Basics Practice Examination #2

M Com 320

Words
1. Which of the following words is an adjective?
A my
B extremely
C simplicity
D lovely

2. Which of the following words is spelled correctly?

A The city counsel decided to increase the parks and development fee.
B We can insure the project’s success with careful, consistent reviews.
C Extending the training time allows us to review more material.
D Please keep us apprised on the progress of the program.

3. Which sentence best demonstrates effective sentence language?

A We need to buy a lot of books.
B Her payment was late.
C Please proofread the document to disambiguate the dialogue.
D An investment in Star Co. will give you more bang for your buck.

4. Which sentence incorporates correct word usage?

A His counsel proved invaluable when I made the final decision.
B Because we were ensured with State Farm, we were able to purchase a new car almost immediately.
C She was pleased to receive the complement on her hard work.
D He presented the principle reasons why our investment would be worthwhile.

5. Which sentence incorporates correct word usage?

A He remained stationery for five minutes after they had left.
B If your looking for new employees, please consider my brother.
C All she wanted was to lie down and rest after working a 12-hour day.
D The company’s growth had a positive affect on everyone.

Sentence Types
For questions 6-10 mark A for phrases, B for dependent clauses, and C for independent clauses.
6. Unless he took preventive measures
7. She ran down the road
8. In the event of a tie
9. Wherever he purchased the painting
10. Taking control of the situation

For questions 11-20, mark A for simple sentences, B for compound sentences, C for complex sentences, and D
for compound-complex sentences.
11. If you are available at 3 p.m., I’d love to meet with you to discuss growth options.
12. After you call her, she can complete her portion and I can submit the project.
13. Every morning, he woke up at 5 a.m. to go running before work.
14. Even the simplest task is difficult if you do not precisely follow instructions.
15. Stay in Chicago tonight, or take a late flight to Phoenix.
16. I will make the appointment while you finalize the presentation.
17. The programmers will use the new software if you install it by next Monday; otherwise, they will return to
the previous vendor.
18. Sue and Jake had restructured the human resources department many times, yet they still received regular
complaints.
19. Because of your management experience, the board will ask you to oversee the California project.
20. Although she met the requirements, she knew that the company would never hire her.

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Sentence-Structure Guidelines
21. Which sentence best applies sentence-structure guidelines?
A They recommend arriving early because there was a long line last night.
B We must act immediately; any delay will destroy our chance of success.
C The completion will delay the public release of the suspect.
D It is important that we not share this information openly until next Tuesday.

22. Which sentence best applies sentence-structure guidelines?

A Your advertising campaign was a success; it generated an estimated $1 million in additional sales.
B With the current economic difficulties, there will be more employees laid off.
C It’s the time of year when sales are typically low.
D Implementation of the new safety procedures was expensive, but necessary.

23. Which sentence is written in active voice?

A The management team for the new year was named by the owners.
B The storage unit holds much more inventory than the earlier version.
C She was concerned that the walls were painted red instead of pink.
D Linda’s desk was moved multiple times before she was satisfied.

24. Choose the best usage of voice.

A I fired you because of your unprofessional behavior.
B Several mistakes were made in this report and need to be fixed.
C The manager gave Jamie a $2,500 bonus for his outstanding work this year.
D A new draft was submitted by the author in November.

25. Which sentence is most correct?

A The manager ordered the new product at the beginning of the month. [Writer wants to emphasize the
new product.]
B The package arrived on time despite minor setbacks. [Writer wants to emphasize the package.]
C Background checks were conducted by security before hiring. [Writer wants to emphasize security.]
D Mountain Valley Hospital is where her mother was taken. [Writer wants to emphasize her mother.]

26. Which sentence contains a transitive verb?

A Arrive on time, please.
B Be safe.
C Unload the boxes.
D Think carefully about your decision.

27. Which sentence is correct regarding modifiers?

A To complete the project on time, you need to work as a team.
B The box is in the back corner of the garage with my name on it.
C Running to class, her phone fell out of her backpack.
D While driving down the street, the cat ran into the road.

28. Which sentence is correct regarding modifiers?

A Your former employer was real happy to see you there.
B I talked with her quickly about the design change.
C Although I called him again, he didn’t have a very good answer.
D He only paid off his debt.

29. Which sentence is correct regarding modifiers?

A As the only adult going on the European trip, the teenagers will need your close supervision.
B She did good on the self-assessment.
C After assembling the work stations, the next task to complete is the chairs.
D She avoided the broken sidewalk but almost ran into an oncoming cyclist.

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30. Which sentence is correct regarding parallelism?
A I was assigned not only to the front desk but also the warehouse.
B Connect the power cord, turn the power switch on, and then you must wait for the system to start.
C Either we choose the first option or the second.
D We flew first to Chicago and then to New York.

31. Which sentence is correct regarding parallelism?

A Creating an exhibit, developing a presentation, and finalizing the report are all important tasks.
B Before the accounts are closed, you should check the numbers with an accountant, review the totals,
and then you can produce the end-of-year financial statements.
C He ran the meeting, prepared the notes, and she chaired the reporting committee.
D She was able to both get the needed supplies, and she arranged the speakers.

32. Which sentence is correct regarding parallelism?

A Future meetings will be held in January, March, and the month of May.
B The meeting agenda included improving sales, preventing theft, and developing employee relations.
C Because of my busy schedule, I couldn’t go to either the party or run to the store.
D She wants not only to buy blue flowers but also red ones.

33. Which sentence best applies sentence-structure guidelines?

A I took the final exam, finished my paper, and now I am ready for a break!
B He provided chips and salsa for the guests from Café Rio.
C John was given a medal of honor for saving the major’s life.
D There were seven managers who passed the human-resource test.

34. Which sentence best follows basic subject-verb guidelines?

A The decision after three weeks of discussion was made to continue with the merger.
B David, once he realized he had overslept, raced to the airport to catch his flight.
C The discovery in the museum that houses both postmodern and impressionist art was scheduled to
exhibit for the next nine months.
D After reviewing the financial statements, we concluded that the investment was worthless.

Punctuation
35. Which sentence uses correct punctuation?
A When you are the last person leaving the office at night lock the doors and turn out the lights.
B My mother asked me to buy three items at the grocery store: (1) milk, (2) eggs, and (3) bread.
C After talking with the manager; he became a happy customer.
D His self-less community service recommends him highly for the position.

36. Which sentence uses correct punctuation?

A Each of his co-workers attempted to replicate his success.
B At the end of the month, John announced to the office, “We made it”!
C Five highly-respected officials will attend the fundraising event.
D Gas prices have increased steadily, since the price hike by O.P.E.C.

37. Which sentence uses correct punctuation?

A You report was very well-written.
B My daughter, Jill, recently graduated from Brigham Young University. [I have three daughters.]
C She commented on the pencils, saying that the quality, “was substandard at best.”
D My daughter, Jill, recently graduated from Brigham Young University. [I have one daughter.]

38. Which sentence uses correct punctuation?

A According to company policy, the documents must be reviewed monthly.
B She wished she had applied for the scholarship; not the loan.
C “Each location will be re-furbished with new office furniture…”
D Moving is difficult, making new friends is harder.

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39. Which sentence uses correct punctuation?
A Jills report was excellent but didn’t include any sources.
B They focused on simple small improvements made since the last meeting.
C I started my product research at three chains: Home Depot, a home-improvement store; Game Stop, a
resale store for video games; and Barnes & Noble, a bookstore.
D The office was divided into several three and five-person teams.

Case
40. Which sentence is correct?
A The ball is your’s; it has your name on it.
B The job was completed by my sister and myself.
C Who knocked on my door?
D It is him whom you saw on the street yesterday.

41. Which sentence is correct?

A Us musicians like to stay up late just playing our instruments.
B No one knows how the Johnsons’ car got stolen from their garage.
C My son is responsible for mowing the Smith’s lawn this weekend.
D Jennifers driving on the wrong side of the road is frightening.

42. Which sentence is correct?

A After our last production, he gave the new assignment to Julie and I.
B We ran to the neighbor’s house to see whom had called 9-1-1.
C The police wanted to talk to the person whom crashed her car.
D I hope that her being late doesn’t indicate a lack of commitment.

43. Which sentence is correct?

A My husbands’ father’s cousin gave the store great reviews.
B My husbands father’s cousin gave the store great reviews.
C My husband’s father’s cousin gave the store great reviews.
D My husband’s fathers’ cousin gave the store great reviews.

44. Which sentence is correct?

A The backpack left at last nights game is her’s.
B Thursdays party is going to be a great success.
C The Christensens’ carpet had to be replaced because of flooding.
D Our new womens’ line of clothing has been shipped and will arrive by Friday.

Agreement and Reference

45. Which sentence is correct?
A If one of the members are not going to use their pass, it should be given to someone else.
B Each supervisor should make sure he reviews the training manual.
C One of our mailmen are included in those who are planning to retire.
D Jeremy and Ben’s teacher always gives a lot of homework.

46. Which sentence is correct?

A A prize was awarded to the organization who raised the most money during the year.
B Wiggins & Associates were placed first on the priority customer list.
C After Kyle talked with his uncle, he was immovable in his decision.
D She was responsible for proofreading Jasmine and Solomon’s proposal.

47. Which sentence is correct?

A Everybody are coming at six, not seven.
B The time card which I submitted last weekend was miscounted.
C More than half of the fans are leaving early because of the rain.
D When in large crowds, a janitor should always keep his keys secured to his body.

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48. Which sentence is correct?
A The dog jumped after the ball, but it got stuck in the mud.
B Neither the pencils nor the sharpener are working properly.
C All of her friends, except one, is planning on coming.
D After Cherie finished writing her deceased gradndmother’s history, she went looking for a publisher.

49. Which sentence is correct?

A Working hard at work and at school are difficult.
B Some of the dinner is left over and can be used for our lunch tomorrow.
C The entire group of accountants are working overtime this week.
D One of our clients who is from China will be attending.

50. Which sentence is correct?

A Either the Smiths or Don Johnson are volunteering at the clinic this summer.
B Either Don Johnson or the Smiths is volunteering at the clinic this summer.
C Either Don Johnson or the Smiths are volunteering at the clinic this summer.
D Either Don Johnson or the Smiths is/are volunteering at the clinic this summer.

Tense
51. Which sentence is incorrect?
A I see you in a management position in five years.
B If she was the manager, the customer service would be much better.
C To those who haven’t arrived yet, I hope you will drive safely.
D By the time I realized that you hadn’t gone yet, it was too late.

52. Which sentence is correct?

A The Romans believed that patriotism was a vital societal attribute.
B After she had went down the hall, she saw the doctor in his office.
C He had began recording the entries when the doorbell rang.
D They would have preferred to pay for themselves but were happy to accept assistance.

53. Which of the following is a “regular verb”?

A awake
B wear
C join
D blow

54. Which sentence is written in past-perfect tense?

A He has tested almost every unit produced this week.
B Because they hadn’t tried it yet, we took them two samples.
C If you keep this up, you will have practiced thousands of hours by next year.
D She tried to swim faster, but the current pulled her back.

55. Which sentence is written in imperative mood?

A To prevent unexpected resistance, check with your superiors first.
B When the factory is run with such efficiency, productivity doubles.
C My mother tells me every day that a clean house leads to a clean soul.
D If he does this right, we will save a lot of money.

56. Which statement uses incorrect tense?

A This internship will help me get placed with an international firm.
B Walter’s Parenting Book described six steps to raising a child.
C She had swum five miles before school started on Monday.
D If I were more important in the organization, I wouldn’t get laid off.

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Numbers
57. Which sentence is correct?
A 5 stores showed increases in their quarterly sales.
B The 6th of February is the start of our annual meeting.
C Our taxi fleet expanded to sixteen cars last year.
D You’ll find the executive summary on page four.

58. Which sentence is correct?

A The meeting is supposed to start at 4:30 p.m., but I can’t be there until 5.
B Katie ordered 100 rolls of tags, 30 markers, and five scanners for physical inventory.
C Final measurements confirmed that the tabletop is 4 1/2 feet long.
D Net earnings exceeded $10,500,000 last year.

Capitals
59. Which sentence is correct?
A Finishing my Doctorate degree will take much longer than I had planned.
B Moving 500 miles west will put him in the midwest.
C Moving Past the Past: A Study of Shakespeare’s Interaction With History. [Report title]
D Would you please pass me the box of Kleenex?

60. Which sentence is correct?

A Where are you going for vacation? the beach? out of the country?
B Although I love classic-style pancakes, I prefer the german kind.
C Our Principal makes getting to know each student a priority.
D Susan said her project was “above and beyond the teacher’s expectations.”

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