ESL Language Use Flashcards
19 cards from real Accuplacer College Placement practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 19 ESL Language Use flashcards as text
The first six days of the week are workdays, during which we _______________ to provide food and other essentials.
Answer: work hard
The sentence describes a general truth or habitual action that occurs during workdays. For such recurring actions, the simple present tense is required. 'Work hard' is the correct simple present tense form, indicating a regular activity performed to achieve a goal.
Why don't you _____________ before we leave?
Answer: eat
The phrase 'Why don't you...' is a common idiomatic expression used to make a suggestion. This construction is always followed by the base form of the verb (the infinitive without 'to'). Therefore, 'eat' is the correct base form to complete the suggestion.
Many parents apply Child Benefit monthly money to _____________ their total household budget.
Answer: support
The infinitive form 'to + verb' is used to express purpose or intention. In this sentence, the purpose of applying Child Benefit money is to 'support' their total household budget. 'Support' is the correct base form of the verb to follow 'to' in this infinitive construction.
Abraham Lincoln, a self-taught lawyer, politician, and vocal opponent of slavery, was _____________ as the 16th President of the United States.
Answer: elected
Presidents in the United States are chosen by popular vote in an election. 'Elected' means to choose (someone) to hold public office or some other position by voting. This accurately describes how Abraham Lincoln became the 16th President, making it the most appropriate verb.
Subtitles are normally provided for the ____________ of people who do not know Latin.
Answer: benefit
Subtitles are provided to help or be advantageous to people who do not understand the original language. 'Benefit' means an advantage or profit gained from something. The idiomatic phrase 'for the benefit of' perfectly conveys that subtitles are provided for the advantage or good of those who don't know Latin.
Derek will ____________ this July with an engineering degree in computer engineering.
Answer: be graduating
The phrase 'this July' indicates a future event that will be in progress or completed around that specific time. The future continuous tense, 'will be graduating,' is used to describe an action that will be ongoing at a particular point in the future. This tense correctly conveys that Derek's graduation process will be happening around July.
Which is NOT an adverb?
Answer: small
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, often answering questions like how, when, where, or to what extent. 'Here,' 'quickly,' and 'tomorrow' all function as adverbs. 'Small,' however, describes a noun (e.g., 'a small house'), making it an adjective, not an adverb.
A sentence must contain the following words to be called a compound sentence:
Answer: There are two independent clauses
A compound sentence is formed by combining two or more independent clauses. An independent clause is a complete thought that can stand alone as a sentence. These clauses are typically joined by a coordinating conjunction (like 'and,' 'but,' 'or') or a semicolon.
When a clause has both a subject and a verb that may stand on their own, this is referred to as:
Answer: Independent clause
An independent clause contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought, meaning it can stand alone as a simple sentence. Unlike a dependent clause, it does not rely on another clause to make sense. For example, 'The dog barked' is an independent clause.
Which of the following words is a gerund in the following sentence? Swimming is a pleasurable hobby.
Answer: swimming
A gerund is a verb form ending in '-ing' that functions as a noun in a sentence. In the sentence 'Swimming is a pleasurable hobby,' 'swimming' acts as the subject, performing the role of a noun. Therefore, it is the gerund.
Which is NOT a helping verb?
Answer: talk
Helping verbs (also called auxiliary verbs) assist the main verb in expressing tense, mood, or voice. 'Can,' 'will,' and 'am' are all common helping verbs that precede a main verb (e.g., 'I can run,' 'She will sing,' 'I am eating'). 'Talk,' however, is a main action verb itself, not a verb used to assist another verb.
Which of the following is NOT a linking verb?
Answer: may
Linking verbs connect the subject of a sentence to a noun, pronoun, or adjective that renames or describes the subject. Common linking verbs include forms of 'to be' and verbs related to the senses or states of being (look, taste, become, feel, seem). 'May' is a modal helping verb, indicating possibility or permission, and does not link a subject to a description.
Which of the following verbs is an action word?
Answer: see
An action verb describes an action that the subject of the sentence performs. 'See' is an action that a person or thing can do. In contrast, 'will,' 'is,' and 'can' are helping or linking verbs that do not express a direct action.
Which of the following is an example of a collective noun?
Answer: government
A collective noun refers to a group of people, animals, or things as a single unit. 'Government' represents a group of individuals working together as one entity. 'Cats' is a plural common noun, 'mother's' is a possessive noun, and '30th Street' is a proper noun.
Merge the sentences together. Diego enjoys playing soccer. Luis, his pal, also likes soccer.
Answer: Both Diego and his pal Luis enjoy playing soccer.
The original sentences state that Diego enjoys soccer and Luis also likes soccer. Option C combines these two ideas efficiently by using 'Both...and' to indicate shared enjoyment and correctly uses the plural verb 'enjoy' for the compound subject. This makes the sentence concise and grammatically sound.
Because light ______________ than sound, you may see lightning before hearing thunder.
Answer: travels faster
This sentence describes a general scientific truth or a habitual action, which requires the simple present tense. 'Travels faster' correctly uses the simple present tense for the singular subject 'light.' The other options use incorrect verb forms or tenses for this context.
Merge the sentences together. When dining in a Japanese restaurant, do not pour your own drink. It is seen as disrespectful.
Answer: Because it seen as disrespectful, do not pour your own drink when eating in a restaurant in Japan.
The original sentences present a rule and its reason. Option B effectively merges these by using 'Because' to clearly establish the cause-and-effect relationship, placing the reason for the action first. Although there is a grammatical error ('it seen' instead of 'it is seen'), its structure is the most logical and concise for combining the given information compared to the other options.
Merge the sentences together. Kim plays the violin. Her sister Jane plays the violin, too
Answer: Both Kim and her sister Jane play the violin.
The original sentences state that both Kim and her sister Jane perform the same action: playing the violin. Option A effectively combines these two ideas into a single, clear sentence using 'Both...and' and correctly uses the plural verb 'play' for the compound subject. This makes the sentence concise and grammatically sound.
Water ____________ at zero degrees Celsius.
Answer: freezes
This sentence describes a scientific fact or a universal truth, which requires the simple present tense. 'Freezes' correctly uses the simple present tense for the singular subject 'Water.' The other options use incorrect verb forms or tenses for describing a constant physical property.