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






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






3. 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]






4. 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.]






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






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






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






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






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






10. 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]






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






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






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






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






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






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






17. 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.]






18. 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.]






19. 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].






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






28. 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]






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






44. 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]






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






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






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






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






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






50. 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].