Nursing Elites

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. Which of the following actions should NOT take place during the revising, editing, and proofreading steps of the writing process?

• A. Improving word choice
• B. Replacing irrelevant or weak sentences
• C. Identifying sentences that require citations
• D. Determining the argument the composition will defend

Correct answer: D

Rationale: During the revising, editing, and proofreading steps of the writing process, the focus is on refining the existing content rather than creating new material. Improving word choice, replacing irrelevant or weak sentences, and identifying sentences that require citations are tasks that fall within these steps to enhance the overall quality and clarity of the writing. Determining the argument the composition will defend is a task that belongs to the drafting stage, where the main ideas and arguments are formulated. Therefore, deciding on the argument is not a step that should take place during revising, editing, and proofreading.

3. 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.

4. Here's what I'd like you to bring tomorrow: two dozen cupcakes, a carton of milk, and party napkins. Which of the following punctuation marks best completes the sentence above?

• A. ;
• B. .
• C. :
• D. ,

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is a colon (C). In this sentence, the colon is used to introduce a list of items that the speaker wants you to bring. The colon is the most suitable punctuation mark in this context. Choice A (;) is incorrect because a semicolon is used to connect independent clauses or items in a list when those items contain commas. Choice B (.) is incorrect because a period ends a sentence and does not fit here as the sentence continues. Choice D (,) is incorrect because a comma is used to separate items in a list, but the sentence needs a punctuation mark that introduces the list.

5. Which of the following is the plural form of the word 'chief'?

• A. chiefs
• B. chieves
• C. chievs
• D. chiefes

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is 'chiefs.' 'Chief' follows the standard rule for forming the plural by adding an 's' at the end. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect as they do not follow the standard pluralization rule for the word 'chief.' 'Chieves,' 'chievs,' and 'chiefes' are not valid plural forms of 'chief.'

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