BSEP Grammar and Writing Mechanics 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence uses parallel structure correctly?
- She likes hiking, to swim, and running.
- He enjoys reading, writing, and to draw.
- They planned to eat, sleep, and exercise. (Correct answer)
- I prefer cooking, to bake, and gardening.
Correct answer: They planned to eat, sleep, and exercise.
All three verbs (eat, sleep, exercise) are in the same infinitive form, creating correct parallel structure.
Question 2: Which sentence correctly uses 'who' vs. 'whom'?
- Who did you speak with?
- Whom is calling?
- To who should I address this letter?
- Whom do you trust most? (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Whom do you trust most?
'Whom' is correct here because it functions as the object of the verb 'trust' (you trust whom?).
Question 3: Which sentence correctly uses 'affect' vs. 'effect'?
- The medicine had a positive affect on her.
- Stress can effect your health negatively.
- The noise affected his concentration. (Correct answer)
- She tried to effect calm in the situation is wrong.
Correct answer: The noise affected his concentration.
'Affected' is the verb form meaning to influence or have an impact on something.
Question 4: Which sentence avoids a double negative?
- I don't have no money.
- She can't find nothing.
- He didn't do anything wrong. (Correct answer)
- They never said nothing.
Correct answer: He didn't do anything wrong.
'Didn't do anything' uses a single negative, which is grammatically correct in standard English.
Question 5: Identify the correct use of a colon in the following sentences.
- I need: bread, milk, and eggs.
- She had one goal: to finish the race. (Correct answer)
- He said: that he would come.
- The answer is: forty-two.
Correct answer: She had one goal: to finish the race.
A colon is correctly used after a complete independent clause to introduce what follows.
Question 6: Which sentence uses the correct form of the adjective?
- This is the most fastest route.
- She is more smarter than him.
- That was the most interesting book I've read. (Correct answer)
- He is more taller than his brother.
Correct answer: That was the most interesting book I've read.
Multi-syllable adjectives like 'interesting' use 'most' for superlative form, not '-est'.
Question 7: Which sentence correctly places the adverb?
- She only eats vegetables on Tuesdays.
- She eats only vegetables on Tuesdays.
- Only she eats vegetables on Tuesdays.
- She eats vegetables only on Tuesdays. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: She eats vegetables only on Tuesdays.
Placing 'only' directly before 'on Tuesdays' clarifies that Tuesdays is the specific time she eats vegetables.
BSEP Grammar and Writing Mechanics 5
Which sentence uses parallel structure correctly?