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Test your basic knowledge |
Elements Of Style Vocab
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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 noun or pronoun that completes a prepositional phrase or the meaning of a transitive verb.
Object
Preposition
Contraction
Phrase
2. A pronoun that refers to an unspecified person (ANYBODY) or thing (SOMETHING)
Indefinite pronoun
Nonrestrictive modifier
Tense
Proper noun
3. A present or past participle with accompanying modifiers - objects or complements.
Participial phrase
Direct object
Prepositional phrase
Possessive
4. The attribute of a verb that indicates whether its subject is active [Janet PLAYED the guitar]
Voice
Principal verb
Subordinate clause
Main clause
5. Two or more simple subjects joined by a coordinating or correlative conjunction. [HEMINGWAY AND FITZGERALD had little in common.]
Intransitive verb
Principal verb
Compound subject
Subject
6. Correlative conjunctions [BOTH - AND; EITHER - OR; NEITHER - NOR] join the same kinds of elements (as conjunctions)
Relative pronoun
Dependent Clause
Pronominal possessive
Correlative expression
7. 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.]
Auxiliary verb
Adjective
Syntax
Verbal
8. 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]
Appositive
Voice
Contraction
Articles
9. 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].
Adverb
Predicate
Verbal
Modal auxiliaries
10. A word that modifies - quantifies - or otherwise describes a noun or pronoun. [DRIZZLY November]
Subject
Compound sentence
Transitive verb
Adjective
11. A word or group of words that expresses the action or indicates the state of being of the subject. Verbs ACTIVATE sentences.
Gerund
Colloquialism
Transition
Verb
12. A sentence that expresses the main idea at the end.
Contraction
Participial phrase
Compound subject
Periodic sentence
13. A group of words with a subject and verb that can stand alone as a sentence. [RACCOONS STEAL FOOD.]
Nonrestrictive modifier
Compound sentence
Independent Clause
Clause
14. The order or arrangement of words in a sentence.
Correlative expression
Syntax
Principal verb
Periodic sentence
15. A clause introduced by a relative pronoun - such as WHO - WHICH - THAT - or by a relative adverb - such as WHERE - WHEN - WHY.
Main clause
Number
Linking verb
Relative clause
16. The noun or pronoun that indicates what a sentence is about - and which the principal verb of a sentence elaborates.
Intransitive verb
Correlative expression
Nonrestrictive modifier
Subject
17. A verb that requires a direct object to complete its meaning: they WASHED their new car.
Relative clause
Transitive verb
Dependent Clause
Colloquialism
18. 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].
Auxiliary verb
Agreement
Main clause
Appositive
19. A group of words consisting of a preposition - its object -and any of the object's modifiers. [Georgia ON MY MIND.]
Prepositional phrase
Proper noun
Correlative expression
Colloquialism
20. A verbal that functions as an adjective. Present participles end in -ING; past - -D - -ED; or -EN. Other forms: BROKEN
Participle
Number
Nonrestrictive modifier
Prepositional phrase
21. The case of nouns and pronouns that indicates ownership or possession.
Possessive
Agreement
Participle
Linking verb
22. A noun or pronoun that receives the action of a transitive verb. [Pearson publishes BOOKS.]
Participial phrase
Nonrestrictive modifier
Correlative expression
Direct object
23. The predicating verb in a main clause or sentence.
Restrictive term - element - clause
Adverb
Linking verb
Principal verb
24. 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]
Correlative expression
Modifier
Antecedent
Periodic sentence
25. 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
Relative pronoun
Contraction
Direct object
26. An independent clause which can stand alone as a grammatically complete sentence.
Articles
Principal verb
Main clause
Compound sentence
27. A feature of nouns - pronouns - and a few verbs referring to singular or plural.
Subject
Prepositional phrase
Colloquialism
Number
28. The -ING form of a verb that functions as a noun: HIKING - PLAYING - etc...
Participial phrase
Conjunction
Gerund
Adjective
29. A word or phrase that qualifies - describes - or limits the meaning of a word - phrase - or clause. [FRAYED ribbon]
Participial phrase
Clause
Preposition
Modifier
30. A word or phrase (especially a noun or adjective that completes the predicate. [Martha is my NEIGHBOUR.]
Complement
Voice
Modal auxiliaries
Correlative expression
31. A group of related words that contains a subject and predicate. [MOTHS SWARM around a burning candle.]
Verb
Transitive verb
Clause
Adjective
32. A pronoun that connects a dependent clause to a main clause in a sentence: WHO - WHOM - WHOSE - WHICH - etc...
Relative pronoun
Adjective
Periodic sentence
Object
33. The verb and its related words in a clause or sentence. The predicate expresses what the subject does - experiences - or is. [Birds FLY.]
Predicate
Proper noun
Gerund
Clause
34. A phrase of clause that does not limit or restrict the essential meaning of the element it modifies.
Independent Clause
Nonrestrictive modifier
Adjective
Conjunction
35. A word - phrase - or clause that acts as an adjective in qualifying the meaning of a noun or pronoun. [YOUR country]
Sentence fragment
Predicate
Infinitive/split infinitive
Adjectival modifier
36. 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
Auxiliary verb
Conjunction
Direct object
37. A verb that does not take a direct object. [His nerve FAILED.]
Intransitive verb
Participial phrase
Compound subject
Adverbial phrase
38. A sentence that begins with the main idea and then attaches modifiers - qualifiers - and additional details.
Articles
Infinitive/split infinitive
Loose sentence
Transition
39. A word or group of words that aids coherence in writing by showing the connections between ideas.
Transition
Case
Infinitive/split infinitive
Periodic sentence
40. The time of a verb's action or state of being - such as past - present - or future.
Dependent Clause
Proper noun
Tense
Modifier
41. A word that names a person - place - or thing.
Noun
Periodic sentence
Adjectival modifier
Nonrestrictive modifier
42. 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.]
Verb
Adjective
Indirect object
Participial phrase
43. 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]
Modifier
Verb
Infinitive/split infinitive
Main clause
44. A group of words that includes a subject and verb but is subordinate to an independent clause in a sentence. [IF - BECAUSE - SINCE - etc...]
Infinitive/split infinitive
Dependent Clause
Linking verb
Relative pronoun
45. A group of words that is not grammatically a complete sentence but is punctuated as one: BECAUSE IT MATTERED GREATLY.
Subject
Transitive verb
Conjunction
Sentence fragment
46. A clause dependent on the main clause in a sentence. AFTER WE FINISH OUR WORK - we will go out for dinner.
Pronominal possessive
Auxiliary verb
Subordinate clause
Participial phrase
47. A word or expression appropriate to informal conversation but not usually suitable for academic or business writing. [They wanted to GET EVEN.]
Adverbial phrase
Transition
Main clause
Colloquialism
48. A pronoun that functions as a subject or a subject complement.
Clause
Adjective
Nominative pronoun
Voice
49. The name of a particular person - place or thing.
Complement
Proper noun
Preposition
Prepositional phrase
50. 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.]
Subject
Object
Restrictive term - element - clause
Transition