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