which of the following sentences demonstrates correct use of an apostrophe

ATI TEAS 7

TEAS 7 English Practice Test

1. Which of the following sentences demonstrates correct use of an apostrophe?

A. In one version of the story, there are seven fairies invited to the christening, while in another version there are twelve fairies.
B. Some historians believe that the number twelve represents the shift from a lunar year of thirteen months to a solar year of twelve months.
C. Other historians claim that the symbolism in the fairy tale is more about nature and the shifting seasons.
D. Regardless of its meaning, the fairy tale remains popular and has been immortalized in Tchaikovsky's music for the ballet.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Choice C, 'Other historians claim that the symbolism in the fairy tale is more about nature and the shifting seasons,' demonstrates the correct use of an apostrophe. The apostrophe in 'season’s' indicates the possessive form of 'seasons,' correctly showing ownership by the shifting seasons. Choices A, B, and D do not showcase the correct use of an apostrophe. Choice A incorrectly uses 'fairy’s' instead of 'fairies,' which is the plural form of 'fairy.' Choice B uses 'historians’' which is correct for the possessive form but does not relate to the use of an apostrophe. Choice D correctly uses 'Tchaikovsky's' to indicate possession by Tchaikovsky.

2. Which of the following is the plural of the word chief?

A. Chiefs
B. Chieves
C. Chievs
D. Chiefes

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is 'Chiefs.' When making the word 'chief' plural, the correct form is 'Chiefs.' Choices B, C, and D are incorrect as they do not follow the standard rules for forming plurals in English. 'Chieves,' 'Chievs,' and 'Chiefes' are not valid plural forms of 'chief.' It's important to understand the basic rules of pluralization in English to form correct plural nouns.

3. Which of the following suffixes would change the verb 'manage' into an adjective?

A. -ed
B. -ible
C. -able
D. -er

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct suffix to change the verb 'manage' into an adjective is '-able.' When added to 'manage,' it forms the adjective 'manageable,' which means capable of being managed. Choice A ('-ed') is a past participle suffix, not an adjective-forming suffix. Choice B ('-ible') is used to form adjectives meaning 'capable of' but is not the correct choice in this context. Choice D ('-er') is typically used to form agent nouns rather than adjectives.

4. Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.

A. Its a beautiful day outside.
B. It's a beautiful day outside.
C. Its' a beautiful day outside.
D. It is' a beautiful day outside.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: 'It's a beautiful day outside.' 'It's' is the contraction for 'it is.' Choice A is incorrect as it should be 'It's' instead of 'Its.' Choice C is incorrect as the apostrophe should come before the 's' in the contraction. Choice D is incorrect as the use of 'is'' is grammatically incorrect.

5. Which of the following sentences correctly uses commas to set off a non-essential element?

A. The teacher, who lives next door, will visit our class next week.
B. The teacher who lives next door will visit our class next week.
C. The teacher, who, by the way, lives next door, will visit our class next week.
D. The teacher will visit our class next week, who lives next door.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A. In this sentence, the phrase 'who lives next door' is a non-essential element providing additional information about the teacher. It is correctly set off by commas. Choice B does not use any commas to set off the non-essential element, making the information essential to the sentence. Choice C uses an unnecessary comma before 'who,' which disrupts the flow of the sentence. Choice D incorrectly places the non-essential element at the end of the sentence without appropriate commas, making it less clear and concise.