CTBS - Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills Language Mechanics and Expression Questions and Answers

Question 1

Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct and avoids a comma splice?

Accepted Answer

The team practiced for hours, for they were determined to win the championship.

Answer

The team practiced for hours, they were determined to win the championship.

Answer

The team practiced for hours they were determined to win the championship.

Answer

The team practiced for hours, determined to win the championship.

Question 2

Choose the sentence that demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement.

Accepted Answer

The box of old photographs brings back many memories.

Answer

The box of old photographs bring back many memories.

Answer

The box of old photographs, which are faded, bring back memories.

Answer

The boxes of old photographs brings back many memories.

Question 3

The following sentence lacks parallel structure. Which revision corrects the error?

'The manager's responsibilities include hiring new employees, training staff, and the creation of the weekly work schedule.'

Accepted Answer

The manager's responsibilities include hiring new employees, training staff, and creating the weekly work schedule.

Answer

The manager's responsibilities include hiring new employees, to train staff, and creating the weekly work schedule.

Answer

The manager's responsibilities include to hire new employees, training staff, and the creation of the weekly work schedule.

Answer

The manager's responsibilities include hiring new employees, the training of staff, and creating the weekly work schedule.

Question 4

Which word correctly completes the following sentence?

'The new software will ______ the way our team manages data, leading to greater efficiency.'

Accepted Answer

affect

Answer

effect

Answer

affects

Answer

effects

Question 5

Which of the following revisions best corrects the misplaced modifier in the sentence below?

'Sprinting across the field, the ball was caught by the receiver just before the touchdown.'

Accepted Answer

Sprinting across the field, the receiver caught the ball just before the touchdown.

Answer

The ball was caught by the receiver sprinting across the field just before the touchdown.

Answer

The receiver caught the ball sprinting across the field just before the touchdown.

Answer

The ball, sprinting across the field, was caught by the receiver just before the touchdown.

Question 6

Which sentence correctly uses a colon?

Accepted Answer

I have one primary goal for this summer: to learn how to code in Python.

Answer

The recipe required several ingredients; flour, sugar, eggs, and butter.

Answer

The team's weaknesses were: a lack of communication and inconsistent practice.

Answer

She visited three cities on her trip, London: Paris: and Rome.