Core Academic Skills Assessment Writing: Language and Conventions 4

Question 1

Which sentence is written in the active voice?
A) The memo was written by the director.
B) The award was given to the employee by the manager.
C) The committee approved the new policy.
D) The game was won by our team.

Accepted Answer

The committee approved the new policy.

Answer

In 'The committee approved the new policy,' the subject (committee) performs the action, making it active voice.

Question 2

Choose the word that correctly fills the blank: 'The governor's _____ on tax reform surprised many voters.'
A) stance
B) stanza
C) stanch
D) stanchion

Accepted Answer

stance

Answer

'Stance' means a person's position or attitude on an issue, which fits the context of tax reform.

Question 3

Which sentence uses capitalization correctly?
A) My Uncle works as a professor at a State University.
B) Last Summer, we traveled to the Pacific Northwest.
C) She studied French and biology at Georgetown University.
D) The President of the club will meet with the Mayor.

Accepted Answer

She studied French and biology at Georgetown University.

Answer

'French' is capitalized as a proper adjective, 'biology' is not a proper noun, and 'Georgetown University' is a proper noun — all correctly handled.

Question 4

Identify the sentence containing a fused (run-on) sentence:
A) I love coffee, but I try to drink it in moderation.
B) She was exhausted she went straight to bed.
C) Although he was tired, he finished the assignment.
D) The flight was delayed; passengers waited in the terminal.

Accepted Answer

She was exhausted she went straight to bed.

Answer

'She was exhausted she went straight to bed' fuses two independent clauses without any punctuation or conjunction.

Question 5

Which sentence avoids unnecessary shifts in verb tense?
A) She walked into the room and sits down quietly.
B) He finished his homework and then watches TV.
C) The students completed the test and turned in their papers.
D) I was cooking dinner when the phone rings.

Accepted Answer

The students completed the test and turned in their papers.

Answer

'Completed' and 'turned' maintain consistent past tense throughout the sentence.

Core Academic Skills Assessment Practice Test

Core Academic Skills Assessment Practice Test

Core Academic Skills Assessment Writing: Language and Conventions 4