which of the following sentences correctly uses a hyphen

ATI TEAS 7

English and Language Usage TEAS

1. Which of the following sentences correctly uses a hyphen?

A. Last year, many of the players felt unsure of the coach's methods.
B. Some of the furniture she selected seemed a bit over-the-top for the space.
C. Henry is a beagle-mix and is ready for adoption this weekend.
D. Geena works to maintain a good relationship with her ex-husband to the benefit of their children.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct usage of a hyphen is seen in sentence C, 'Henry is a beagle-mix and is ready for adoption this weekend.' The hyphen is used in 'beagle-mix' to link the two words together to describe Henry's breed accurately. Choice A contains a comma incorrectly placed after 'Last year.' Choice B uses hyphens as dashes, which is incorrect. Choice D does not require a hyphen as there is no compound term or adjective that needs to be linked.

2. 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.'

3. What would be the best supporting detail to follow Maria’s topic sentence “My family throws elaborate holiday celebrations?”

A. Holidays are just a waste of everyone’s time and money, in my opinion.
B. First, we decide who will host the holiday dinner and when the celebration will take place.
C. My household includes five people, but my extended family includes over thirty people.
D. Afterwards, we all help clean up and then relax by continuing to chat with each other.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best supporting detail to follow Maria’s topic sentence as it describes the initial planning stages of the holiday celebrations, which aligns with the concept of throwing elaborate holiday celebrations. It sets the stage for the organization and preparation involved in these events, making it a logical progression from the main idea. Choice A is incorrect as it presents a contrasting opinion about holidays that does not support the idea of elaborate celebrations. Choice C provides information about family size but does not directly relate to the process of throwing elaborate holiday celebrations. Choice D talks about post-celebration activities and does not directly support the initial statement about the elaborate celebrations themselves.

4. Fill in the blank with the correct subordinating conjunction: '... the class was difficult, Allison passed with flying colors.'

A. If
B. Since
C. Because
D. Although

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct conjunction is 'Although.' In this sentence, there is a contrast being made between the difficulty of the class and Allison's success, indicating that despite the class being difficult, she excelled. 'If' implies a condition, 'Since' indicates a reason, and 'Because' shows causation, which do not fit the context of the sentence where a contrast is being expressed.

5. Which of the following substitutions best captures the meaning of the word 'obsequious' in the sentence: 'The young apprentice was obsequious to his master, always eager to please'?

A. showing deference
B. poorly dressed
C. reserved
D. aggressive

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The word 'obsequious' means excessively submissive or eager to please, often to the point of showing deference. In this context, 'showing deference' best captures the meaning, indicating respect or submission rather than being poorly dressed, reserved, or aggressive. 'Poorly dressed' (B) is unrelated to the meaning of obsequious. 'Reserved' (C) suggests a different behavior that is opposite to being obsequious. 'Aggressive' (D) is the opposite of obsequious and does not fit the context of the sentence.