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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. A word - phrase - or clause that acts as an adjective in qualifying the meaning of a noun or pronoun. [YOUR country]
Infinitive/split infinitive
Adjectival modifier
Modal auxiliaries
Restrictive term - element - clause
2. A pronoun that functions as a subject or a subject complement.
Direct object
Indefinite pronoun
Nominative pronoun
Compound sentence
3. A group of related words that functions as a unit but lacks a subject - verb - or both. WITHOUT THE RESOURCES TO CONTINUE.
Predicate
Phrase
Main clause
Participle
4. The -ING form of a verb that functions as a noun: HIKING - PLAYING - etc...
Gerund
Conjunction
Clause
Tense
5. A verb that does not take a direct object. [His nerve FAILED.]
Intransitive verb
Compound subject
Number
Participial phrase
6. A group of words that includes a subject and verb but is subordinate to an independent clause in a sentence. [IF - BECAUSE - SINCE - etc...]
Dependent Clause
Relative pronoun
Adjectival modifier
Adverbial phrase
7. 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].
Modal auxiliaries
Predicate
Intransitive verb
Agreement
8. 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]
Articles
Infinitive/split infinitive
Correlative expression
Auxiliary verb
9. A word that modifies - quantifies - or otherwise describes a noun or pronoun. [DRIZZLY November]
Periodic sentence
Nominative pronoun
Prepositional phrase
Adjective
10. A group of words consisting of a preposition - its object -and any of the object's modifiers. [Georgia ON MY MIND.]
Subordinate clause
Adverbial phrase
Contraction
Prepositional phrase
11. The noun or pronoun that completes a prepositional phrase or the meaning of a transitive verb.
Principal verb
Object
Verb
Tense
12. The attribute of a verb that indicates whether its subject is active [Janet PLAYED the guitar]
Phrase
Correlative expression
Colloquialism
Voice
13. 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.]
Indirect object
Participle
Correlative expression
Participial phrase
14. Correlative conjunctions [BOTH - AND; EITHER - OR; NEITHER - NOR] join the same kinds of elements (as conjunctions)
Participial phrase
Correlative expression
Nonrestrictive modifier
Direct object
15. 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.]
Verbal
Preposition
Intransitive verb
Noun
16. A verb that joins the subject of a sentence to its complement. [They WERE ecstatic.]
Linking verb
Main clause
Indefinite pronoun
Tense
17. A word or group of words that expresses the action or indicates the state of being of the subject. Verbs ACTIVATE sentences.
Linking verb
Verb
Subject
Adjectival modifier
18. The order or arrangement of words in a sentence.
Pronominal possessive
Gerund
Syntax
Antecedent
19. A phrase that functions as an adverb. [Landon laughs WITH ABANDON]
Participle
Adverbial phrase
Adjective
Pronominal possessive
20. Two or more simple subjects joined by a coordinating or correlative conjunction. [HEMINGWAY AND FITZGERALD had little in common.]
Compound subject
Indirect object
Transition
Periodic sentence
21. 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.
Noun
Dependent Clause
Participle
Articles
22. A pronoun that connects a dependent clause to a main clause in a sentence: WHO - WHOM - WHOSE - WHICH - etc...
Sentence fragment
Relative pronoun
Contraction
Infinitive/split infinitive
23. The form of a noun or pronoun that reflects its grammatical function in a sentence as subject (THEY) - object (THEM) - or possessor (THEIR).
Syntax
Subject
Case
Subordinate clause
24. A word or group of words that aids coherence in writing by showing the connections between ideas.
Transitive verb
Transition
Direct object
Loose sentence
25. 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]
Antecedent
Indirect object
Compound sentence
Adjective
26. The time of a verb's action or state of being - such as past - present - or future.
Tense
Proper noun
Independent Clause
Modifier
27. A word that modifies or otherwise qualifies a verb - an adjective - or another adverb. [Gestures GRACEFULLY]
Participial phrase
Adverb
Agreement
Modal auxiliaries
28. The case of nouns and pronouns that indicates ownership or possession.
Conjunction
Case
Possessive
Modal auxiliaries
29. A sentence that expresses the main idea at the end.
Tense
Compound sentence
Infinitive/split infinitive
Periodic sentence
30. 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.]
Restrictive term - element - clause
Modifier
Verb
Voice
31. A shortened form of a word or group of words: CAN'T for cannot; THEY'RE for they are.
Clause
Contraction
Relative pronoun
Infinitive/split infinitive
32. A verbal that functions as an adjective. Present participles end in -ING; past - -D - -ED; or -EN. Other forms: BROKEN
Number
Participle
Syntax
Dependent Clause
33. 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.]
Noun
Transitive verb
Verbal
Compound sentence
34. A word that relates its object to another word in the sentence. [She is the leader OF our group.]
Compound subject
Preposition
Verb
Participial phrase
35. A word or expression appropriate to informal conversation but not usually suitable for academic or business writing. [They wanted to GET EVEN.]
Object
Indefinite pronoun
Colloquialism
Adverbial phrase
36. A feature of nouns - pronouns - and a few verbs referring to singular or plural.
Number
Periodic sentence
Relative pronoun
Compound subject
37. The verb and its related words in a clause or sentence. The predicate expresses what the subject does - experiences - or is. [Birds FLY.]
Transition
Direct object
Syntax
Predicate
38. A group of words with a subject and verb that can stand alone as a sentence. [RACCOONS STEAL FOOD.]
Independent Clause
Correlative expression
Voice
Appositive
39. A group of words that is not grammatically a complete sentence but is punctuated as one: BECAUSE IT MATTERED GREATLY.
Independent Clause
Sentence fragment
Colloquialism
Subordinate clause
40. 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]
Prepositional phrase
Restrictive term - element - clause
Infinitive/split infinitive
Nonrestrictive modifier
41. A verb that requires a direct object to complete its meaning: they WASHED their new car.
Compound subject
Transitive verb
Agreement
Loose sentence
42. A word that names a person - place - or thing.
Noun
Number
Periodic sentence
Relative clause
43. A clause dependent on the main clause in a sentence. AFTER WE FINISH OUR WORK - we will go out for dinner.
Verb
Compound sentence
Voice
Subordinate clause
44. A word or phrase that qualifies - describes - or limits the meaning of a word - phrase - or clause. [FRAYED ribbon]
Antecedent
Proper noun
Direct object
Modifier
45. The noun or pronoun that indicates what a sentence is about - and which the principal verb of a sentence elaborates.
Subject
Correlative expression
Predicate
Voice
46. A pronoun that refers to an unspecified person (ANYBODY) or thing (SOMETHING)
Possessive
Syntax
Proper noun
Indefinite pronoun
47. A group of related words that contains a subject and predicate. [MOTHS SWARM around a burning candle.]
Articles
Clause
Infinitive/split infinitive
Principal verb
48. A present or past participle with accompanying modifiers - objects or complements.
Transitive verb
Complement
Indirect object
Participial phrase
49. A clause introduced by a relative pronoun - such as WHO - WHICH - THAT - or by a relative adverb - such as WHERE - WHEN - WHY.
Contraction
Restrictive term - element - clause
Relative clause
Participial phrase
50. A noun or pronoun that receives the action of a transitive verb. [Pearson publishes BOOKS.]
Modal auxiliaries
Articles
Verb
Direct object