PSEE Spelling and Language Mechanics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence uses a comma correctly?
- The supervisor reviewed, the proposal carefully.
- After reviewing the proposal, the supervisor approved it. (Correct answer)
- The supervisor, approved the proposal.
- After reviewing the proposal the supervisor, approved it.
Correct answer: After reviewing the proposal, the supervisor approved it.
A comma should follow an introductory adverbial clause, as in 'After reviewing the proposal, the supervisor approved it.'
Question 2: Which sentence uses subject-verb agreement correctly?
- Neither the director nor the staff was notified.
- Neither the director nor the staff were notified. (Correct answer)
- Neither the director nor the staff notified has been.
- Neither the director nor the staff have notify.
Correct answer: Neither the director nor the staff were notified.
When using 'neither/nor,' the verb agrees with the subject closest to it — 'staff' is plural, so 'were' is correct.
Question 3: Which of the following words is spelled correctly?
- Priviledge
- Privelege
- Privelge
- Privilege (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Privilege
'Privilege' is spelled p-r-i-v-i-l-e-g-e, with no 'd' in the word.
Question 4: Which option correctly uses an apostrophe to show possession for a single department?
- The department's budget was approved. (Correct answer)
- The departments' budget was approved.
- The departments budget was approved.
- The department budget's was approved.
Correct answer: The department's budget was approved.
For singular possession, the apostrophe comes before the 's': 'department's' shows one department owns the budget.
Question 5: Which of the following words is spelled correctly?
- Liason
- Leason
- Liasson
- Liaison (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Liaison
'Liaison' is the correct spelling: l-i-a-i-s-o-n, borrowed from French and retaining its unusual vowel sequence.
Question 6: Which sentence uses capitalization correctly?
- The Federal Government issued a new Policy.
- The federal government issued a new policy. (Correct answer)
- the Federal government issued a new policy.
- The Federal Government Issued a new policy.
Correct answer: The federal government issued a new policy.
Common nouns such as 'federal,' 'government,' and 'policy' are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence or are part of a proper name.
Question 7: Which sentence correctly uses a semicolon?
- The meeting was canceled; because of the storm.
- The meeting was canceled; the storm made travel impossible. (Correct answer)
- The meeting; was canceled due to the storm.
- The meeting was canceled, however; we rescheduled it.
Correct answer: The meeting was canceled; the storm made travel impossible.
A semicolon correctly joins two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction, as in option B.
PSEE Spelling and Language Mechanics 2
Which sentence uses a comma correctly?