OSSLT Using Correct Grammar 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which option corrects the comma splice: 'The sky was clear, the stars were bright'?
- The sky was clear, and the stars were bright. (Correct answer)
- The sky was clear; and the stars were bright.
- The sky was clear: the stars were bright.
- The sky was clear the stars, were bright.
Correct answer: The sky was clear, and the stars were bright.
Adding a coordinating conjunction ('and') after the comma correctly joins two independent clauses.
Question 2: Choose the sentence that correctly forms the plural possessive.
- The teacher's lounge is on the second floor.
- The teachers lounge is on the second floor.
- The teachers' lounge is on the second floor. (Correct answer)
- The teachers's lounge is on the second floor.
Correct answer: The teachers' lounge is on the second floor.
For plural nouns ending in 's', add only an apostrophe after the 's' to show possession.
Question 3: Which sentence uses the active voice?
- The report was written by the committee.
- The book has been read by all students.
- The committee wrote the report. (Correct answer)
- The homework was completed by Marcus.
Correct answer: The committee wrote the report.
In active voice, the subject ('the committee') performs the action ('wrote'), making the sentence clearer and more direct.
Question 4: Select the correctly punctuated sentence with a non-restrictive clause.
- My brother who lives in Toronto is visiting us.
- My brother, who lives in Toronto is visiting us.
- My brother, who lives in Toronto, is visiting us. (Correct answer)
- My brother who, lives in Toronto, is visiting us.
Correct answer: My brother, who lives in Toronto, is visiting us.
A non-restrictive (non-essential) clause must be set off with commas on both sides.
Question 5: Which sentence has correct subject-verb agreement with a collective noun?
- The jury are disagreeing among themselves.
- The jury is deliberating on the verdict. (Correct answer)
- The jury were deliberating on the verdict.
- The jury have reached a verdict yesterday.
Correct answer: The jury is deliberating on the verdict.
In North American English, collective nouns like 'jury' are typically treated as singular and take a singular verb.
Question 6: Which sentence correctly avoids a double negative?
- She doesn't know nothing about the plan.
- She doesn't know anything about the plan. (Correct answer)
- She don't know nothing about the plan.
- She knows nothing about no plan.
Correct answer: She doesn't know anything about the plan.
Using 'anything' with 'doesn't' creates a grammatically correct negative sentence without a double negative.
Question 7: Identify the sentence with correct use of 'lay' versus 'lie'.
- I need to lay down for a while.
- The dog lays in its bed every afternoon.
- She laid the book on the table. (Correct answer)
- Yesterday, I lied the blanket on the couch.
Correct answer: She laid the book on the table.
'Laid' is the past tense of 'lay' (to place something), which takes a direct object ('the book').
OSSLT Using Correct Grammar 4
Which option corrects the comma splice: 'The sky was clear, the stars were bright'?