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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 clause dependent on the main clause in a sentence. AFTER WE FINISH OUR WORK - we will go out for dinner.
Prepositional phrase
Subordinate clause
Dependent Clause
Compound sentence
2. The name of a particular person - place or thing.
Linking verb
Verbal
Subordinate clause
Proper noun
3. 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.]
Relative clause
Restrictive term - element - clause
Transition
Direct object
4. 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.]
Agreement
Verbal
Independent Clause
Clause
5. A word that modifies - quantifies - or otherwise describes a noun or pronoun. [DRIZZLY November]
Adjective
Case
Subordinate clause
Modifier
6. The order or arrangement of words in a sentence.
Syntax
Subject
Restrictive term - element - clause
Preposition
7. The form of a noun or pronoun that reflects its grammatical function in a sentence as subject (THEY) - object (THEM) - or possessor (THEIR).
Case
Nominative pronoun
Number
Proper noun
8. The noun or pronoun that completes a prepositional phrase or the meaning of a transitive verb.
Object
Dependent Clause
Transition
Articles
9. 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.
Articles
Principal verb
Gerund
Predicate
10. A word - phrase - or clause that acts as an adjective in qualifying the meaning of a noun or pronoun. [YOUR country]
Case
Compound sentence
Gerund
Adjectival modifier
11. 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.]
Possessive
Adverbial phrase
Compound sentence
Antecedent
12. A sentence that expresses the main idea at the end.
Transition
Compound sentence
Periodic sentence
Complement
13. A group of words consisting of a preposition - its object -and any of the object's modifiers. [Georgia ON MY MIND.]
Relative clause
Dependent Clause
Prepositional phrase
Participial phrase
14. A group of words with a subject and verb that can stand alone as a sentence. [RACCOONS STEAL FOOD.]
Subject
Syntax
Tense
Independent Clause
15. 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]
Independent Clause
Syntax
Case
Auxiliary verb
16. A verb that does not take a direct object. [His nerve FAILED.]
Intransitive verb
Indirect object
Compound subject
Sentence fragment
17. A phrase that functions as an adverb. [Landon laughs WITH ABANDON]
Verb
Indirect object
Gerund
Adverbial phrase
18. 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
Colloquialism
Nonrestrictive modifier
Possessive
19. A word or phrase that qualifies - describes - or limits the meaning of a word - phrase - or clause. [FRAYED ribbon]
Modifier
Possessive
Indirect object
Sentence fragment
20. A clause introduced by a relative pronoun - such as WHO - WHICH - THAT - or by a relative adverb - such as WHERE - WHEN - WHY.
Relative clause
Adverbial phrase
Noun
Participial phrase
21. The time of a verb's action or state of being - such as past - present - or future.
Tense
Auxiliary verb
Case
Number
22. 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]
Relative pronoun
Antecedent
Principal verb
Preposition
23. The case of nouns and pronouns that indicates ownership or possession.
Possessive
Dependent Clause
Loose sentence
Adjective
24. 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.]
Phrase
Participial phrase
Articles
Indirect object
25. A group of words that includes a subject and verb but is subordinate to an independent clause in a sentence. [IF - BECAUSE - SINCE - etc...]
Dependent Clause
Colloquialism
Intransitive verb
Clause
26. A shortened form of a word or group of words: CAN'T for cannot; THEY'RE for they are.
Gerund
Linking verb
Subordinate clause
Contraction
27. A word or expression appropriate to informal conversation but not usually suitable for academic or business writing. [They wanted to GET EVEN.]
Articles
Transition
Independent Clause
Colloquialism
28. A word or group of words that expresses the action or indicates the state of being of the subject. Verbs ACTIVATE sentences.
Modal auxiliaries
Nominative pronoun
Direct object
Verb
29. 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]
Case
Clause
Appositive
Complement
30. A word that relates its object to another word in the sentence. [She is the leader OF our group.]
Dependent Clause
Pronominal possessive
Preposition
Loose sentence
31. A group of related words that contains a subject and predicate. [MOTHS SWARM around a burning candle.]
Relative clause
Nonrestrictive modifier
Clause
Relative pronoun
32. A verb that joins the subject of a sentence to its complement. [They WERE ecstatic.]
Linking verb
Participle
Dependent Clause
Indefinite pronoun
33. Correlative conjunctions [BOTH - AND; EITHER - OR; NEITHER - NOR] join the same kinds of elements (as conjunctions)
Modifier
Prepositional phrase
Compound sentence
Correlative expression
34. 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].
Adverbial phrase
Proper noun
Predicate
Modal auxiliaries
35. A word that joins words - phrases - clauses - or sentences. [For - And - Nor - But - Or - Yet - So --> FANBOYS]
Adjective
Independent Clause
Conjunction
Voice
36. Possessive pronouns such as HERS - ITS and THEIRS.
Intransitive verb
Pronominal possessive
Participle
Nominative pronoun
37. A feature of nouns - pronouns - and a few verbs referring to singular or plural.
Adjectival modifier
Number
Conjunction
Noun
38. A noun or pronoun that receives the action of a transitive verb. [Pearson publishes BOOKS.]
Direct object
Subject
Indirect object
Prepositional phrase
39. The predicating verb in a main clause or sentence.
Tense
Compound subject
Principal verb
Adverb
40. The noun or pronoun that indicates what a sentence is about - and which the principal verb of a sentence elaborates.
Voice
Subject
Intransitive verb
Nonrestrictive modifier
41. A pronoun that refers to an unspecified person (ANYBODY) or thing (SOMETHING)
Proper noun
Compound sentence
Indefinite pronoun
Independent Clause
42. The -ING form of a verb that functions as a noun: HIKING - PLAYING - etc...
Sentence fragment
Tense
Direct object
Gerund
43. A word or phrase (especially a noun or adjective that completes the predicate. [Martha is my NEIGHBOUR.]
Antecedent
Intransitive verb
Complement
Nonrestrictive modifier
44. A verbal that functions as an adjective. Present participles end in -ING; past - -D - -ED; or -EN. Other forms: BROKEN
Participle
Periodic sentence
Principal verb
Appositive
45. The verb and its related words in a clause or sentence. The predicate expresses what the subject does - experiences - or is. [Birds FLY.]
Periodic sentence
Proper noun
Predicate
Independent Clause
46. A group of words that is not grammatically a complete sentence but is punctuated as one: BECAUSE IT MATTERED GREATLY.
Verbal
Sentence fragment
Infinitive/split infinitive
Auxiliary verb
47. A phrase of clause that does not limit or restrict the essential meaning of the element it modifies.
Nonrestrictive modifier
Conjunction
Periodic sentence
Phrase
48. A verb that requires a direct object to complete its meaning: they WASHED their new car.
Voice
Adverb
Transitive verb
Loose sentence
49. A word or group of words that aids coherence in writing by showing the connections between ideas.
Articles
Transition
Auxiliary verb
Main clause
50. A group of related words that functions as a unit but lacks a subject - verb - or both. WITHOUT THE RESOURCES TO CONTINUE.
Complement
Relative pronoun
Gerund
Phrase