SAEE SAEE Language Usage 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence demonstrates correct use of a colon?
- She needed: milk, eggs, and bread.
- She needed the following: milk, eggs, and bread. (Correct answer)
- She needed milk: eggs and bread.
- She: needed milk, eggs, and bread.
Correct answer: She needed the following: milk, eggs, and bread.
A colon follows a complete independent clause to introduce a list or explanation.
Question 2: Which word is spelled correctly?
- accomodate
- acommodate
- accommodate (Correct answer)
- acomodate
Correct answer: accommodate
'Accommodate' has double 'c' and double 'm' — a common spelling error to watch for.
Question 3: Choose the sentence that avoids redundancy.
- She returned back to her hometown.
- He repeated the same story again.
- They collaborated together on the project.
- The audit revealed several discrepancies. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The audit revealed several discrepancies.
'Returned back,' 'repeated again,' and 'collaborated together' are all redundant; 'revealed' stands alone without repetition.
Question 4: Which sentence uses 'effect' and 'affect' correctly?
- The medicine did not effect her symptoms.
- Stress can affect your health. (Correct answer)
- The new policy will effect everyone differently.
- She was effected by the sad news.
Correct answer: Stress can affect your health.
'Affect' is a verb meaning to influence; 'effect' is typically a noun meaning a result.
Question 5: 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: 'well-known' modifies 'author' and comes before it.
Question 6: Which sentence is grammatically correct?
- Between you and I, this is a mistake.
- Between you and me, this is a mistake. (Correct answer)
- Between you and myself, this is a mistake.
- Between I and you, this is a mistake.
Correct answer: Between you and me, this is a mistake.
Prepositions like 'between' require object pronouns; 'me' is the correct object pronoun, not 'I.'
Question 7: Which revision best improves the clarity of this sentence: 'The manager told the employee that he needed to improve.'?
- The manager told the employee that the employee needed to improve. (Correct answer)
- The manager told the employee he needed to improve.
- He told him that he needed to improve.
- The manager, telling the employee, needed to improve.
Correct answer: The manager told the employee that the employee needed to improve.
Replacing the ambiguous pronoun 'he' with 'the employee' clarifies who needs to improve.
SAEE SAEE Language Usage 5
Which sentence demonstrates correct use of a colon?