which of the following sentences uses the most formal language

ATI TEAS 7

TEAS English Practice Test

1. Which of the following sentences uses the MOST formal language?

A. I can’t come to your party.
B. I will be unable to come to your party.
C. I won't be able to go to your party.
D. I can't go to your party.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is 'I will be unable to come to your party.' This sentence uses formal language by avoiding contractions and employing a more polished wording. Choice A, 'I can’t come to your party,' contains a contraction ('can’t'), which makes it less formal. Choice C, 'I won't be able to go to your party,' though polite, still uses a contraction ('won't') and is not as formal as the correct answer. Choice D, 'I can't go to your party,' also includes a contraction and is less formal compared to the most formal choice, which is option B.

2. Which of the following sentences contains a homograph?

A. Suddenly he tore up the drawing that had taken him weeks to create.
B. The short ceremony was dreadful in the rain.
C. He imagined what he might do in a similar situation.
D. Raised beds produce more vegetables than those grown directly in soil.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D. 'Raised' is a homograph, as it can mean both 'lifted' and 'cultivated.' In this context, 'raised' refers to beds that are lifted above the ground, as well as beds that are cultivated for growing vegetables. Choices A, B, and C do not contain homographs. In choice A, 'tore' is a homograph (past tense of 'tear' as in ripping or crying), but the question specifically asks for a homograph sentence, not a single word.

3. 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.

4. Which sentence uses the past perfect tense correctly?

A. By the time I arrived, the party had already begun.
B. I wish I had studied harder for the exam.
C. We will have finished the project by Monday.
D. She had been waiting for hours before he finally showed up.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Option A correctly uses the past perfect tense to show an action that was completed before another past action. In this sentence, 'the party had already begun' indicates that the party started before 'I arrived.' This structure is typical of the past perfect tense. Choice B uses the past perfect tense but does not demonstrate the sequence of actions in the past. Choice C uses the future perfect tense, indicating completion of an action by a future time. Choice D uses the past perfect continuous tense, not the simple past perfect tense required by the question.

5. Which of these examples is a compound sentence?

A. Alex and Shane spent the morning coloring and later took a walk down to the park.
B. After coloring all morning, Alex and Shane spent the afternoon at the park.
C. Alex and Shane spent the morning coloring, and then they took a walk down to the park.
D. After coloring all morning and spending part of the day at the park, Alex and Shane took a nap.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Option C is a compound sentence because it consists of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction ('and then'). The first independent clause is 'Alex and Shane spent the morning coloring,' and the second independent clause is 'they took a walk down to the park.' Choices A, B, and D are not compound sentences. In choice A, although there are two actions mentioned, they are not independent clauses; they are part of a single sentence. Choice B is a complex sentence with a dependent clause ('After coloring all morning') and an independent clause. Choice D is a complex sentence with a compound predicate ('After coloring all morning and spending part of the day at the park') followed by an independent clause.