Practice Tests in Grammar,Writing, and Reading Comprehension

LearningExpress Skill Builders • CHAPTER 5
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SUMMARY
This chapter gives you the chance to apply what you have
learned. Included are practice tests in grammar, writing, and
reading comprehension. As you complete the sections, you
should be able to find your strengths and weaknesses.
PRACTICE TESTS IN
GRAMMAR, WRITING,
AND READING
COMPREHENSION
5
5
CHAPTER 5 • LearningExpress Skill Builders
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P
RACTICE
G

RAMMAR
T
EST
AGREEMENT
There is an agreement error in each of the following sentences. Mark an SV to the left of the sentence if there is
a subject/verb error. Mark a PA to the left if there is a pronoun/antecedent error. Then try rewriting the sentence
correctly.
______ 1. It is unacceptable to clone a child because they would be treated as second class and not as a tradi-
tional being.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
______ 2. By euthanizing terminally ill patients, doctors will be relieved of the time they spend treating these
patients, and he or she will have more time to spend with patients they can really cure.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
______ 3. Many incidents of condensed air pollution has killed or hospitalized hundreds of people at a time.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
______ 4. The principle of the issue is still over legalizing the right to help someone end their life.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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______ 5. The author’s focal point throughout his arguments are that human cloning would diminish family
relationships.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
______ 6. In conclusion, air and garbage pollution is a real problem for Americans.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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______ 7. The list of candidates for graduation include my name and my brother’s.
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______ 8. My books and my calculator remains in the test room.
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______ 9. Her problem are migraine headaches.
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______ 10. Each of the episodes on ER and NYPD Blue is exciting.
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SENTENCE STRUCTURE
There is a sentence fragment, fused sentence, or comma splice error in each sentence below. First, mark an SF for
sentence fragment, a FS for fused sentence, or a CS for comma splice to the left of the sentence. Then rewrite the
sentence correctly.
______ 1. The two-car family is common these days everyone wants an SUV and a sedan.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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______ 2. Roses are not difficult to grow, they just need to be fed and pruned regularly.
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______ 3. California often endures brush fires that are hard to put out, some have been burning for years.
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–PRACTICE TESTS IN GRAMMAR, WRITING, AND READING COMPREHENSION–
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______ 4. Some villagers had never seen an automobile. Only knowing bicycles as a means of transportation.

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
______ 5. Environmentalists fear that once the Alaska oil fields are opened for exploration, wilderness will be
destroyed. With no guarantees that our energy crisis will have been helped in the process.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
______ 6. Recent census figures indicate that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of men who
are single parenting their children, the mothers gave up custody during the divorce proceedings.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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______ 7. Human cloning is just years if not months away do we fully understand the social consequences of
our research?
_____________________________________________________________________________
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______ 8. Testing cosmetics by using helpless animals is cruel, there should be laws to protect against such abuse.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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______ 9. Weather maps, graphs, charts, tables. All are confusing to read.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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______ 10. Hurricanes are dangerous storms costing thousands of dollars to homeowners in repair costs each
year, Congress should pass more laws to help citizens in crises such as these.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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HOMONYM ERRORS
Some of the sentences below are correct and some have
homonym errors. The homonym in each sentence is

und
erlined. Remember that homonyms are words that
sound alike but are spelled differently and mean dif-
ferent things. Put a C to the left of the correct sentence
and an X next to the incorrect sentence. If the homonym
is incorrect, write it correctly on the line that follows
the sentence.
______ 1. The aff
ects of the tornadoes can be dev-
astating.
________________________________
______ 2. The p
rincipal of the mortgage remains
almost constant as the interest is paid off.
________________________________
______ 3. A college education has it
’s rewards, best
of which is higher earning capacity.
________________________________
______ 4. Why the
re are so few candidates to replace
the president is a mystery to everyone.
________________________________
______ 5. He explained that he had been e
xcepted
at two other schools.
________________________________
______ 6. It was the pat
ience that worried the most
about the hospital blackout.

________________________________
______ 7. The Gobi d
esert is in Africa.
________________________________
______ 8. The angle of d
escent determines the air
speed.
________________________________
______ 9. Inclement w
hether conditions caused our
delay.
________________________________
______ 10. He had been d
yeing
for months, and when
the end came he was grateful.
________________________________
SEMICOLONS
The following paragraph has errors in semicolons. The
sentences have been numbered for you. Number down
1–10 on a separate sheet of paper and mark a C if the
sentence is correct. If it is incorrect, identify the error
and rewrite the sentence correctly. Remember that
there may be more than one way to correct a sentence
error.
(1) In an editorial that ran during the Clinton
scandal, the New York Times called for censure
rather than impeachment. (2) Although it
never did explain why censure was better than
impeachment; in fact, the editorial gave many

reasons why censure was good; but it never
addressed why impeachment was bad. (3) One
can only assume that if censure was preferable
one reason had to be because impeachment
would have seriously harmed the reputation of
the United States abroad; weakening our
position as a world leader. (4) Who in the
world would care if the President of the United
States engaged in, “ ...deceitful and dishonest
conduct that was grossly inconsistent with his
constitutional obligations and sacred duty” is a
–PRACTICE TESTS IN GRAMMAR, WRITING, AND READING COMPREHENSION–