which of the following sentences uses correct punctuation

ATI TEAS 7

English and Language Usage TEAS

1. Which of the following sentences uses correct punctuation?

A. Carole is not currently working; her focus is on her children at the moment.
B. Carole is not currently working, and her focus is on her children at the moment.
C. Carole is not currently working; her focus is on her children at the moment.
D. Carole is not currently working, her focus is on her children at the moment.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Option A uses correct punctuation by correctly utilizing the semicolon to separate two closely related independent clauses. This punctuation choice effectively conveys the relationship between the two ideas presented in the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because it uses a comma without a coordinating conjunction to join two independent clauses. Choice C is incorrect as it lacks the coordinating conjunction 'and' after the comma to connect the two independent clauses. Choice D is incorrect because it lacks any punctuation or conjunction to properly separate the two independent clauses, leading to a run-on sentence.

2. Please don't take what I said so personally. Which of the following parts of speech is 'personally' as used above?

A. Article
B. Adjective
C. Verb
D. Adverb

Correct answer: D

Rationale: In the sentence, 'personally' is modifying the verb 'take,' indicating how the action is done. Adverbs often answer questions like how, when, where, and to what extent. 'Personally' in this context is an adverb, making choice D the correct answer. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect as 'personally' does not function as an article (a, an, the), adjective (describing a noun), or verb (action word) in this sentence.

3. Which sentence avoids a dangling modifier?

A. Walking down the street, a bird swooped down from a tree.
B. Having finished the report, it was time for lunch.
C. Reading the book, I learned a lot about ancient history.
D. Exhausted from the hike, the tent was a welcome sight.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Option C correctly places the participle phrase 'Reading the book' directly in front of the subject 'I,' ensuring that there is no dangling modifier. This structure establishes a clear connection between the action described in the introductory phrase and the subject performing the action, resulting in a grammatically correct sentence. Choice A, B, and D have dangling modifiers. In choice A, the phrase 'Walking down the street' should be followed by the noun it is describing to avoid the dangling modifier. Choice B has a dangling modifier as 'Having finished the report' does not have a clear subject to relate to. Choice D also has a dangling modifier as 'Exhausted from the hike' is not properly connected to the subject in the sentence.

4. Which example uses quotations correctly?

A. "I'm not going to spoil my appetite," said Philip, as he pushed the plate of cookies away.
B. "I'm not going to spoil my appetite," said Philip, as he pushed the plate of cookies away.
C. "I'm not going to spoil my appetite," said Philip, "as he pushed the plate of cookies away."
D. "I'm not going to spoil my appetite," said Philip, as he pushed the plate of cookies away.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the correct answer as it uses quotation marks to properly set off the spoken words. In this sentence, the spoken words by Philip are enclosed within double quotation marks and correctly punctuated with a comma before the attribution 'said Philip.' Choices A, B, and C contain errors such as missing commas, incorrect placement of quotation marks, or incorrect punctuation within the quoted speech. For example, in Choice A, there should be a comma after 'appetite' within the quotation. In Choice B, the comma should be placed inside the quotation marks. Choice C incorrectly places the attribution 'said Philip' within the quotation of spoken words, which is not the standard practice.

5. A student reads the following sentence: A hundred years ago, automobiles were rare, but now cars are ubiquitous. However, she doesn't know what the word ubiquitous means. Which key context clue is essential to decipher the word's meaning?

A. Ago
B. Cars
C. Now
D. Rare

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The key context clue essential to decipher the word 'ubiquitous' is the word 'now.' By comparing the rarity of automobiles a hundred years ago to their ubiquity now, the student can infer that 'ubiquitous' means something that is commonplace or found everywhere. Choice A ('Ago') refers to the past and does not provide information about the current state of cars. Choice B ('Cars') only contrasts rare and ubiquitous without indicating the change over time. Choice D ('Rare') simply contrasts with 'ubiquitous' without showing the transition from rarity to ubiquity.