Nursing Elites

1. Where should a semicolon be placed in the following sentence: 'He loves reading comics, playing video games, and spending time with friends'?

• A. He loves reading comics; playing video games, and spending time with friends.
• B. He loves reading comics, playing video games; and spending time with friends.
• C. He loves reading comics, playing video games, and spending time with friends.
• D. No semicolon needed.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: A semicolon is used to separate items in a list when the items themselves contain commas. In the sentence provided, 'playing video games' and 'spending time with friends' are the items that contain commas. Therefore, the correct placement of the semicolon is before the conjunction 'and,' as shown in option (B). Choice (A) incorrectly places the semicolon after 'comics,' disrupting the parallel structure. Choice (C) does not use a semicolon where needed. Choice (D) is incorrect as a semicolon is required in this context to maintain proper punctuation in the list.

2. Which of the following sentences correctly uses subject-verb agreement?

• A. The lead scientist writes the reports; however, all scientists in the group do the research.
• B. The lead scientist is the one who writes the reports; however, she is the only one of the scientists who does the research.
• C. The lead scientist writes the reports; however, she is the only one of the scientists who does the research.
• D. The lead scientist is the one who writes the reports; however, every scientist in the group does the research.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B because it maintains subject-verb agreement. In this sentence, 'she is' agrees with 'the lead scientist,' and 'does' agrees with 'she.' Choices A, C, and D have subject-verb agreement errors. In choice A, 'write' should be 'writes' to match the singular subject 'The lead scientist,' and 'does' should be 'do' to match the plural 'scientists in the group.' Choice C also has the same subject-verb agreement error as A. In choice D, 'do the research' should be 'does the research' to match the singular 'every scientist in the group.'

3. Which of the following is a dependent clause?

• A. Over the course of the day
• B. After I finish my homework
• C. I can't use my mother's car
• D. Through the tunnel

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is 'After I finish my homework.' This is a dependent clause because it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. It relies on the rest of the sentence for context and meaning. Choice A, 'Over the course of the day,' is a prepositional phrase, not a dependent clause. Choice C, 'I can't use my mother's car,' is an independent clause as it can function as a complete sentence on its own. Choice D, 'Through the tunnel,' is also a prepositional phrase and not a dependent clause.

4. Wow, what an amazing shot to win the game!

• A. Comma
• B. Exclamation mark
• C. Semicolon
• D. Question mark

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is an exclamation mark because it is used to convey strong emotion or excitement, which is appropriate for the sentence. A comma is not suitable here as it does not convey the level of excitement expressed in the sentence. A semicolon is used to join independent clauses or separate items in a list, which is not required in this context. A question mark would be incorrect as the statement is not a question but rather an expression of excitement.

5. She is a fierce competitor, and nothing is going to keep her from running that marathon despite a hamstring injury. Which of the following describes the grammar problem in the sentence above?

• A. Poor diction
• B. Ambiguous word choice
• C. Tense disagreement
• D. Inappropriate transition word choice

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C, tense disagreement. The sentence contains a tense disagreement between 'was' and 'is.' 'She is a fierce competitor' and 'nothing is going to keep her' are in the present tense, while 'was going to keep her' should also be in the present tense to maintain consistency. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because the issue in the sentence is related to verb tense, not diction, word choice, or transition words.

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