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. 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.]






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






3. 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]






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






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






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






7. 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]






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






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






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






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






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






13. 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].






14. A word that relates its object to another word in the sentence. [She is the leader OF our group.]






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






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






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






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






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






20. 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.]






21. Two or more simple subjects joined by a coordinating or correlative conjunction. [HEMINGWAY AND FITZGERALD had little in common.]






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






23. A group of words that includes a subject and verb but is subordinate to an independent clause in a sentence. [IF - BECAUSE - SINCE - etc...]






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






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






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






27. A group of words consisting of a preposition - its object -and any of the object's modifiers. [Georgia ON MY MIND.]






28. An independent clause which can stand alone as a grammatically complete sentence.






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






30. 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]






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.






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






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






34. A feature of nouns - pronouns - and a few verbs referring to singular or plural.






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






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






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






38. 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]






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






46. A group of words that is not grammatically a complete sentence but is punctuated as one: BECAUSE IT MATTERED GREATLY.






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






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






49. A word that joins words - phrases - clauses - or sentences. [For - And - Nor - But - Or - Yet - So --> FANBOYS]






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