which of the following sentences correctly uses a hyphen

ATI TEAS 7

English and Language Usage TEAS

1. Which of the following sentences correctly uses a hyphen?

A. Last year, many of the players felt unsure of the coach's methods.
B. Some of the furniture she selected seemed a bit over-the-top for the space.
C. Henry is a beagle-mix and is ready for adoption this weekend.
D. Geena works to maintain a good relationship with her ex-husband to the benefit of their children.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct usage of a hyphen is seen in sentence C, 'Henry is a beagle-mix and is ready for adoption this weekend.' The hyphen is used in 'beagle-mix' to link the two words together to describe Henry's breed accurately. Choice A contains a comma incorrectly placed after 'Last year.' Choice B uses hyphens as dashes, which is incorrect. Choice D does not require a hyphen as there is no compound term or adjective that needs to be linked.

2. Which of the following choices shows the best chronological order for the sentences within the paragraph?

A. IV, II, I, III
B. III, IV, II, I
C. I, II, III, IV
D. III, I, IV, II

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct chronological order for the sentences within a paragraph should follow the sequence of events logically. In this case, 'I, II, III, IV' is the correct order. Sentence I usually sets the stage or introduces the main idea, followed by sentence II, which provides additional information. Sentence III usually presents the climax or a turning point, leading to sentence IV, which wraps up the paragraph. Choice C, 'I, II, III, IV,' maintains this logical progression, making it the best chronological order. Choices A, B, and D do not follow a coherent chronological sequence and disrupt the flow of events within the paragraph.

3. Which sentence correctly uses quotation marks?

A. "Did you finish your homework?" she asked.
B. Did you finish your homework? she asked.
C. "Did you finish your homework? she asked."
D. Did you finish your homework? "she asked."

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct use of quotation marks involves enclosing the exact words of a speaker, with punctuation placed inside the quotes. Choice A is the correct answer as it correctly uses quotation marks to enclose the spoken words 'Did you finish your homework?' with the appropriate punctuation inside the quotes. Choices B, C, and D incorrectly position the quotation marks or omit necessary punctuation, making them grammatically incorrect. In choice B, the closing quotation mark is missing. In choice C, the punctuation is placed outside the closing quotation mark, and in choice D, the quotation mark is incorrectly placed after 'homework,' disrupting the flow of the quoted speech.

4. Which sentence uses parallel structure correctly?

A. I enjoy reading, watching movies, and spending time with friends.
B. Reading, watching movies, and spending time with friends are all activities I enjoy.
C. I like to read, watch movies, and spend time with friends.
D. Reading, movies, and friends are all things I enjoy.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Parallel structure means using the same grammatical form for elements in a list. Option (B) uses parallel gerunds ('reading,' 'watching,' 'spending'), making it the correct choice. The other options have inconsistencies in the form of the listed activities, making them grammatically incorrect. Option (A) starts with 'I enjoy' but then switches to '-ing' verbs. Option (C) changes from 'like' to '-ing' verbs, breaking parallelism. Option (D) lists 'reading' correctly but then switches to singular nouns ('movies,' 'friends'), which is not parallel.

5. Which of the following sentences uses formal language?

A. The guests had a wonderful time at the party.
B. The guests said the party was awesome!
C. The partygoers wanted to hang out all night.
D. The partiers were up for something more.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is sentence A: 'The guests had a wonderful time at the party.' This sentence uses formal language suitable for most written communication. Choice B uses informal language with the word 'awesome,' which is more casual and conversational. Choice C, 'The partygoers wanted to hang out all night,' while not as informal as choice B, is still less formal than choice A. Choice D, 'The partiers were up for something more,' uses slang ('partiers') and casual language ('up for something more'), making it the least formal option among the choices.