U.S. English Basic Skill Test

Question 1 of 50

1. Question

Which of the following sentences illustrates correct usage of articles and conjunctions?

Celine lives on Arthur Street; however, she works on Beatrice Boulevard
I would eat a peach every day if I could, nor the doctor told me I couldn’t.
Will Gertrude play the piano or an harp at the concert?
Although she is angry at them, neither her son and her father will be at the party.

Question 2 of 50

2. Question

Choose the series of verbs and phrases that best completes the following passage.

is, did the chef have to use
was, the chef is using
is, did the chef use
was, the chef used
a and c

Question 3 of 50

3. Question

Choose the series of articles and conjunctions that best completes the following sentence.
Neither we ________ Sal, our neighbor, could understand ________ it had been our dog Rover or Sal’s cat’s kittens _________ had destroyed all the flower beds in the middle of _______ night.

nor, whether, that, the
or, if, who, the
and, whether, than, a
nor, if, that, a

Question 4 of 50

4. Question

. Choose the series of verbs that best completes the following sentence.

Alison regrets _________ you with her remarks; she never meant _________ so.

Answers:

to hurt, doing
to hurt, to do
hurting, doing
hurting, to do

Question 5 of 50

5. Question

Which of the following sentences is NOT punctuated correctly?

We expect only three things from our dog: loyalty, affection, and tail wagging.
I need you to pick up several boxes of paperclips, pens, and pencils; three pounds each of potatoes, carrots, and peas; and my dry cleaning.
Marcy, my parrot, squawked for an hour, before finally calming down.
All of the above are punctuated correctly.

Question 6 of 50

6. Question

Which of the following sentences illustrates the proper use of apostrophes?

Helga borrowed her friend’s skates for the day; however, she failed to return them.
Thousand’s of bargains are available during the holiday season, but I cant find time to shop.
The koala bear closed it’s eyes and fell fast asleep.
Although I like the Joneses, I’m angry at them for breaking all of Ralphs’ tools.

Question 7 of 50

7. Question

Which of the following sentences does NOT illustrate correct verb and verb tense usage?

These repetitive and misleading guidelines could easily be interpreted in several different ways.
Clarabelle’s mother absolutely hated nicknames and always calls her daughter by her full name.
The Imagist movement in poetry is commonly regarded as having begun in the early twentieth century.
We all danced across the lawn and lifted Zoe above our heads in triumph.

Question 8 of 50

8. Question

Which of the following sentences illustrates incorrect pronoun usage?

The wet dog shook itself off, wagged its tail, and proceeded on its way.
Don’t take the silver goblet out of its protective case or you’ll ruin it.
You should wear that jacket to their wedding because it’s the nicest one you have.
It’s not too late to answer their ad for a waitress, is it?
None of the above

Question 9 of 50

9. Question

Which of the following sentences illustrate(s) the proper use of commas?

Randy wanted to end the meeting, but Amy wanted to prolong it.
After pouring herself a glass of water in silence, Nicky answered my question.
The committee, which had failed to come to a consensus decided to meet again on Tuesday.
Mr. Bridges is never home on the weekends, he always goes to his home in the country.
a and b
All of the above

Question 10 of 50

10. Question

Choose the series of pronouns that best completes the following sentence.

Victor, who stole _______ ideas and used them to make _______ a millionaire, never once offered _______ a word of thanks.

our, himself, we
their, them, himself
your, us, you
our, himself, us

Question 11 of 50

11. Question

Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.

Although the issue was very serious, the committee disposed ______ it in a few minutes and moved _______ to other business.

onto, off
of, away
on, out
of, on

Question 12 of 50

12. Question

Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following passage.

Although Marvin said he had hidden the keys _______ the flower pot, we were unable to find them _______ the dark. In the end, we waited for him at the coffee shop ___________ the corner.

under, in, around
in, with, at
around, at, on
beside, from, around.

Question 13 of 50

13. Question

Rearrange the following words to create the most logical and grammatically correct sentence .work . is always to brother willing not My

My brother is not willing to work always.
My brother is not always willing to work.
is not willing to work always My brother.
My work is not willing to always brother

Question 14 of 50

14. Question

Change the following sentence from a quotation to indirect speech.”I’m not feeling well,” Agatha said.

Agatha has said that she doesn’t feel well.
According to Agatha, she isn’t feeling well.
Agatha said she wasn’t feeling well.
Agatha says she isn’t feeling well.

Question 15 of 50

15. Question

Which of the following sentences illustrates proper sentence structure?

Everyone knows that a mango is much sweeter to an orange.
I saw the girl with my own eyes who said she had been abducted by aliens.
Either one of you should try and to fix their broken fence.
The queen had hardly finished her speech when the people began to disperse.

Question 16 of 50

16. Question

Choose the verb that best completes the following sentence.Do you know if Harlon ____________Japanese before moving to Japan?

has studied
has been studying
will have been studying
will be studying

Question 17 of 50

17. Question

Which of the following sentences is NOT punctuated correctly?

All of the apple’s at the grocer’s were rotten, so I bought oranges instead.
“Seven canteens full of water should be enough for the hike,” said Tabitha.
Until the stove is fixed, there’s no way I can bake a lemon meringue pie.
The woman, whose name escapes me at the moment, disappeared into the limousine.

Question 18 of 50

18. Question

Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.Jeremy drove his motorcycle _______ the bridge, _______ the hill, and _______ the diner before finally parking it _______ two police cars.

beside, among, behind, near
beneath, over, under, on
across, down, past, between
under, around, through, into

Question 19 of 50

19. Question

Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.The deer ran quickly _______ the trees, its hooves pounding _______ the forest floor.

amid, from
over, at
through, on
throughout, on

Question 20 of 50

20. Question

Which of the following sentences illustrates correct verb and verb tense usage?

Until the snow is melting, the train is not able to move.
Until the snow does not melt, the train will not be able to move.
Until the snow melts, the train will not be able to move.
Until the snow will melt, the train will not be able to move.

Question 21 of 50

21. Question

Choose the series of articles and conjunctions that best completes the following sentence.I think Fran could be ______ great public speaker, _______ she is still too shy to try it.

the, although
a, but
an, however
an, however

Question 22 of 50

22. Question

Which of the following sentences illustrates proper sentence structure?

Walking down the street, my eyes were drawn to a diamond in a store window.
A small red car pulled up behind the woman with tinted windows.
The man in the black cape mounted his powerful stallion and rode away.
The cats chased the birds around the yard with the yellow beaks.

Question 23 of 50

23. Question

Which of the following sentences illustrates the proper use of parallel construction?

Terry hoped to find a new job that would let him earn extra cash in the summer and to work fewer hours.
Although Tommy was failing his biology class at college, he was passing his chemistry class.
Trina loved to sail, skate, swim, and surfing.
Tatiana declared that the people in her office are smarter than the people who work in Tad’s office.

Question 24 of 50

24. Question

Choose the series of pronouns that best completes the following sentence.After realizing that our hosts hadn’t actually invited ______ to ______ party, ______ excused ______ from the table and slipped out the back door.

us, their, we, ourselves
ourselves, theirs, we, us
them, our, they, themselves
us, our, we, himself

Question 25 of 50

25. Question

Read the following question and choose the response that uses the correct corresponding verb tense.Does Jack wear that furry hat often?

No, he just liked to wear it for fun sometimes.
Yes, but don’t said anything about it to him.
Yes, and it can so annoying!
No, he only wears it when his ears are cold.

Question 26 of 50

26. Question

Complete the following sentence by choosing the phrase with the best word order from the options given.The excited children, who had run toward the loud _____________ .

music and then told the others about the ice cream truck outside
music, are telling to the others about the ice cream truck outside
ice cream truck to tell the others about the music outside
music, told the others about the ice cream truck outside

Question 27 of 50

27. Question

Choose the series of verbs that best completes the following passage.I find it very hard to remember _________ letters that are entrusted to me. In fact, I remember _________ to do so dozens of times!

to mail, forgetting
mailing, to forget
to mail, to forget
mailing, forgetting

Question 28 of 50

28. Question

Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.Charlotte knew ___________ the secret investigation _________ her past, but she closed her eyes to it and pretended it wasn’t happening.

of, about
on, of
about, to
of, after

Question 29 of 50

29. Question

Which of the following sentences illustrates correct verb and verb tense usage?

Did Annabel knowingly lie on the witness stand?
We think the judge will have noticed something strange in her behavior.
The lawyers had decided to keep her testimony a secret.
Somehow, all of the newspapers gotten hold of the story.

Question 30 of 50

30. Question

Choose the series of adjectives and adverbs that best completes the following sentence.I think Pamela deserves to be punished for her __________ stupid and __________ behavior.

irresponsible, totally
totally, irresponsibility
totally, irresponsible
total, irresponsibly

Question 31 of 50

31. Question

Rearrange the following words to create the most logical and grammatically correct sentence.with can’t phone . on Whenever always to the time spend I speak I my friend , him

Whenever I always phone on my friend to speak, I can’t spend the time with him.
Whenever I speak to him, I can’t always spend time with my friend on the phone.
Whenever I spend time on the phone to him, I can’t always speak with my friend.
Whenever I can’t speak to him on the phone, I always spend time with my friend.
whenever I can’t spend time with my friend, I always speak to him on the phone.

Question 32 of 50

32. Question

Choose the series of articles and conjunctions that best completes the following sentence._______ she was feeling ill, Teresa wanted to eat only _____ apple _____ some soup.

Yet, the, or
After, an, and
Because, an, or
If, a, and

Question 33 of 50

33. Question

Choose the series of pronouns that best completes the following sentence.That house used to be ______ , but ______ have given it to ______.

my, I, her
mine, me, her
mine, I, her
myself, she, her

Question 34 of 50

34. Question

Change the following sentence from a quotation to indirect speech.”It may snow tomorrow,” he said.

He said it should snow tomorrow.
He might say it will snow tomorrow.
He says it may snow tomorrow.
He said it might snow the next day.

Question 35 of 50

35. Question

Which of the following sentences illustrates correct usage of articles and conjunctions?

The cake that I ate was better that the one you had.
An house is not the home, or so they saying goes.
For my birthday, I would like a book, an hourglass, and the keys to a new boat.
Has a package I’ve been waiting for been delivered yet, nor must I wait longer?

Question 36 of 50

36. Question

Change the following sentence from a quotation to indirect speech.Rhonda says, “I get to work early every day.”

Rhonda says she gets to work early every day.
Rhonda said she gets to work early every day.
Rhonda has said that she got to work early every day.
Rhonda says she had gotten to work early every day.

Question 37 of 50

37. Question

Read the following question and choose the response that uses the correct corresponding verb tense.Did you see the show last night?

No, because by the time I got there all the tickets had already been sold.
Yes, and it was one of the best shows I had ever seen.
Yes, but my seat was behind a pole so I couldn’t barely see anything.
No, but I am hope to see it tonight.

Question 38 of 50

38. Question

Choose the series of adjectives and adverbs that best completes the following sentence.While __________ of our relatives live on the __________ hill in the county, __________ of our friends live in the __________ __________ areas of the valley.

more, windy, many, most, protection
most, windier, more, most, protective
many, windiest, most, more, protected
many, winding, more, most, protected

Question 39 of 50

39. Question

Rearrange the following words to create the most logical and grammatically correct sentence.last what ! it’s did you night, over After

After what night, it’s over you did last!
After what you did last night, it’s over!
over what you did last night, it’s After!
After, it’s over what you did last night!

Question 40 of 50

40. Question

Choose the series of pronouns that best completes the following sentence._______ is the name of the opera, and _______ role did you say Maria would play?

This, which
Who, that
What, which
Which, what

Question 41 of 50

41. Question

Which of the following sentences does NOT illustrate proper use of articles and conjunctions?

I thought about keeping an orangutan as a pet; however, my apartment complex does not allow exotic animals on the premises.
Bertha decided to change a locks of her house after burglars stole a computer or an oil painting.
After thinking about the problem for half an hour, Glen finally came up with a perfect solution.
Arlene loves nature and the outdoors in general, yet she spends most of her time inside because of her job.

Question 42 of 50

42. Question

Choose the series of adjectives and adverbs that best completes the following sentence.The helium-__________ balloon rose __________ into the air; the villagers knew then that their __________ leader was off on another mission.

power, powerful, powered
powered, powered, powerful
powered, powerfully, powerful
powerful, powered, powerfully

Question 43 of 50

43. Question

Rearrange the following words to create the most logical and grammatically correct sentence.days . for last has good weather few The been the not

weather for The last few good has not been the days.
The good days has not been for the last few weather.
The few days has not been good for the last weather.
The weather has not been good for the last few days.

Question 44 of 50

44. Question

Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?

Come here, she said, and let me get a good look at you.’
Come here she said, and let me get a good look at you.
“Come here,” she said. “and let me get a good look at you.”
“Come here,” she said, “and let me get a good look at you.”

Question 45 of 50

45. Question

Change the following sentence from a quotation to indirect speech.Carol has said, “I am responsible for this project.”

Carol has said that she is responsible for this project.
Carol says she is responsible for this project.
Carol said that she was responsible for this project.
Carol had said that she would be responsible for this project.

Question 46 of 50

46. Question

Choose the phrase that best completes the sentence below without creating a run-on sentence.Mr. Peach has sent his four children to Ivy League colleges __________ he has sacrificed his health working day and night in that dusty factory.

however
; however,
, however
however

Question 47 of 50

47. Question

Choose the series of pronouns that best completes the following sentence.Don’t ________ think Larry should call ________ wife if ________ is going to be late for dinner?

you, his, he
we, your, his
he, his, he
you, his, himself

Question 48 of 50

48. Question

Choose the series of adjectives and adverbs that best completes the following sentence.Knowing that February was the _________ month of the year, Cheryl planned her vacation ___________.

short, in accordance
shortest, accordingly
shorter, according
shortness, accordion

Question 49 of 50

49. Question

Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.I placed my notes _______ my desk and referred to them _______ the meeting.

at, among
beside, during
with, at
upon, around

Question 50 of 50

50. Question

Which of the following sentences illustrates correct pronoun usage?

Is those the set of plates the bride wanted, or did she want this set?
Which of these glasses is half full—that one or this one?
To whom did them give the gold medal?
Whose book is that—his or our?
None of the above

U.S. English Basic Skills Test

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