SAEE SAEE Language Usage 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier?
- She nearly drove her children to school every day. (Correct answer)
- Nearly every day, she drove her children to school.
- She drove her children to school nearly every day.
- Every day she nearly drove her children to school.
Correct answer: She nearly drove her children to school every day.
'Nearly' is misplaced — it modifies 'drove' instead of 'every day,' implying she almost drove but didn't.
Question 2: Which is the correct plural form of 'criterion'?
- criterions
- criterias
- criteria (Correct answer)
- criterium
Correct answer: criteria
'Criteria' is the standard plural form of the Latin-derived word 'criterion.'
Question 3: Choose the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement.
- Neither the teachers nor the principal were informed.
- Neither the teachers nor the principal was informed. (Correct answer)
- Neither the teachers nor the principal are informed.
- Neither the teachers nor the principal have been informed.
Correct answer: Neither the teachers nor the principal was informed.
With 'neither...nor,' the verb agrees with the noun closest to it — 'the principal' is singular, so 'was' is correct.
Question 4: Which sentence correctly uses an apostrophe to show possession?
- The childrens' toys were scattered.
- The childrens toys were scattered.
- The children's toys were scattered. (Correct answer)
- The childrens's toys were scattered.
Correct answer: The children's toys were scattered.
'Children' is an irregular plural not ending in 's,' so the possessive is formed by adding 's.
Question 5: Which transition word best shows contrast between two ideas?
- Furthermore
- Therefore
- However (Correct answer)
- Similarly
Correct answer: However
'However' signals a contrast or contradiction between the idea that came before and the one that follows.
Question 6: Identify the sentence with a parallel structure error.
- She likes swimming, hiking, and to run. (Correct answer)
- She likes swimming, hiking, and running.
- She likes to swim, to hike, and to run.
- She likes to swim, hike, and run.
Correct answer: She likes swimming, hiking, and to run.
Mixing gerunds ('swimming,' 'hiking') with an infinitive ('to run') breaks parallel structure.
Question 7: Which sentence correctly uses 'who' vs. 'whom'?
- Who did you call yesterday? (Correct answer)
- Whom called the office first?
- To who should I address the letter?
- Whom is going to the meeting?
Correct answer: Who did you call yesterday?
In 'Who did you call?', 'who' is used as the object — though informal use is widely accepted here; however, this is the most commonly accepted standard form among the choices.
SAEE SAEE Language Usage 4
Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier?