Sentence Skills: Sample Test

A) planning

B) are planning

C) with a plan

D) plans

2. The baby was obviously getting too hot, then Sam did what he couldto cool her

A) hot, then Sam did

B) hot, Sam did

C) hot; Sam, therefore, did

D) hot; Sam, trying to do

3. She hoped to find a new job. One that would let her earn money during the school year.

A) job. One that

B) job. The kind that

C) job, one that

D) job, so that it

4. Knocked sideways, the statue looked as if it would fall.

A) Knocked sideways, the statue looked

B) The statue was knocked sideways, looked

C) The statue looked knocked sideways

D) The statue, looking knocked sideways,

5. To walk, biking, and driving are Pat’s favorite ways of getting
around.

A) To walk, biking, and driving

B) Walking, biking, and driving

C) To walk, biking, and to drive

D) To walk, to bike, and also driving

6. When you cross the street in the middle of the block, this is anexample of jaywalking.

A) When you cross the street in the middle of the block, this

B) You cross the street in the middle of the block, this

C) Crossing the street in the middle of the block

D) The fact that you cross the street in the middle of the block

7. Walking by the corner the other day, a child, I noticed, was watchingfor the light to change.

A) a child, I noticed, was

B) I noticed a child watching

C) a child was watching, I noticed

D) there was, I noticed, a child watching

Construction Shift Questions:
Rewrite the sentence in your head, following the directions given below. Keep
in mind that your new sentence should be well written and should have essentially
the same meaning as the sentence given you.

8. Being a female jockey, she was often interviewed.

Rewrite, beginning with She was often interviewed…..

The next words will be

A) on account of she was


B) by her being

C) because she was

D) being as she was

9. In his songs, Gordon Lightfoot makes melody and lyrics intricately intertwine.

Rewrite, beginning with Melody and lyrics…..

Your new sentence will include

A) Gordon Lightfoot has

B) make Gordon Lightfoot’s

C) in Gordon Lightfoot’s

D) does Gordon Lightfoot

10. It is easy to carry solid objects without spilling them, but the same cannotbe said of liquids.

Rewrite, beginning with Unlike liquids…..

The next words will be

A) it is easy to

B) we can easily

C) solid objects can easily be

D) solid objects are easy to be

11. Excited children ran toward the loud music, and they told others about the ice cream truck outside.

Rewrite, beginning with The excited children, who had run toward the loud……

The next words will be

A) music, they told

B) music told

C) music, telling

D) music and had told

12. If he had enough strength, Todd would move the boulder.

Rewrite, beginning with Todd cannot move the boulder….

The next words will be

A) when lacking

B) because he

C) although there

D) without enough

13. The band began to play, and then the real party started.

Rewrite, beginning with The real party started….

The next words will be

A) after the band began

B) and the band began

C) although the band began

D) the band beginning