EOC PRACTICE for LESSON 1 TEST
#1 COMBINING SENTENCES
1.
Hartford is the capital of Connecticut.
It is the second largest city in the state.
WRONG: The capital of Connecticut, Hartford is the second largest city in the state.
RIGHT: Hartford, the capital of Connecticut, is the second largest city in the state.
RIGHT: Hartford, the second largest city in the state, is the capital of Connecticut.
YOU TRY:
2.
Meriwether Lewis is justly famous for his expedition into the territory of the
Louisiana Purchase and beyond.
Few people know of his contributions to natural science.
WRONG: Meriwether Lewis is justly famous for his expedition into the territory of the
Louisiana Purchase and beyond, few people know of his contributions to natural science.
RIGHT: Meriwether Lewis is justly famous for his expedition into the territory of the
Louisiana Purchase and beyond, but few people know of his contributions to natural
science.
YOU TRY:
#2 QUOTATION MARKS
3.
We bake all our own pies said the waitress.
WRONG: “We bake all our own pies”, said the waitress.
YOU TRY:
4.
The parking attendant shouted look out for that bicycle.
WRONG: The parking attendant, shouted, “Look out for that bicycle”!
YOU TRY:
5.
This book is absorbing said Tim from the very first page.
WRONG: “This book is absorbing,” said Tim. “From the very first page.”
YOU TRY:
6.
This book is absorbing said Tim I can’t put it down.
WRONG: “This book is absorbing,” said Tim, “I can’t put it down.”
YOU TRY:
#3 Using Hyphens with Compound Adjectives
RULE: Hyphenate a compound adjective when it precedes the noun it modifies.
**There are exceptions when a compound adjective appears before a noun.**
Exception #1
Do not use a hyphen after an adverb ending in -ly.
Examples:
Freshly painted wall
Sickly sweet odor
Exception #2
Do not use a hyphen in a compound using a comparative (-er) or superlative (-est).
Examples:
Better sounding speakers
Oldest surviving member
Exception #3
Do not use a hyphen in a chemical term.
Examples:
Codeine phosphate solution
Monomethyl ether compound
Exception #4
Do not use a hyphen in a compound that uses a letter as the second part of the
adjective.
Examples:
Section 8 discharge
Type A personality
#4 Using Foreign Words and Phrases
1.
RSVP—(French) répondez s'il vous plaît, meaning “reply please” or "please
respond". (Use it as a verb.)
HOW TO USE: It is important for you to RSVP for my party, because I want to
have enough food for everyone.
2. déjà vu—(French)"already seen" : an impression or illusion of having seen
or experienced something before. (It can be used as a noun or an adjective.)
HOW TO USE: Whoa! I just had a déjà vu moment. I dreamed that you would say
that.
3. faux pas—(French) "false step" : violation of accepted, although unwritten,
social rules
HOW TO USE: It is a major faux pas in American fashion to wear white after Labor
Day. (Use it as a noun.)
4. du jour—(French) said of something fashionable or hip for a day and quickly
forgotten; literally "of the day"
HOW TO USE: The soup du jour is chicken noodle. (Use as the prepositional
phrase “of the day.”)
5. bon voyage—(French) literally "good journey"; have a good trip! (Use it as a
noun or exclamatory sentence.)
HOW TO USE: Honey! I left work early just to tell you “Bon voyage.”
6. alma mater—(Latin) “nourishing mother”; a school, college, or university
attended during one's formative years, which is often interpreted to mean from
where one earned one's first degree or doctorate, or both. The term may also
refer to a song or hymn associated with a school (Use it as a noun.)
HOW TO USE: It would be an honor to attend my parents’ alma mater. OR I am
always proud to sing my alma mater.
7. cum laude—(Latin) "with honor" (from a college or university) {Use as a
prepositional (adverb) phrase.}
magna cum laude—(Latin)"with great honor"
summa cum laude—(Latin) "with highest honor”
HOW TO USE: I am striving to graduate summa cum laude from college.
8. femme fatale—(French) “deadly woman”; a mysterious and seductive woman,
whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them
into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. (Use it as a noun.)
HOW TO USE: She was a beautiful seductress and femme fatale, because she would
always sway her target into giving up all their secrets.
9. esprit de corps—term used to describe the capacity of people to maintain belief in
an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others (Use it as a noun.)
HOW TO USE: The team was very motivated, and showed a high level of cohesion and
esprit de corps.
10. verbatim—(Latin) “word by word, exactly” (Use it as an adverb.)
HOW TO USE: He received a zero, because he copied his neighbor’s paper verbatim.
11. E pluribus unum—(Latin) “out of many, one”; out of many peoples, races,
religions and ancestries has emerged a single people and nation (Use it as a noun.)
HOW TO USE: The United States has coined the motto “E pluribus unum” because it
is a melting pot of many cultures.
12. prima donna—(Italian) “first lady”; a vain, undisciplined, egotistical, obnoxious
or temperamental person who finds it difficult to work under direction or as part of
a team, and although irritating, cannot be done without (Use it as a noun.)
HOW TO USE: Many Green Bay Packer fans believe that Brett Favre is a prima donna
who cares only about himself and his wallet.
13. avante-garde—(French) “advance guard”; refers to people or works that are
experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics; it
represents a pushing of the boundaries of what is accepted as the norm or the status
quo, primarily in the cultural realm (Use it as a noun.)
HOW TO USE: Fashion worn by the avant-garde are often seen everywhere.
14. status quo—(from Latin term “statu quo”) “the state in which”; the current or
existing state of affairs (Use it as a noun.)
HOW TO USE: Those with conservative beliefs hope to maintain the status quo, while
those who think more liberal seek change.
15. joie de vivre—(French) “the joy of living”; a cheerful enjoyment of life (Use it as
a noun.)
HOW TO USE: My joie de vivre was fading fast, and life felt pretty dark at times.
16. carte blanche—(French) “white (or blank) paper”; unrestricted power to act at
one's own discretion; unconditional authority (Use it as a noun.)
HOW TO USE: When it came to the team's hotel selection, the coach had carte
blanche.
17. caveat emptor—(Latin) “let the buyer beware”; the property law doctrine that
controls the sale of real property after the date of closing (Use as the imperative
statement “Let the buyer beware.”)
HOW TO USE: This item may not be worth the price; so, as always, caveat emptor.
18. alpha and omega—(Greek) the first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet;
the beginning and the end (Use it as a noun.)
HOW TO USE: When it comes to winning board games, I have declared myself the
alpha and omega.
19. tabula rasa—(Latin) “blank slate”; the theory that individuals are born without
built-in mental content and that their knowledge comes from experience and
perception (Use it as a noun.)
HOW TO USE: It has been theorized that everyone is born with a tabula rasa.
20. hoi polloi—(Greek) “the majority”; used to denote "the masses" or "the
people", usually in a derogatory sense (Use it as a noun.)
HOW TO USE: This program is complicated; the hoi polloi would not understand it.
21. ad nauseam—(Latin) “to nausea”; a term used to describe an argument which
has been continuing "to [the point of] nausea". (Use it as a noun.)
HOW TO USE: She went on an ad nauseam about her divorce.