Nursing Elites

1. During the Civil War, the United States, still a fairly young country, was divided into the North and South on strongly felt issues. President Abraham Lincoln took a stand on the side of the North, which ultimately emerged victorious. What is the most appropriate topic sentence for the passage below?

• A. The Civil War was a war that was not easily won, but hard fought.
• B. The Civil War ended in 1865.
• C. Jefferson Davis was the President of the Confederate States.
• D. Many countries have had civil wars.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The topic sentence sets the stage for the discussion that follows. Choice A, 'The Civil War was a war that was not easily won, but hard fought,' is the most appropriate as it introduces the theme of the challenges faced during the Civil War and the determination required for victory. Choice B, 'The Civil War ended in 1865,' is a factual statement but does not lead into the paragraph content. Choice C, 'Jefferson Davis was the President of the Confederate States,' introduces a different historical figure not central to the paragraph. Choice D, 'Many countries have had civil wars,' is a broad statement not related to the specific context of the Civil War in the United States.

2. Choose the sentence that most effectively follows the conventions of standard written English:

• A. Wilbur and Orville Wright were two brothers who tested their prototype airplane on a beach in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
• B. The two brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright, tested their prototype airplane on a beach in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
• C. The two brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright, were testing their prototype airplane on a beach in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
• D. The beach in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina was where the two brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright, came to test their prototype airplane.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B. This sentence effectively follows the conventions of standard written English by clearly presenting the subject ('The two brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright') and the verb ('tested') with appropriate punctuation. Choice A introduces an unnecessary comma and could be more concise. Choice C changes the tense of the verb to 'were testing,' which is not required for the context provided. Choice D creates a more awkward sentence structure by placing the location at the beginning and using 'came and tested,' which is less direct than 'tested'. Thus, Choice B is the most effective and grammatically correct option.

3. Which of the following options is correctly punctuated?

• A. The runaway truck, which had been parked on a steep hill, swerved and teetered before jumping a curb and slamming into a tree.
• B. The runaway truck which had been parked on a steep hill swerved and teetered before jumping a curb and slamming into a tree.
• C. The runaway truck, which had been parked on a steep hill, swerved and teetered before jumping a curb and slamming into a tree.
• D. The runaway truck which had been parked on a steep hill, swerved and teetered before jumping a curb and slamming into a tree.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A. The sentence correctly uses commas to set off the non-essential clause 'which had been parked on a steep hill.' The use of commas before and after the clause helps to distinguish it as additional information that could be omitted without changing the essential meaning of the sentence. Choices B, C, and D lack appropriate punctuation to set off the non-essential clause, making them incorrect. In these options, the absence of commas or the placement of commas incorrectly within the sentence affects the clarity and structure of the sentence, violating punctuation rules for non-essential clauses.

4. Which sentence uses comma splices incorrectly?

• A. The baker kneaded the dough, flour dusted her apron, and the oven warmed up.
• B. The mountains, shrouded in mist, seemed to disappear into the clouds.
• C. He arrived late, having forgotten his keys, and the meeting had already started.
• D. The movie, despite its flaws, was surprisingly enjoyable.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Option (C) incorrectly combines two independent clauses with only a comma, resulting in a comma splice. A comma should not be used to connect independent clauses; instead, a semicolon, conjunction, or period is needed to properly separate the ideas in the sentence. Choices (A), (B), and (D) do not contain comma splices and present their ideas in a grammatically correct manner.

5. Which of the following sentences correctly uses parallel structure?

• A. She likes hiking, swimming, and to run.
• B. She likes hiking, swimming, and running.
• C. She likes hiking, to swim, and running.
• D. She likes hiking, and she likes swimming and running.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B. Parallel structure ensures that items in a series or list are in the same grammatical form. In choice A, 'to run' disrupts the parallel structure since 'hiking' and 'swimming' are gerunds. Choice C similarly breaks the parallelism by using 'to swim' in a different form. Choice D is incorrect because it lacks consistent parallelism, as 'hiking' is not followed by gerunds like 'swimming' and 'running.' Therefore, only choice B maintains proper parallel structure by using gerunds ('hiking,' 'swimming,' and 'running') consistently.

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