which of these examples shows incorrect use of subject verb agreement
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ATI TEAS 7

English and Language Usage TEAS

1. Which of these examples shows incorrect use of subject-verb agreement?

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The sentence 'Neither of the cars is parked on the street' is incorrect in terms of subject-verb agreement. The subject 'Neither' is singular, so the verb should also be singular, which should be 'is' instead of 'are.' The correct sentence should be 'Neither of the cars is parked on the street.' Choices B, C, and D demonstrate correct subject-verb agreement. In choice B, 'Both' is plural and agrees with the plural verb 'are.' In choice C, 'Any' is singular and agrees with the singular verb 'are.' In choice D, 'Each' is singular and agrees with the singular verb 'is.'

2. A teacher wants to counsel a student about using the word ain’t in a research paper for a high school English class. What advice should the teacher give?

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The teacher should advise the student that 'ain’t' is a colloquial expression, and while it may be suitable in informal or conversational settings, it is not standard in academic writing. Using colloquialisms like 'ain’t' in formal research papers can diminish the professionalism and clarity of the writing. Choice A is incorrect as the presence of a word in the dictionary does not solely determine its appropriateness in formal writing. Choice B is incorrect because the student's academic level does not justify the use of non-standard English. Choice C is incorrect as it focuses on the perceived uneducated sound of 'ain’t' rather than its appropriateness in formal writing, which is the key concern for the research paper in question.

3. Identify the direct object in the following sentence: 'She baked a delicious cake for the party.'

Correct answer: C

Rationale: In the sentence 'She baked a delicious cake for the party,' the verb 'baked' is an action performed by the subject 'She.' The direct object is the recipient of the action, which in this case is 'cake.' It answers the question 'What did she bake?' making 'cake' the direct object in the sentence. Choice A 'for the party' is a prepositional phrase indicating the purpose, not the direct object. Choice B 'delicious' describes the cake but is not the direct object. Choice D 'baked' is the verb itself, not the direct object receiving the action.

4. Which of the following structures is present in the sentence: “The tall man wearing a black raincoat, a yellow hat, and one red shoe entered the restaurant, walked to the back, and sat down alone at the smallest table farthest away from the staff and other patrons.”?

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The sentence is considered a complex sentence because it consists of an independent clause ('The tall man entered the restaurant, walked to the back, and sat down alone at the smallest table farthest away from the staff and other patrons') and a dependent clause beginning with 'wearing a black raincoat, a yellow hat, and one red shoe.' The dependent clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. Choice A is incorrect because a simple sentence contains only one independent clause. Choice C is incorrect as a compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses. Choice D is incorrect as a compound-complex sentence contains two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.

5. Usually I take a walk every day after breakfast, ____________ it was raining today.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is 'But.' In this sentence, the conjunction 'but' is used to show a contrast between the usual routine of taking a walk after breakfast and the fact that it was raining today. 'While' suggests a concurrent action, 'Because' implies causation, and 'When' introduces a time relationship, none of which are suitable in this context.

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