which of the following is a complex sentence

ATI TEAS 7

English TEAS Practice Test

1. Which of the following is a complex sentence?

A. When skywriting, a pilot flies a small aircraft in specific, particular formations, creating large letters visible from the ground.
B. The public defense attorney was able to maintain her optimism despite her dearth of courtroom wins, her lack of free time, and her growing list of clients.
C. Because the distance between stars in the galaxy is far greater than the distance between planets, interstellar travel is expected to be an even bigger challenge than interplanetary exploration.
D. Invented in France in the early nineteenth century, the stethoscope underwent a number of reiterations before the emergence of the modern form of the instrument in the 1850s.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: A complex sentence has one independent clause and at least one dependent clause connected by a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun. In choice C, the sentence 'Because the distance between stars in the galaxy is far greater than the distance between planets' is a dependent clause introduced by the subordinating conjunction 'Because,' while the rest of the sentence 'interstellar travel is expected to be an even bigger challenge than interplanetary exploration' forms the independent clause. This combination of an independent clause and a dependent clause makes choice C a complex sentence. Choices A, B, and D do not contain both an independent and dependent clause connected in the way that choice C does, thus they do not qualify as complex sentences.

2. Select the pronoun that could be used in the following sentence: Mrs. Sato, _______ lives down the street, is 99 years old.

A. she
B. who
C. which
D. whom

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is 'B' - 'who.' 'Who' is the correct relative pronoun to introduce the clause 'who lives down the street,' providing more information about Mrs. Sato. The other choices, 'she,' 'which,' and 'whom,' are not appropriate relative pronouns for referring to a person in this context.

3. Which of the following sentences shows the correct way to separate the items in the series?

A. These are actual cities in the United States: Unalaska, Alaska; Yreka, California; Two Egg, Florida; and Boring, Maryland.
B. These are actual cities in the United States: Unalaska; Alaska, Yreka; California, Two Egg; Florida, and Boring; Maryland.
C. These are actual cities in the United States: Unalaska, Alaska, Yreka, California, Two Egg, Florida, and Boring, Maryland.
D. These are actual cities in the United States: Unalaska Alaska, Yreka California, Two Egg Florida, and Boring Maryland.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Option C is the correct answer as it correctly separates the cities and states in the series using commas. The items in a series should be separated by commas, with the final two items being separated by 'and.' Choices A, B, and D have incorrect punctuation or lack necessary commas. In Choice A, semicolons are used incorrectly, and in Choice B, semicolons are placed inappropriately. Choice D lacks necessary commas to separate the cities and states effectively. Therefore, Option C is the only choice that demonstrates the correct way to separate items in a series.

4. What is the meaning of the idiom 'to bite off more than one can chew'?

A. To be overly confident
B. To take on more than one can handle
C. To be easily discouraged
D. To be meticulous in planning

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: 'To bite off more than one can chew' means to take on more than one can handle or to undertake a task exceeding one's capabilities. This idiom warns against overcommitting oneself and facing difficulties in managing the workload effectively. Choice A, 'To be overly confident,' is incorrect as the idiom implies a situation of overestimating one's capacity rather than confidence. Choice C, 'To be easily discouraged,' is not related to the idiom's meaning, which focuses on task difficulty rather than emotional response. Choice D, 'To be meticulous in planning,' is not accurate as the idiom refers to the execution of tasks rather than the planning phase.

5. In the sentence 'The flustered man watched the train as it pulled out of the station,' which of the following is the simple subject?

A. man
B. the flustered man
C. watched
D. train

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The simple subject is the noun or pronoun that the sentence is about. In this sentence, the subject is 'man' because it is the entity performing the action of watching. 'The flustered man' is a noun phrase but not the simple subject as it includes an article and an adjective. 'Watched' is a verb and 'train' is the object of the action, not the subject. Therefore, 'man' is the correct simple subject in this sentence.