which sentence uses the comparative degree of an adjective correctly

ATI TEAS 7

ATI TEAS 7 English practice test

1. Which sentence uses the comparative degree of an adjective correctly?

A. This movie is good, but the other one is better.
B. She is the tallest player on the team.
C. He worked harder than everyone else.
D. My coffee is hotter than yours.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Option A correctly uses the comparative degree by comparing the quality of two movies with the word 'better.' This sentence demonstrates a comparison between two items in terms of quality, making it the correct use of the comparative degree of an adjective. Choice B uses the superlative degree ('tallest') instead of the comparative degree. Choice C uses the comparative degree correctly but with an adverb ('harder') instead of an adjective. Choice D uses the comparative degree correctly, but it compares the temperature of two coffees rather than the quality of the coffee.

2. I truly believe that one cup of coffee a day is neither too much nor too little caffeine for me, but exactly the right amount. Which of the following words is misspelled in the sentence above?

A. caffeine
B. truly
C. neither
D. exactly

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: 'caffeine.' The word 'caffeine' is spelled with only one 'e' after the 'f,' not 'caffiene.' 'Truly,' 'neither,' and 'exactly' are all spelled correctly in the sentence provided.

3. Which of the following compound sentences is punctuated correctly?

A. The Forlows would be spending two weeks in Greece and Turkey.
B. She was awake the minute the sun came up; although she had been up late the night before.
C. Diana stepped out into the rain, but she had to turn immediately back inside for an umbrella.
D. Aziz was astonished; he had never seen horses in the wild before.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the correct answer because it correctly punctuates the compound sentence with a semicolon separating the two independent clauses. The use of a semicolon is appropriate when two closely related independent clauses are joined without a coordinating conjunction. Choices A, B, and C have incorrect punctuation or conjunction usage. Choice A incorrectly uses a comma before 'and,' while Choice B uses 'though' which is not the best conjunction to join the two clauses. Choice C also lacks appropriate punctuation to separate the two independent clauses.

4. Which sentence uses the colon correctly?

A. I brought snacks: chips, salsa, and guacamole.
B. The winner is Sarah!
C. He loves all things chocolate: cake, ice cream, and candy bars.
D. Please bring the following items: pen, paper, and stapler.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Colons are used to introduce a list or explanation that follows an independent clause. In this case, option A correctly uses a colon to introduce a list of snacks after an independent clause. Choice B lacks an independent clause before the colon, making it incorrect. Choice C is incorrect as it should have an independent clause before the colon. Choice D incorrectly uses a colon as a comma would be more appropriate to introduce the list of items.

5. While studying vocabulary, a student notices that the words circumference, circumnavigate, and circumstance all begin with the prefix 'circum'. The student uses her knowledge of affixes to infer that all of these words share what related meaning?

A. Around, surrounding
B. Travel, transport
C. Size, measurement
D. Area, location

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: 'Around, surrounding.' The prefix 'circum-' commonly means 'around' or 'surrounding,' as observed in words like circumference (the distance around a circle), circumnavigate (to sail or travel around something), and circumstance (a condition surrounding or related to an event). Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because the shared meaning among these words is related to being around or surrounding, not travel, transport, size, measurement, area, or location.