GED Language Arts (RLA) : Syntax
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Example Questions
Example Question #7 : Run On Sentences
1 I have always detested exploring caves, I believe spelunking is an eerie and unpleasant hobby. 2 However, what happened last week that made me revise my opinion which was going hiking with my friends and stumbling upon a vast unexplored gorge. 3 When we came across the mouth of a dark, grim cave I was immediately filled with trepidation therefore, I said I would stay outside. 4 Much to my surprise, a rainstorm came up forcing me inside to seek shelter. 5 Inside the cave, instead of macabre stalactites and enormous spiders, which I was expecting, I saw the most beautiful crystalline structures, the likes of which I’d never seen before. 6 The sheer pulchritude completely transformed my opinion on caves, I would not denigrate them again.
What is the correct way to rewrite Sentence 6?
(no change)
The sheer pulchritude completely transformed my opinion, on caves; and I would not denigrate them again.
The sheer pulchritude, completely transforming my opinion on caves, I would not denigrate them again
The sheer pulchritude completely transformed my opinion on caves; I would not denigrate them again.
The sheer pulchritude completely transformed my opinion on caves but I would not denigrate them again.
The sheer pulchritude completely transformed my opinion on caves; I would not denigrate them again.
This sentence contains a comma splice: the incorrect usage of a comma to separate two independent clauses. The correct punctuation between two independent clauses is either a semicolon or a comma with a conjunction word. (“Pulchritude” means beauty and “denigrate” means disparage.)
Example Question #1 : Completing Sentences
Read the passage and select the option that best completes each sentence.
When I go to a concert, there's a sort of energy in the air unlike any other. I don't mean just excitement, but it's like the excitement of everyone in the room, felt at once. I think that may be why it's so fun to meet people at shows, [Question 1]. Once the band starts playing, I totally forget about everyone around me, and I'm just completely in the moment. Usually this is a great feeling, but [Question 2]. Most of the time, it's not a problem; since we're all so excited about the music, it's hard to stay mad at someone else for running into me. By the end of the set, I'm completely exhausted, but still buzzing from that group enthusiasm. Overall, [Question 3].
because were all feeling the same way.
we're all feeling the same way.
and we're all feeling the same way.
because we're all feeling the same way.
because everyone disagrees about the band.
because we're all feeling the same way.
The beginning of the sentence is an independent clause, and so is the rest of the sentence in the way we are completing it. Because of this, it has to be separated with a comma and a conjunction, which is what "because" is doing. "And" doesn't make sense in the context of the sentence, and "because everyone disagrees about the band" does not reflect the main idea of the text. "Because were all feeling the same way" is incorrect because "were" needs to have an apostrophe to mean "we are."
Example Question #21 : Syntax
Read the passage and select the option that best completes each sentence.
When I go to a concert, there's a sort of energy in the air unlike any other. I don't mean just excitement, but it's like the excitement of everyone in the room, felt at once. I think that may be why it's so fun to meet people at shows, [Question 1]. Once the band starts playing, I totally forget about everyone around me, and I'm just completely in the moment. Usually this is a great feeling, but [Question 2]. Most of the time, it's not a problem; since we're all so excited about the music, it's hard to stay mad at someone else for running into me. By the end of the set, I'm completely exhausted, but still buzzing from that group enthusiasm. Overall, [Question 3].
the energy in the room is amazing.
this is why I don't like going to concerts.
sometimes people run into me without realizing.
most of the time people run into me without realizing.
sometimes people high-five me.
sometimes people run into me without realizing.
The sentence starts with a good thing, then uses the conjunction "but," which tells us that the next thing is going to be negative in some way, and it starts with "usually," so we know the following part won't be frequent. These factors rule out "most of the time people...," "sometimes people high-five me," and "the energy in the room is amazing." The statement "this is why I don't like going to concerts" is the opposite of the main idea of the passage, leaving "sometimes people run into me without realizing" as the correct answer.
Example Question #3 : Completing Sentences
Read the passage and choose the option that best completes each sentence.
When I go to a concert, there's a sort of energy in the air unlike any other. I don't mean just excitement, but it's like the excitement of everyone in the room, felt at once. I think that may be why it's so fun to meet people at shows, [Question 1]. Once the band starts playing, I totally forget about everyone around me, and I'm just completely in the moment. Usually this is a great feeling, but [Question 2]. Most of the time, it's not a problem; since we're all so excited about the music, it's hard to stay mad at someone else for running into me. By the end of the set, I'm completely exhausted, but still buzzing from that group enthusiasm. Overall, [Question 3].
live music is a waste of money.
seeing a live concert is a totally different experience than listening to music at home.
be careful of other people when you're at a concert.
you should use hearing protection at concerts.
the excitement and energy at a live concert is an amazing thing to experience.
the excitement and energy at a live concert is an amazing thing to experience.
This sentence should summarize the general idea of the passage, which we can tell by the word "overall". "You should use hearing protection at concerts" and "live music is a waste of money" both bring in new statements rather than summarizing the passage. "Be careful of other people when you're at a concert" mentions a smaller part of the text, but not the whole passage, and "seeing a live concert is a totally different experience than listening to music at home" refers to a comparison that wasn't made, leaving "the excitement and energy at a live concert is an amazing thing to experience" as the correct answer.
Example Question #4 : Completing Sentences
1 Baby elephants have an extensive gestation period of around two years, [Question One]. 2 Although they can walk soon after they are born, baby elephants are quite feeble for the first few weeks of their lives. 3 Around three months after birth, baby elephants are capable of foraging for their own food [Question 2]. 4 They communicate with their mothers by intertwining or touching their trunks [Question 3]. 5 Young elephants are very intelligent, [Question 4]. 6 That is to say, all ages of elephants can communicate, interpret human behavior, use tools, and even mourn their dead.
Which of the following phrases best completes Sentence 3?
, which mainly of grasses, fruits, twigs, and tree bark.
: is mainly of grasses, fruits, twigs, and tree bark.
; mainly of grasses, fruits, twigs, and tree bark.
: of which mainly grasses, fruits, twigs, and tree bark.
, which consists mainly of grasses, fruits, twigs, and tree bark.
, which consists mainly of grasses, fruits, twigs, and tree bark.
You may be able to hear the correct answer by reading it aloud in the sentence, or you may notice that only the options preceded by the comma would fit grammatically. Colons precede lists, and semicolons separate two independent clauses. Neither of those situations applies here.
Example Question #22 : Syntax
1 Baby elephants have an extensive gestation period of around two years, [Question One]. 2 Although they can walk soon after they are born, baby elephants are quite feeble for the first few weeks of their lives. 3 Around three months after birth, baby elephants are capable of foraging for their own food [Question 2]. 4 They communicate with their mothers by intertwining or touching their trunks [Question 3]. 5 Young elephants are very intelligent, [Question 4]. 6 That is to say, all ages of elephants can communicate, interpret human behavior, use tools, and even mourn their dead.
Which of the following phrases best completes Sentence 4?
, they are generally social animals even as adults.
, which they are generally social animals even as adults.
, while they remain generally social animals even as adults.
, whereas generally they remain social animals, even as adults.
, and they are generally social animals even as adults.
, and they are generally social animals even as adults.
The relationship between the two parts of this sentence is one of agreement, not opposition. That rules out the choices beginning with “while” and “whereas.” The option beginning with “they are” is ungrammatical, as a comma cannot separate two independent clauses. “Which they are generally social animals even as adults” is a mixed construction.
Example Question #6 : Completing Sentences
1 Baby elephants have an extensive gestation period of around two years, [Question One]. 2 Although they can walk soon after they are born, baby elephants are quite feeble for the first few weeks of their lives. 3 Around three months after birth, baby elephants are capable of foraging for their own food [Question 2]. 4 They communicate with their mothers by intertwining or touching their trunks [Question 3]. 5 Young elephants are very intelligent, [Question 4]. 6 That is to say, all ages of elephants can communicate, interpret human behavior, use tools, and even mourn their dead.
Which of the following phrases best completes Sentence 5?
; whereas, adults being more clever.
, as are adults.
, while adults tend to be slower.
, however, adults are too.
: being much more clever than adults.
, as are adults.
Reading Sentence 6 makes it clear that young elephants and adults are both very intelligent. The only choice that expresses this relationship grammatically is “as are adults.” (The choice beginning with “however” is incorrectly punctuated and should be preceded by a semicolon, not a comma.)
Example Question #7 : Completing Sentences
1 Over the past few decades, an abundance of new cooking techniques [Question 1]. 2 A combination of internet tutorials, popular cooking shows, and celebrity chefs [Question 2]. 3 Today, professional and amateur cooks alike have access to information and tools that allow them to explore everything from fire-roasting vegetables [Question 3]. 4 Some chefs [Question 4], a strategy they say allows them to respect tradition while maintaining innovation. 5 Among these old techniques [Question 5] pickling, fermenting, and smoking, for instance. 6 Whether you’re interested in X, Y, or Z [Question 6].
Which of the following phrases best completes Sentence 4?
, also resurrecting old techniques
, were also resurrecting old techniques
which have also resurrected old techniques
are also resurrecting old techniques
having also resurrected old techniques
are also resurrecting old techniques
Since the second half of Sentence 4 is a dependent clause, the missing part of the sentence must supply the subject and verb to make it an independent clause. The only choices here that do so are “are also resurrecting old techniques” and “, were also resurrecting old techniques.” The latter choice is incorrect because of the comma and the past tense verb “were.”
Example Question #8 : Completing Sentences
1 Over the past few decades, an abundance of new cooking techniques [Question 1]. 2 A combination of internet tutorials, popular cooking shows, and celebrity chefs [Question 2]. 3 Today, professional and amateur cooks alike have access to information and tools that allow them to explore everything from fire-roasting vegetables [Question 3]. 4 Some chefs [Question 4], a strategy they say allows them to respect tradition while maintaining innovation. 5 Among these old techniques [Question 5] pickling, fermenting, and smoking, for instance. 6 Whether you’re interested in X, Y, or Z [Question 6].
Which of the following phrases best completes Sentence 5?
are various antiquated means of preserving foods:
was various antiquated means of preserving foods:
are various antiquated means of preserving foods;
were various antiquated means of preserving foods,
is various antiquated means of preserving foods,
are various antiquated means of preserving foods:
Since the beginning of Sentence 5 introduces a list, the correct punctuation mark is a colon. Since several techniques are being listed, the correct verb conjugation is “are” (present tense and plural). This eliminates all but one of the choices.
Example Question #9 : Completing Sentences
1 Over the past few decades, an abundance of new cooking techniques [Question 1]. 2 A combination of internet tutorials, popular cooking shows, and celebrity chefs [Question 2]. 3 Today, professional and amateur cooks alike have access to information and tools that allow them to explore everything from fire-roasting vegetables [Question 3]. 4 Some chefs [Question 4], a strategy they say allows them to respect tradition while maintaining innovation. 5 Among these old techniques [Question 5] pickling, fermenting, and smoking, for instance. 6 Whether you’re interested in X, Y, or Z [Question 6].
Which of the following phrases best completes Sentence 6?
, certainly it is being an exciting time as a chef.
; it’s certainly an exciting time to be a chef.
, certainly an exciting time as a chef.
, it’s certainly an exciting time to be a chef.
: it is certainly an exciting time to be a chef.
, it’s certainly an exciting time to be a chef.
The beginning of Sentence 6 is a dependent clause, so we know that the rest of the sentence must be an independent clause. We also know that the two must be separated with a comma. Lastly, “certainly it is being an exciting time as a chef” is too convoluted to be the best choice.
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