1 | Page
FALL SEMESTER MIDTERM EXAM:
ENGLISH LANGUAGE &
COMPOSITION 2026/2027
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS & COMPLETE
RATIONALES
## SECTION 1: GRAMMAR, USAGE & MECHANICS
**1. Which of the following sentences is grammatically
correct?**
A. Neither the students nor the teacher were present.
B. Neither the students nor the teacher was present.
C. Neither the students nor the teacher is present.
D. Neither the students nor the teacher are present.
**Correct answer:** Neither the students nor the teacher was
present.
,2 | Page
**Rationale:** With "neither...nor," the verb agrees with the
subject closest to it. "Teacher" is singular, so the verb should be
"was." This rule is known as the proximity rule.
---
**2. Identify the error in the following sentence: "Each of the
participants were given a certificate of completion."**
A. Each
B. participants
C. were
D. given
**Correct answer:** were
**Rationale:** "Each" is a singular indefinite pronoun, so it
requires a singular verb. The sentence should read: "Each of
the participants was given a certificate of completion."
---
**3. Which of the following is the correct plural form of
"analysis"?**
, 3 | Page
A. analysises
B. analyses
C. analysis
D. analysis's
**Correct answer:** analyses
**Rationale:** Words ending in "-is" form their plural by
changing "-is" to "-es." Examples: analysis → analyses, crisis
→ crises, thesis → theses.
---
**4. Choose the sentence with the correct use of the
apostrophe.**
A. The teacher's lounge is down the hall.
B. The teachers' lounge is down the hall.
C. The teachers lounge is down the hall.
D. The teachers's lounge is down the hall.
**Correct answer:** The teachers' lounge is down the hall.
FALL SEMESTER MIDTERM EXAM:
ENGLISH LANGUAGE &
COMPOSITION 2026/2027
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS & COMPLETE
RATIONALES
## SECTION 1: GRAMMAR, USAGE & MECHANICS
**1. Which of the following sentences is grammatically
correct?**
A. Neither the students nor the teacher were present.
B. Neither the students nor the teacher was present.
C. Neither the students nor the teacher is present.
D. Neither the students nor the teacher are present.
**Correct answer:** Neither the students nor the teacher was
present.
,2 | Page
**Rationale:** With "neither...nor," the verb agrees with the
subject closest to it. "Teacher" is singular, so the verb should be
"was." This rule is known as the proximity rule.
---
**2. Identify the error in the following sentence: "Each of the
participants were given a certificate of completion."**
A. Each
B. participants
C. were
D. given
**Correct answer:** were
**Rationale:** "Each" is a singular indefinite pronoun, so it
requires a singular verb. The sentence should read: "Each of
the participants was given a certificate of completion."
---
**3. Which of the following is the correct plural form of
"analysis"?**
, 3 | Page
A. analysises
B. analyses
C. analysis
D. analysis's
**Correct answer:** analyses
**Rationale:** Words ending in "-is" form their plural by
changing "-is" to "-es." Examples: analysis → analyses, crisis
→ crises, thesis → theses.
---
**4. Choose the sentence with the correct use of the
apostrophe.**
A. The teacher's lounge is down the hall.
B. The teachers' lounge is down the hall.
C. The teachers lounge is down the hall.
D. The teachers's lounge is down the hall.
**Correct answer:** The teachers' lounge is down the hall.
