ABLE Applied Concepts 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student reads the sentence: 'The committee, despite its reservations, approved the budget.' Which grammatical structure is underlined by the phrase 'despite its reservations'?
- Appositive phrase
- Participial phrase
- Concessive clause element (Correct answer)
- Absolute phrase
Correct answer: Concessive clause element
'Despite its reservations' functions as a concessive element, acknowledging a contrasting condition before the main clause.
Question 2: In a workplace memo, which tone is most appropriate when requesting employees to update their emergency contact information?
- Casual and conversational
- Formal yet approachable (Correct answer)
- Authoritative and demanding
- Informal and abbreviated
Correct answer: Formal yet approachable
Workplace memos about administrative matters should be formal yet approachable to ensure compliance without creating anxiety.
Question 3: A job applicant writes: 'I am a good team player and I work good under pressure.' What error must be corrected?
- 'Team player' should be hyphenated
- 'Good' should be 'well' in the second clause (Correct answer)
- The sentence needs a semicolon after 'player'
- 'Under pressure' is a dangling modifier
Correct answer: 'Good' should be 'well' in the second clause
'Work well' is correct because 'well' is an adverb modifying the verb 'work,' while 'good' is an adjective.
Question 4: Which reading strategy is most effective when skimming a lengthy report to locate a specific statistic?
- Reading every word carefully from start to finish
- Focusing on topic sentences and headings, then scanning for numbers (Correct answer)
- Reading only the conclusion section
- Summarizing each paragraph before moving on
Correct answer: Focusing on topic sentences and headings, then scanning for numbers
Skimming headings and topic sentences directs you to the relevant section, where you then scan for numerical data.
Question 5: The prefix 'sub-' in the word 'subordinate' conveys which meaning?
- Above or beyond
- Against or opposite
- Under or lower in rank (Correct answer)
- Before or prior to
Correct answer: Under or lower in rank
The Latin prefix 'sub-' means 'under' or 'below,' giving 'subordinate' the meaning of lower in rank or importance.
Question 6: A customer service email begins: 'Per your inquiry, please be advised of the following.' This opening is best described as:
- Clear and reader-friendly
- Overly bureaucratic and wordy (Correct answer)
- Appropriately casual for email
- Technically incorrect
Correct answer: Overly bureaucratic and wordy
Phrases like 'per your inquiry' and 'please be advised' are bureaucratic filler that delays the actual message.
Question 7: When writing a persuasive paragraph, where should the strongest supporting evidence typically be placed?
- At the very beginning before the topic sentence
- In the middle of the paragraph
- At the end of the paragraph for lasting impact (Correct answer)
- Spread equally throughout without emphasis
Correct answer: At the end of the paragraph for lasting impact
Placing the strongest evidence last leverages the 'recency effect,' leaving readers with the most compelling point fresh in mind.
ABLE Applied Concepts 2
A student reads the sentence: 'The committee, despite its reservations, approved the budget.' Which grammatical structure is underlined by the phrase 'despite its reservations'?