select the book title that does not contain a preposition

ATI TEAS 7

TEAS English Practice Test

1. Select the book title that does not contain a preposition.

A. The Man in the Brown Suit
B. The Secret of Chimneys
C. Murder on the Orient Express
D. And Then There Were None

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is 'D' - 'And Then There Were None.' This title does not contain a preposition. Prepositions are words that show the relationship of a noun or pronoun to another word in the sentence. In this title, 'And,' 'Then,' 'There,' and 'None' are not prepositions; they are conjunctions and pronouns. Choices A, B, and C all contain prepositions: 'in,' 'of,' and 'on,' respectively. Therefore, they are incorrect answers for this question.

2. Her new tennis racket cost her a hundred dollars, but it was worth the steep price tag. Which of the following words from the sentence is slang?

A. cost
B. dollars
C. steep
D. tag

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: 'dollars.' 'Bucks' is a slang term for dollars. The use of 'bucks' in this sentence is informal and colloquial compared to the other word choices, making it the slang word in the sentence. 'Cost,' 'steep,' and 'tag' are all standard English words that are not considered slang in this context.

3. Which of the following compound sentences is punctuated correctly?

A. The Forlows would be spending two weeks in Greece and Turkey.
B. She was awake the minute the sun came up; although she had been up late the night before.
C. Diana stepped out into the rain, but she had to turn immediately back inside for an umbrella.
D. Aziz was astonished; he had never seen horses in the wild before.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the correct answer because it correctly punctuates the compound sentence with a semicolon separating the two independent clauses. The use of a semicolon is appropriate when two closely related independent clauses are joined without a coordinating conjunction. Choices A, B, and C have incorrect punctuation or conjunction usage. Choice A incorrectly uses a comma before 'and,' while Choice B uses 'though' which is not the best conjunction to join the two clauses. Choice C also lacks appropriate punctuation to separate the two independent clauses.

4. Which of the following is not a simple sentence?

A. Agatha Christie was the author of more than sixty detective novels.
B. Her most famous detectives were Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.
C. She also wrote over fifteen collections of short stories about these detectives.
D. Most readers favor Poirot, but Christie preferred Miss Marple. Hercule Poirot is remembered not only for his genius in solving mysteries, but also for his fastidious habits and his commitment to personal grooming.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Option D is not a simple sentence because it contains multiple independent clauses joined by conjunctions ('but' and 'and'). Simple sentences consist of a single independent clause, which is a complete sentence with a subject and a verb that expresses a complete thought on its own. In contrast, option D includes multiple independent clauses about Hercule Poirot, his habits, and Miss Marple, making it a compound sentence rather than a simple one. Choices A, B, and C are all simple sentences as they each express a single complete thought with a subject and a verb, without joining multiple independent clauses together.

5. The teacher shared several apothegms with the class, hoping that the short, wise sayings would inspire thoughtful discussions.

A. instructions
B. questions
C. sayings
D. lectures

Correct answer: C

Rationale: In this context, apothegms refers to short, wise sayings meant to convey wisdom or provoke thought. Apothegms are concise and insightful, serving as nuggets of wisdom. The term 'instructions' implies a set of directions or guidelines, not reflective of the nature of apothegms. 'Questions' are queries seeking information or answers, not synonymous with wise sayings. 'Lectures' are formal presentations or speeches, which are more extensive and detailed compared to the concise nature of apothegms.