English Composition-Grammar, Mechanics, and Writing Skills Exam Study Guide

Which of the following sentences contains a mix of verb tenses? a. I'll see you when you arrive. b. Cory offered his lunch money to Kristy, who took it without a second thought. c. Your father will be so excited when you give him his birthday present. d. My girlfriend and I are going to the movies, while Damon went to the pier.

*c. is incorrect.*

Which of the following refers to the rules of the written language, such as capitalization, punctuation, and spelling? a. Mechanics b. Style c. Grammar d. Parts of speech

a. Mechanics

Prepositions show relationships between what parts of speech and the rest of the sentence? a. Nouns and pronouns b. Adjectives and adverbs c. Verbs and adverbs d. Conjunctions and interjections

a. Nouns and pronouns

When two or more subjects are joined by and, a/an ____ verb form must be used in order to ensure subject-verb agreement. a. Plural b. Infinitive c. Singular d. Participial

a. Plural

Your writing assignments will be graded according to the course ____, which evaluate the skill level of your writing. a. Rubics. b. Curriculum c. Mechanics d. Syllabus

a. Rubics

Which of the following is a helpful tip for overcoming a fear of writing? a. Put it off to the last minute and let the pressure drive your writing. b. Have a buddy or someone to talk with and review your writing. c. Do not break it down, write the whole paper at once. d. Write for hours without taking any breaks.

b. Have a buddy or someone to talk with and review your writing.

One of the best ways to improve as a writer is to a. Review your writing by silent reading. b. Keep track of your most common errors. c. Read book reviews about good writing. d. Avoid proofreading your work.

b. Keep track of your most common errors.

To analyze and respond to a text, you can ____ your sources, or connect ideas and combine information from multiple sources. a. Plagiarize b. Synthesize c. Annotate d. Infer

b. Synthesize

Since objects are nouns, you can usually identify them by asking which of the following? a. "Where?" b. "When?" c. "What?" d. "How?"

c. "What?"

Identify the adverb in the following sentence. Sofia answered the question correctly. a. Sofia b. Answered c. Correctly d. Question

c. Correctly

Writers who don't use proper punctuation in academic writing may find that they lack ____, or authority within the academic community. a. Grammar b. Audience c. Credibility d. Mechanics

c. Credibility

Which of the following words correctly follows the rules with adding endings to words with a silent "e"? a. Basedment b. Tentative c. Homeless d. Hopful

c. Homeless

Formal titles (like "Pastor") are capitalized only when they're used a. At the end of a sentence. b. After a name. c. In front of a name. d. In writing an email.

c. In front of a name.

What tip would help you become a better speller? a. Study words you already know how to spell. b. Avoid using a spell checker. c. Keep a list of troublesome words. d. Keep your writing to yourself.

c. Keep a list of troublesome words.

What part of speech describes nouns? a. Adverbs b. Pronouns c. Conjunctions d. Adjectives

d. Adjectives

People write for two reasons: to express themselves and to a. Make money from short stories. b. Becomes famous authors. c. Get good grades in school. d. Communicate ideas to others.

d. Communicate ideas to others.

Determine the words that should be capitalized in the following sentence. every thursday i watch the series ghost hunters. a. Thursday, I, The, Series, Ghost, Hunters b. Every, Thursday, Ghost, Hunters c. Every, Thursday, I, The, Series d. Every, Thursday, I, Ghost, Hunters

d. Every, Thursday, I, Ghost, Hunters

What parts of speech express intense emotion? a. Conjunctions b. Adverbs c. Pronouns d. Interjections

d. Interjections

Which of the following sentences contains a preposition? a. The dog wagged its tail excitedly. b. Ow! I think I pulled a muscle! c. I read an interesting article the other day. d. Jimmy threw the Frisbee against the wind.

d. Jimmy threw the Frisbee agains the wind.

If an author purposefully leaves out information in order to mislead the reader, the author has made a/an a. Conclusion b. Assumption c. Generalization d. Omission

d. Omission