FTCE : Knowledge of standard English conventions
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for FTCE
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Example Questions
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.
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