English and Language Usage TEAS

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B because it uses the appropriate placement of the comma inside the closing quotation mark. In American English punctuation rules, commas and periods should always go inside the closing quotation mark. Choice A incorrectly places the period outside the closing quotation mark. Choice C incorrectly starts the sentence with a period, and choice D incorrectly uses single quotation marks instead of double quotation marks. Therefore, B is the correct choice as it follows the standard punctuation rules for quotations in American English.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: The homophone 'peaked' should be 'peeked.' In the original sentence, "peeked" is the correct past tense form of "peek," meaning to look quickly or furtively. "Peaked" means to reach the highest point, which does not make sense in the context of the sentence. The other choices (A, C, D) involve homophones that do not fit the context or change the meaning of the sentence.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Millennium. The word "Millennium" is spelled correctly as it refers to a period of one thousand years. The spelling follows standard English rules, with double "l" and double "n." The other choices, A: Miniscool, B: Miniature, and C: Maintenance, are incorrect due to misspellings. "Miniscool" is not a recognized word, "Miniature" has an incorrect placement of "i" and "a," and "Maintenance" has an incorrect placement of "e" and "a." Therefore, D is the correct choice based on proper English spelling conventions.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The most appropriate topic sentence for the passage is A: "The Civil War was a war that was not easily won, but hard fought." This is because the passage discusses the challenges faced during the Civil War, emphasizing the struggle and effort put forth by both sides. - Choice B is incorrect as it simply states a fact about when the Civil War ended, but does not capture the essence of the passage. - Choice C is incorrect as it introduces a specific detail about Jefferson Davis that is not the main focus of the passage. - Choice D is incorrect as it broadens the scope to civil wars in general, which is not the main topic discussed in the passage about the American Civil War.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D because it contains both independent and dependent clauses. "Even though the puppy was much smaller than his mother" is a dependent clause, while "his eyes were dark brown and shiny just like hers, and his ears were long and floppy, too" is an independent clause. This structure makes it a compound-complex sentence. Choice A is incorrect as it is a simple sentence with no independent or dependent clauses. Choice B is also incorrect as it is a compound sentence with two independent clauses. Choice C is a complex sentence with one independent clause and one dependent clause, not meeting the criteria for a compound-complex sentence.