choose the sentence that most effectively follows the conventions of standard written english

ATI TEAS 7

TEAS 7 English Practice Test

1. Choose the sentence that most effectively follows the conventions of standard written English:

A. Wilbur and Orville Wright were two brothers who tested their prototype airplane on a beach in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
B. The two brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright, tested their prototype airplane on a beach in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
C. The two brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright, were testing their prototype airplane on a beach in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
D. The beach in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina was where the two brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright, came to test their prototype airplane.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B. This sentence effectively follows the conventions of standard written English by clearly presenting the subject ('The two brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright') and the verb ('tested') with appropriate punctuation. Choice A introduces an unnecessary comma and could be more concise. Choice C changes the tense of the verb to 'were testing,' which is not required for the context provided. Choice D creates a more awkward sentence structure by placing the location at the beginning and using 'came and tested,' which is less direct than 'tested'. Thus, Choice B is the most effective and grammatically correct option.

2. On Parents’ Day, a public holiday in the Democratic Republic of Congo, families celebrate parents’ both living and deceased. Which of the following punctuation marks is used incorrectly?

A. the apostrophe in Parents’ Day
B. the comma following Day
C. the comma following Congo
D. the apostrophe in parents’

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The comma following 'Day' is used incorrectly. Commas are typically not used after single-word identifiers like 'Day' in a sentence unless they are part of a list. In this case, the holiday is referred to as 'Parents’ Day,' where the apostrophe is used correctly to indicate possession. The comma following 'Day' is unnecessary and should be removed for proper punctuation. Choices A and D both use apostrophes correctly to indicate possession, so they are not incorrect. The comma following 'Congo' in choice C is necessary to set off the introductory phrase 'a public holiday in the Democratic Republic of Congo.' Therefore, the correct answer is B.

3. Identify the pronoun in the following sentence:

A. quickly
B. finished
C. her
D. before

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is 'C: her.' Pronouns replace nouns. In this sentence, 'her' is a pronoun that replaces a specific female person's name, indicating ownership of the homework. Pronouns like 'her,' 'he,' 'it,' and 'they' are commonly used to avoid repetition of nouns and make sentences less repetitive and more concise. Choices A, B, and D are not pronouns. 'Quickly' and 'before' are adverbs, while 'finished' is a verb. Therefore, they do not replace nouns and cannot function as pronouns in this context.

4. Which of the following sentences contains proper capitalization?

A. Last summer, my family went on a trip to Niagara Falls in New York.
B. Last summer, my family went on a trip to Niagara Falls in New York.
C. Last summer, my family went on a trip to Niagara Falls in New York.
D. Last summer, my family went on a trip to Niagara Falls in New York.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct sentence follows proper capitalization rules where the words 'summer,' 'Niagara Falls,' and 'New York' are capitalized appropriately. In options A, B, and D, there are inconsistencies in capitalization where either 'summer,' 'Niagara Falls,' or 'New York' are not capitalized correctly. Therefore, option C is the correct choice.

5. Which sentence uses the semicolon correctly?

A. The play was long; however, it was very entertaining.
B. The guests arrived; Sarah greeted them at the door.
C. John likes apples; Mary prefers oranges.
D. He was tired; he went to bed early.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Option B correctly uses a semicolon to join two independent clauses related to the same event. In this sentence, 'The guests arrived' and 'Sarah greeted them at the door' are both independent clauses that are appropriately connected using a semicolon. Choice A incorrectly uses a semicolon before 'however,' which is a conjunction that should be preceded by a comma. Choice C incorrectly uses a semicolon to connect two independent clauses that are not closely related. Choice D incorrectly uses a semicolon to connect two independent clauses without a clear relationship or cohesion.