which of the following sentences correctly uses a semicolon

ATI TEAS 7

Practice English TEAS TEST

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

A. I have a big test tomorrow; I can't go out tonight.
B. I have a big test tomorrow; I can't go out tonight.
C. I have a big test tomorrow; and I can't go out tonight.
D. I have a big test tomorrow; but I can't go out tonight.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct use of a semicolon is to join two closely related independent clauses. Choice A is the only option that correctly uses a semicolon to connect two independent clauses: 'I have a big test tomorrow' and 'I can't go out tonight.' Choice B incorrectly uses a comma instead of a semicolon. Choice C adds an unnecessary 'and' after the semicolon, which disrupts the correct punctuation usage. Choice D introduces a contradictory conjunction 'but' after the semicolon, which is not necessary for the given context. Therefore, the correct answer is A.

2. Identify the conjunction in the following sentence:

A. went
B. to
C. but
D. they

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is 'C: but.' Conjunctions are words that connect words, phrases, or clauses. In the sentence 'He went to the store, but they were already closed,' 'but' is a conjunction that joins two contrasting ideas - him going to the store and finding it closed. Choice 'A: went' is a verb, not a conjunction. Choice 'B: to' is a preposition, not a conjunction. Choice 'D: they' is a pronoun, not a conjunction.

3. In which of the following sentences does the word 'part' function as an adjective?

A. The part Brian was asked to play required many hours of research.
B. She parts ways with the woodsman at the end of the book.
C. The entire team played a part in the success of the project.
D. Ronaldo is part Irish on his mother's side of the family.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: In sentence D, the word 'part' functions as an adjective to modify the noun 'Irish.' It describes the Irish heritage of Ronaldo. The other choices use 'part' as a noun. In sentence A, 'part' is a noun referring to a role in a play. In sentence B, 'parts' is a verb indicating separating or dividing. In sentence C, 'part' is a noun referring to a contribution or role in the success of a project.

4. If all of the following sentences appeared in the same paragraph, which sentence would be irrelevant?

A. I had been doing yoga at least three times a week for the past year.
B. At first, I walked and ran, though really it was more walking than running.
C. I had never run a 5k race before, but I decided to try and gave myself six weeks to train for it.
D. Each day I was able to run a bit further and a bit faster.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The sentence about doing yoga is irrelevant to the topic of training for a 5k race. The focus of the paragraph is on the process of preparing for the race through running and training, making sentence A unrelated as it discusses a different physical activity.

5. If the word antibacterial describes a substance that kills bacteria, you can infer that the prefix anti-means:

A. Original to
B. Against
C. Before
D. Under

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is 'B: Against.' The prefix 'anti-' means 'against,' as seen in the word 'antibacterial,' which denotes something that acts against bacteria. Choice A, 'Original to,' is incorrect as the prefix 'anti-' does not imply 'original to.' Choice C, 'Before,' is incorrect as 'anti-' does not signify 'before' but rather 'against.' Choice D, 'Under,' is also incorrect as 'anti-' does not convey the idea of being 'under' but rather 'against' in this context.