Nursing Elites

1. Which sentence uses comma splices incorrectly?

• A. The baker kneaded the dough, flour dusted her apron, and the oven warmed up.
• B. The mountains, shrouded in mist, seemed to disappear into the clouds.
• C. He arrived late, having forgotten his keys, and the meeting had already started.
• D. The movie, despite its flaws, was surprisingly enjoyable.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Option (C) incorrectly combines two independent clauses with only a comma, resulting in a comma splice. A comma should not be used to connect independent clauses; instead, a semicolon, conjunction, or period is needed to properly separate the ideas in the sentence. Choices (A), (B), and (D) do not contain comma splices and present their ideas in a grammatically correct manner.

2. Which sentence uses the correlative conjunction 'either/or' correctly?

• A. You can either come to the party or stay home.
• B. Either she will go to the concert, or he will.
• C. I'm not sure whether I should go swimming or running.
• D. He likes both pizza and pasta, so he can have either.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Option A uses the correlative conjunction 'either/or' correctly by presenting two exclusive options. The structure 'either...or' is used to show a choice between two alternatives, and in this sentence, it clearly presents the options of coming to the party or staying home. Choice B incorrectly separates the options with a comma after 'either,' disrupting the correlative conjunction pair. Choice C uses 'whether' instead of 'either/or,' which changes the meaning and structure. Choice D uses 'either' incorrectly, as it should be followed by 'or' to form the correlative pair.

3. What is the best way to punctuate the dialogue, 'Are you coming?' she asked. 'Maybe,' I replied.

• A. 'Are you coming?' she asked? 'Maybe,' I replied.
• B. 'Are you coming?' she asked. 'Maybe,' I replied.
• C. 'Are you coming?' she asked, 'Maybe,' I replied.
• D. 'Are you coming?' she asked, 'Maybe,' I replied.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct way to punctuate dialogue is to enclose each speaker's words in quotation marks. Additionally, the question mark should be placed inside the closing quotation mark of the question. In this case, the correct answer is B as it adheres to the punctuation rules for dialogue. Each character's dialogue is correctly enclosed in quotation marks, and the question mark is appropriately positioned inside the closing quotation mark of the question. Choice A is incorrect as the question mark is placed outside the closing quotation mark of the question. Choice C is incorrect as it uses a comma instead of a period after 'she asked.' Choice D is incorrect as it uses a comma instead of a period after 'she asked' and incorrectly places the comma inside the closing quotation mark of the question.

4. Select the meaning of the word 'somnambulist' in the sentence based on the context clues: 'If you wake up outside in your pajamas in the middle of the night, you may be a somnambulist.'

• A. Explorer
• B. Magician
• C. Insomniac
• D. Sleepwalker

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is 'D: Sleepwalker.' A somnambulist is someone who walks or performs other activities while asleep, commonly known as a sleepwalker. In the given sentence, the context of waking up outside in pajamas in the middle of the night indicates an occurrence associated with sleepwalking. Choice A, 'Explorer,' is incorrect as it does not relate to the behavior described. Choice B, 'Magician,' is not related to the context of sleepwalking. Choice C, 'Insomniac,' refers to a person who has difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, which is not the meaning conveyed in the sentence. Therefore, 'D: Sleepwalker' is the most appropriate choice based on the context clues provided.

5. Which of the following sentences correctly uses parallel structure?

• A. She likes hiking, swimming, and to run.
• B. She likes hiking, swimming, and running.
• C. She likes hiking, to swim, and running.
• D. She likes hiking, and she likes swimming and running.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B. Parallel structure ensures that items in a series or list are in the same grammatical form. In choice A, 'to run' disrupts the parallel structure since 'hiking' and 'swimming' are gerunds. Choice C similarly breaks the parallelism by using 'to swim' in a different form. Choice D is incorrect because it lacks consistent parallelism, as 'hiking' is not followed by gerunds like 'swimming' and 'running.' Therefore, only choice B maintains proper parallel structure by using gerunds ('hiking,' 'swimming,' and 'running') consistently.

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