Sentence Skills
New haircut and glasses despited, she was recognized by people wherever she went.
A. In spite of her new haircut and glasses,
B. Her new haircut and glasses despite,
C. Her new haircut and glasses despited,
D. In spite, her new haircut and glasses,
A. In spite of her new haircut and glasses,
Also, because it is more concentrated, Greek yogurt contains slightly more protein per serving, thereby helping people stay satiated for longer periods of time.
A. (as it is now)
B. fulfilled
C. complacent
D. sufficient
A. (as it is now)
The martial art of karate is based around two main techniques; kicks and punches.
A. (as it is now)
B. techniques, kicks
C. techniques: kicks
D. techniques kicks
C. techniques: kicks
(1) The early history of astronomy was full of misunderstandings. (2) Some of them were funny, it's like the controversy of the "canali" on Mars. (3) In the late 1800's an Italian astronomer named Giovanni Schiaparell studied Mars. (4) He had a high-powered telescope that he used to look at Mars. (5) Schiaparelli thought he saw channels criss-crossing the planet's surface. (6) He was intrigued: perhaps these channels were evidence that Marhad great flowing rivers like the Earth. (7) Schiaparelli made charts of the surface of Mars and labeled it with the Italian word "canali."
Which is the best way to combine sentences 3 and 4 (reproduced below)?
In the late 1800's an Italian astronomer named Giovanni Schiaparelli studied Mars. He had a high-powered telescope that he used to look at Mars.
A. In the late 1800's an Italian astronomer named Giovanni Schiaparelli studied Mars by a high-powered telescope.
B. In the late 1800's an Italian astronomer named Giovanni Schiaparelli studied Mars with a high-powered telescope that he used to look at Mars.
C. In the late 1800's an Italian astronomer named Giovanni Schiaparelli studied Mars, he had a high-powered telescope that he used.
D. In the late 1800's an Italian astronomer named Giovanni Schiaparelli used a high-powered telescope to study Mars.
E. In the late 1800's an Italian astronomer named Giovanni Schiaparelli, using a high-powered telescope to look, studied Mars.
D. In the late 1800's an Italian astronomer named Giovanni Schiaparelli used a high-powered telescope to study Mars.
With the context clues included in the following sentence, come up with a definition of the underlined word.
The couple's sudden abnegation of life in the fast lane for work as missionaries stunned everyone.
Denial, to let go of
In these locations, however, the spaces often include small meeting areas and larger rooms for hosting presentations.
A. (as it is now)
B. In addition to equipment,
C. For these reasons,
D. Likewise,
B. In addition to equipment,
It was during this time that I read an article into coworking spaces.
A. (as it is now)
B. about
C. upon
D. for
B. about
In the winter of 1968, scientists David Schindler and Gregg Brunskill poured nitrates and phosphates into Lake 227, this is one of the 58 freshwater bodies that compose Canada’s remotely located Experimental Lakes Area.
A. (as it is now)
B. 227. Which is one
C. 227. One
D. 227, one
D. 227, one
(8) Unfortunately, "canali" can be translated into English as either "channels" or "canals." (9) Channels and canals are two different things because channels are formed naturally by water, while canals are constructed by people. (10) Because some people translated "canali" as "canals," word began to spread that the lines Schiaparelli saw through his telescope were actually canals that had been built by intelligent beings. (11) This idea was popularized by an amateur astronomer named Percival Lowell. (12) He wrote a series of best-selling books. (13) In these books, Lowell publicized the notion that these "canals" were built by Martian farmers who understood irrigation.
What is the best way to combine sentences 12 and 13?
A. In a series of bestselling books, Lowell publicized the notion that these "canals" were built by Martian farmers who understood irrigation.
B. He wrote a series of books that was a bestseller and publicized the notion that these "canals" were built by Martian farmers who understood irrigation.
C. His books that were bestsellers publicized the notion that these "canals" were built by Martian farmers who understood irrigation.
D. He wrote a series of bestselling books; Lowell publicized the notion that these "canals" were built by Martian farmers who understood irrigation.
E. In these books, which were bestsellers, Lowell publicized the notion that these "canals" were built by Martian farmers who understood irrigation.
A. In a series of bestselling books, Lowell publicized the notion that these "canals" were built by Martian farmers who understood irrigation.
With the context clues included in the following sentence, come up with a definition of the underlined word.
An investigation revealed that the garage had been bilking motorists for repairs that had never been made
cheat someone out of something valuable or to defraud
Burland began a years-long process of drilling out small amounts of soil from under the tower that took several years to complete and then monitoring the tower’s resulting movement.
A. (as it is now)
B. —taking several years to complete—
C. that took him several years to complete
D. DELETE the underlined portion.
D. DELETE the underlined portion.
Luckily, the tower survived, and its tilt has made it an Italian icon, attracting visitors from all over who flock to Pisa to see one of the greatest architectural weirdnesses in the world.
A. (as it is now)
B. oddities
C. deviations
D. abnormalities
B. oddities
Italy’s Tower of Pisa has been leaning southward since the initial stages of it’s construction over 800 years ago.
A. (as it is now)
B. stage’s of its’
C. stage’s of it’s
D. stages of its
D. stages of its
[1] Box’s research is important because the fires of 2012 may not be a one-time phenomenon. [2] According to scientists, rising Arctic temperatures are making northern latitudes greener and thus more fire prone. [3] The pattern Box observed in 2012 may repeat itself, with harmful effects on the Arctic ecosystem. [4] Box is currently organizing an expedition to gather this crucial information. [5] The next step for Box and his team is to travel to Greenland to perform direct sampling of the ice in order to determine just how much the soot is contributing to the melting of the ice sheet. [6] Members of the public will be able to track his team’s progress—and even help fund the expedition—through a website Box has created.
To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 4 should be placed
A. where it is now.
B. after sentence 1.
C. after sentence 2.
D. after sentence 5.
D. after sentence 5.
With the context clues included in the following sentence, come up with a definition of the underlined word.
The historic tavern burned to the ground in a horrible conflagration.
large, disastrous fire
When my brother and I were children, we found five kittens hided under our porch.
A. we found the five kittens, hiding as they were under the porch.
B. he found five kittens hided under our porch.
C. five kittens that were hid under the porch, we found them.
D. we found five kittens hidden under our porch.
D. we found five kittens hidden under our porch.
According to Box, a leading Greenland expert, tundra fires in 2012 from as far away as North America produced great amounts of soot, some of it drifted over Greenland in giant plumes of smoke and then fell as particles onto the ice sheet.
1) 2)
A. (as it is now) A. (as it is now)
B. of which B. will fall
C. soot C. falls
D. DELETE D. had fallen
1) 2)
B. of which A. (as it is now)
Nathan has never been known as a shy person; and he proved that again tonight by jumping on stage and singing with the band.
A. (as it is now)
B. person: and
C. person and
D. person, and
D. person, and
[1] The article, published by Forbes magazine, explained that coworking spaces are designated locations that, for a fee, individuals can use to conduct their work. [2] The spaces are usually stocked with standard office equipment, such as photocopiers, printers, and fax machines. [3] In these locations, however, the spaces often include small meeting areas and larger rooms for hosting presentations. [4] The cost of launching a new coworking business in the United States is estimated to be approximately $58,000.
The writer is considering deleting the underlined sentence. Should the sentence be kept or deleted?
A. Kept, because it provides a detail that supports the main topic of the paragraph.
B. Kept, because it sets up the main topic of the paragraph that follows.
C. Deleted, because it blurs the paragraph’s main focus with a loosely related detail.
D. Deleted, because it repeats information that has been provided in an earlier paragraph.
C. Deleted, because it blurs the paragraph’s main focus with a loosely related detail.
With the context clues included in the following sentence, come up with a definition of the underlined word.
They were so impecunious that they couldn't afford to give one another even token Christmas gifts.
poor, penniless
We could find no one to look after our son, so my wife and I stayed home last night.
Keeping the meaning the same, rewrite this sentence beginning with:
Last night my wife and I stayed home
A. while our son watched no one.
B. and no one looked after our son.
C. because we could find no one to watch our son.
D. while no one was watching our son.
C. because we could find no one to watch our son.
As the ice melts, the land and water under the ice become exposed, and since land and water are darker than snow, the surface absorbs even more heat, which is related to the rising temperatures.
A. (as it is now)
B. raises the surface temperature.
C. begins to cool at a certain point.
D. leads to additional melting.
D. leads to additional melting.
Everyone on the team agreed that the best option was to forfeit the game; without their best player; the team didn't have a chance of winning.
Which semicolon is used incorrectly in this sentence?
A. game; without
B. player; the
Bonus question! (100 extra points)
What should be used instead of a semicolon here?
B. player; the
(1)In the history of science, there are some discoveries that nobody can forget, such as when Copernicus proved that the Earth revolves around the Sun. (2)The scientists who made these groundbreaking discoveries must be among the smartest people of all time. (3)It's amazing that they could even come up with the ideas for their discoveries, much less go out and prove them. (5)But even the world's smartest people aren't perfect.
(6)Before Copernicus came along, people believed that the sun and the other planets circled around the Earth. (7)The models people used to show that the Earth was the center of the universe had stood the test of time: they were 1500 years old! (8)It's hard to believe anyone could overturn 1500 years of scientific teaching. (9)But astronomers today can see that Copernicus's actual calculations were wrong. (10)He was correct in general, but he had trouble with the details. (11)The same thing is true of John Dalton, who founded modern atomic theory. (12)Dalton's ideas were incredibly powerful and influential, but he used the wrong mathematical formulas. (13)The fact that these scientists are so celebrated, despite their flaws, just shows how groundbreaking their new ideas actually were.
Which of the following sentences would be most logical to insert before sentence 6?
A. Take Copernicus, for example.
B. Copernicus was a Polish astronomer.
C. Many scientists led unhappy lives.
D. Famous scientists, politicians, and military leaders have all made mistakes.
E. Copernicus was more intelligent than most scientists today.
A. Take Copernicus, for example.
With the context clues included in the following sentence, come up with a definition of the underlined word.
Best Picture Who should win: Black Panther defined the culture, was critically beloved, made all the money, and (here’s hoping) shifted the Hollywood paradigm.
typical pattern