Accuplacer College Placement Sentence Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which revision best combines: "The storm knocked out power. We lit candles."?
- The storm knocked out power, so we lit candles. (Correct answer)
- The storm knocked out power we lit candles.
- The storm knocked out power, we lit candles.
- The storm knocked out power; and we lit candles.
Correct answer: The storm knocked out power, so we lit candles.
The coordinating conjunction "so" with a comma correctly joins the two independent clauses.
Question 2: Identify the sentence error: "Walking to school, the rain began to fall."
- Run-on sentence
- Dangling modifier (Correct answer)
- Comma splice
- Subject-verb disagreement
Correct answer: Dangling modifier
The phrase "Walking to school" dangles because rain cannot walk.
Question 3: Choose the correct word: "Neither the manager nor the employees ___ aware of the change."
- was
- were (Correct answer)
- is
- has been
Correct answer: were
With "neither/nor," the verb agrees with the nearer subject "employees," which is plural.
Question 4: Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
- After the meeting ended; we went home.
- After the meeting ended, we went home. (Correct answer)
- After the meeting ended we, went home.
- After the meeting, ended we went home.
Correct answer: After the meeting ended, we went home.
An introductory dependent clause is followed by a comma before the main clause.
Question 5: Select the most concise version: "Due to the fact that it was raining, the game was canceled."
- Due to the fact that it rained, the game was canceled.
- Because it was raining, the game was canceled. (Correct answer)
- On account of the rain that fell, the game was canceled.
- The game was canceled, this was because it was raining.
Correct answer: Because it was raining, the game was canceled.
"Because" replaces the wordy phrase "due to the fact that" without losing meaning.
Question 6: Choose the correct pronoun: "The award was shared between Maria and ___."
- I
- me (Correct answer)
- myself
- mine
Correct answer: me
"Me" is the object of the preposition "between."
Question 7: Which sentence has parallel structure?
- She likes hiking, to swim, and biking.
- She likes hiking, swimming, and biking. (Correct answer)
- She likes to hike, swimming, and bikes.
- She likes hikes, to swim, and biking.
Correct answer: She likes hiking, swimming, and biking.
All three items use the same -ing gerund form.
Accuplacer College Placement Sentence Skills 2
Which revision best combines: "The storm knocked out power.
We lit candles."?