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