SAEE SAEE Language Usage 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence correctly uses a semicolon?
- The rain stopped; we decided to go for a walk. (Correct answer)
- The rain stopped; and we decided to go for a walk.
- The rain; stopped and we decided to go for a walk.
- The rain stopped, we; decided to go for a walk.
Correct answer: The rain stopped; we decided to go for a walk.
A semicolon correctly joins two independent clauses that are closely related in meaning without a coordinating conjunction.
Question 2: Choose the sentence that demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement.
- Each of the students have completed the assignment.
- The group of musicians are performing tonight.
- Neither the teacher nor the students were aware of the change. (Correct answer)
- The committee have reached a decision.
Correct answer: Neither the teacher nor the students were aware of the change.
With 'neither...nor,' the verb agrees with the nearer subject ('students'), so 'were' is correct.
Question 3: Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?
- Running through the park, the dog chased the squirrel.
- After finishing the exam, the hallway was crowded with students. (Correct answer)
- The teacher, exhausted from grading, took a short break.
- Worried about the test, Maria studied all night.
Correct answer: After finishing the exam, the hallway was crowded with students.
'After finishing the exam' dangles because the hallway cannot finish an exam; the sentence needs a human subject after the comma.
Question 4: What is the correct way to punctuate the following sentence? 'The store sells apples oranges and bananas'
- The store sells apples, oranges, and bananas. (Correct answer)
- The store sells apples oranges, and bananas.
- The store sells, apples oranges and bananas.
- The store sells apples oranges and, bananas.
Correct answer: The store sells apples, oranges, and bananas.
Items in a series of three or more should be separated by commas, including the Oxford comma before 'and.'
Question 5: Which of the following sentences uses the correct form of the possessive?
- The children's toys were scattered across the yard. (Correct answer)
- The childrens' toys were scattered across the yard.
- The childrens toys were scattered across the yard.
- The children's toy's were scattered across the yard.
Correct answer: The children's toys were scattered across the yard.
For irregular plurals like 'children' that do not end in 's,' the possessive is formed by adding 's.
Question 6: Identify the sentence that contains a misplaced modifier.
- She almost drove her kids to school every day. (Correct answer)
- She drove her kids to school almost every day.
- Nearly exhausted, the runner crossed the finish line.
- The book on the shelf that I borrowed was fascinating.
Correct answer: She almost drove her kids to school every day.
'Almost drove' implies she nearly drove but didn't; the intended meaning is 'almost every day,' so the modifier is misplaced.
SAEE SAEE Language Usage 2
Which sentence correctly uses a semicolon?