NWEA Language Usage 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence correctly uses a hyphen?
- She is a well known author.
- She is a well-known author. (Correct answer)
- She is a well, known author.
- She is a well—known author.
Correct answer: She is a well-known author.
Compound modifiers before a noun are hyphenated, so 'well-known' is correct before 'author.'
Question 2: Identify the sentence with a dangling modifier.
- Running to the bus, Jake dropped his bag.
- Running to the bus, the bag dropped. (Correct answer)
- While running, Jake dropped his bag.
- Jake, running to the bus, dropped his bag.
Correct answer: Running to the bus, the bag dropped.
In 'Running to the bus, the bag dropped,' the participial phrase incorrectly modifies 'the bag' instead of a person.
Question 3: Which transitional word best shows contrast?
- Furthermore
- Therefore
- However (Correct answer)
- Similarly
Correct answer: However
'However' signals a contrast or contradiction between two ideas.
Question 4: Which sentence uses the subjunctive mood correctly?
- If I was you, I would apologize.
- If I were you, I would apologize. (Correct answer)
- If I am you, I would apologize.
- If I be you, I would apologize.
Correct answer: If I were you, I would apologize.
The subjunctive mood uses 'were' (not 'was') for hypothetical or contrary-to-fact conditions.
Question 5: What does a colon most commonly introduce?
- A dependent clause
- A list, explanation, or quotation (Correct answer)
- A parenthetical remark
- A comparative phrase
Correct answer: A list, explanation, or quotation
A colon signals that what follows elaborates on, explains, or lists what was just stated.
Question 6: Choose the sentence that avoids a double negative.
- She didn't say nothing.
- He can't hardly wait.
- They didn't find any evidence. (Correct answer)
- I won't never go back.
Correct answer: They didn't find any evidence.
'They didn't find any evidence' uses only one negative ('didn't'), making it grammatically correct.
Question 7: Which option correctly uses 'whose' versus 'who's'?
- Whose coming to the party?
- Who's backpack is this?
- Whose idea was this? (Correct answer)
- Who's book did you borrow?
Correct answer: Whose idea was this?
'Whose' is the possessive form of 'who,' used to show ownership, as in 'whose idea.'
NWEA Language Usage 3
Which sentence correctly uses a hyphen?