NWEA Language Usage 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence correctly uses the word 'affect' versus 'effect'?
- The rain will effect our plans.
- The rain will affect our plans. (Correct answer)
- The rain had a great affect on us.
- She could not effect her mood.
Correct answer: The rain will affect our plans.
'Affect' is typically a verb meaning to influence, while 'effect' is typically a noun meaning a result.
Question 2: Identify the sentence that correctly uses parallel structure.
- She likes to swim, running, and to hike.
- She likes swimming, running, and hiking. (Correct answer)
- She likes to swim, run, and hiking.
- She likes to swim, running, and hikes.
Correct answer: She likes swimming, running, and hiking.
Parallel structure requires matching grammatical forms; 'swimming, running, and hiking' are all gerunds.
Question 3: Which version of the sentence is the most concise and clear?
- Due to the fact that it was raining, we stayed inside.
- It was raining, so we stayed inside. (Correct answer)
- Because of the fact of rain occurring, we remained inside.
- We stayed inside on account of the rain that was falling.
Correct answer: It was raining, so we stayed inside.
'It was raining, so we stayed inside' expresses the same idea with fewer unnecessary words.
Question 4: What type of phrase is underlined in: 'The book *written by Hemingway* is a classic'?
- Infinitive phrase
- Gerund phrase
- Participial phrase (Correct answer)
- Prepositional phrase
Correct answer: Participial phrase
'Written by Hemingway' is a participial phrase (past participle) modifying the noun 'book.'
Question 5: Which sentence uses capitalization correctly?
- We visited the Lincoln memorial last Summer.
- We visited the Lincoln Memorial last summer. (Correct answer)
- we visited the lincoln memorial last summer.
- We visited The Lincoln Memorial last Summer.
Correct answer: We visited the Lincoln Memorial last summer.
Proper nouns like 'Lincoln Memorial' are capitalized, but common words like 'summer' are not.
Question 6: Choose the sentence that uses an em dash correctly.
- She had one goal—to win the championship. (Correct answer)
- She had one goal—, to win the championship.
- She had one goal — to-win the championship.
- She had one, goal—to win.
Correct answer: She had one goal—to win the championship.
An em dash introduces additional information or a sharp break and has no spaces around it in standard American style.
Question 7: Which sentence correctly uses 'fewer' vs. 'less'?
- There are less students in class today.
- There are fewer water in the bottle.
- There are fewer students in class today. (Correct answer)
- There are less books on the shelf.
Correct answer: There are fewer students in class today.
'Fewer' is used with countable nouns like 'students,' while 'less' is used with uncountable quantities.
NWEA Language Usage 4
Which sentence correctly uses the word 'affect' versus 'effect'?