which sentence demonstrates correct use of the apostrophe

ATI TEAS 7

ATI TEAS English Practice Test

1. Which sentence demonstrates correct use of the apostrophe?

A. The dog wagged its tail.
B. It's a wonderful day.
C. The dog's tail wagged.
D. It's a big house.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Choice C, 'The dog's tail wagged,' is the correct use of the apostrophe to show possession. In this sentence, the apostrophe is used correctly to indicate that the tail belongs to the dog. Choice A is incorrect as 'it's' is a contraction of 'it is' or 'it has,' not possessive. Choice B is also incorrect as 'Its' should be 'It's' to mean 'It is' or 'It has.' Choice D is incorrect as 'Its'' is grammatically incorrect; the correct form would be 'It's' if it were a contraction or 'Its' if it indicated possession without an apostrophe.

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. Robert needed to find at least four sources for his final project, so he searched several library databases for reliable academic research. Which words function as nouns in the preceding sentence?

A. Robert, sources, project, databases, research
B. Robert, sources, final, project, databases, academic, research
C. Robert, sources, project, he, library, databases, research
D. Sources, project, databases, research

Correct answer: A

Rationale: In the sentence provided, the words that function as nouns are 'Robert,' 'sources,' 'project,' 'databases,' and 'research.' These words are all objects or concepts that can be referenced or identified in a sentence as nouns. Choice B includes adjectives ('final,' 'academic') which describe other nouns rather than being nouns themselves. Choice C includes a pronoun ('he') which is not a noun. Choice D lacks the noun 'Robert' which is a subject in the sentence.

4. Which of the following examples is the correct way for punctuating this quotation?

A. "I'm not going to spoil my appetite, said Philip, as he pushed the plate of cookies away."
B. "I'm not going to spoil my appetite" said Philip, as he pushed the plate of cookies away.
C. "I'm not going to spoil my appetite," said Philip, "as he pushed the plate of cookies away."
D. "I'm not going to spoil my appetite," said Philip, as he pushed the plate of cookies away.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Option D correctly punctuates the quotation with commas separating the dialogue from the tag and action.

5. Which preposition best completes the sentence: 'She borrowed money from her friend.'?

A. of
B. from
C. on
D. for

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct preposition to use in this sentence is 'from' as it indicates the source of the borrowed money. 'Of' (Choice A) is incorrect as it does not convey the idea of obtaining something from a specific person. 'On' (Choice C) is also incorrect as it does not relate to borrowing money from someone. 'For' (Choice D) is incorrect as it implies a different purpose than borrowing money from her friend. Therefore, the most appropriate preposition in this context is 'from', making the sentence grammatically correct and conveying the intended meaning.