Grammar and Correct Usage Practice 2 Answers and Explanations Posted on September 21, 2013 by Civil Service Reviewer Below are the answers and the explanations to the Grammar and Correct Usage Practice Test 2. 2 . The incorrect word or phrase in the sentence is highlighted red, while the correct word or phrase is highlighted green. 1. Paul Erdos was a mathematician who writes a lot of research papers in collaboration with other mathematicians. Correct Sentence: Paul Erdos was a mathematician who wrote a lot of research papers in collaboration with other mathematicians Explanation: The tense of the verbs in a sentence must be consistent unless there is a reason to change. The verb was is past tense, so the verb writes must be changed towrote. 2. Anna lay her books on the table before opening her laptop. Correct Sentence: Anna laid her books on the table before opening her laptop. Explanation: Laid is the past tense of lay (to put). Note that lay is also be the past tense of lie (to rest). 3. Please seat here, Mr. Reyes. I‟ll just call the doctor. Correct: Please sit here, Mr. Reyes. I‟ll just c all the doctor. Explanation: Seat is a noun (a place on or which one sits), while sit is a verb (to rest the body supported by the buttocks). Another correct sentence would be “Please be seated here… ” 4. Which constellation do you see most often, Leo Minor or Pegasus? Correct Sentence: Which constellation do you see more often, Leo Minor or Pegasus? Explanation: Only two constellations are compared, so the more should be used. Most is used to compare more than two things. 5. He is the one which called earlier. Correct Sentence: He is the one who called earlier. Explanation: The pronoun which refers only to things, while who refers to persons. 6. I am taking japanese class next semester. Correct Sentence: I am taking Japanese class next semester. Explanation: Japanese is a proper noun, so the first letter must be capitalized. 7. Marie and Pierre Curie invented radium. Correct Sentence: Marie and Pierre Curie discovered radium. Explanation: The word invent means “to be the f irst to make or do something,” while the word discover means “to find or see something that already exists.” 8. Her powerful speech regarding the abolition of pork barrel really affected the audience. (No Error) 9. We were lucky we didn‟t have no earthquake this year. Correct Sentence: We were lucky we didn‟t have earthquake this year.
Explanation: Double negative. The word didn‟t is negative, so there is no need to add no. 10. Running in the last marathon was a fun, challenging, exhausting, experience. Correct: Running in the last marathon was a fun, challenging, exhausting experience. (The comma before experience was omitted). Explanation: Commas must be used to separate two or more adjectives preceding a noun (experience) but not after the last adjective before the noun. 11. Anna the quiz blower of the class bagged another medal in a declamation contest. Correct Sentence: Anna, the quiz blower of the class, bagged another medal in a declamation contest. (commas separate the quiz blower of the class) 12. I think that bolder must be removed from the street to avoid accident. Correct Sentence: I think that boulder must be removed from the street to avoid accident. Explanation: Boulder means “rock,” while the noun “bold” means “courageous and daring.” 13. The movie was censured because of its many violent scenes. Correct Sentence: The movie was censored because of its many violent scenes. Explanation: Censure means “to criticize strongly” while censor means “disallow.” 14. In betting a lottery you can win from one million to Php200 000 000. Correct Sentence: In betting a lottery you can win from one million to two hundred million pesos. Explanation: As a general rule, rounded numbers are usually spelled out. In addition, be consistent within a sentence. In writing large numbers, if you used symbols, use symbols all throughout. For example, another correct sentence would be “In betting a lottery you can win from Php 1 000 000 to two Php 200 000 000.” 15. I wish you would; oh never mind. Correct Sentence: I wish you would – oh never mind. Explanation: In a sentence with an abrupt change in thought, emdash (long dash) should be used.
using 'have' and 'has' "Malta has colourful fishing boats." "The fishermen have traditional boats." Here are some points to remember when using 'have' and 'has'. Let's start with the basics. They can both be used to show possession and are important in making the 'perfect tenses'. 'Had' is the past tense of both 'has' and 'have'.
have Have is used with some pronouns and plural nouns: 'I have a great English teacher.' 'You have toothpaste on your chin.' 'We have a meeting at 12.' 'Nurses have a difficult job.' has Has is used with the third person singular. For example: 'She has a great personality.' 'He has a new haircut.' 'The washing machine has a leak in it'. 'It has a hole near the door.' contractions I have = I've you have = you've we have = we've they have = They've he has = he's it has = it's negative contractions has not = hasn't have not = haven't had not = hadn't 'have' and 'has' in questions 'Have you been to Australia?' 'Has Andrew left yet?' 'Who has my pen?' 'Has anyone seen my mobile phone?' 'have got' and 'have' Both 'have got' and 'have' mean the same thing. There is no difference. 'I have got an i-phone.' = 'I have an i-phone'. 'You have got a message.' = You have a message.' 'She has got no time to sleep.' ='She has no time to sleep.' 'have' and 'has' verb tenses 'have/has'' is an important verb in making the 'perfect tense': Present Perfect 'She has lived here for a long time.' 'We have seen this TV show before.' 'I have cut my finger.' Past Perfect 'I had already decided not to go before he asked me.' 'They had finished the race before it started raining.' 'She had already left when he arrived' modal verbs: 'have to' 'have to' is used to mean that something is necessary. It is used in the following way in affirmative sentences:
subject + modal (have to / has to) + verb 'I have to wash my car today.' 'He has to write a report.' 'I had to go to the bank yesterday.' 'have to' in negative sentences In negatives to show that something is not necessary we follow this rule: subject + doesn't have to + verb 'We don't have to work tomorrow.' 'She doesn't have to wear a uniform to school' 'I didn't have to make my bed when I was young' How to use Either and Neither Compare the following comparative sentences: "I'd like to go to either Spain or Italy." "The problem is I have neither time nor money.' Rule Either is used with or while neither is used with nor. Either comes after the verb when the two actions mentioned are similar (they share the same verb): "She wants to play either tennis or volleyball." Either comes before the verb when the actions mentioned are different: "She wants to either go shopping or relax in the park." '-ed' adjectives Adjectives that end in -ed are used to describe how people feel: 'He was surprised to find that he had been upgraded to first class.' 'I was confused by the findings of the report.' 'She felt tired after working hard all day.' '-ing' adjectives Adjectives that end in -ing are used to describe things and situations. Compare these example sentences to the ones above: 'Being upgraded to first class is surprising.' The findings of this report are confusing.' 'Working hard all day is tiring.' example table: -ed and -ing adjectives tables Feel ' describe '-ed' ing' annoyed annoying bored boring confused confusing depressed depressing excited exciting frustrated frustrating frightened frightening satisfied satisfying
shocked
shocking
We use myself, yourself, himself, herself, themselves or itself when the object of the sentence is the same as the subject. They are all known as reflexive pronouns. Myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself are all singular - they refer to one person (or a 'thing' foritself). Ourselves, yourselves and themselves are all plural - they refer to more than one person. Examples "My daughter walks to school by herself." "You should take more care of yourself." "They hurt themselves in the car accident." "We have to make dinner ourselves." 'This is her' or 'This is she'? His and Hers His and hers are possessive pronouns. They are used to substitute a noun and to show possession or ownership. Example: This hat is hers. Note: We never use apostrophes with pronouns: 'Hers is black' is correct; not 'her‟s is black'. His and Her His and her are possessive adjectives; they usually describe a noun. They come before the noun. Example: This is her hat He and She He and she are personal pronouns they are used instead of the man's or woman's name. Example: Do you know Susan? She is my sister. Note: She is the nominative form of the word, so it can not be used to describe somebody who is the object of a sentence. For example 'This is she' is not correct because 'this' is the subject. The correct sentence should be 'This is her'. Himself and Herself Himself and herself are reflexive pronouns they are used when the object of a sentence is the same as the subject: the person who does the action of the verb is the same person who receives the action We use relative clauses to give extra information about something. We can get more information into a sentence without the need to start a new one. There are two types of relative clauses: defining and non-defining: 'Saris which are made of silk are expensive.' = defining relative clause 'Saris, which are made of silk, are expensive.' = non-defining relative clause The first sentence tells us that silk saris are expensive (we can guess there are other saris made of cheaper materials). This is a defining relative clause.> The second sentence tells us that saris are expensive and that they are ALL made of silk. The information between the two commas ",which are made of silk," is extra information and can be taken out and the sentence meaning remains the same 'Saris
are expensive'. This is a non-defining relative clause. This type of clause is common in written English. In spoken English a pause is used instead of a comma. Relative Pronouns In both defining and non-defining relative clauses we us the following relative pronouns: Who = is for people: 'The person who lives next door is a doctor.' Whose = is used to show ownership/possession 'The woman whose son you met.' Whom = object pronoun, although 'who' can be used in informal English. 'I saw the man whom you saw at the party.' Which = is used for things: 'The car which you bought is cool.' That = Can be used informally instead of „who‟ and „which‟. Relative Adverbs Relative adverbs are used like relative pronouns: When = is used for a time. 'The time when I last saw you.' Where = is used for a place 'The place where I used to live.' Why = is used for a reason 'The reason why I am late.' Reducing Relative Clauses If the pronoun ("that", "who", "which") is the object of the verb, it can be omitted. pIn defining relative clauses, when the pronouns 'that', 'who' and 'which' are the objects of the verb they can be taken out and the meaning of the sentence stays the same. Look: 'The man (that) I work with collects snakes.' 'The person (who) I spoke to knows you.' 'The shop (which) she likes has closed down.' When the pronoun is the subject of the sentence it must be used: 'The shop which hired her has closed down.' Friday Slang! Top of Form Vocabulary It's Friday and we have a nice mix of slang words and phrases for you! :) Remember slang is very casual and used only in informal situations. 1. give you a bell = call you E.g. I will give you a bell when I get home! 2. gutted = very sad, devastated E.g. She was absolutely gutted when she found out her pet dog had died. 3. dodgy = suspicious E.g. The man in the long black coat and hat looked rather dodgy. 4. chuffed = proud, very pleased E.g. Tom felt rather chuffed about winning the tournament. 5. knackered = tired E.g. I studied all night... I'm knackered!
6. ace = very good, cool E.g. That movie was simply ace! Building Vocabulary Using Analogies Grade Levels: 6 - 12 Lesson Summary This lesson is for language arts students in middle or high school. During the lesson, students build their vocabulary by using analogies to help them learn the meanings of grade-appropriate words. Materials Chalkboard or overhead projector, if you prefer. Objectives Students will determine the meanings of new words through the use of analogies. Students will create analogies to build their skills for learning new words. Procedure Lecture Explain to students that an analogy shows a relationship between words. Explain that analogies can help them learn new words if they first determine the relationship between the words. Write the following analogy on the chalkboard: up:down :: hot:cold Help students learn to read analogies by asking them how they would read the analogy above. Explain that the double colon splits the analogy into two parts. The first part is the left-hand side of the double colon, "up:down," and the second part is the right-hand side, "hot:cold." Ask them what relationship they see between both sets of words (antonyms). Explain that the relationship that exists between the words in the first part is exactly the same as the relationship that exists between the words in the second part. One possible way to read this analogy is, "Up is the opposite of down, just as hot is the opposite of cold." Explain to students that there are a number of relationships that can be shown through analogies. Work through the following examples on the chalkboard and have students talk through the analogy and explain the relationship between the words. minute:hour :: ounce:pound Relationship: part to whole "An hour is comprised of minutes, just like a pound is comprised of ounces." fork:eat :: shovel:hole Relationship: object to function "You use a fork to eat, just like you use a shovel to dig a hole." glasses:read :: crutches:walk Relationship:object to function "Glasses can help you read, just like crutches can help you walk." Next, brainstorm with students possible types of analogies to help them think of types of relationships they can look for in analogies. Below are some examples of analogy relationships. There are many others, so encourage students to be creative. Part to whole Cause to effect Antonyms
Synonyms Definitions Item to category Time sequence Category Object to Use Product to Producer Guided Practice Explain to students that you are going to give them five different analogies to solve. Tell them that each analogy will contain an underlined word for which they have to find the definition. Have students first determine the relationship between the words and write what the relationship is, and then ask them to choose the definition that matches the meaning of the underlined word from the list of choices. Write the following five analogies on the chalkboard. (Note that the answer is in bold, and the type of analogy relationship is in parentheses.) ostentatious:showy :: summit:top (synonym) a) flamboyant b) energetic c) successful d) argumentative impound:seize :: represent:portray (synonym) a) unravel b) confiscate c) resemble d) break wicked:nefarious :: represent:characterize (synonym) a) evil b) innocent c) determined d) stereotype contaminated:pure :: indomitable:feeble (antonym) a) rhythmic b) weak c) clean d) unconquerable shark:scavenger :: spider:carnivore (item to category) a) eater of plants b) eater of plants and meat c) eater of vegetables d) eater of meat
Once students finish the activity, give them the five analogies below. Explain that each analogy has one word that is missing, and they have to choose the correct word to complete each analogy. Then have them identify the relationship expressed in each analogy. Write the following analogies on the board. (Note that the answer is in bold, and the type of analogy relationship is in parentheses.) ________:strict :: comedian:humorous (type to characteristic) a) languid b) martinet c) commentator d) artist geologist:rock :: ________:fish (profession and object of study) a) producer b) engineer c) ichthyologist d) composer sad:________ :: sprinkle:downpour (degree of intensity) a) doleful b) relaxed c) composed d) blizzard ________:trusting :: ecstatic:delighted (synonym) a) overjoyed b) rambling c) credulous d) phenomenal ________:cowardly :: vivid:dull (antonym) a) fearful b) grandiose c) bright d) plucky
Fractions
A circle is a geometric shape that we have seen in other lessons. The circle to the left can be used to represent one whole. We can divide this circle into equal parts as shown below.
This circle has been divided into 2 equal parts.
This circle has been divided into 3 equal parts.
This circle has been divided into 4 equal parts.
We can shade a portion of a circle to name a specific part of the whole as shown below.
Definition: A fraction names part of a region or part of a group. The top number of a fraction is called its numerator and the bottom part is its denominator. So a fraction is the number of shaded parts divided by the number of equal parts as shown below:
number of shaded parts number of equal parts
numerator denominator
Looking at the numbers above, we have:
There are two equal parts, giving a denominator of 2. One of the parts is shaded, giving a numerator of 1.
There are three equal parts, giving a denominator of 3. Two of the parts are shaded, giving a numerator of 2.
There are four equal parts, giving a denominator of 4. One of the parts is shaded, giving a numerator of 1.
Note that the fraction bar means to divide the numerator by the denominator. Let's look at some more examples of fractions. In examples 1 through 4 below, we have identified the numerator and the denominator for each shaded circle. We have also written each fraction as a number and using words.
Example 1
Example 2
one-half
one-third
two-thirds
Example 3
one-fourth
Example 4
two-fourths
three-fourths
one-fifth
two-fifths
three-fifths
four-fifths
Why is the number written as three-fourths? We use a hyphen to distinguish a fraction from a ratio. For example, "The ratio of girls to boys in a class is 3 to 4." This ratio is written a 3 to 4, or 3:4. We do not know how many students are in the whole class. However, the fraction is written as three-fourths (with a hyphen) because 3 is 3/4 of one whole. Thus a ratio names a relationship, whereas, a fraction names a number that represents the part of a whole. When writing a fraction, a hyphen is always used. It is important to note that other shapes besides a circle can be divided in equal parts. For example, we can let a rectangle represent one whole, and then divide it into equal parts as shown below.
two equal parts
three equal parts
four equal parts
five equal parts
Remember that a fraction is the number of shaded parts divided by the number of equal parts. In the example below, rectangles have been shaded to represent different fractions.
Example 5
one-half
one-third
one-fourth
one-fifth
The fractions above all have the same numerator. Each of these fractions is called a unit fraction. Definition: A unit fraction is a fraction whose numerator is one. Each unit fraction is part of one whole (the number 1). The denominator names that part. Every fraction is a multiple of a unit fraction.
In examples 6 through 8, we will identify the fraction represented by the shaded portion of each shape. Example 6 a
In example 6, there are four equal parts in each
b
rectangle. Three sections have been shaded in each rectangle, but not the same three. This was done intentionally to demonstrate that any 3 of the 4 equal parts can be shaded to represent the fraction three-fourths.
Example 7 a
b
In example 7, each circle is shaded in different sections. However, both circles represent the fraction two-thirds. The value of a fraction is not changed by which sections are shaded.
Example 8 a
b
In example 8, each rectangle is shaded in different sections. However, both rectangles represent the fraction two-fifths. Once again, the value of a
fraction is not changed by which sections are shaded.
In the examples above, we demonstrated that the value of a fraction is not changed by which sections are shaded. This is because a fraction is the number of shaded parts divided by the number of equal parts.
Let's look at some more examples. Example 9
Example 10
Example 12
In example 9, the circle has been shaded horizontally; whereas, in example 10, the circle was shaded vertically. The circles in both examples represent the same fraction, one-half. The positioning of the shaded region does not change the value of a fraction.
Example 11 In example 11, the rectangle is positioned horizontally; whereas in example 12, the rectangle is positioned vertically. Both rectangles represent the fraction four-fifths. The positioning of a shape does not change the value of
the fraction it represents. Remember that a fraction is the number of shaded parts divided by the number of equal parts.
In example 13, we will write each fraction using words. Place your mouse over the red text to see if you got it right. Example 13 Number
Words answer 1
answer 2
answer 3
answer 4
Summary: A fraction names part of a region or part of a group. A fraction is the number of shaded parts divided by the number of equal parts. The numerator is the number above the fraction bar, and the denominator is the number below the fraction bar.
