English 50 Items with Rationalization
1. The editor found the news story not so entertaining. He found it full of:
A. Adjectives
B. Verbs
C. Pronouns
D. Adverbs
Rationalization: The answer is letter C “pronoun” because it considered as a “function” word – meaning it
is dependent on the “content words present in the sentence. In English content words are the following:
prepositions,
conjunctions,
articles
and
pronouns.
2. “ On the street of this position of God’s world I feel neighbor to a rat, so brother of a worm; Forever
chasing rainbows a t muddy margins. “ This line on Quemada’s poem is saying that:
A. Life is fruitful
B. Life is not worth living
C. Life is empty and meaningless
D. Life is full of challenges
Rationalization: One can easily infer that the answer is letter D primarily because one can visualize that
the persona is facing difficulties in life.
3. “ The whale has no famous author and whaling no famous chronicles.” Based on this line from the
novel, Moby dick is treated as:
A. Whaliing is not truly structure.
B. Whales are ordinary creatures
C. Whales is a wild mammal that haunts mariners.
D. Whaling is an Old hobby.
Rationalization: The Phrases “ no famous author” and “ no famous chronicles” would indicate that the
answer is letter B.
4. Venus is an exemplication of feminine pulchritude. Pulchritude means:
A. Plain
B. Beauty
C. Ugliness
D. Homeliness
Rationalization: Using context clues, one can easily infer that the answer is B “beauty” because “Venus” is
the roman goddess of beauty.
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5. Samantha’s eyes are blurred and her hands ached. She _______________ at the computer for 6 long hours.
Finally, she took a break.
A. was seated
B. has seated
C. would have seated
D. had been seated
Rationalization: B – The second sentence is in the present perfect tense, and so the auxillary verb must be
“ has” plus the “ past participle” from of the verb.
6. After 7 depressing years, mitch finally quit the job. She ____________________ along with her superior for a
long time before she finally decided to look for a new position.
A. didn’t
B. isn’t getting
C. hasn’t been getting
D. hadn’t getting
Rationalization: The sentence with missing parts is in the perfect progressive tense since that there are
two past actions where still happening when the second transpired. Therefore, the auxiliary verb must be
“ had” plus “been” and the -ing form of the verb. The answer is letter D.
7. Five years of intensive language study are required for second language learners. Chun – Li
_________________ English for three years, but she will need more training to be more proficient.
A. has studied
B. will have been studying
C. has been studying
D. hadn’t been getting
Rationalization: The second sentence is in the present perfect progressive tense because the action
started somewhere in the past, still happening at present and will continue to happen in the future. The
auxiliary verb must be “has” plus “been” and the -ing form of the verb. The answer is letter C.
8. The laborers are so happy that ________ now reaping the fruit ____ efforts.
A. they’re – their
B. they’re – there
C. there – their
D. their – their
Rationalization: “They” is a personal pronoun, “Their” is a possessive pronoun, while “They’re” is a
combination of “they” and “are”. The correct answer is letter A.
9. This seatwork is difficult for Paul and _______.
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A. Myself
B. I
C. Me
D. Himself
Rationalization: Tough choice would be between B and C. the answer is C “me” because “I” must only be
used if you are the subject of the sentence of if you are the doer of the action, while “me” is used is you are
the object of the sentence or if you are the receiver of the action.
10. The candy care smells ______________.
A. Sweet
B. Sweetly
C. Sweeter
D. More sweet
Rationalization: “ smells “ is a verb of senses – meaning it could be either function as an action or linking
verb. It is functioning as an action verb if the subject is capable of movement and if there is direct object.
It functions as a linking verb if the subject is not capable of movement. Since that “candy” cannot move,
the verb “smells” functions as a linking verb. The sentence pattern therefore is S-LV-PA (Subject, Linking
Verb, Predicative Adjective) and so, the answer is “ sweet”.
11. What is the biggest hindrance in learning a second language?
A. grammar
B. structure of language
C. imagery
D. cross-cultural issues
Rationalization: The answer is letter D because second language learning entails learning about culture of
the language origin.
12. Which among these words has [z] end sound?
A. Maps
B. Jokes
C. Laughs
D. Buys
13. Which among these words has the starting [th] sound?
A. Thank
B. These
C. Think
D. Thing
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14. Which among these words has the voiced [th] sound?
A. Mouth
B. Breath
C. Teeth
D. Health
15. Which of the words below has the [zh] sound?
A. Ships
B. Shore
C. She
D. Leisure
16. Which among these words has the [id] end sound?
A. Praised
B. Mailed
C. Judged
D. Needed
Rationalization: A sound is voiced if there are vibrations on the vocal cords, and Voiceless is there is none.
12. D, 13. B, 14. B, 15.D, 16. D
17. Audiolingualism is a new language teaching approach that mainly focuses on _________
A. Syntax
B. Structure
C. Reading
D. Pronounciation
Rationalization: The answer is D “pronunciation” because in Grammar Teaching Approaches,
Audiolingualism focuses on pronunciation.
18. Rubric as a measuring instrument that is best use in assessing _______________
A. Sentence structure
B. Oral recitation
C. Multiple choice test
D. Dictation test
Rationalization: Rubrics are often times used when objectivity might be questionable. Often times rubrics
are used to steer away from personal biases of the assessor. Multiple choice test, sentence structure, and
dictation tests would have exact answers, while it is very difficult to assess oral examination – and so, the
answer is letter B.
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19. Manuel Arguilla is one of the most important Filipino writers of all time. He wrote the Juan Tamad
series and the short story “ How my brother Leon brought Home a wife.” He is famous in injecting themes
with ________ in his story.
A. Urbanity
B. Cosmopolitanism
C. Local Color
D. Ranch life
Rationalization: C is the answer. Manuel Arguilla’s fiction depicts rural life in the Philippines.
20. Who wrote the novel “ The jungle Book”
A. Victor Hugo
B. Rudyard Kipling
C. William March
D. K.L Mansfield
Rationalization: Rudyard Kipling wrote “ The Jungle Book”. His writings are mostly fables and set in the
forest in India.
21. This Victor Hugo’s Masterpiece that talks about the French revolution.
A. Les Miserables
B. Hunchback of Notre Dame
C. Annakarenina
D. Fathers and Sons
Rationalization: Hugo did not write Annakarenina and Fathers and Sons. Hugo wrote Hunchbak of Notre
Dame and les Miserables, the former is about Quasimodo and Esmeralda, while the latter is about Jeanne
Val Jeanne Cossette which is set during the French Revolution.
22. A comma indicates:
A. Pause
B. Slight pause
C. Longer pause
D. No pause
Rationalization: There are three types of juncture, a comma or “single slash” means slight pause; a period
or “double slashes” means longer pause; end of the paragraph or “triple slashes” means longest pause.
The answer is B.
23. Which word has the C pronounced as /k/?
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A. Century
B. Cold
C. City
D. Censure
Ans: B
24. Which word is accented on the first syllable?
A. Fifteen
B. Outspeak
C. Understand
D. Heaven
Ans: D
25. Which word has the C pronounced as /s/?
A. Censure
B. Connote
C. Comma
D. Collaborate
Ans: A
26. Loreto Paras Sulit’s Short story that revolves around the theme that beauty can be very dangerous
titled ___________
A. The Harvest
B. The Beautiful Stranger
C. Desire
D. Beautiful Liar
Rationalization: The answer is letter A “ The Harvest”. Fidel and Vidal are brothers who both got
attracted to Miss Francia, and this attraction to Miss Francia led to heartaches of both brothers.
27. She is _______ a plane
A. in
B. on
C. at
D. into
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Rationalization: The is B “on”. The preposition is used in vehicles that are huge enough for one to work
inside it.
28. Robert Frost’s poems are commonly about ______________.
A. Beautiful girls
B. Decision making and fate
C. God and Faith
D. End of the World
Rationalization: The answer is letter B. His poems “ Fire and Ice”, The Road Not Taken”, and “Stopping by
the Woods on a Snowy Evening” are mainly about taking the risk, decision making and the power of
choice.
29. F. Scot Fitzgerald’s Story that is about the boy who was born and gets younger every day is titled
___________
A. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
B. The Greatest Gatsby
C. The Innocent Boy
D. Growing Young
Rationalization: The answer is letter A. This story was adapted into film and stars Bard Pitt. Bejamin was
born old and died young as baby.
30. In the ballet presentation “Swan Lake” by Tchaikovsky, Who seduced the prince?
A. Black Swan
B. Golden Swan
C. Swan Witch
D. Ugly Duckling
Rationalization: The Black Swan seduced the prince that is why the White Swan committed suicide in the
end. So the answer is letter A.
31. In Chauser’s Canterbury Tales, Which tale talks about three friends who killed each other for the chest
filled with treasures?
A. Pardoner’s Tale
B. Knight’s Tale
C. Merchant’s Tale
D. The Nun Priest’s Tale
Rationalization: The answer Is letter A. The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories told by the different
pilgrims on their way to Canterbury.
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32. Rabindranath Tagore’s poem “ Innermost One” is taken from the collection of devotional songs titled
________.
A. Gitanjali
B. Shakuntala
C. Ramayana
D. Mahabharata
Rationalization: The answer is A. Gitanjali means “ Songs of Offering” which is a collection of vespers and
prayers.
33. It determines if a sound is voiced of voiceless
A. Uvuka
B. Voice Box
C. Tongue
D. Alveolar Ridge
Ans: B
34. Family of Consonant sounds where the air is held back for a moment before it is released abruptly.
A. Fricative
B. Plosive
C. Affricate
D. Glides
Ans: B
35. Paz Marquez Benitez wrote a story about a love triangle amongst Alfredo, Esperanza, and Julia. What
is the title of this masterpiece?
A. Wedding Dance
B. Dead Stars
C. Desire
D. Tatsulok
Rationalization: B – Dead Star is considered the first Filipino literary masterpiece written in English. It is
about Alfredo who loves not love it self but only the idea of it.
36. What makes the sentence below erroneous?
“ I have written a letter yesterday.”
A. Yesterday
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B. Have
C. A
D. Letter
Rationalization: The answer is letter A “yesterday” because in the present perfect tense we are not
allowed to put a definite time marker.
37. What is NOT true about the present perfect tense?
A. The action started somewhere in the past and continued up until present
B. It must bear with it the auxiliary verb has/have plus the past participle form of the verb
C. The action is still happening at present or just recently ended
D. The action is happening at present and may still happen in the future.
Rationalization: The answer is letter D because it pertains to present perfect progressive.
38. He is considered the father of essay.
A. Michel de Montaigne
B. Francis Bacon
C. William Shakespeare
D. George Eliot
Ans: A
39. Which work of Leo Tolstoy is about the Napoleonic invasion in Russia?
A. War and Peace
B. Annakarenina
C. God Sees the truth but Waits
D. Father and Sons
Ans: A
40. The film “ Tatarin” is based on the short story by Nick Joaquin titled ________
A. May Day Eve
B. Summer Solstice
C. Three Generations
D. Woman with Two Navels
Ans: B
41. Read the poem below:
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“ That the wind seraphs of heaven
Coveted here and me
That is the reason, not so long ago
In a kingdom by the sea
A wind blew out of a cloud
Chillin and Killin my Annabel Lee”
What is the cause of death of Annabel Lee?
A. Consumption
B. Dengue
C. HIV
D. Hepatitis
Rationalization: Letter A is the answer as can be inferred from the last two lines of the excerpt.
Consumption is also known as TB.
42. Who is considered as the father of detective stories?
A. Edgar Allan Poe
B. William Shakespare
C. Robert Frost
D. Shoguna
Rationalization: The answer is A Edgar Allan Poe. His story the Cask of Amontillado is one of the
examples of his detective stories.
43. The velum is also known as the _____________
A. Hard Palate
B. Soft Palate
C. Uvula
D. Alveolar Ridge
Ans: B
44. In Carlos Bulosan’s“ My father Goes to Court” What is the accusation of the rich father?
A. Stealing the Aroma of the food.
B. Stealing the kitchen utensils
C. Stealing the gold bars found under the bed of the rich family
D. Cheating on his wife
Rationalization: The answer is letter A. In the end of the story, the poor father was able to pay the rich
father by letting him hear the sound of tingling sound of coins.
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45. In Paz latorena’s Story “Desire” , the main character has a sexy body but a _______________
A. Homely Face
B. Twisted mind
C. Scaly Skin
D. Low I.Q
Rationalization: The answer is A. The main character possesses a beautify body but an ugly face. The
word “homely” is a euphemism for ugly.
46. The lines below are taken from Shakespearean play?
“ If you prick us, shall we not bleed?
If you tickle us, shall we not laugh?
If you poison us, shall we not die?
And If you wrong us, shall we not seek revenge?
A. Romeo and Juliet
B. Merchant of Venice
C. Hamlet
D. Macbeth
Rationalization: The lines above are taken from Shylock Speech. The answer is letter B.
47. What is TRUE about the Past Perfect Tense?
A. There must be two past actions
B. The auxiliary verb must be “has”
C. The main verb must be in the present participial form
D. The auxiliary verb “had” must not be used
Rationalization: The answer is A. In the past perfect tense there must be two past actions, the first one
happened before the second one transpired.
48. Dante Aligieri’s Divine Comedy is Originally titled _____________
A. Comedia
B. Divina Comedia
C. Comedia de Divina
D. Divina de CovalandiaComedia
Rationalization: The answer is A. Divina Comedia is just an Italian translation. It was originally titled
“Comedia” But the Pope and the King added “Divine” to it because people who have read the novel
immediately repented on their sins.
49. Divine Comedy is a trilogy, which among the three is the most widely read?
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A. Purgatory
B. Heaven
C. Paradise
D. Inferno
Rationalization: The answer is D Inferno because many became interested in reading it because they
want to know the punishment of their sins.
50. Who is considered as the master of short story writing?
A. Edgar Allan Poe
B. Leo Tolstoy
C. Jose Rizal
D. Rudyard Kipling
Ans: A
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