Grammar 101 check in quiz 2
Which of the following best describes an independent clause?
a phrase in a sentence that could stand on its own
The discovery is having a major___________ on how scientists understand the movements of ancient peoples.
effect
The slide in stock prices has had a big ______ on my grandma's retirement portfolio.
effect
______ should we trust?
whom
Why did Noah Webster want to change the spelling of certain words in his dictionary, which was first published in 1828?
He wanted American English to be distinct from British English
Listen to this song by Sly and The Family Stone, and pay particular attention to the chorus. Which version should Sly use to be grammatically correct?
I am everyday people
Listen to this song from Frank Sinatra. Which version should Frank use to be grammatically correct?
I fall in love with you every day
Identify the independent clause in the following sentence: I need a haircut today, since my hair is getting in my eyes.
I need a haircut today
_____ going to be several weeks before ______ ready to start golf practice.
It's, they're
Change the following sentence from the passive voice into the active voice. What's the subject of the new active voice sentence? The prime rib was ordered by Jake.
Jake
Mark the choice that is correctly worded and punctuated using the Oxford Comma:
Janie's favorite movies are "Titanic," "When Harry Met Sally," "Beaches," and "50 First Dates."
Which of the following sentences is incorrect?
Meryl Streep was nominated for an Academy Award in 2018 for her role in The Post, she didn't end up winning.
Which of the following sentences is correctly formatted in AP Style?
Olivia Sanchez, 32, is a graduate from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. Sanchez graduated from the SOJC in 2017.
Mark the choice that is correctly worded and punctuated.
Roberto is an honor student, and he does especially well in English.
According to the AP Stylebook, what is the correct way to format a percentage?
The number of kids playing soccer increased 12% last year.
Which of the following sentences is an example of a comma splice?
The population of Oregon has boomed over the past 20 years, it's now the sixth-fastest growing state in the country.
What is the name of the organization created by Melvil Dewey, Andrew Carnegie and Charles Darwin to make spelling in English less complex?
The simplified spelling board
Which of the following sentences is not a sentence fragment?
The sound of the gray room was loud
The semicolon was invented by a Venetian printer named Aldus Manutius, who considered the mark an elegant way to continue sentences.
true
Use of the semicolon declined rapidly in the 18th and 19th centuries for which of the following reasons.
using the mark made sending telegrams more expensive
"Fossils obviously are the backbone of understanding past life," says paleoanthropologist William Harcourt-Smith of the City University of New York,_________ was not part of the study team.
who
"It gives us a sense of humans within their ancient ecosystem," says study author Sally Reynolds,_______ a paleontologist at Bournemouth University. She points to the sloth's apparent awareness of humans nearby.
who's
______ responsibility is it to decide when daily life can start getting back to normal?
whose
Incredible details of_________ trek revealed in fossil footprints
10,000-year-old
But _________ — the 96-year-old jazz legend who for the past quarter-century has served as the leader of one of the genre's most essential groups, the Sun Ra Arkestra — has embraced the current situation by spending hours each day playing music.
Allen
"He was talking about the_________ , ancient history and all these different things," Allen remembers about the long-ago meeting.
Bible
I was also interested in ancient Egypt and its relationship to the African diaspora and_______ history."
Black
Even if alto saxophonist Knoel Scott gave me a chart, it didn't necessarily mean that that chart was going to be played that night,"_________ says, laughing.
Dyer
Which of the following statements about em dashes is not true?
Em dashes are a more formal style of punctuation
Which of the following sentences is using passive voice?
Kate is loved by William.
What is a simple sentence structure you can use that helps minimize grammar errors?
Subject-verb-object
Which of the following sentences correctly uses semicolons in a list?
The Golden State Warriors have one of the best lineups in the league, featuring Stephen Curry, point guard; Klay Thompson, shooting guard; Kevin Durant, forward; Draymond Green, power forward; and Jordan Bell, center.
Which of the following is an example of a comma splice?
The University of Oregon is one of the world's premier schools for sports, it is building a new Hayward Field to host global track meets.
Which of the following sentences is punctuated without using an Oxford comma:
When Beyoncé performed at Coachella, her setlist included Crazy in Love, Diva and Single Ladies.
_____ wants ice cream?
Who
As a general rule, should state names be spelled out or abbreviated?
Yes, state names should be spelled out, as in Oregon.
Oxford Comma
a comma placed between the second to last item in a list and a conjunction word
colon
a mark of anticipation that's often followed by a list
exclamation mark
a mark of excitement or exhilaration that is prone to overuse
Sentences in _______ are generally used to show who or what is performing the action.
active voice
Which of the following is not an appropriate way to fix a comma splice?
add a comma and conjunction word between the dependent clauses
All professional sports have been _________ by the pandemic and many have been forced to cancel or postpone their seasons.
affected
em dash
an informal mark that's often used for variety and emphasis
By analyzing the shape, structure, and spread of the tracks the research team unveiled an intimate portrait of one ancient person's walk across the landscape, right down to their toes, each millimeters_____________ and slipping on the slick surface.
apart
Which of the following is not an appropriate use of an exclamation mark?
as often as you can
Identify the dependent clause in the following sentence: Kenyon runs the steeplechase because he has great endurance.
because he has great endurance
Which punctuation mark is missing from the following sentence? (Hint: this sentence follows AP Style on comma usage) My final meal would include four things fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and roasted vegetables.
colon
The phrase strong-willed in the following sentence is an example of what grammatical concept? Sabrina and Jo are both strong-willed children who like to protest when told to clean up their room.
compound adjective
Change the following sentence from the passive voice into the active voice. What's the object of the new active voice sentence? Cricket was played by him.
cricket
In passive voice, the object of the action is placed in the subject position.
true
The AP Stylebook says writers shouldn't use the Oxford comma unless it's essential for clarity.
true
Which of the following statements would Mignon Fogarty, author of Grammar Girl, disagree with?
"Writing, for the most part, is about impressing people with knowledge. Big, complicated words and sentences are the way to go."
According to the AP Stylebook, which of the following is not an acceptable use of numerals?
1980's
"Swirling," the Sun Ra Arkestra's first new album since______ , shows that Allen's work is far from done.
1999
The eponymous leader of the Arkestra was a self-proclaimed celestial being who was one of the most visionary jazz musicians of the________ championing individualism and expression over precision and perfection.
20th century
"I've got enough instruments to keep me busy_________ hours a day."
24
Among the many lessons that Allen learned during his more than________ years playing alongside Sun Ra, discipline was one of the most important.
35
Sun Ra got up at _________ and rehearsed every day, seven days a week.
5 a.m.
But in exchange, you have to give lessons to the children at________ off,' " Allen remembers being told.
50%
If he hasn't gotten bored after ________ years of that, he's not about to start now.
80
Which of the following statements summarize the AP Stylebook's position on pronouns? Select all that apply.
They/them/their is acceptable in limited cases as a singular and-or gender-neutral pronoun, when alternative wording is overly awkward or clumsy. Writers should be aware that gender-neutral use of a singular they might be unfamiliar to many readers, and should take steps to make sure readers understand their choices. Rewording a sentence usually is possible and always is preferable. In most cases, a plural pronoun should match the antecedent.
semicolon
a mark that separates two independent clauses, so long as the second clause refines the first
Sun Ra _____________ change in music, change in his mind and change socially.
effected
It's also allowing researchers an opportunity to understand the__________ experiences of the earliest humans.
everyday
A comma splice should be used to connect two complete sentences.
false
The serial comma is also known as the comma splice.
false
When quoting dialogue in AP Style, punctuation marks usually go outside the quotation mark.
false
When you want to join two clauses that each stand on their own, it's a good idea to use a comma.
false
Several hours later, the traveler followed a similar route about 90 feet__________ to the south, this time empty-handed.
farther
Kennedi decided to move to Colorado after graduation, even though it's the _________ away she's ever been from Oregon.
farthest
Because of budget cuts at major research institutions,____________ scientists are examining these critical ancient questions, so breakthroughs of this kind are increasingly rare.
fewer
There are _____ cars driving on I-5 right now because most people are staying home.
fewer
When Deb goes to Costco, she buys no ______ than three bundles of toilet paper.
fewer
The discovery of the fossil footprints has been a boon for scientists studying ancient behavior — allowing researchers to peer__________ into the historical record than ever before.
further
The work Allen has already done makes him a venerated elder statesman. He's recorded________ of albums as both leader and sideman and performed thousands of concerts touching all parts of the world, dating back to the 1940s.
hundreds
Which of the following is an advantage of using simple subject-verb-object sentence structure?
improved comprehension, improved clarity, fewer grammar mistakes
________ also possible it could be wet mammoth poo."
it's
What's the grammatically correct pronoun to use in the following sentence? The Chicago Cubs baseball team had ______ best season in 20 years.
its
What's the grammatically correct pronoun to use in the following sentence? The Democratic Party is holding _____ 2020 convention in Milwaukee.
its
What's the grammatically correct pronoun to use in the following sentence? The Oregon Country Fair celebrated _______ 50th anniversary last year.
its
What's the grammatically correct pronoun to use in the following sentence? The Target Corp. is asking ______ customers to maintain social distancing inside the company's more than 5,000 stores around the country.
its
which
non-restrictive
Now, a team of scientists have documented nearly a mile of fossilized footprints from the_________ venture — the longest human trackway ever found.
out-and-back
The Simplified Spelling Board is an example of what kind of approach or philosophy about language?
prescriptivist
Identify the verb in the following sentence: Yara ran 13 miles during cross-country practice.
ran
that
restrictive
Which of the following is not a characteristic of The Great Vowel Shift?
resulted in doughnut being spelled donut
According to the AP Stylebook, should the word emoji be used as a singular or plural noun?
singular and plural
The following image includes an example of what grammatical concept? Vivian added a post to their journal
singular they
More_________ 10,000 years ago, a woman or young man — a toddler balanced on one hip — set out on a harried trip northward through what is now White Sands National Park, New Mexico.
than
What's the grammatically correct pronoun to use in the following sentence? Dahlia and Courtney are going to be celebrating _____ 21st birthdays together over Zoom.
their
What's the grammatically correct pronoun to use in the following sentence? Executives at Target Corp. are asking ______ customers to maintain social distancing inside the company's more than 5,000 stores around the country.
their
Harcout-Smith said that he suspects the footprints are were left by a_________ child
three-year-old
Which of the following phrases is an example of a split infinitive?
to quickly answer
Which of the following is not an appropriate use of a semicolon?
to separate an infinitive
Active voice sentences are usually stronger, shorter and more direct than passive voice sentences.
true
An independent clause can stand on its own.
true