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






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






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






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






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






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






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






8. 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.]






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






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






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






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






13. 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.]






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






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






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






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






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






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






20. 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]






21. 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]






22. 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.]






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






24. 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.






25. 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].






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






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






28. 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.]






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






41. 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].






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






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






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






45. 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]






46. A clause dependent on the main clause in a sentence. AFTER WE FINISH OUR WORK - we will go out for dinner.






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






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






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






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






Can you answer 50 questions in 15 minutes?



Let me suggest you:



Major Subjects



Tests & Exams


AP
CLEP
DSST
GRE
SAT
GMAT

Most popular tests