what punctuation is needed in the following sentence to make it correct the days seem long but the nights seem even longer
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HESI A2

HESI A2 Grammar Practice Exam

1. What punctuation is needed in the following sentence to make it correct? The days seem long, but the nights seem even longer.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The sentence needs a comma before the conjunction 'but' to correctly join the two independent clauses 'The days seem long' and 'the nights seem even longer.' This comma helps to create a clear separation between the contrasting ideas in the sentence. Choice A (Period) is incorrect because a period would create two separate sentences rather than connecting them. Choice C (Colon) is incorrect as colons are used to introduce lists, explanations, or quotations. Choice D (Apostrophe) is incorrect as it is not needed in this sentence.

2. Which word is not spelled correctly in the context of the following sentence? Everyone in the fraternity found the four boys' pranks sophomoric.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The word 'boys'' should be spelled as 'boys' in this context. The correct possessive form of the plural noun 'boys' does not require an apostrophe before the final S, which indicates possession. In this sentence, the intent is to show that the pranks belong to the four boys collectively, so the correct possessive form is 'boys' without the additional apostrophe.

3. What word is best to substitute for the underlined words in the following sentence? Stu often regarded his roommates’ housekeeping as sloppy and careless.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The word 'their' is the best substitute for the underlined words in the sentence because it refers to Stu's roommates in a possessive form, indicating that the housekeeping belongs to them. 'His' (Choice A) refers to Stu, not the roommates. 'Hers' (Choice B) is incorrect as it refers to a female possessive form. 'Them' (Choice C) is a pronoun for a group of people but does not show possession, making it unsuitable in this context.

4. Identify the dependent clause in this sentence: The mother dog left her bed as soon as the puppies were asleep.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: 'As soon as the puppies were asleep' is the dependent clause in the sentence. It functions as an adverbial clause, indicating a time relationship with the action of the mother dog leaving her bed. Dependent clauses rely on independent clauses to form complete sentences and cannot stand alone. Choice B is incorrect because it separates the dependent clause. Choice C is incorrect as it is a noun phrase. Choice D is incorrect as it is an independent clause.

5. Select the word or phrase that makes the following sentence grammatically correct: 'Screaming ____ took the shopkeeper by surprise.'

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is 'Our.' In this sentence, the possessive pronoun 'Our' is needed to show ownership and make the sentence grammatically correct. 'Screaming our took the shopkeeper by surprise' indicates that the shopkeeper was surprised by the screaming of a group or individuals related to 'our.' Choices A, B, and C are incorrect as they are pronouns referring to people ('We', 'They', 'Them'), not possessive pronouns that indicate ownership.

Similar Questions

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