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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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.]






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






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






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






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






20. 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.]






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






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






23. 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.






24. 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]






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






33. 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]






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






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






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






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






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






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






40. 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]






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






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






43. A word that modifies or otherwise qualifies a verb - an adjective - or another adverb. [Gestures GRACEFULLY]






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






45. 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.]






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






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






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






49. 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].






50. A verb that requires a direct object to complete its meaning: they WASHED their new car.