Grammar Review
What's the word?
Pronunciation
Career & Work
American-isms
100

How is the future tense formed in English?

The future tense is formed using the verb will + another verb.

It can also be formed using the present-progressive form of go + to + another verb.

For example: "It will rainor "It is going to rain."

100
What is the difference between a prefix and a suffix?

A prefix attaches to the beginning of a word to change its meaning, and a suffix attaches to the end of a word to change its meaning.

100

"premium"

pr[ee] - m[ee] - [yuh]m

100

What is the purpose of a cover letter?

The purpose of a cover letter is to explain the reasons for your interest in a position you are applying for. It is also an opportunity to provide more detail about things in your resume.
100

What is one way that body language in the US is different from other cultures?

100pt bonus for each difference you can name!

In the US, smiling is more common than in some other cultures.

Also, it is common in the US to allow about 3 feet (1 meter) of personal space between people.

200

What is the difference between a weak verb and a strong verb?

Weak verbs are regular, and use the suffix -ed to form their past tense.

Strong verbs are irregular, and change their root vowel to form their past tense.

200

What is the difference between the words either and both?

either - "this one or that one"

both - "this one and that one"

200

"business"

bus-ness

b[ih]s - n[eh]ss

200

When you are writing a resume, which of these should be the first section of the resume?

a. your skills

b. your education

c. your work experience

b. Education is usually the first section of a resume.

200

What is the significance of Memorial Day in the US?

Memorial Day is a holiday to celebrate the sacrifice of soldiers who have died fighting for the nation.

300

In English, which tense do we use to describe an action that began in the past but continues into the present?

100pt bonus: how do we form this tense?

We use the past perfect to describe actions beginning in the past that continue into the present.

pronoun have/has + past tense verb

300

What is a synonym?

100pt bonus if you can give an example of a synonym!

A synonym is a word that has the same meaning as another word.

300

"characteristic"

char-ac-ter-is-tic

ch[ah]r - [uh]c - t[uh]r - [ih]s - t[ih]c

300

What is an Applicant Tracking System or ATS?

An Applicant Tracking System is a type of artificial intelligence (AI) software commonly used by employers to sort through large numbers of job applications.

ATS softwares are very sensitive and can result in many applications being discarded for things like format, keywords, or length.

300

What is Haverhill most famous in history for?

Haverhill is most famous for having many shoe factories in the 1800's. It also was the home of a labor strike which resulted in the first socialist mayor in the US, John Calvin Chase.

400

Can you name the three modal verbs?

The three modal verbs are could, should, and would

400

What is a preposition?

A preposition is a word that describes the "position" of something. They are words that describe direction, location, time, or the relationship between two objects.

Examples: near/far, over/under, before/afterwith/without

400

"itinerary"

What are the correct vowel sounds for each of the syllables in this word?

i-tin-er-ar-y

eye - tihn - uhr - ehr - ee

400

In a job interview, employers will commonly ask "what is your greatest weakness?"

Why is this one of the most important questions in a job interview?

When an employer asks about your weaknesses, they are asking because they want to see how you overcome problems.

400

There are two speeches which are considered to be the greatest speeches in American history. Can you name one of the speakers?

100pt bonus if you can also give the reason for the speech!

200pt bonus if you can remember both speakers!

400pt bonus if you can remember both speakers, and both reasons for their speeches!

The greatest speeches in American History are considered to be John F. Kennedy's inaugural address, and Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a Dream Speech."

JFK gave his speech to address the nation during his inauguration in 1960, and MLK Jr. gave this speech to promote civil rights at the March on Washington in 1963.

500

What is the difference between the active voice and the passive voice?

200pt bonus if you can describe what each is used for.

The active voice uses the normal English sentence structure: subject-verb-object

The passive voice reverses this sentence structure: object-verb-subject

The active voice is used for normal statements. The passive voice is used when the emphasis of the sentence needs to be focused on the object instead of the subject.

For example: "I broke the window" vs "the window was broken."

500

There are three colors we sometimes use in English to describe feelings. Can you name one of the colors and the feeling it describes?

100pt bonus if you can name a second color and the feeling it describes.

200pt bonus if you can name all three colors and the feelings they describe.

"Feeling blue" - sad/depressed

"Feeling/looking green" - unwell/ill OR new/inexperienced

"looking white/pale" - scared/shocked

500

"economy"

What are the correct vowel sounds for each of the syllables in this word?

e-con-o-my

eh - cawn - oh - mee

OR

ee - cawn - oh - mee

OR

ih - cawn - oh - mee

500

If you are being mistreated at work, what office in Massachusetts can you file a complaint with?

Any resident of MA can file a complaint with the Attorney General's office in Boston for any reason.

500

How many dialects of English are there in the United States?

There are 17 major dialects of English in the US.