SYNTAX ASSESSMENT 1
Part I. Choose the letter of the correct answer.
b. 1. Which of these is the best definition of Syntax?
a. The study of the rules governing specifically the sounds that form words.
b. The study of the rules governing sentence formation.
c. The study of the rules governing word formation.
a. 2. Which of these morphemes can the majority of English nouns have added to them?
a. “-s”
b. “ing”
c. “-ed”
d. “-d”
c. 3. In which sentence do the dots replace a noun?
a. They can …. Them.
b. They can ….
c. He has no ….
b.. 4. If French nouns can show gender (among other features). What feature(s) can nouns in English
show?
a. letters only
b. number only
c. both a and b
b. 5. Which of these morphemes can almost all English verbs have added to them?
a. “-ed”
b. “-ing”
c. “-s”
d. 6. In which sentence(s) do the dots replace a verb?
a. They can ….
b. They can …. Them
c. He has no ….
d. a and b
a. 7. What feature(s) can a verb in English show?
a. person and number
b. person
c. number
a. 8. Identify a first person singular pronoun:
a. “I”
b. “You”
c. “We”
d. “They”
c. 9. Identify a third person plural pronoun:
a. “We”
b. “They”
c. “Them”
a. 10. Identify the sentence showing a verb in the third person plural in the present tense:
a. “They eat cake.”
b. “I want cake.”
c. “You want some cake.”
a. 11. Which sentence illustrates a proper application of English syntax rules?
a. Tom and Sue both has a cat named Cookie.
b. We prepare and deliver workshops and training students.
c. Sarah and I write and release materials to various media.
d. Toast have I for breakfast every morning Monday.
a.12. Which of the following sentences is an example of a grammatically correct simple sentence?
a. Tim is driving, and Ana is drinking coffee.
b. Bought a beautiful house in a small town near Colorado Springs.
c. Anthony, Jose, Jerry, and Lily saw the new Avengers movie last Sunday.
d. My wife and I got a new car but she didn't like it.
b.13. Which of the following sentences is a compound sentence?
a. Jose liked Tina's new book very much.
b. He had to do his homework, so he couldn't go to her party.
c. My daughter and I watched and laughed.
d. Even though he apologized, I couldn't forget what he did.
a.14. Which of the following is correct?
a. The team plays good in decisive games.
b. The team plays well in decisive games.
c.15. Is this sentence correct?
a. To see well, the lights in this room need to be adjusted.
b. This sentence is correct.
c. This sentence has a dangling modifier.
d. This sentence has a comma splice.
b.16. Which of the following is correct?
a. I haven't barely started to think about my exam.
b. I have barely started to think about my exam.
a. 17. Which of the following is correct?
a. The candidate promised not to raise taxes when elected.
b. The candidate promised not to rise taxes when elected.
b.18. Identify the problem with the following paragraph:
Elizabeth Peabody was born in a school and thereafter felt destined to be a teacher. Her mother was a
teacher and trains her daughters at her side. The academic life seems to suit Elizabeth, who thrived on
the rigorous curriculum.
a. It lacks subject - verb agreement in some sentences.
b. There are inconsistent shifts in verb tenses.
c. Punctuation is wrong in this paragraph.
b.19. Is this sentence correct?
The suspects were interviewed right after the crime was committed by the detectives.
a. This sentence is correct.
b. This sentence has a misplaced modifier.
c. This sentence needs a different form of the verb.
b. 20. Which of the following is correct?
a. Most people not only are lifting weights at the gym, but they also do a cardiovascular workout.
b. Most people not only lift weights at the gym, but they also do a cardiovascular workout.
a.21. Which of the following is correct?
a. Neither of the players in the last game was injured.
b. Neither of the players in the last game were injured.
c.22. Is this sentence correct?
The teacher asked Anne and myself to do a peer review of each other's writing.
a. This sentence is correct.
b. "Each other's" should be replaced with "one another's."
c. Pronoun "myself" should be replaced with "me."
b.23. Which of the following is correct?
a. Anne whose research on health effects of air pollution was well-known was invited to speak at a
conference.
b. Anne, whose research on health effects of air pollution was well-known, was invited to speak at
a conference.
c. Anne which research on health effects of air pollution was well-known was invited to speak at a
conference.
b.24. Which of the following is preferred?
a. When I did my lab experiments, I tried to thoroughly document each of my measurements.
b. When I did my lab experiments, I tried to document thoroughly each of my measurements.
a.25. Which of the following is correct?
a. Neither students nor their teacher is participating in this play.
b. Neither students nor their teacher are participating in this play.
PART II
Essay. Answer each of the following questions in no more than 100 words. (25 pts.)
1. How important is Syntax in our language?
Syntax is important because it aids in the creation of coherent, "sounding right" sentences in which
words, phrases, and clauses all serve a purpose and are correctly ordered to build and transmit a full
sentence with meaning. A sentence can be nonsensical if it lacks proper grammar. It's important to
remember that while every language has a definite syntax, the syntax varies from one language to the
next.
2. How will this subject be beneficial to your life as a student of ABEL?
This subject is beneficial to my life as a student of ABEL by studying this may help students or individual
to provides numerous answers that are crucial for understanding how languages work, as well as
opening the door to future linguistics research and theories. We also look at syntax in order to come up
with a set of rules and limitations for the language.
