Language Test: Answer Key
This is the answer key for my HelloQuizzy test Language Mistakes Test--Hard Even for English Geeks. HelloQuizzy visitors should know this page is part of the essays section of the writing page of the gigantic personal domain of swankivy.com. Click around for more about the creator or her writings. Thanks.
Language Mistakes Test--Hard Even for English Geeks!
Here are your answers, with the correct ones bolded. Click the "WHY????" below each if you need justification. You might just learn something!
PUNCTUATION
- Which sentence has its hyphens CORRECTLY distributed?
- A. You're thirty one years-old. You should act like a thirty one year-old.
- B. You're thirty-one years-old. You should act like a thirty-one year-old.
- C. You're thirty-one years old. You should act like a thirty-one-year-old.
- D. You're thirty-one years-old. You should act like a thirty-one year-old.
WHY????
- Which description of the usage of quotation marks is INCORRECT?
- A. Dialogue is enclosed in quotation marks. (Example: "I want to jump on the bed," she said.)
- B. The part of the sentence that the author wishes to emphasize is enclosed in quotation marks. (Example: We want "all" of the crew to pitch in.)
- C. The titles of short stories and songs are enclosed in quotation marks. (Example: My favorite song right now is "Concertina" by Tori Amos.)
- D. A special term can be identified by being enclosed in quotation marks. (Example: Sometimes he calls her "princess" when he's feeling affectionate.)
WHY????
- If you quit your job, you're asked to give your company a notice at least two weeks in advance. Which of these would be a CORRECT sentence with which to begin your resignation letter?
- A. As of today, I am putting in my two weeks notice.
- B. As of today, I am putting in my two week's notice.
- C. As of today, I am putting in my two weeks' notice.
- D. As of today, I am putting in my two-weeks' notice.
WHY????
- Which of the following is CORRECTLY punctuated when discussing travel to a house belonging to the speaker's two parents?
- A. Let's go to my parents' house.
- B. Let's go to my parent's house.
- C. Let's go to my parents house.
- D. Let's go to my parents's house.
WHY????
CAPITALIZATION:
- Which reference to mothers is CORRECT (has no mistakes in capitalization)?
- A. Your Mom will be home soon. Clean up your room or Mom will have a fit.
- B. It's very difficult to be a mom. Every time I turn around, someone's saying "mom, can I have . . . ?"
- C. You know, not all moms are good at parenthood. But my Mom did her best, darn it.
- D. Hey Mom, did you know Tasha's mom is letting her take a dance class?
WHY????
- In which sentence are the class names capitalized CORRECTLY?
- A. I'm taking classes in math, social studies, English, and marine biology.
- B. He signed up for English Honors I, History of Ancient People, and two Chemistry classes.
- C. Sharon is taking all the advanced classes in Art, History, and Science.
- D. Dad's on his way to Math class, but he has to stop and see the English teacher first.
WHY????
PRONUNCIATION:
- Which choice below regarding the English word "forte" (as in "I'm not so good at driving; that's not my forte") best sums up how it should be pronounced?
- A. It's pronounced fort, and is only one syllable.
- B. It's pronounced FOR-tay, with the accent on the first syllable.
- C. It's pronounced for-TAY, with the accent on the second syllable.
- D. All of the above are modern standard usage in English. (Unless one is using the French phrase pas mon fort, meaning "not my strength," in which "forte" has a silent T and a silent E).
WHY????
- What is the most widely accepted pronunciation of the word "detritus"?
- A. DET-rih-tus (3 syllables, accent on the first).
- B. De-TRY-tus (3 syllables, accent on the second).
- C. De-trih-TOO (3 syllables, accent on the third).
- D. DEET-rih-tus (3 syllables, accent on the first).
WHY????
- What is the proper pronunciation of the word "mischievous"?
- A. MIS-chih-vus (3 syllables, accent on the first).
- B. Mis-CHEE-vus (3 syllables, accent on the second).
- C. Mis-CHEE-vee-us (4 syllables, accent on the second).
- D. MIS-chih-vee-us (4 syllables, accent on the first).
WHY????
- What is the proper pronunciation of the word "nuclear"?
- A. NU-kyuh-ler (3 syllables, accent on the first).
- B. NU-kler (2 syllables, accent on the first).
- C. NU-klee-er (3 syllables, accent on the first).
- D. Nu-KLEER (2 syllables, accent on the second).
WHY????
- What is the correct pronunciation of the word "certainty"?
- A. Ser-TAN-ih-tee (4 syllables, accent on the second).
- B. SER-ten-tee (3 syllables, accent on the first).
- C. Ser-tee-ANN-ih-tee (5 syllables, accent on the third).
- D. SER-ten-ih-tee (4 syllables, accent on the first).
WHY????
- What is the most widely accepted pronunciation of the word "zoology"?
- A. Zoo-OL-uh-gee (4 syllables, accent on the second).
- B. ZOO-luh-gee (3 syllables, accent on the first).
- C. Zoh-OL-uh-gee (4 syllables, accent on the second).
- D. Zoo-OH-luh-gee (4 syllables, accent on the second).
WHY????
- What is the most widely accepted pronunciation of the word "decadence"?
- A. DUH-cay-dunce (3 syllables, accent on the first).
- B. DECK-uh-dunce (3 syllables, accent on the first).
- C. Duh-CAY-dunce (3 syllables, accent on the second).
- D. Duh-CAH-dunce (3 syllables, accent on the second).
WHY????
- What is the correct pronunciation of the word "trilogy"?
- A. TREE-luh-gee (3 syllables, accent on the first).
- B. TREE-ol-uh-gee (4 syllables, accent on the first).
- C. Tree-OL-uh-gee (4 syllables, accent on the second).
- D. TRILL-uh-gee (3 syllables, accent on the first).
WHY????
WORD USAGE:
- Choose the sentence that does not have any mistakes.
- A. If you will lead me to a book, I'll read it. She lead me to a book, so I read it.
- B. Without further adieu, we will move on with tonight's showing of the Jerry Springer Opera.
- C. He's a bona fide statesman!
- D. Please hold your piece until I'm finished speaking.
WHY????
- True or false: You should never start a written sentence with a coordinating conjunction (such as "and" or "but").
- A. Completely true; there is NO instance in which it is correct to start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction.
- B. Partially true; there are some instances in which starting a sentence with a coordinating conjunction sounds better, but it is still considered incorrect. It should be avoided in formal writing at all costs.
- C. Partially false; sometimes sentences sound better when a start-of-sentence coordinating conjunction is avoided, but it is not strictly incorrect to use them in that position.
- D. Completely false; there is NO instance in which coordinating conjunction use is incorrect at the beginning of a sentence. It's just silly to worry about it.
WHY????
- Choose the correct explanation of how the homophones "its" and "it's" should be used.
- A. "Its" is the possessive of "it" (something belonging to "it"). "It's" is the contraction for "it is" or "it has."
- B. "Its" is used when there is more than one "it"--it is used for plural. "It's" is used for the possessive of "it" (something belonging to "it"), and it is also the contraction for "it is" or "it has."
- C. "It's" is the possessive of "it" (something belonging to "it"). "Its" cannot be used correctly unless it has an apostrophe after it, indicating plural possessive. It is grammatically incorrect to use "it's" as a contraction for "it is" or "it has."
- D. "It's" is a possessive of "it" (something belonging to "it") unless it is used to refer to temperature or weather ("it's cold outside" or "it's raining"). In every other instance, "its" should be used ("its not what you think" or "thank goodness its Friday").
WHY????
- Choose the sentence that doesn't contain a mistake.
- A. I could care less what you do about him.
- B. She's waiting for her turn at Dance Dance Revolution with bated breath.
- C. You know that's a bold-faced lie!
- D. For all intensive purposes, he's my boss.
WHY????
- Choose the sentence that doesn't contain a mistake.
- A. I used to be so naïve.
- B. Aren't you suppose to take in the laundry?
- C. That's okay, I'm use to it.
- D. The movie The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra is suppose to be great!
WHY????
- Which statement concerning the homophones compliment and complement is INCORRECT?
- A. When you give someone praise, it's a compliment.
- B. When angles add up to 90º, they're complementary.
- C. When an item comes free with something else, it's a complimentary gift.
- D. When two colors go well together or set each other off in a pleasing manner, they are complimentary colors.
WHY????
- Choose the only true statement from the following choices featuring commonly misunderstood phrases.
- A. "Beck and call" should be "beckon call."
- B. "Thrown for a loop" should be "thrown through a loop."
- C. "Ring your neck" should be "wring your neck."
- D. "Throes of passion" should be "throws of passion."
WHY????
- Which sentence is the only one that contains a correctly used homophone?
- A. I was pouring over the notes all night.
- B. The tow-headed child was adorable.
- C. You're a shoe-in for class president.
- D. The lake was teaming with leeches.
WHY????
- Choose the sentence that uses the words CORRECTLY. (There are in fact two technically acceptable answers, but please pick the most widely accepted choice for full points.)
- A. If you're prejudice, you're likely to be close-minded as well.
- B. If you're prejudiced, you're likely to be close-minded as well.
- C. If you're prejudice, you're likely to be closed-minded as well.
- D. If you're prejudiced, you're likely to be closed-minded as well.
WHY????
- Which sentence containing a non-standard plural is written INCORRECTLY?
- A. We have to go to the children's section to get the next Animorphs book.
- B. You can't just go around taking people's money.
- C. Some childrens toys end up becoming collectibles!
- D. I'm studying the different peoples of the world in my culture class.
WHY????
- Which use of "strait" is INCORRECT?
- A. Bering Strait
- B. Dire straits
- C. Strait pin
- D. Straitjacket
WHY????
- Similarly, which one of these is CORRECT? (Note to clarify based on some feedback: please choose the original and most accepted version of this term, not one of its less-accepted variants.)
- A. Straight-laced
- B. Strait-laced
- C. Straight laced
- D. Strait laced
WHY????
- Choose the sentence that does not include an error.
- A. I don't want to cause undue alarm.
- B. It really wets my appetite when I have a snack first.
- C. I think we should let the contractors have free reign.
- D. Sometimes I couldn't decide who to route for in the first Artemis Fowl book, 'cause Holly and Artemis were both great characters.
WHY????
- Choose the sentence that DOES include an error.
- A. Somehow Dia never got callouses on her feet from walking around barefoot all the time.
- B. Your mucous membranes secrete mucus.
- C. It's important that you never allow anyone to talk you out of your closely held principles.
- D. My goodness, it's chock-full of beef jerky!
WHY????
- Choose the sentence WITHOUT a usage mistake.
- A. Lets go to my aunt's house.
- B. I like to say "yea" instead of "yes," because it sounds less formal.
- C. Fred wasn't fazed in the least when Meri Lin said she was pregnant.
- D. In the mean time, I suggest we hit the showers.
WHY????
- Choose the sentence WITHOUT an error.
- A. Don't cut off the nose despite your face.
- B. My camping plan is foolproof.
- C. There are some times when you have to tow the line to get ahead.
- D. It's not polite to easedrop.
WHY????
- Choose the sentence WITHOUT an error.
- A. I'd just assume rent the movie Amélie instead.
- B. That's just another one of Zaphod Beeblebrox's hair-brained schemes.
- C. The gilded jewelry shone in the sun.
- D. Most people only like Eragon because the word "dragons" peaks their interest.
WHY????
- When people want to express agreement with a simple shout, they sometimes use the exclamation below. However, which one is correct?
- A. Hear hear!
- B. Here here!
- C. Hear, hear!
- D. Here-here!
WHY????
SPELLING
- Pick out the sentence that IS NOT using the wrong spelling of any words.
- A. A good shot of expresso really gets me going in the morning.
- B. I tend to prefer sherbet to ice cream.
- C. I'll listen to any music featuring Dar Williams because her subject matter peeks my interest.
- D. Every time I see a misplaced apostrophe, I want to bury the responsible party in an unmarked grave, but I don't think that makes me violent, per say.
WHY????
- Regarding the famous comet, which is CORRECT?
- A. Halley's Comet
- B. Haley's Comet
- C. Haileys Comet
- D. Haleys Comet
WHY????
- Is the word "lightening" ever correct to use?
- A. No. It is only a misspelling of "lightning," meaning the electricity that shoots from the sky during a storm.
- B. Yes. It is the correct spelling of the electricity that shoots from the sky during a storm.
- C. No. It is frequently misunderstood to mean "making the mood lighter" or "making a load lighter," but in those cases, the correct spelling is "litening."
- D. Yes. It refers to the process of making something lighter, such as color or weight, but it is never to be used to describe electricity in the sky.
WHY????
- Sometimes foreign words make their way into English and make spelling difficult. Which of the following sentences contains an INCORRECTLY WRITTEN once-foreign word or phrase?
- A. I have a rapport with my clients.
- B. Let's segue into the next part of the presentation.
- C. That little pre-madonna Veruca Salt thinks she can have anything she wants.
- D. The workers quit en masse when they found out the new policy.
WHY????
- A famous book award is handed out to one children's book every year. Which is the CORRECT spelling? [Note for non-U.S. audiences: I know you might not have heard of this award, so guess or Google it if this is a completely unfamiliar thing to you.]
- A. Newberry Award
- B. Nuberry Award
- C. Newberey Award
- D. Newbery Award
WHY????
VOCABULARY
- What does "nonplussed" mean? (Note: It's also correctly spelled "nonplused," but most people use "nonplussed." But who cares right now . . . what's the meaning?)
- A. Unimpressed or unruffled
- B. In a state of being underpaid
- C. Confused, bewildered, or taken aback
- D. Coated with a sheen of wax or waxy material
WHY????
- Please choose which of the following words means "a temporary solution (usually created on short notice), using limited materials."
- A. Jerry-built
- B. Jury-rigged
- C. Jerry-rigged
- D. Jury-built
WHY????
- Please choose the word that describes a single person who has graduated from a school.
- A. alumnum
- B. alumni
- C. alumnus
- D. alumnae
WHY????
Thanks, folks! SwankiVY has enjoyed making you feel insecure about your language abilities today. If you like her style, feel free to check out some of her fiction excerpts or short stories, read some of her rants or essays (or even some nonsense), or go make fun of the art in her webcomic. Enjoy!
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