oDesk-U.S- English-Basic-Skills-Test

Syllabus of the Test

1. Punctuation
2. Sentence Structure
3. Pronouns
4. Indirect Speech
5. ARTICLES AND CONJUNCTIONS
6. PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES
7. ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS
8. VERBS AND VERB TENSES
9. WORD ORDER

Now Finally Question & Answers
Question 1:

Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.

Charlotte knew________the secret investigation_________her past, but she closed her eyes to it and pretended it wasn’t happening.

Answer: a. of, about

Question 2:

Choose the series of adjectives and adverbs that best completes the following sentence.

I think Pamela deserves to be punished for her________stupid and________behavior.

Answer: b. totally, irresponsible

Question 3:

Which of the following sentences punctuated correctly?

a. Tracy bought three suits; seven scarves; and ten pairs of shoes.

Answer: b. We are expecting a hurricane this afternoon, therefore we have closed the school early.

Question 4:

Choose the series of adjectives and adverbs that best completes the following sentence.

While_________of our relatives live on the__________hill in the county, _________of our friends live in the _________areas of the valley.

Answer: c. many, windiest, most, more, protected

Question 5:

Complete the following sentence by choosing the phrase with the best word order from the options given.

Those who are not wise_____________.

Answer: d. does not need to be necessarily stupid.

Question 6:

Choose the series of pronouns that best completes the following sentence.

Don’t _________think Larry should call__________wife if______________is going to be late for dinner?

Answer: a. you, his, he

Question 7:

Rearrange the following words to create most logical and grammatically correct sentence.

days for last has good weather few The been the not

Answer:d. The weather has not been good for the last few days

Question 8:

Choose the series of adjectives and adverbs that best completes the following sentence.

Knowing that February was the___________month of the year, Cheryl planned her vacation____________.

Answer: b. shortest, accordingly

Question 9:

Rearrange the following words to create most logical and grammatically correct sentence.

Answer: e. Whenever I can’t spend time with my friend, I always speak to him on the phone.

Question 10:

Read the following question and choose the response that uses the correct corresponding verb tense.

Does Jack wear that furry hat often?

Answer: d. No, he only wears it when his ears are cold.

Question 11:

Which of the following sentence illustrates correct pronoun usage?

a. is those the set of plates the bride wanted, or did she want this set?

d.Whose book is that-his or our?

Answer: e. None of the above

Question 12:

Which of the sentence illustrates proper sentence structure?

a. Everyone knows that a mango is much sweeter to an orange

Answer: d. The queen had hardly finished her speech when the people began to disperse.

Question 13:

Change the following sentence from a quotation to indirect speech.

“It may snow tomorrow.” he said.

Answer: d. He said it might snow tomorrow.

Question 14:

Which of the following sentence punctuated correctly?

Answer: d. “Come here.” she said, “and let me get a good look at you.”

Question 15:

Change the following sentence from a quotation to indirect speech.

“Sharon must go to the bank today.” said Albert.

Answer: d. Albert said Sharon had to go to the bank today.

Question 16:

Choose the option that correctly changes original sentence from active to passive.

ORIGINAL SENTENCE:

That tall man is carrying a lot of lumber.

REWRITTEN SENTENCES:

Answer: d. A lot of lumber is being carried by that tall man.

Question 17:

Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.

I placed my notes__________my desk and referred to them____________ the meeting.

Answer: b. beside, during

Question 18:

Rearrange the following words to create most logical and grammatically correct sentence.

Sleeping likes the . midday Katie until on weekends

Answers: Katie likes sleeping until midday on the weekends.

Question 19:

Choose the series of verbs that best completes  the following sentence.

Everyone ____________too busy cooking and __________ the campsite ____________ the family _________ from the woods.

Answers: d. was, setting up, to notice, watching

Question 20:

Choose the series of verbs that best completes  the following sentence.

I find it very hard to remember ______________ letters that are entrusted to me. In fact, I remember_____________to do so dozens of times!

Answer: d. mailing, forgetting

Question 21:

Choose the series of articles and conjunctions that best completes  the following sentence.

Lilacs ___________ violets are usually purple, I have seen some _________ are white.

Answer: c. and, although, that

Questions 22:

Complete the following sentence by choosing the phrase with the best word order from the options given.

Only after they had an exhaustive study__________ how to adapt the technology to the needs of our company.

Answer: c. they did begin to understand

Question 23:

Which of the following sentence illustrates proper use of comma?

a. Randy wanted to end the meeting, but Amy wanted to prolong it.

e. a and b

answer: f. All of the above

Question 24:

Which of the following sentence does NOT illustrates correct verb and tense usage?

Answer: b. Clarabelle’s mother absolutely hated nicknames and always calls her daughter by her full name.

Question 25:

Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.

Victor, who stole ____________ ideas and used them  to make _________ a millionaire, never once offered ______________ a world of thanks.

Answer: d. our, himself, us

Question 26:

Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.

______________ is the name of the opera, and ___________ role did you say Maria would play?

Answer: c. What, which

Question 27:

Choose the verbs and phrases that best completes the following sentence.

This dish _____________ too spicy. Why ___________ so pepper?

Answer: e. a and c

Question 28:

Change the following sentence from a quotation to indirect speech.

Carol has said, “I am responsible for this project.”

Answer: a. Carol has said that she is responsible for this.

Question 29:

Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.

Although Marvin said he had the keys___________ the flower pot, we were unable to find them___________ the dark. In the end, we waited for him at the coffee shop ____________ the corner.

Answer: a. under, in. around

Question 30:

Complete the following sentence by choosing the phrase with the best word order from the options given.

The excited children who had run toward the loud _______________.

Answer:d. music, told the others about the ice cream truck outside.

Question 31:

Rearrange the following words to create most logical and grammatically correct sentence.

your company name? of what the is

Answer: c. What is the name of your company?

Question 32:

Which of the following sentences NOT punctuated correctly?

a. All of the apple’s at the grocers were rotten so I bought oranges instead.

Answer: b. “Seven canteens full of water should enough for the hike,” said Tabitha.

Question 33:

Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.

After realizing that our hosts hadn’t actually invested _________ to ____________ party. ____________ excused ____________ from the table and slipped out the back door.

Answer: a. us, their, we, ourselves.

Question 34:

Which of the following sentences illustrates the proper use of parallel construction?

Answer: b. We painted the conference room yellow, hung a poster on the wall, and are rearranging the chairs.

Question 35:

Which of the following sentence uses correct pronoun usage?

a. to whom are your employees going to report while you’re gone?

Answer: e. All of the above

Question 36:

Choose the series of adjectives and adverbs that best completes the following sentence.

The archeologists were_____________ to discover such a __________ and__________ ____________ artifact at that mostly uncovered site.

Answer: b. amazed, rare, incredibly, beautiful

Question 37:

Change the following sentence from a quotation to indirect speech.

“I’m not feeling well,” Agatha said.

Answer: a. Agatha has said that she doesn’t feel well.