Nursing Elites

1. Which sentence avoids a comma splice?

• A. The wind howled, the branches swayed, and rain lashed against the windows.
• B. He packed his bags, checked the weather forecast, and then hit the road.
• C. The movie was entertaining; it was also thought-provoking.
• D. Tired and hungry, she stopped for a quick bite at the cafe.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Option C uses a semicolon to correctly separate the two independent clauses 'The movie was entertaining' and 'it was also thought-provoking.' This usage of a semicolon avoids a comma splice, which occurs when two independent clauses are incorrectly joined by a comma without a coordinating conjunction or appropriate punctuation. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because they all contain comma splices. In choice A, the comma splice is present between 'The wind howled' and 'the branches swayed.' In choice B, the comma splice occurs between 'He packed his bags' and 'checked the weather forecast.' Choice D has a comma splice between 'Tired and hungry' and 'she stopped for a quick bite at the cafe.'

2. Which pronoun would not work in the following sentence? 'I asked a colleague to bring it to you.'

• A. my
• B. our
• C. your
• D. whose

Correct answer: D

Rationale: In the sentence 'I asked a colleague to bring it to you,' the pronoun 'whose' does not fit grammatically. The pronoun 'whose' is used to indicate possession or belonging to someone, which is not relevant in this context. The other pronouns 'my,' 'our,' and 'your' are all appropriate to use in this sentence based on the context of the sentence. Therefore, 'whose' is the correct answer as it does not work in the given sentence.

3. Which of the answer choices best explains the purpose of the parentheses in the sentence?

• A. To offer brief commentary on the subject matter being discussed
• B. To modify or qualify the statement that came immediately before
• C. To identify information that was located using another source
• D. To set off useful information that does not fit the flow of the sentence

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D. Parentheses are used to set off supplementary information (the years of Franz Joseph I's reign) that provides context but does not disrupt the flow of the main sentence. Choice A is incorrect as the purpose of the parentheses in this case is not to offer commentary but to provide additional information. Choice B is incorrect as the parentheses do not modify or qualify the statement before. Choice C is incorrect as the information in the parentheses is not identified as being from another source.

4. Select the correct verb to complete the following sentence: I _________ about it for a long time before I decided to major in criminal justice.

• A. think
• B. thank
• C. thinked
• D. thought

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is 'thought.' 'Thought' is the correct past tense form of 'think.' In this sentence, 'thought' is used to indicate that the thinking process happened in the past before deciding to major in criminal justice. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect. 'Think' is the present tense form, 'thank' is a different verb with a different meaning, and 'thinked' is not a valid past tense form of 'think.'

5. Which of the following examples is a compound-complex sentence?

• A. The puppy and his mother both had dark brown eyes and long, floppy ears.
• B. The puppy and his mother looked exactly the same; both had shiny, dark brown eyes and long, floppy ears.
• C. The puppy, who had dark brown, shiny eyes and long, floppy ears, looked just like his mother.
• D. Even though the puppy was much smaller than his mother, his eyes were dark brown and shiny just like hers, and his ears were long and floppy, too.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Sentence D is a compound-complex sentence because it contains two independent clauses ('Even though the puppy was much smaller than his mother' and 'his eyes were dark brown and shiny just like hers') and one dependent clause ('and his ears were long and floppy, too'). Choices A, B, and C do not meet the criteria for a compound-complex sentence as they lack a combination of independent and dependent clauses.

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