1. Which one of the following sentences contains a dangling modifier?
A. Drivers in our state are confused by the outdated driving law.
B. The contented puppy sat by the sleeping young child.
C. My brother had an old truck that sat by the garage that needed paint. Correct
D. Adequate lighting is important for anyone who is studying or reading.
Explanation
A dangling modifier occurs when the modifier does not clearly refer to the subject of the sentence. In option C, 'that needed paint' implies the garage needed paint, but the structure suggests it could incorrectly modify the truck or brother, creating ambiguity. The other sentences have clear modifiers, making C the correct answer.
2. Which of the following sentences contains a prepositional phrase?
A. Singing songs made me famous.
B. While running I saw a small dog.
C. Earlier I learned to ride my bike.
D. In the park I saw a very nice man. Correct
Explanation
A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun. 'In the park' in option D is a prepositional phrase, as 'in' is the preposition and 'park' is the noun. Options A, B, and C lack clear prepositional phrases, making D correct.
3. The following sentence appeared in an article published in The New England Journal of Medicine: Our results indicate that it is way too early to speculate as to the drug's long-term effects.Which word in the above sentence is inappropriately informal for an article published in a prestigious medical journal?
A. too
B. drug's
C. indicate
D. way Correct
Explanation
In a formal medical journal, 'way' is overly casual and imprecise. 'Too' is acceptable in moderation, 'drug's' is a standard possessive, and 'indicate' is formal, but 'way' stands out as informal, making D correct.
4. Which of the following sentences is correctly punctuated?
A. After Kristen's complaint the rest of the writers were anxious about their health, and they hadn't had any symptoms during the writing retreat.
B. There was an infestation in the house used for the writing retreat, and Kristen's blankets all had to be thrown away. Correct
C. Although, Kristen's college Chelsea was justifiably angry several of the retreat members were relieved that the illness wasn't spread.
D. As a result of travelling to the writer's retreat, Kristen spent the next day getting tested for diseases: she had a high fever and dizzy spells.
Explanation
Option B correctly uses a comma to join two independent clauses with 'and.' Option A lacks a comma before 'and,' C misplaces commas and has an awkward structure, and D uses a colon incorrectly. Thus, B is correct.
5. Which of the following options correctly combines two clauses?
A. After she took her final exam, Kamryn put her chemistry books away for the summer, and she didn't open them again until September. Correct
B. Kamryn didn't open them again until September after she took her final exam, she put her chemistry books away for the summer.
C. After her final exam, Kamryn put her chemistry books away for the summer because she didn't open them again until September.
D. Kamryn put her chemistry books away for the summer after she took her final exam because she didn't open them again until September.
Explanation
Option A logically combines clauses with proper punctuation and sequence: a dependent clause ('After she took...') followed by two independent clauses joined by 'and.' Options B, C, and D have awkward or illogical clause structures, making A correct.