TAP Grammar and Usage 2

Question 1

On the TAP Grammar section, which sentence correctly uses a semicolon?

Accepted Answer

She studied hard; she passed the test.

Answer

A semicolon correctly joins two closely related independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.

Question 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'its' versus 'it's' as tested on the TAP?

Accepted Answer

The cat licked its paw.

Answer

'Its' (no apostrophe) is possessive; 'it's' (with apostrophe) is a contraction for 'it is.'

Question 3

On the TAP, which sentence avoids a run-on error?

Accepted Answer

He was tired; therefore, he went to bed.

Answer

Using a semicolon with a conjunctive adverb ('therefore') correctly joins two independent clauses.

Question 4

On the TAP, which of the following is a sentence fragment?

Accepted Answer

Because she was hungry.

Answer

'Because she was hungry' is a subordinate clause — it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.

Question 5

Which sentence uses parallel structure correctly, as required on the TAP?

Accepted Answer

She likes hiking, swimming, and running.

Answer

Parallel structure requires all items in a series to use the same grammatical form — here, all gerunds (-ing).

TAP - Test of Academic Proficiency Practice Test