USAGE EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Which of the following sentences from a paragraph about yoga is the topic sentence?
A.) The word "yoga" was mentioned in the Vedas, a collection of texts containing songs,
mantras, and rituals used by Vedic priests.
B.) By the late 1800s, yoga masters from India began to travel to the West, attracting
followers.
C.) After a few hundred years, Yoga masters rejected the teachings of the ancient
Vedas and embraced the physical body as the means to achieve enlightenment.
D.) The practice of yoga first developed in the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern
India over 5,000 years ago. - Answer-D.) The practice of yoga first developed in the
Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern India over 5,000 years ago.
Which of the following examples from the paragraph about the Silk Road is a transition
sentence?
A.) The Silk Road got its name from Chinese silk, which was a major item traded along
the route.
B.) However, there were many other important trade items, some of which would end up
changing the world forever.
C.) Because the Silk Road was not just one single road, historians also use the term
"Silk Routes" to describe the network.
D.) The Silk Road was an ancient network of trade routes that stretched from China
through India all the way to Africa, Greece, Rome, and Great Britain. - Answer-B.)
However, there were many other important trade items, some of which would end up
changing the world forever.
Which of the following is the correct sequence to place the following sentences to
construct a well-organized paragraph?
I. Leon Czolgosz, an anarchist, felt President McKinley symbolized the injustice of
American Society.
II. Czolgosz shot McKinley twice, and President McKinley died a week later from
gangrene caused by the bullet wounds.
III. On September 6, 1901, President McKinley became the third American president to
be assassinated, after Abraham Lincoln and James Garfield.
IV. On that September day, President McKinley was at the Pan-American Exposition in
Buffalo, NY, shaking hands with the public. - Answer-III, IV, I, II
Which of the following is an incomplete sentence?
,A.) Watch out.
B.) In the rose garden out back.
C.) I guess that's true.
D.) It would take about three weeks. - Answer-B.) In the rose garden out back.
Which of the following sentences has correct pronoun-antecedent agreement?
A.) All passengers must show his passport before getting on the international flight.
B.) Each of the cats has its own special hiding place inside the house.
C.) If the students need my help with this project, he or she can just e-mail me with
questions.
D.) When the clothes come out of the dryer, it should be folded right away. - Answer-B.)
Each of the cats has its own special hiding place inside the house.
Which of the following options best uses grammar to combine the sentences below for
clarity?
Min Jin roamed around the house.
Some days were just like that.
Min Jin could not get settled.
A.) Because Min Jin roamed around the house, some days were just like that, and she
could not get settled.
B.) Some days were just like that because Min Jin roamed around the house and could
not get settled.
C.) Min Jin could not get settles because she roamed around the house and some days
are just like that.
D.) Min Jin roamed around the house because she could not get settled, but some days
were just like that. - Answer-D.) Min Jin roamed around the house because she could
not get settled, but some days were just like that.
Which of the following is the likely medium for the sentence below?
Based on the evidence found, electrical stimulation may be a potential therapy for
OSAS, warranting further clinical trials.
A.) Motivational speech
B.) Business memo
C.) Scientific journal article
D.) Personal Blog - Answer-C.) Scientific journal article
Which of the following words from the sentence below is slang?
Wow, I can't believe that beret I was planning to buy is 100 bucks.
, A.) Wow
B.) bucks
C.) can't
D.) beret - Answer-B.) bucks
Which of the following options contains a possessive pronoun?
A.) If the patient chooses to leave, let them know the right to do so is theirs.
B.) When we support patients in these ways, the hospital's mission is accomplished.
C.) Take personal items to the front desk once you are finished.
D.) This hospital has some problems, no doubt. - Answer-A.) If the patient chooses to
leave, let them know the right to do so is theirs.
Which of the following words is written correctly in its plural form?
A.) Chieves
B.) Prooves
C.) Razores
D.) Halves - Answer-D.) Halves
Which of the following is a correctly punctuated compound sentence?
A.) The moonlight glowed white on the roof next door, and the sky was a gentle summer
blue.
B.) The raspberries we just picked from the garden are ripe, and sweet.
C.) She spent all afternoon studying for the biology test; but she neglected to work on
her psychology paper.
D.) The man often drew sketches in his room but he never liked to show his art to
anyone. - Answer-A.) The moonlight glowed white on the roof next door, and the sky
was a gentle summer blue.
Which of the following demonstrates correct punctuation of a quotation?
A.) "You should have never invited Shane to that party," said Jessica, "if you didn't want
him to run into Blayne."
B.) "You should have never invited Shane to that party," said Jessica. "If you didn't want
him to run into Blayne."
C.) You should have never invited Shane to that party," said Jessica "if you didn't want
him to run into Blayne."
D.) "You should have never invited Shane to that party," said Jessica, "If you didn't want
him to run into Blayne." - Answer-A.) "You should have never invited Shane to that
party," said Jessica, "if you didn't want him to run into Blayne."
Which of the following punctuation marks correctly completes the sentence below?