Appendix B
Diagnostic Test
This test contains items in three categories: grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Some items are easy; others are hard. Do your best to answer all items within the one-hour time limit.
Part I. Grammatical Usage
Directions: Read each sentence and decide whether there is an error in usage in any part of the sentence. If you find an error, note the letter printed immediately after the wrong word or phrase, and write that letter on your answer sheet. If you do not fi nd an error, write the letter “E.” No sentence has more than one error. Some sentences do not have any errors.
Sample:
Roger, Jane, (A) and Henry is (B) coming to (C) the party at (D) our house.
In this sentence, “is” is wrong. Place the letter “B” on your answer sheet.
Sample:
The (A) Indian (B) flung (C) his tomahawk (D) at the intruder.
In this sentence there is no error before any of the letters; therefore, an “E” should be written on the answer sheet.
1. Its (A) up to him (B) to complete (C) the job on time, according (D) to the contract.
2. Whatever the consequences, (A) he (B) and her (C) must unfailingly be absolved (D) of all responsibility.
3. The Spanish took the first printing press (A) in North America to Mexico City, where it’s (B) fi rst issue (C) was a religious (D) work.
4. Armbruster confessed that, unlike most men, (A) he actually (B) enjoyed the procession (C) of fad’s (D) in women’s hats.
5. “It’s (A) she!” (B) Conrad breathed softly as the spotlight illuminated (C) for a moment (D) a hauntingly beautiful face in the crowd.
6. Having (A) fought in World War II, (B) your Aug. 25 editorial, (C) “Civilian Casualties in Vietnam,” (D) is puzzling.
7. Although (A) Drake was not expected to give UCLA much of a battle, everyone (B) got their (C) money’s (D) worth when the Uclans fi nally won in overtime, 85–82.
8. Each one of the Miss Teen-Agers were (A) judged on her (B) talent, her (C) poise and her (D) personality.
9. They invited (A) my wife and I (B) to the party, but neither (C) of us was (D) able to go.
10. If you hope to use the English (A) language correctly, (B) you must be sure each (C) pronoun agrees with their (D) antecedent.
11. Among the countries (A) that fought over feudal (B) claims during (C) the 12th century was (D) France and England.
12. Among the 10,000 people (A) who sometimes lived at Louis XIV’s (B) Palace of Versailles were hundreds of parasites (C) and hangers-on. (D)
13. “Lay (A) down and be quiet for an hour,” (B) he ordered. “If you make a sound, I’ll (C) skin you alive.” (D)
14. The 6-year-old (A) boy was just sitting (B) there in the ruins, (C) trying (D) not to cry.
15. After lunch she laid (A) down for a nap, (B) but the doorbell rang (C) before she could fall (D) asleep.
16. Its (A) one of the fastest-growing (B) and most profi table (C) lines in (D) the entire steel industry.
17. Whom (A) do you think will be eliminated (B) in the semifi nals (C) of the golden gloves tournament (D) Saturday?
18. He was tall, dark, and (A) good looking, (B) in the lean-and hungry (C) tradition (D) of the American West.
19. “I wonder who’s (A) bicycle (B) this is,” the patrolman (C) mused as he stood at the scene of the mysterious (D) crime.
20. According to my uncle’s (A) will, the automobile will be her’s (B) and the colonial (C) furniture (D) at the house will be mine.
21. Henry was elected chairman by unanimous (A) vote, and (B) will offi ciate only at irregular (C) intervals. (D)
22. Neither of the winners were (A) willing to shake hands after the disastrous (B) match at Wimbledon (C) last (D) year.
23. The crow is often thought of as a predator; (A) hence, (B) it’s (C) function as a scavenger (D) is sometimes overlooked.
24. There (A) he stands on the bluff, looking (B) moodily (C) across the Mississippi toward (D) the lost lands of his ancestors.
25. She, (A) as well as many others of her sex, do (B) not appreciate (C) the fi ne art of wrestling. (D)
26. Nobody (A) is more (B) generous (C) than him, (D) not even my own father.
27. Quentin payed (A) his debts in full; (B) then, almost penniless, (C) he began the promotion that was to make him (D) a millionaire, once more.
28. Swinging from the telephone wire, they (A) saw the remnant (B) of a kite’s (C) tail and some tattered (D) paper.
29. The Optimists Club and the newer (A) group, the Civic Society (B) for Advancing Commerce and Culture, was (C) helping in the drive. (D)
30. A box of tongue (A) depressors (B) are (C) a useful object (D) to have around the house, according to a report in the “AMA Journal.”
31. He (A) and she (B) makes (C) big plans to honor the seven well-known (D) guests.
32. Only (A) one of us are (B) going to town today, although (C) three of us (D) will go tomorrow.
33. The rose smells sweetly, (A) particularly (B) when it blooms in a southern garden bathed (C) in the light of an early August (D) moon.
34. The seven-man (A) team gives (B) it’s (C) trophies to its (D) sailing club.
35. The oldest (A) twin was born (B) shortly before midnight (C) on Dec. 31, 1834, in the midst (D) of one of the worst snowstorms of the century.
Part II. Spelling
In some of the following groups of words, one word may be misspelled. If you fi nd a wrongly spelled word, note the letter printed before it and write that letter on your answer sheet. If you think all four words are correctly spelled, write “E” on the answer sheet.
36. a. bountry
b. certain
c. audible
d. bankruptcy
e. none wrong
37. a. development
b. deceitful
c. allies
d. cheif
e. none wrong
38. a. abscess
b. condemn
c. accommoda
d. committee
e. none wrong
39. a. caulk
b. drowned
c. artillery
d. bananas
e. none wrong
40. a. equaled
b. battalion
c. basically
d. boisterous
e. none wrong
41. a. customary
b. contemptable
c. buries
d. chauffeur
e. none wrong
42. a. unanimous
b. vaccinate
c. warrent
d. yield
e. none wrong
43. a. varicose
b. coller
c. wherever
d. zephyr
e. none wrong
44. a. exorbitant
b. entrance
c. fundamental
d. fragrent
e. none wrong
35. a. guidance
b. hopeless
c. ghost
d. heroine
e. none wrong
46 a. itself
b. judicial
c. irrevelant
d. knowledge
e. none wrong
47. a. ptomaine
b. rehearsal
c. rhyme
d. seperate
e. none wrong
48. a. utility
b. verified
c. wholly
d. until
e. none wrong
49. a. wheather
b. yourself
c. visa
d. zoology
e. none wrong
50. a. encourage
b. frivolous
c. gueusome
d. hazardous
e. none wrong
51. a. interfere
b. loneliness
c. menu
d. nullify
e. none wrong
52. a. annual
b. accomodate
c. forty
d. height
e. none wrong
53. a. ladies
b. khaki
c. illiterite
d. jealous
e. none wrong
54. a. alot
b. bureau
c. article
d. biscuit
e. none wrong
55. a. defendent
b. chimney
c. detriment
d. continually
e. none wrong
56. a. tariff
b. sherrif
c. radiator
d. quarter
e. none wrong
57. a. ambiguous
b. built
c. chassis
d. desperate
e. none wrong
58. a. gnawing
b. February
c. handkerchief
d. economize
e. none wrong
59. a. recieve
b. knuckle
c. immigrate
d. legislation
e. none wrong
60. a. kindergarten
b. lavender
c. immovable
d. inaccuracy
e. none wrong
61. a. magizine
b. nearby
c. oblige
d. pageant
e. none wrong
62. a. pathos
b. obscene
c. necessary
d. mahagany
e. none wrong
63. a. nickel
b. occurence
c. necessary
d. paralysis
e. none wrong
64. a. indetify
b. pendulum
c. monstrous
d. neutral
e. none wrong
65. a. rarity
b. quietly
c. sauerkraut
d. temprament
e. none wrong
Part III. Punctuation
Read each sentence and decide whether there is an error in punctuation at any place in the sentence. If you find an error, note the letter printed immediately after the place where the error occurs and write that letter on your answer sheet. If you think the sentence is punctuated correctly, write the letter “E” on your answer sheet. No sentence has more than one error. Some sentences do not have errors.
Sample:
The tough, (A) hard-(B) boiled center (C) began to cry, (D) his leg was broken.
In this sentence the comma after cry is wrong; it should be a semicolon. Therefore the letter “D” should be written on your answer sheet.
66. The average person (A) is not financially able to do a great deal of traveling, (B) therefore, (C) he will probably never have the chance to see the places he reads about. (D)
67. The executioner, (A) who inherited his rituals from his father and grandfather (B) reported only the customary, doleful (C) “It is done!” (D) to the commissioner of police.
68. In his long, (A) glowing letters to his son-in-law (B) in the old country, Old Jules, (C) the patriarch of the settlement (D) made the desert seem like an Eden.
69. Knowing nothing, (A) of the terms of the contract, (B) Peterkin hesitated; (C) nevertheless, (D) driven by anxiety, he signed it.
70. Waters said that the network documentary depicting hunger among migrant workers did not startle the American people, (A) it only stirred them momentarily in their (B) “fat,” (C) smug complacency. (D)
71. Columbus’ (A) luck changed (B) after he made three acquaintances; (C) a shipbuilder, a financier (D) and a friend of the King of Spain.
72. Since air is dissolved by water at the surface (A) the shape of an aquarium is important; (B) too small an opening (C) may cause an oxygen deficiency. (D)
73. The dean, (A) so far as I could tell (B) shared my feelings; (C) but he made little effort to establish responsible student government. (D)
74. The hot (A) days of summer (B) make me feel (C) that I could cheerfully leave Dubuque, Iowa (D) forever.
75. For breakfast (A) I usually have an egg, (B) some toast (C) coffee (D) and a glass of prune juice.
76. “Get off at the next main intersection,” (A) the bus driver shouted. (B) The (C) park entrance is two blocks to the right.” (D)
77. Last night’s (A) paper had been used (B) to wrap garbage (C) but I found one dated two weeks (D) earlier.
78. Mrs. Bones tried not to gasp as she viewed her daughter’s garb; (A) pointed black tights (B) and skirt, orange lipstick (C) and bleached yellow hair pulled back (D) in an untidy bun.
79. The assistant (A) who ordinarily is highly efficient, (B) was all thumbs (C) in today’s (D) experiment.
80. A week later the murder remained unsolved, (A) however, (B) Lt. (C) Holmes’ (D) squad had discovered some new clues.
81. He wasn’t (A) much help on the farm that year, (B) he was always off chasing butterflies and (C) looking for birds’ (D) nests.
82. The night manager (A) said that he sought a man who had four qualities (B) in particular: (C) honesty, (D) imagination, inquisitiveness and responsibility.
83. “Usually, (A) he wasn’t (B) available (C) Jane, so we had to find another helper,” (D) Farley explained to the girl.
84. Harvey soberly told the group that, (A) “there’s (B) not a chance” (C) of repairing (D) the heavily damaged bridge.
85. Members of the advisory (A) board were as follows; (B) John Fox, Miami; Joseph Horn, Denver; (C) and Arthur Block, (D) Pittsburgh.
86. “If I’m (A) not allowed to go (and I suspect I won’t be), (B) I’ll (C) just have to make the best of a dull vacation here,” (D) Mary said.
87. The governor’s (A) temporary financial adviser, (B) had no time for what he considered (C) stupidity (D) but was tolerant of laziness.
88. Twenty-five tons of TNT (A) were used in blasting the 300-(B) foot
89. The award went (A) to George Kellers, (B) 17, (C) of 2345 Heather Dr., (D) who submitted a group of five poems.
90. “I can’t (A) find Liechtenstein on this map,” said Lovel, (B) “but (C) my best guess is that its (D) near Switzerland.”
91. Finally grasping Twain’s (A) purpose (B) in retelling (C) the story (D) the crowd roared.
92. The Clean Government Society, (A) an organization (B) opposed to the present (C) city administration (D) will meet tonight.
93. The Indian ambassador said (A) that Americans shouldn’t (B) expect developing nations (C) to copy the United States’ (D) economic institutions.
94. “You’ll (A) never understand Victorian (B) England, (C) Myrtle (D) unless you grasp the significance of the Industrial Revolution,” Miss Prentice lectured her pupil.
95. Jasper W. Whipp, (A) grand kleagle of the Hominee County chapter (B) thundered, “The time has come (C) to return to the robes and the torches!”(D)
96. The busy housewife (A) may walk 20 miles a day (B) and never leave her home, (C) furthermore, a lot of travel (D) may be up and down a flight of stairs.
97. Snow choked the sidewalks, (A) streets and highways and buried the bushes (B) and park benches, (C) it covered windows and doors of the ranch- (D) style homes in suburban Elmwood Heights.
98. The social worker found the little house tremendously cluttered with badly worn furniture, books, clothing and babies’ (A) toys; (B) but the children were reasonably clean (C) and obviously most happy with their pleasant, (D) if somewhat untidy, mother.
99. They scraped up a hasty, (A) catch-as-catch-can (B) dinner from the assortment of canned foods before beginning the 28 (C) mile hike to the trail (D) camp.
100. In most respects the hotel (A) is admirably situated. (B) It is near the corner of Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street, (C) within walking distance of mid- (D) town points of interest.