NoRedInk Skill Mastery 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence uses an apostrophe correctly to show plural possession?
- The student's essays were graded.
- The students essay's were graded.
- The students' essays were graded. (Correct answer)
- The students's essays were graded.
Correct answer: The students' essays were graded.
To show possession for a regular plural noun ending in -s, add only an apostrophe after the -s.
Question 2: What is the difference between 'fewer' and 'less' in standard American English?
- 'Fewer' is used for uncountable nouns; 'less' is used for countable nouns.
- 'Fewer' is used for countable nouns; 'less' is used for uncountable nouns. (Correct answer)
- They are interchangeable in all contexts.
- 'Less' is always more formal than 'fewer.'
Correct answer: 'Fewer' is used for countable nouns; 'less' is used for uncountable nouns.
'Fewer' applies to items you can count (fewer apples), while 'less' applies to uncountable quantities (less water).
Question 3: Which sentence is written in the active voice?
- The report was written by the intern.
- The decision was made by the committee.
- The intern wrote the report. (Correct answer)
- It was determined that the intern wrote the report.
Correct answer: The intern wrote the report.
Active voice places the subject ('the intern') as the doer of the action ('wrote').
Question 4: Which option corrects the comma splice: 'I wanted to leave early, the traffic was terrible'?
- I wanted to leave early, because the traffic was terrible.
- I wanted to leave early; the traffic was terrible. (Correct answer)
- I wanted to leave early, and, the traffic was terrible.
- I wanted to leave early, however the traffic was terrible.
Correct answer: I wanted to leave early; the traffic was terrible.
Replacing the comma with a semicolon correctly separates two independent clauses.
Question 5: In the sentence 'She is the one who submitted the winning essay,' what is the clause 'who submitted the winning essay'?
- An adverbial clause modifying 'submitted'
- An adjective clause modifying 'one' (Correct answer)
- A noun clause acting as the subject
- An independent clause
Correct answer: An adjective clause modifying 'one'
The relative clause introduced by 'who' modifies the pronoun 'one' and functions as an adjective clause.
Question 6: Which sentence correctly uses 'whom'?
- Whom is responsible for this project?
- The manager, who I trust, approved the plan.
- She is the candidate whom we interviewed. (Correct answer)
- Whom do you think will win?
Correct answer: She is the candidate whom we interviewed.
'Whom' is correct when it functions as an object — here 'we interviewed whom' confirms the object role.
Question 7: What does NoRedInk's 'personalized practice' feature primarily use to engage students?
- Random sentence generators unrelated to student interests
- Sentences and examples built around each student's stated interests (Correct answer)
- Passages from standardized test banks
- Teacher-uploaded custom worksheets
Correct answer: Sentences and examples built around each student's stated interests
NoRedInk builds grammar and writing exercises using sentences featuring topics, celebrities, and hobbies students identify as interests.
NoRedInk Skill Mastery 3
Which sentence uses an apostrophe correctly to show plural possession?