Grammar Quiz: Combining and Condensing Clauses

Take Test: Grammar Quiz: Combining and Condensing Clauses

 

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QUESTION 1

1. Review: How many clauses? (Be careful! Count the verbs. Since a clause consists of a subject-verb pairing, you can only have as many clauses as you have verbs.)

The tree and the vine grew up together -- the tree toward the sky, the vine along the ground.

		One clause
		Two clauses
		Three clauses
		No clauses

10 points   

QUESTION 2

1. Review: Fix the sentence fragment in the blank provided.

After the dam burst and the water flooded into the valley.

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10 points   

QUESTION 3

1. Review: Below, a sentence is coordinated improperly. What else is necessary to COORDINATE it properly? 

My family rides bikes together, we all stay in excellent shape.

		A subordinating conjunction after the comma (My family rides bikes together, because we all stay in excellent shape.)
		A coordinating conjunction after the comma. (My family rides bikes together, so  we all stay in excellent shape.)
		A semicolon instead of the comma. (My family rides bikes together; we all stay in excellent shape.)
		A subordinating conjunction at the beginning of the first clause. (Because my family rides bikes together, we all stay in excellent shape.)

10 points   

QUESTION 4

1. Review: Below, a sentence is coordinated improperly. What else is necessary to SUBORDINATE it properly? 

My family rides bikes together, we all stay in excellent shape.

		A subordinating conjunction after the comma (My family rides bikes together, because we all stay in excellent shape.)
		A coordinating conjunction after the comma. (My family rides bikes together, sowe all stay in excellent shape.)
		A semicolon instead of the comma. (My family rides bikes together; we all stay in excellent shape.)
		A subordinating conjunction at the beginning of the first clause. (Because my family rides bikes together, we all stay in excellent shape.)

10 points   

QUESTION 5

1. Review: Join the sentences below using a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb.

· Carrie bounced on the bed in joyful glee.

· Her mother watched in anxious trepidation lest she fall.

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10 points   

QUESTION 6

1. Review: True or False? The following sentence makes proper use of the colon.

· Children are at risk of dropping out of school because of: 1) Parental neglect, 2) Instability of the home, 3) Poor choice of role models , 4) Illegal activities, and/or 5) Drug use.

 True

 False

10 points   

QUESTION 7

1. Below, you should see several sentences that are unnecessarily wordy. Collapse and condense the clauses/sentences by eliminating the unnecessary words. Remember Orwell's advice: the shortest and simplest way of saying something (without sacrificing necessary content, of course) is usually best.

· The committee members decided to have an office party for the employees’ children. The main reason for their decision to have a party for the children was that employees had been complaining that the company did not pay enough attention to family life.

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20 points   

QUESTION 8

1. Below, you should see an egregiously verbacious paragraph. Follow Orwell's advice, and tear out the fluff. Whenever possible, collapse and combine clauses/sentences to eliminate redundancy and wordiness. 

· People who suffer from "winter blues" may be suffering from S.A.D.  This acronym stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder.  This disorder is caused by your not getting as much sunlight to meet the needs of your body in obtaining good health.  

Path: p Words:0

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