which of the following is correctly punctuated

ATI TEAS 7

English TEAS Practice Test

1. Which of the following is correctly punctuated?

A. The artist Prince, whose death shocked America in April of 2016, was one of the most successful musical artists of the last century.
B. The artist Prince, whose death shocked America in April of 2016, was one of the most successful musical artists of the last century.
C. The artist Prince—whose death shocked America in April of 2016—was one of the most successful musical artists of the last century.
D. The artist Prince, whose death shocked America in April of 2016, was one of the most successful musical artists of the last century.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct punctuation in this case is to use a comma (,) to set off the nonrestrictive clause 'whose death shocked America in April of 2016.' This clause provides additional information about the artist Prince without changing the essential meaning of the sentence. Choice A has a semicolon (;) which is incorrect as it separates two closely related independent clauses. Choice C uses em dashes (—) which are incorrect as they should be used for emphasis or to set off information. Choice D uses a colon (:) which is incorrect as it introduces a list or an explanation, not additional information about the artist Prince. Therefore, the correctly punctuated sentence is: 'The artist Prince, whose death shocked America in April of 2016, was one of the most successful musical artists of the last century.'

2. 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.

3. Where should a semicolon be placed in the following sentence: 'He loves reading comics, playing video games, and spending time with friends'?

A. He loves reading comics; playing video games, and spending time with friends.
B. He loves reading comics, playing video games; and spending time with friends.
C. He loves reading comics, playing video games, and spending time with friends.
D. No semicolon needed.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: A semicolon is used to separate items in a list when the items themselves contain commas. In the sentence provided, 'playing video games' and 'spending time with friends' are the items that contain commas. Therefore, the correct placement of the semicolon is before the conjunction 'and,' as shown in option (B). Choice (A) incorrectly places the semicolon after 'comics,' disrupting the parallel structure. Choice (C) does not use a semicolon where needed. Choice (D) is incorrect as a semicolon is required in this context to maintain proper punctuation in the list.

4. What is the meaning of the idiom 'to cross that bridge when we come to it'?

A. To deal with a problem immediately
B. To plan for the future in detail
C. To worry about potential problems prematurely
D. To avoid difficult situations

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C. The idiom 'to cross that bridge when we come to it' means to deal with challenges as they arise, not worrying about them prematurely. It suggests addressing problems when they actually occur rather than stressing over potential issues in advance. Choice A, 'To deal with a problem immediately,' is incorrect because the idiom is about not addressing problems prematurely. Choice B, 'To plan for the future in detail,' is incorrect as it goes against the essence of the idiom, which is about dealing with issues when they happen, not planning extensively in advance. Choice D, 'To avoid difficult situations,' is incorrect as the idiom implies facing challenges when they present themselves rather than avoiding them.

5. Which term describes the most likely structure of an essay about the similarities and differences between World War I and World War II?

A. Technical
B. Expository
C. Cause/effect
D. Compare/contrast

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is 'Compare/contrast.' This structure is specifically designed to analyze and highlight the similarities and differences between two subjects, making it the most appropriate choice for an essay discussing the similarities and differences between World War I and World War II. Choice A, 'Technical,' typically involves detailed, specialized information rather than comparison. Choice B, 'Expository,' focuses on explaining or describing a topic without necessarily comparing or contrasting different subjects. Choice C, 'Cause/effect,' is used to examine the causes and consequences of events, which is different from directly comparing and contrasting two historical events like World War I and World War II.