Nursing Elites

1. Identify the incorrect usage of punctuation in the following sentence: 'The children, eager to play, ran outside; it was a beautiful day.'

• A. comma after 'children'
• B. comma after 'play'
• C. period after 'outside'
• D. no errors

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The sentence contains two independent clauses that should be separated by a semicolon or period, not a comma. The incorrect punctuation is the period after 'outside.' A period or semicolon is needed to correctly separate the two independent clauses. The comma after 'children' and 'play' are correctly used to set off non-essential participial phrases. Choice D is incorrect as there is a punctuation error in the sentence.

2. What is the function of the underlined phrase 'with a mischievous grin' in the sentence 'He approached her with a mischievous grin, his eyes twinkling'?

• A. Subject
• B. Direct object
• C. Adverbial phrase
• D. Appositive phrase

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The underlined phrase 'with a mischievous grin' functions as an adverbial phrase in the sentence. It modifies the verb 'approached' by providing information on how he approached her, describing his manner. Adverbial phrases typically answer questions like 'how,' 'when,' 'where,' 'why,' or 'to what extent,' which this phrase does by indicating the manner in which he approached. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect. The phrase does not serve as a subject (A), direct object (B), or appositive phrase (D) in the sentence. Instead, it functions to provide additional information about the action of approaching, making it an adverbial phrase.

3. Which of the following sentences is written correctly?

• A. Maya, my pet bird, can say “hello” in three languages.
• B. Jason, Peter, Alice, and Soojin all wanted to visit the new museum.
• C. Don’t forget to bring your violin, music book, and music stand to the lessons.
• D. If you bring all of the supplies for the project, I will provide the workspace.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: This sentence correctly uses commas to set off the nonrestrictive phrase 'my pet bird' in between the name 'Maya' and the rest of the sentence. Nonrestrictive phrases provide additional information but are not essential to the sentence's meaning. Choice B has a missing comma after 'Peter' to separate the list of names correctly. Choice C should use commas, not dashes, to separate the items in the list. Choice D lacks a comma after 'project' to separate the clauses in a compound sentence.

4. During trips to the beach, he preferred to swim at the pool, and whenever he went hiking, he avoided touching any plants for fear that they might be poison ivy.

• A. Leave it where it is now.
• B. Move the sentence so that it comes before the preceding sentence.
• C. Move the sentence to the end of the first paragraph.
• D. Omit the sentence.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The sentence is well-placed where it is, as it provides context to the narrative about the individual's preferences. Moving it before the preceding sentence or to the end of the first paragraph would disrupt the flow of information and may confuse the reader. Omitting the sentence would result in a gap in the story, leaving the reader questioning the individual's behavior without a clear explanation. Thus, leaving the sentence where it is now is the best choice for maintaining coherence in the narrative.

5. Identify the predicate in the following sentence: 'The children built a sandcastle on the beach.'

• A. on the beach
• B. built a sandcastle
• C. children
• D. the

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The predicate in a sentence is the part that tells what the subject is doing or what is being done to the subject. In this sentence, 'built a sandcastle' is the predicate as it is the action performed by the subject 'children.' 'On the beach' is a prepositional phrase that provides additional information but is not the predicate. Choice C 'children' is the subject of the sentence, and choice D 'the' is an article referring to 'children,' making them incorrect choices for the predicate.

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