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






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






3. 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].






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






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






6. The -ING form of a verb that functions as a noun: HIKING - PLAYING - etc...






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






8. 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.]






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






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






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






12. 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]






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






14. 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]






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






26. 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]






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






28. 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].






29. 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]






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






41. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






48. 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.]






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






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