FTCE : English Language Skills
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for FTCE
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : English Language Skills
When does a dangling modifier occur?
None of these
When a modifier used in a dependent clause does not match up to a grammatical object in the main clause
When a modifier is not placed in close enough proximity to the object it modifies
When the subject of a dependent introductory clause matches the subject of the main clause
When a modifier used in a dependent clause does not match up to a grammatical object in the main clause
Dangling modifier errors are extremely common, all the way to (and past) high school graduation. If a sentence begins with a dependent introductory clause, the subject of that clause must be the same as the subject of the main clause that follows, otherwise the modifier will modify a word that is not clearly present in the sentence, thus "dangling."
For example: "Having finished the repairs, the car drove out of Jim's Autobody Shop."
Example Question #1 : Pronoun Referents
A personal pronoun is ________________.
any word that takes the place of a proper noun
None of these
any word that takes the place of a noun
a word that takes the place of a proper noun specifically associated with a person or speaker
a word that takes the place of a proper noun specifically associated with a person or speaker
Note here that some proper nouns can be replaced with pronouns that are not associated with a person, think of towns of countries, for instance. Personal pronouns only refer to people.
Example Question #2 : Pronoun Referents
In the given sentence, to which grammatical object does “they” refer?
If only Kevin and Charles had thought to talk to the umpires, they would have avoided the whole problem.
Kevin and Charles
None of these
The umpires
The whole problem
Kevin and Charles
In order to avoid a dangling modifier, “they” must refer to the subject of the introductory clause, Kevin and Charles.
Example Question #1 : Ftce
A comparative adjective form is used to describe ________________.
None of these
distinguish one item from a group of more than three items in terms of a quality
two, and only two, proper nouns
two, and only two, objects being directly compared to one another in terms of a quality
two, and only two, objects being directly compared to one another in terms of a quality
Comparative adjectives are used when two objects are being directly compared. "The sun is brighter than the moon," is an example of a comparative adjective. Superlative adjectives are used to distinguish one item from many. "Of all the bodies in our galaxy, the sun is the brightest."
Comparative and superlative adjective forms can be used to describe any noun in terms of any quality.
Example Question #1 : Standard Spelling
Which of the following words is misspelled?
Sufficient
Supplicant
Suffice
Suface
Suface
"Suface" is not a word in English, this is a simple misspelling of the word "surface." All other words are correctly spelled.
Example Question #2 : Standard Spelling
A triangle with three sides of different lengths is called a ________ triangle.
Scalene
Scaleine
Scaline
Scaleen
Scaliene
Scalene
The word to describe a triangle with sides of equal length is spelled "scalene."
Example Question #3 : English Language Skills
Capital letters should be used _______________.
for proper nouns and to begin sentences
only for proper nouns
in a non-standard spelling; all capitalization rules are idiomatic
only to begin sentences
for proper nouns and to begin sentences
This is a very basic question interrogating the test-taker's knowledge of the rules of capitalization. While the rules of capitalization (not to mention spelling and punctuation) remained unstandardized for the vast majority of the history of the English language, at this point the rules are mostly set. Proper nouns (names, whether of people or things) always require capitalization, as do the words beginning any sentence.
Example Question #1 : Commonly Confused Words, Misused Words, And Phrases
Which of the following words is misspelled?
Afterthought
Predgjudice
Judgment
Perjury
Predgjudice
This is a simple case of standardized spelling knowledge. The correct spelling of “prejudice,” which means an opinion about something held without good reason or actual experience.
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