around a burning candle.]






3. The noun or pronoun that completes a prepositional phrase or the meaning of a transitive verb.






4. A word or phrase that qualifies - describes - or limits the meaning of a word - phrase - or clause. [FRAYED ribbon]






5. 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.]






6. A pronoun that connects a dependent clause to a main clause in a sentence: WHO - WHOM - WHOSE - WHICH - etc...






7. 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].






8. A shortened form of a word or group of words: CAN'T for cannot; THEY'RE for they are.






9. The time of a verb's action or state of being - such as past - present - or future.






10. 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]






11. 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.






12. A word or group of words that aids coherence in writing by showing the connections between ideas.






13. 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.]






14. A word or group of words that expresses the action or indicates the state of being of the subject. Verbs ACTIVATE sentences.






15. The noun or pronoun that indicates what a sentence is about - and which the principal verb of a sentence elaborates.






16. The attribute of a verb that indicates whether its subject is active [Janet PLAYED the guitar]






17. A present or past participle with accompanying modifiers - objects or complements.






18. Correlative conjunctions [BOTH - AND; EITHER - OR; NEITHER - NOR] join the same kinds of elements (as conjunctions)






19. A phrase of clause that does not limit or restrict the essential meaning of the element it modifies.






20. A pronoun that functions as a subject or a subject complement.






21. A pronoun that refers to an unspecified person (ANYBODY) or thing (SOMETHING)






22. A verbal that functions as an adjective. Present participles end in -ING; past - -D - -ED; or -EN. Other forms: BROKEN






23. 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].






24. A word - phrase - or clause that acts as an adjective in qualifying the meaning of a noun or pronoun. [YOUR country]






25. A verb form that functions in a sentence as a noun - an adjective - or an adverb rather than as a principal verb. [THINKING can be fun.]






26. Possessive pronouns such as HERS - ITS and THEIRS.






27. 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]






28. A word or phrase (especially a noun or adjective that completes the predicate. [Martha is my NEIGHBOUR.]






29. A verb that joins the subject of a sentence to its complement. [They WERE ecstatic.]






30. The form of a noun or pronoun that reflects its grammatical function in a sentence as subject (THEY) - object (THEM) - or possessor (THEIR).






31. A phrase that functions as an adverb. [Landon laughs WITH ABANDON]






32. A verb that does not take a direct object. [His nerve FAILED.]






33. The order or arrangement of words in a sentence.






34. 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]






35. A word that names a person - place - or thing.






36. A verb that requires a direct object to complete its meaning: they WASHED their new car.






37. The name of a particular person - place or thing.






38. The case of nouns and pronouns that indicates ownership or possession.






39. A sentence that begins with the main idea and then attaches modifiers - qualifiers - and additional details.






40. A word or expression appropriate to informal conversation but not usually suitable for academic or business writing. [They wanted to GET EVEN.]






41. 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]






42. The verb and its related words in a clause or sentence. The predicate expresses what the subject does - experiences - or is. [Birds FLY.]






43. A noun or pronoun that receives the action of a transitive verb. [Pearson publishes BOOKS.]






44. A sentence that expresses the main idea at the end.






45. A word that modifies or otherwise qualifies a verb - an adjective - or another adverb. [Gestures GRACEFULLY]






46. A word that modifies - quantifies - or otherwise describes a noun or pronoun. [DRIZZLY November]






47. A group of related words that functions as a unit but lacks a subject - verb - or both. WITHOUT THE RESOURCES TO CONTINUE.






48. A clause introduced by a relative pronoun - such as WHO - WHICH - THAT - or by a relative adverb - such as WHERE - WHEN - WHY.






49. A group of words with a subject and verb that can stand alone as a sentence. [RACCOONS STEAL FOOD.]






50. The predicating verb in a main clause or sentence.