LIN1670C Final Examination Practice Test
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Locating Subjects and Verbs
Directions: Choose the option that contains the subject and verb in each of the following sentences.
1. The Olympic games in Sydney, Australia, were not expected to attract a very
large television audience.
A. Sydney, Australia were expected
B. games were expected
C. games were
D. games were not expected
2. Hurricane season in Pensacola can be a stressful time for those without
much experience preparing for storms.
A. Pensacola can be stressful
B. season can be
C. Pensacola can
D. season be
Making Subjects and Verbs Agree
Directions: Choose the option that corrects an error in the underlined portion(s). If no error exists, choose "No change is necessary."
3. Parking on the Pensacola Junior College campus (A) is becoming a
problem because too many drivers (B) do not understand the color code
that (C) are used in the parking lot.
A. are becoming
B. does not understand
C. is used
D. No change is necessary.
4. Here (A) come the best part of the parade, for all children (B) love
to see the large floats because their crews generally (C) throw candy
and prizes.
A. comes
B. loves
C. throws
D. No change is necessary.
5. Neither the cupboards nor the refrigerator (A) look promising if
anyone (B) is searching for an idea for dinner because we (C) have
not bought groceries in over three weeks.
A. looks
B. are searching
C. has not bought
D. No change is necessary.
6. The teachers' union (A) has fought hard this year because the teachers (B) deserve a raise, but the county's educational fund (C) is too low for the teachers to get a raise and to keep their health plan, too.
A. have fought
B. deserves
C. are
D. No change is necessary.
Avoiding Sentence Structure Errors
Directions: Choose the one INCORRECT word group for each question.
7. A. Voting is a right and responsibility of every eligible American citizen.
B. Because our country was founded on the principle of freedom.C. People need
to exercise the right to cast a vote and to make an intelligent choice. D. When
citizens fail to vote, they give up the right to complain about those in office.
8. A. All of us can make a difference by being involved in the American political process. B. We should certainly be proactive in promoting causes that we think are in the best interest of the country. C. It is somewhat acceptable to be accused of being a crusader, however, it is not acceptable to be accused of being apathetic. D. Truly, American citizens cannot take the right to vote and to speak freely for granted.
9. A. Students often think that good writing is a skill that belongs only to the highly intelligent in fact, good writing is a skill that can be developed by people who work at learning that skill. B. Sometimes beginners feel that the William Faulkners and the Ernest Hemingways of the world are the only ones who deserve to call themselves writers. C. However, we all have stories inside us that need to be told. D. Writing is simply a discipline that must be learned and practiced in the same way one would practice an athletic skill.
10. A. Making my grandmother's seafood gumbo is an impossibility. B. When she was in her eighties, I finally convinced her to tell me the recipe. C. If what she gave me could be called a recipe. D. My grandmother was such an experienced cook that she never measured any ingredients, so I knew I was doomed to fail.
Using Standard Verb Forms
Directions: Choose the option that corrects an error in the underlined portion(s). If no error exists, choose "No change is necessary."
11. The longer the graduates stood in the hot sun, the hotter they (A) became,
but none of them (B) chose to remove the black robes it (C) had took
them so long to earn.
A. become
B. choose
C. had taken
D. No change is necessary.
12. Marla (A) had wrote me a letter explaining her stressful job situation, but when I (B) went to visit her, I (C) thought she had her job under control.
A. had written
B. had went
C. had thought
D. No change is necessary.
13. While Emily (A) sang her solo piece, the audience (B) grew completely silent, and when she finished, the applause (C) were deafening.
A. sung
B. grown
C. was
D. No change is necessary.
14. When Benny (A) had came home, he discovered that the kittens (B)
had hidden all of his socks underneath the sofa, even though Benny (C)
had given them plenty of toys for entertainment.
A. came
B. had hided
C. had gave
D. No change is necessary.
Avoiding Inappropriate Shifts in Verb Tenses
Directions: Choose the one CORRECT sentence in each group.
15.
A. I am standing in the woods, and suddenly a deer leaped into the clearing.
B. As the ship sailed into the sunset, Maria bowed her head and told the children
to wish their father a safe journey.
C. If the quarterback does not slip and if the pass is complete to the tight
end, then the Jaguars would have scored an important touchdown.
D. My mom took me aside at the birthday party, and then she asks me to be nicer
to Jimmy, although Jimmy was the one picking on me!
16.
A. The cat just stood there in the hallway until someone raced in and rescued
it.
B. Tanika looked her sister straight in the eye for a full thirty seconds, and
then her sister starts to shiver and twitch.
C. After the Japanese naval air forces attack Pearl Harbor in 1942, the whole
world was plunged into a terrible war.
D. After the police surrounded the house and ordered the fugitive to come out
with his hands up, he stumbles out without any resistance.
Directions: Choose the underlined option that causes an inappropriate shift in verb tense.
17. When Star Wars (A)was released in 1977, both children and adults (B)line
up in front of theaters all across the nation and (C)waited for hours to get
in; they (D)were eager to see the much-publicized film.
Using Standard Expressions
Directions: Choose the one CORRECT sentence in each group.
18.
A. After class was over with, we headed to the student center to watch some
TV and play ping-pong.
B. My parents are both smart but in different ways. Mom is better than Dad at
English, but Dad is best at math.
C. When the policeman cited me for failing to come to a complete stop, I decided
that he must not have written his required number of tickets for the month.
D. Although light-complected African-American women use to be considered the
most attractive, the fashion has now changed.
19.
A. It was a real pleasure meeting with my teacher this afternoon.
B. A pop fly is when the batter hits the ball high into the air so that the
fielder can catch it easy.
C. When Joey received a poor grade on his essay, he should of revised it.
D. Last weekend I visited Biloxi, but this weekend I didn't go anywheres.
Managing Pronouns
Directions: Choose the one CORRECT sentence in each group.
20.
A. Between you and I, my parents place too much emphasis on my grade point
average.
B. Unfortunately for we students, many potential employers also emphasize grades.
C. If potential employers would consider my capacity for learning instead of
my grades, they would realize that I have a lot to offer.
D. Apparently, most employers don't care about whom might have something to
offer; they want proven ability.
21.
A. In the news, they said that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should have a great
team this season.
B. Bob, the newscaster, told Sue, the weatherperson, that he would love to see
the Cowboys have another winning season, but he doesn't hold out much hope.
C. Although the Saints probably don't have a chance, the team's loyal fans will
never quit believing that they have a shot.
D. For example, Jim told Bob that he should start attending more Saints games.
22.
A. Everyone in the classroom forgot to write their rough drafts.
B. Some of the students, however, did remember to write their outlines.
C. After the pop quiz, either Susan or Sandi broke into tears over their poor
performance.
D. The teacher, as well as the remaining students, showed their disapproval
by snickering at the distraught girl.
23.
A. Who will country music artists nominate as the best female vocalist of the
year?
B. My friend Tom says that he doesn't care what the artists think; for he and
all his buddies, Shania Twain is the obvious choice.
C. His dad Roger, however, thinks that us boys are foolish to prefer Shania.
D. Tom's parents both prefer Reba McIntyre because they think she has proven
her talents over the years.
Correctly Using Capital Letters
Directions: Choose the one CORRECT sentence in each group.
24.
A. "Why, oh why," Jeannie wailed, "Did my master leave me alone
in the house when he knew I would get into trouble?"
B. Many of the recent articles in The Pensacola New Journal have been concerned
with the controversy over the salaries and benefits of teachers in the County's
public school system.
C. Bayou boulevard, which is called Brent Lane , Sauffley Field road, and Michigan
avenue in other parts of the city, runs right beside the Mall.
D. "I am a proud citizen of the earth," announced the astronaut to
the googly-eyed alien.
25.
A. When I was a child, my Mother always took me shopping for school clothes
as soon as the stores announced their back-to-school sales.
B. The Fourth of July is one of the four federal holidays each year that almost
all American businesses celebrate.
C. Although Dr. Robinson, my psychology Professor, earned his Ph.D. from the
University of Alabama, he cheers for Florida State University's football team.
D. Melanie joined the Baptist Church with her family when she was very young,
but she converted when she married her husband, a devout Roman Catholic.
Correctly Using Commas
Directions: Choose the option that corrects an error in the underlined portion(s). If no error exists, choose "No change is necessary."
26.As a shopping (A) expert Susie Montgomery shops at Delchamps for her (B) produce, Winn Dixie for her meat, and Food World for the coupon (C) bargains, but her favorite grocery store overall is Food World.
A. expert, Susie
B. produce Winn Dixie
C. bargains but
D. No change necessary.
27. Did (A) you, Mr. (B) Gordon, ever imagine yourself as the
community leader that you are (C) today, when you were in high school?
A. you Mr.
B. Gordon ever
C. today when
D. No change necessary.
28. (A) Dr. Laura a popular radio talk show (B) host, is an (C)
outspoken and controversial figure.
A. Dr. Laura, a
B. host is
C. outspoken, and
D. No change is necessary.
Correctly Using Other Punctuation
Directions: Choose the option that corrects an error in the underlined portion(s). If no error exists, choose "No change is necessary."
29. The teachers in the department (A) are Ms. Jones, math (B) instructor;
Mrs. Callaway, reading (C) instructor; and Dr. Bunyan, English instructor.
A. are: Ms. Jones
B. instructor, Mrs. Callaway
C. instructor, and
D. No change is necessary.
30. My neighbors have lived in various (A) places: Orlando, Florida;
Akron, (B) Ohio; and (C) Denver, Colorado.
A. places Orlando
B. Ohio, and
C. Denver; Colorado
D. No change is necessary.
31. The (A) Joneses' cat is at my (B) mother-in-law's house for
(C) two days'.
A. Joneses cat
B. mother-in-laws' house
C. two days
D. No change is necessary.
Using Parallel Construction
Directions: Choose the one CORRECT sentence in each group.
32.
A. Elwood likes fishing for bass, hunting for grizzly bears, and to knit sweaters
for his relatives.
B. "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your
country."
C. After he arrived at the airport, Maurice gave his girlfriend Peggy Sue a
hug, a kiss, and she was surprised by a huge bouquet of roses.
D. My old Swiss army knife is handy for opening cans and bottles, to file my
fingernails with, and even for picking my teeth.
33.
A. Every evening before I go to bed, I wash a load of dishes, take out the
garbage, and the security light is turned on by me.
B.When Lamont wins the lottery, he will buy his mom a new home, travel to Europe,
and he will put aside money for his children.
C. Don't do as I do; do as I say.
D. Government of the people, that is by the people, and for the people shall
not perish from the earth.
Correctly Using Modifiers
Directions: Choose the CORRECT sentence.
34.
A. Snarling and chasing his own tail, Freddie watched his dog for several minutes.
B. After trying on her new evening gown and applying makeup, Murray took his
wife out to the fancy New Year's Eve dance.
C. At the age of five, my father sat me on his knee and told me the "Three
Little Pigs" story and how the three pigs built houses out of straw, sticks,
and bricks.
D. Before jogging the final lap at the track, I felt a sharp pain in my lower
left leg.
Read the entire passage carefully and answer the questions. (Note: Intentional
errors may have been included in this passage.)
1)____________________________________________. 2) For example, a person's
body orientation, the degree to which one faces toward or away from someone
with the body, feet, and head, can communicate strong nonverbal messages. 3)
Imagine that you and a friend are in deep conversation when a third party approaches
and attempts to interrupt. 4) You would prefer not sharing your present discussion,
yet you don't want to be rude by asking the person to leave or by leaving yourself.
5) Instead, turning your body away from the intruder sends a strong message,
especially because then the intruder is forced to talk over your shoulders in
order to be included. 6) Most people understand that facing someone directly
signals interest, and facing away indicates the desire to avoid interaction.
7) Another way that we communicate nonverbally is through posture. 8) Some college
instructors gauge the interest of a specific lecture by the way their students
sit in their seats. 9) When a majority of the students are leaning forward,
the instructor feels that the lecture is going well.
10)_________________ , when students are slumping backwards in their seats,
perhaps a different approach should be taken. 11) Relaxed and tense postures
also communicate volumes; typically, people maintain relaxed postures, loose
arms and easy facial expressions, when they are in nonthreatening situations
and tense postures, rigid stances and inflexible facial expressions, when they
feel threatened. 12) Gestures are another good source of nonverbal communication.
13) The ways that people move their hands, legs, and feet often reflect how
they truly feel. 14) I'll never forget Tommy Jones from my second grade class
because he refused to use tissues when he had a cold. 15)__________________________________________________.
35. Which sentence, if inserted in the blank labeled 1, is the best main idea or topic sentence for this passage?
A. Most people love to use all kinds of gestures.
B. People often communicate valuable messages without any words.
C. This paragraph will be all about nonverbal communication.
D. A person's posture reflects an important message.
36. Which of the numbered sentences is not supported by sufficient specific
details?
A. Sentence 2
B. Sentence 5
C. Sentence 7
D. Sentence 13
37. Select the arrangement of sentences 2, 3, 4, and 5 that provides the most logical sequence of ideas and supporting details in the paragraph. If no change is needed, select option A.
A. For example, a person's body orientation, the degree to which one faces toward or away from someone with the body, feet, and head, can communicate strong nonverbal messages. Imagine that you and a friend are in deep conversation when a third party approaches and attempts to interrupt. You would prefer not sharing your present discussion, yet you don't want to be rude by asking the person to leave or by leaving yourself. Instead, turning your body away from the intruder sends a strong message, especially because then the intruder is forced to talk over your shoulders in order to be included.
B. For example, a person's body orientation, the degree to which one faces
toward or away from someone with the body, feet, and head, can communicate strong
nonverbal messages. You would prefer not sharing your present discussion, yet
you don't want to be rude by asking the person to leave or by leaving yourself.
Instead, turning your body away from the intruder sends a strong message, especially
because then the intruder is forced to talk over your shoulders in order to
be included. Imagine that you and a friend are in deep conversation when a third
party approaches and attempts to interrupt.
C. Imagine that you and a friend are in deep conversation when a third party
approaches and attempts to interrupt. For example, a person's body orientation,
the degree to which one faces toward or away from someone with the body, feet,
and head, can communicate strong nonverbal messages. You would prefer not sharing
your present discussion, yet you don't want to be rude by asking the person
to leave or by leaving yourself. Instead, turning your body away from the intruder
sends a strong message, especially because then the intruder is forced to talk
over your shoulders in order to be included.
D. Imagine that you and a friend are in deep conversation when a third party approaches and attempts to interrupt. You would prefer not sharing your present discussion, yet you don't want to be rude by asking the person to leave or by leaving yourself. Instead, turning your body away from the intruder sends a strong message, especially because then the intruder is forced to talk over your shoulders in order to be included. For example, a person's body orientation, the degree to which one faces toward or away from someone with the body, feet, and head, can communicate strong nonverbal messages.
38. Choose the sentence which is least relevant (off the topic) to the passage.
A. Sentence 5
B. Sentence 6
C. Sentence 8
D. Sentence 14
39. Which word or phrase, if inserted in the blank in sentence 10, would make the relationship of the ideas in sentences 9 and 10 clearer?
A. Therefore
B. However
C. Because
D. In addition
40. Which sentence, if inserted in the blank labeled 15, is the best conclusion (summary sentence) for this passage?
A. Our body orientation, posture, and gestures allow us to communicate clearly
without speaking or writing a word.
B. Have you ever noticed people's body language?
C. I have written all about body language.
D. In conclusion, I have explained all about body language.
Directions: Examine the following sentences for meaning. Choose the sentence that best expresses the relationship between the two independent clauses.
41.
A. The tropical depression caused rain and flooding for two weeks, so the tourists
from Canada didn't complain.
B. Because the tropical depression caused rain and flooding for two weeks, the
tourists from Canada didn't complain.
C. The tropical depression caused rain and flooding for two weeks, but the tourists
from Canada didn't complain.
D. The tropical depression caused rain and flooding for two weeks, and the tourists
from Canada didn't complain.
42.
A. My cousin Matthew really enjoys animals of all kinds, for he volunteers
at the local veterinarian's office every weekend.
B. My cousin Matthew really enjoys animals of all kinds, so he volunteers at
the local veterinarian's office every weekend.
C. My cousin Matthew really enjoys animals of all kinds, but he volunteers at
the local veterinarian's office every weekend.
D. Although my cousin Matthew really enjoys animals of all kinds, he volunteers
at the local veterinarian's office every weekend.
Directions: Examine the underlined sections of the following sentence. Choose
the best selection of words to complete the sentence.
43. I'll never ____________ _____________ apology because you said __________ about my _____________ that is not true.
A. except, you're, a lot, past
B. except, you're, alot, passed
C. accept, your, alot, past
D. accept, your, a lot, past
44. Because Patrick felt _______ tired to go to his friends' party, he decided
to pass ________ house, ________ a video at Blockbuster, and have a _________
evening at home.
A. to, their, chose, quite
B. too, their, choose, quiet
C. too, they're, chose, quiet
D. to, they're, choose, quiet
45. Which item of the outline below does not support the following topic sentence?
This college is experiencing reduced services because of state budget cuts.
A. I. Fewer full-time faculty members
B. II. Lower tuition
C. III. Decreased library hours
D. IV. No extracurricular activities
46. Which item of the outline below does not support the following topic sentence?
The hammock in the backyard is a great place to take a nap.
A. I. Gentle breeze from shade trees
B. II. Pleasant view of the flower garden
C. III. Biting mosquitoes everywhere
D. IV. Sweet smells from the roses
47. In a paragraph of 300 words, which of the following topic sentences would be most effective?
A. My grandmother is ninety-five years old.
B. At ninety-five, my grandmother remains an active sportswoman.
C. The ways my grandmother remains active today.
D. My grandmother has accomplished more in her life than any other woman.
48. In a paragraph of 300 words, which of the following topic sentences would be most effective?
A. The worst mistake I ever made.
B. America is the greatest nation in the world today.
C. Learning to swim increased my self-confidence.
D. Things are better today.
49. In an essay of 500 words, which of the following thesis statements would
be most
effective?
A. Although I am not an expert, I believe children are not disciplined as they
should be.
B. Pensacola Junior College has thirty thousand students.
C. By the end of this essay, you will agree that your vote does not count.
D. The Writing Help Center's welcoming atmosphere, well-trained tutors, and
enriching learning materials help students succeed in their college course.
50. In an essay of 500 words, which of the following thesis statements would
be most
effective?
A. The president of the college is as busy as a bee.
B. Jewelry making can be a fascinating hobby.
C. In this essay, I will discuss how to become rich and famous.
D. Every weapon in the world should be banned.