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Praxis Tests > 5723 - Writing > Flashcards

5723 - Writing Flashcards

1
Q

What is the difference between a proper noun and a common noun?

A

A proper noun is capitalized; it names a certain person, place, or thing. Examples: Barack Obama, Los Angeles, the Rock of Gibraltar. A common noun is usually not capitalized; it names more than one person, place, or thing.Examples: captain, highway, boulder.

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2
Q

Are the words am, is, and are verbs? Explain why or why not.

A

Yes, they are “verbs of being,” forms of the verb to be. Not all verbs express action.

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3
Q

What is a proper adjective?

A

It is a capitalized adjective that refers to a certain person, place, or thing, and modifies a noun.Examples: in the term African American, African is a proper adjective that modifies the proper noun American; in the term Belgian waffle, Belgian is a proper adjective that modifies the common noun waffle.

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4
Q

Name three of the seven coordinating conjunctions.

A

and, or, but, nor, so, for, yet

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5
Q

Which two words in the following sentence are prepositions? My cat usually sleeps on the bed with me.

A

on and with

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6
Q

In the phrase “lying peacefully on the comfortable couch,” which word is a preposition?

A

on

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7
Q

In the sentence I threw the ball to Pablo, which pronoun could you substitute for Pablo’s name?

A

him

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8
Q

Which word or words in this sentence form a direct object? I quickly read the third chapter.

A

chapter or the third chapter

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9
Q

Which words in the following sentence form an adverb phrase? While I was running around Green Lake, I saw Gary Grenell, a local photographer.

A

around Green Lake

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10
Q

Which words in the following sentence form the main clause (also known as an independent clause)? Although I like uncooked raisins, I do not like them in cookies, cinnamon rolls, or hot cereal.

A

I do not like them in cookies, cinnamon rolls, or hot cereal.

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11
Q

What is the purpose of an interrogative sentence, and with what punctuation mark does this type of sentence end?

A

An interrogative sentence asks a question; it ends with a question mark.

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12
Q

In the following sentence, which verb has a direct object? Which one or two words comprise the direct object? Purring loudly, the mother cat grooms her kittens with her rough tongue.

A

The verb grooms has a direct object: kittens or her kittens. (The verb purring does not have a direct object.)

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13
Q

In the following sentence, identify one adverb and one adjective. Sleeping on the floor can be amazingly comfortable.

A

Adverb: amazingly; adjective: comfortable

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14
Q

In the sentence I like baked potatoes, but I love French fries, is the word but a coordinating conjunction or a subordinating conjunction? Explain how you know.

A

But is a coordinating conjunction; it connects two short—but complete—sentences. (I like baked potatoes and I love French fries). Neither short sentence is a subordinate clause.

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15
Q

Identify two prepositional phrases in the following sentence.

My family and I used to camp in the Wawona Campground at Yosemite National Park.

A

1) in the Wawona Campground; 2) at Yosemite National Park

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16
Q

Which one of these words is NOT an interjection?

hey, wow, oh, painful, hooray, ouch

A

The word painful is an adjective, not an interjection.

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17
Q

Although November is usually my favorite month of the year, this year it rained too much for me.

Is the word although a coordinating conjunction or a subordinating conjunction? Explain how you know.

A

Although is a subordinating conjunction; it connects a subordinate clause (Although November is usually my favorite month of the year) to the sentence’s main clause (this year it rained too much for me).

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18
Q

FIND THE ERROR:

Not every nation has a President as its leader; some have prime ministers, some have kings or queens, and others have military dictators.

A

In this sentence, president is a common noun (a noun that names more than one person), so it should not be capitalized.

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19
Q

FIND THE ERROR:

I love French Fries, Belgian waffles, and Italian pasta.

A

Even though the proper adjective French is capitalized, the common noun fries should be lowercased.

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20
Q

FIND THE ERROR:

First we will fly to Copenhagen, a port city in Denmark and then we will board a ship and sail to several different Baltic nations.

A

This compound sentence needs a comma inserted after Denmark and before the conjunction and.

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21
Q

FIND THE ERROR:

Whenever I scratch my dog’s belly, she grins over joy.

A

The preposition over is incorrectly used here; it should be replaced with with . Alternatively, the phrase “over joy” might be replaced with joyfully.

22
Q

FIND THE ERROR:

Alexander Hamilton, whose portrait is on the twenty-dollar bill, was one of our nation’s “Founding Fathers”?

A

This is a statement (or declarative sentence), so it should end with a period, not a question mark.

23
Q

FIND THE ERROR:

“Wow;” she exclaimed. “This is one of the best days of my entire life!”

A

The semicolon following Wow is incorrect punctuation. This mark should be changed to a comma or an exclamation mark.

24
Q

FIND THE ERROR:

Lydia does not agree with this president’s policies, so she could care less if his approval rating drops even lower in the polls.

A

The correct expression is “could not care less.” “Could care less” is incorrect—it conveys the opposite meaning from the one intended.

25
Q

FIND THE ERROR:

The fact that movies and TV shows based on Jane Austen’s completed novels ​has attracted millions of viewers would have astonished the author, who died 200 years ago.

A

The singular verb has attracted does not agree with its plural subject, movies. Has should be changed to have.

26
Q

FIND THE ERROR:

Sometimes I wonder whether I will ever travel to Africa, Asia, South America, or Antarctica—so far, I have never been to any of these continents; however, I live in the United States, I have traveled to Canada and Mexico, and I have been to many nations in Europe, including England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Holland.

A

While this sentence is not ungrammatical, it is a rambling sentence and should probably be rewritten. As it stands, it is a sentence that is too long and tedious to read.

27
Q

FIND THE ERROR:

Katrina, the youngest of my four cats, are due for a check-up at the vet.

A

The plural verb are does not agree with its singular subject, Katrina. Are should be changed to is .

28
Q

FIND THE ERROR:

On the test people who don’t carefully read and follow directions are likely to make mistakes.

A

As is, this sentence is unclear. The phrase “on the test” is meant to modify the noun mistakes, so the phrase should be moved to follow this noun: People who don’t carefully read and follow directions are likely to make mistakes on the test.

29
Q

FIND THE ERROR:

I can get eight hours of sleep tonight, I don’t think I will be able to get up early enough to drive to the city in time for the meeting.

A

This sentence is incorrectly constructed (it is a comma splice), and it does not make sense as is. It needs the subordinating conjunction Unless at the beginning of the clause “I can get eight hours of sleep tonight.” Alternatively, “I can” might be changed to “If I don’t” or “If I cannot.”

30
Q

FIND THE ERROR:

My grandma says that “when she was in high school, she and her classmates ​handwrote or typed their essays—desktop computers were not common until the late 1980s.”

A

This is not a direct quotation, so the quotation marks should be deleted from this sentence. (The speaker is paraphrasing his or her grandmother.)

31
Q

FIND THE ERROR:

I ate so much food on Thanksgiving that my stomach was literally bursting at the seams.

A

Since human stomachs do not have seams like clothing or cloth toys, this sentence describes an impossible (and horrifying) scenario. Deleting the word literally would make it clear that the writer is using the term “bursting at the seams” figuratively.

32
Q

FIND THE ERROR:

Only one among the school’s 450 students were invited to enter the city’s annual spelling bee.

A

The plural helping verb were does not agree with its singular subject, one. Were should be changed to was.

33
Q

FIND THE ERROR:

I was full after eating a big breakfast, so I ate a huge midmorning snack and a gigantic lunch.

A

The coordinating conjunction so does not make sense in this compound sentence. Substituting yet or but for so would clarify the writer’s meaning. Alternatively, the sentence could be rewritten as follows: Even though I was full after eating a big breakfast, I ate a huge midmorning snack and a gigantic lunch.

34
Q

a word that names a person, place, or thing

A

Noun

35
Q

a kind of noun that names a class of people, places, or things, rather than a particular person, place, or thing; usually ​lower-cased

A

Common Noun

36
Q

a pronoun (such as my, mine, your, their, or our) that is used to show possession

A

Possessive Pronoun

37
Q

a pronoun ending in -self or -selves (such as myself, himself, themselves, or ourselves)

A

Reflexive Pronoun

38
Q

a verb (such as was, climbed, or spoke) that tells what happened in the past

A

Past Tense Verb

39
Q

a verb (such as will be, will climb, or will speak) that tells what will happen in the future

A

Future Tense Verb

40
Q

a verb (such as am, are, is, seems, or appears) that describes a state of being rather than an action

A

Verb of Being; “To Be” Verb

41
Q

a word that modifies (provides detailed information about) a verb, adjective, or adverb

A

Adverb

42
Q

an adjective (such as taller, happier, or “more delicious”) that compares two nouns or pronouns

A

Comparative Adjective

43
Q

a small group of words that stand together as a unit and suggest a certain image or idea; examples: “bicycling down a shady country road” or “my oldest cat”

A

Phrase

44
Q

a phrase that modifies (provides additional details about) a verb, an adjective, or an adverb

A

Adverb Phrase

45
Q

a sentence that makes a declaration and usually ends with a period

A

Declarative Sentence; Statement

46
Q

a sentence that asks a question and usually ends with a question mark

A

Interrogative Sentence; Question

47
Q

a sentence made up of one independent (main) clause and one or more dependent (subordinate) clauses (Example: While I don’t want to miss my bus, I can stay a few minutes longer.)

A

Complex Sentence

48
Q

a group of words that contains a subject and predicate and functions as part of a compound or complex sentence (Example: Although I don’t want to miss my bus, I can stay a few minutes longer.)

A

Clause

49
Q

a punctuation mark (:) used following the salutation in a business letter or email (Dear Mr. Melton:); also used to introduce a list of items, especially following an introductory phrase or sentence (Example: Here is a list of healthy fruits: apples, oranges, strawberries, blueberries, and tangerines.)

A

Colon

50
Q

the punctuation marks used to indicate the beginning or end of a quotation (Example: “Where are my glasses?” Grandma asked.)

A

Quotation Marks

Praxis Tests (4 decks)

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