English Expert Q&A

Proofread the following sentence(s) for inconsistent tense and person. In addition, check for faulty parallelism. Select the type of error each sentence contains. Every citizen should exercise their constitutional right to vote.

A) inconsistent tense
B) inconsistent person
C) faulty parallelism

The following sentences form an essay. Select the correct verb for each blank. Activities ____ to appeal to both adult and child.

A) has
B) have

Read each of the sentences below carefully. Then select the correct word in parentheses. I love my cellphone's ringtone, but many people find ( it , them ) irritating.

A) it
B) them

Each group below contains one correct sentence. In each group, select the letter of the sentence that is correct. Which sentence is correct?

A) Finding an apartment in this neighborhood is not easy.
B) Finding an apartment in this neighborhood not easy.
C) To find an apartment in this neighborhood not easy.

Select the correct noun for each blank. Timber ____ are extinct in Western Europe, but they can still be found in North America, Russia, and parts of Asia.

A) wolves
B) wolfs

Select the answer that correctly identifies the subject and complete verb in each sentence. Two of my neighbors have been feuding over that elm tree for years.

A) elm tree, feuding
B) two, have been feuding
C) neighbors, have been

Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow.
(1) Ambivalence can be defined as a feeling or attitude that is both positive and negative at the same time. (2) For instance, a young woman might feel ambivalent about motherhood. (3) She may want to have a child yet fear that motherhood will use up energy she would like to spend on her career. (4) Or a Michigan man who is offered a slightly higher salary in Arizona might be ambivalent about moving. (5) He and his family don't want to leave their friends, their schools, and a city they love. (6) On the other hand, they are tempted by a larger income and by Arizona's warm climate and clean air. (7) Finally, two people may have ambivalent feelings about each other, loving and disliking each other at the same time. (8) It hurts to be together, and it hurts to be apart; neither situation makes them happy. (9) As these examples show, the double tug of ambivalence can complicate decision making.
How many examples does the writer use to develop the topic sentence?

A) one
B) two
C) three

The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s) .
(1) Why is money such a problem issue for couples? (2) Psychologists and others have identified several causes. (3) One cause of financial tension is that people who overspend tend to marry people who hoard their money. (4) The hoarders feel happy and in control when they are not spending, whereas the overspenders feel happy and in control when they are spending. (5) Another reason is that most couples have more difficulty communicating about money than about any other subject. (6) Although they may talk to each other about everything else under the sun, they can't seem to communicate about money or how they feel about it. (7) A third cause of trouble involves gender differences, including differences in how men and women see the world and operate in it. (8) Some of these differences may go back to the early roles of men as hunters and women as food gatherers. (9) Rob Becker, in his theater piece, Defending the Caveman , describes men going out to buy a shirt, wearing it until it dies, and then going out to kill another shirt ⎯ while women, the gatherers, shop early and accumulate items for later giving. (10) Even though this picture may strike us as funny and we know people who are exceptions to all the generalizations, money issues continue to plague our relationships.
Select the type of development the writer of this paragraph has used.

A) illustration
B) persuasion
C) description
D) process
E) definition
F) comparison/contrast
G) classification
H) cause/effect

Select the correct term for the following statements. A method of putting source information in the footnotes or endnotes, rather than in the body of the essay is called ____.

A) research
B) APA style
C) a library

Read the definition below and answer the questions that follow.
Netiquette means good online manners.
List the synonym, the class, or the negation that helps to define the subject of the sentence.

A) netiquette
B) good online manners

Each question below is a plan for a narrative paragraph. Events in each plan are not in correct chronological order. For each plan, select the letter of the answer that numbers the events in the proper time sequence. In late 2004, an earthquake in the Indian Ocean sent a destructive tsunami, or huge waves, racing toward many countries.
____ That Indonesian quake displaced a massive volume of water, pushing it outward in all directions.
____ On December 26, 2004, at 2:59 p.m., a powerful earthquake shook the Indian Ocean floor off the coast of Sumatra, an Indonesian island.
____ High tides surged onshore as late as sixteen hours after the earthquake occurred in South Africa and other countries thousands of miles away.
____ At 4:45 p.m., waves began pounding the coasts of Sri Lanka, Thailand, and India.
____ At 3:15 p.m., gigantic waves slammed into the northern coast of Sumatra.

A) 2, 1, 5, 4, 3
B) 1, 3, 2, 4, 5
C) 5, 4, 2, 3, 1

Select the answer that correctly adds the suffix to each word below. fly + ing

A) flying
B) fling

Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow.
(1) Walt Disney might be the only filmmaker who claimed to owe his success to a rodent. (2) At first, Disney was an animator who produced a cartoon series called "Oswald the Rabbit." (3) Then he decided to launch out on his own. (4) Realizing that he needed a new animated character, he remembered a friendly mouse from a studio he had once worked in. (5) He decided to name his new character after this old friend, whom he fondly called Mortimer Mouse. (6) Later, he changed the name to Mickey. (7) After only a few cartoons appeared, Mickey Mouse fever swept the nation. (8) Soon, he became an international figure. (9) The French called him "Michel Souris," while the Italians dubbed him "Topolo." (10) During World War II, "Mickey Mouse" became a secret password in the Allied Command. (11) Disney created many other lovable characters, but none achieved the popularity of that cute little mouse with the white gloves.
Select the number of the topic sentence that tells the point of the story.

A) Sentence 1
B) Sentence 2
C) Sentence 3

The paragraph below is developed by a specific mode or pattern. Read the paragraph; then answer the question(s) .
(1) Employers should take aggressive steps to end age discrimination at the workplace. (2) According to the AARP, one-third of older American voters say that they or someone they know has experienced some form of age discrimination. (3) This problem is a serious one, as workers fifty-five and older are the fastest-growing segment of the workforce. (4) Age discrimination is on the rise in these difficult economic times. (5) Workers who are laid off at age fifty-five or sixty find it difficult to find work. (6) The same is true for men and women who retire early, whether by choice or due to a corporate buyout. (7) Some employers say that older workers will take more time to learn things and will be less willing to work long hours. (8) However, that is a narrow-minded view. (9) Older workers can bring wisdom and expertise to the work environment. (10) In addition, they can prove to be excellent teachers to younger employees who need help. (11) Therefore, employers must treat every worker and job applicant with fairness and objectivity, regardless of age.
Transitional words or phrases are used in which sentences?

A) (3) , (4)
B) (1) , (6)
C) (2) , (8) , (10) , (11)

In each set below, one sentence in the set contains an error. Select the letter of the sentence that contains an error. Which sentence contains an error?

A) People who walk regularly are usually healthier than people who don't.
B) There is a strong attraction between John and I.
C) Facebook is one of the most popular Internet destinations.

Select the letter of the word in the sentence that is a look-alike/sound-alike error. If your going by the sports shop, please pick up two pairs of goggles.

A) your
B) by
C) two

Check the following paragraphs for unity. Select the number of the sentence that does not belong in the paragraph. Identify the sentence that does not belong.
(1) Many cities have adopted or toughened their laws that protect trees because trees benefit cities and their inhabitants in several ways. (2) They clean air by filtering out carbon monoxide, ozone, and other pollutants and then producing oxygen. (3) They also prevent rain from washing oil, vehicle coolant fluid, pesticides, and other chemicals into rivers and lakes. (4) Therefore, they reduce the need for cities to install huge, multibillion-dollar storm-water systems to handle the runoff that occurs in areas with fewer trees. (5) Trees also provide cooling shade, thus reducing the need for air conditioning in homes and businesses. (6) If it weren't for air conditioning, many cities in Florida, such as Miami and Orlando, would never have grown so large. (7) Because trees save money on energy costs, many cities encourage their residents to protect the trees surrounding their homes and businesses.

A) Sentence 4
B) Sentence 5
C) Sentence 6

Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow.
(1) Amateur stargazing is an interesting and rewarding hobby. (2) Exploring astronomy builds knowledge about our amazing universe. (3) It's an inexpensive pastime, too. (4) All that's needed is a telescope, a book about how to understand what you're looking at, and maybe a membership in an astronomical club. (5) Studying the night sky is free! (6) That's why astronomy is also a great family activity. (7) In fact, looking at the heavens may awaken a love of science in children. (8) Plus, those who star-gaze long enough might even make an important discovery. (9) After all, many amateur astronomers have discovered comets, asteroids, and other heavenly bodies. (10) In 2005, for example, two amateur sky-watchers in New Zealand discovered a new planet 15,000 miles from Earth using only a backyard telescope.
How many arguments support the topic sentence?

A) two
B) three
C) four

In each set below, select the letter of the group in which all the words are spelled correctly. In which group are all of the words spelled correctly?

A) experience, faculty, reccomendation
B) unifying, metrapolitan, remarkeable
C) critically, swiftly, purest

Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow.
(1) It would be difficult to imagine a more stifling and uncomfortable outfit than one favored by the fashionable, well-to-do lady of the Elizabethan era. (2) Atop her dyed and styled hair, she wore an often elaborate headdress. (3) Her face was covered with a base coat of white lead and sulfur makeup, with additional layers of dye for cheeks and lips. (4) Around her neck was either a heavy necklace of large jewels or a ruff, a stiff ring made of starched lace. (5) A bodice with long, detachable sleeves covered her to her waist. (6) Beneath this bodice, a corset functioned as a girdle to flatten her chest and decrease the size of her waist. (7) Underneath her skirt, or kirtle, she wore a stiff frame made of wire or whalebone, which was designed to make the skirt balloon out from the body. (8) On her legs and feet, knee-length stockings made of wool or silk and leather shoes completed her many-layered costume.
How are the details arranged in this paragraph?

A) left to right
B) inside to outside
C) top to bottom