CAEC Reading Preparation Course: Grammar, syntax and language conventions

1. Question 1 of 19

   Which sentence uses an apostrophe correctly?

   • AThe companys' new policy starts today.
   • BThe company's new policy starts today.
   • CThe company's are hiring this week.
   • DIts' new policy starts today.
   Show answer

   Answer: B. The company's new policy starts today.

   Add 's to show that one company owns something. Do not use an apostrophe to make a plural, and the possessive "its" has no apostrophe.

2. Question 2 of 19

   Which sentence uses "it's" and "its" correctly?

   • AIt's time to clean the furnace and change it's filter.
   • BIt's time to clean the furnace and change its filter.
   • CIts time to clean the furnace and change its filter.
   • DIts time to clean the furnace and change it's filter.
   Show answer

   Answer: B. It's time to clean the furnace and change its filter.

   "It's" means "it is." "Its" (no apostrophe) shows ownership, like "his" or "her."

3. Question 3 of 19

   Which sentence uses "they're," "their" and "there" correctly?

   • AThere bringing their tools over they're.
   • BThey're bringing their tools over there.
   • CTheir bringing they're tools over there.
   • DThey're bringing there tools over their.
   Show answer

   Answer: B. They're bringing their tools over there.

   "They're" means "they are," "their" shows ownership, and "there" is a place.

4. Question 4 of 19

   Which of these is a sentence fragment?

   • AThe bus was late again.
   • BBecause the bus was late again.
   • CWas the bus late again?
   • DI was late because the bus was late.
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Because the bus was late again.

   A sentence beginning with "Because" needs another part to finish the thought. On its own, it is a fragment.

5. Question 5 of 19

   Which word in this sentence should start with a capital letter? "Last summer, my aunt drove from Halifax to visit us on canada Day."

   • Asummer
   • Bcanada
   • Cvisit
   • Daunt
   Show answer

   Answer: B. canada

   Canada Day is the name of a holiday, so both words need capitals. Seasons such as summer are not capitalized, and "aunt" after "my" is not a name.

6. Question 6 of 19

   Which sentence uses a colon correctly?

   • ABring three things: a pen, your ID and a snack.
   • BBring: a pen, your ID and a snack.
   • CBring three: things a pen, your ID and a snack.
   • DBring three things a pen: your ID and a snack.
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Bring three things: a pen, your ID and a snack.

   Use a colon after a complete sentence to introduce a list. Do not put a colon right after a verb such as "Bring."

7. Question 7 of 19

   Choose the word that best fills the blank: "The roads were icy; ____, the school buses were cancelled."

   • Afor example
   • Bmeanwhile
   • Chowever
   • Dtherefore
   Show answer

   Answer: D. therefore

   The second part is a result of the first, so a cause-and-effect transition like "therefore" fits. "However" would show a contrast.

8. Question 8 of 19

   Which correction should be made to sentence 2?

   Read this draft notice. The sentences are numbered.

   (1) The Greenfield Community Garden is looking for volunteers this summer. (2) Each volunteer work two hours a week, watering and weeding the beds. (3) Last year, our volunteers grew over 500 kg of vegetables, they gave most of it to the food bank. (4) If your interested, please come to our meeting on May 6. (5) Bring gloves, a water bottle and a hat.

   • AChange "watering" to "watered"
   • BChange "work" to "works"
   • CChange "hours" to "hour"
   • DRemove the comma after "week"
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Change "work" to "works"

   The subject "Each volunteer" is singular, so it needs the singular verb "works."

9. Question 9 of 19

   What is the best way to fix sentence 3?

   Read this draft notice. The sentences are numbered.

   (1) The Greenfield Community Garden is looking for volunteers this summer. (2) Each volunteer work two hours a week, watering and weeding the beds. (3) Last year, our volunteers grew over 500 kg of vegetables, they gave most of it to the food bank. (4) If your interested, please come to our meeting on May 6. (5) Bring gloves, a water bottle and a hat.

   • AChange "grew" to "grown" and "most" to "more"
   • BChange "most" to "more"
   • CEnd the sentence after "vegetables"
   • DRemove the comma after "Last year"
   Show answer

   Answer: C. End the sentence after "vegetables"

   Sentence 3 is a comma splice: two complete sentences joined only by a comma. A period (or a semicolon, or ", and") fixes it.

10. Question 10 of 19

    Which correction should be made to sentence 4?

    Read this draft notice. The sentences are numbered.

    (1) The Greenfield Community Garden is looking for volunteers this summer. (2) Each volunteer work two hours a week, watering and weeding the beds. (3) Last year, our volunteers grew over 500 kg of vegetables, they gave most of it to the food bank. (4) If your interested, please come to our meeting on May 6. (5) Bring gloves, a water bottle and a hat.

    • AChange "your" to "yours"
    • BChange "May" to "may"
    • CChange "come" to "came"
    • DChange "your" to "you're"
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Change "your" to "you're"

    The sentence means "if you are interested," so it needs "you're." "Your" shows ownership. Months such as May take a capital.

11. Question 11 of 19

    In sentence 4, which change is needed?

    Read this draft memo. The sentences are numbered.

    (1) To all staff: the parking lot will be repaved next week. (2) From Monday to Wednesday, please park in the overflow lot behind the warehouse. (3) The overflow lot is smaller, so carpooling is encouraged. (4) Each of the drivers who use the overflow lot need to display a permit. (5) Permits can be picked up from Janet in reception, she is there from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

    • AChange "permit" to "permits"
    • BChange "use" to "uses"
    • CChange "display" to "displaying"
    • DChange "need" to "needs"
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Change "need" to "needs"

    The subject is "Each," which is singular, so the verb is "needs." The words "of the drivers who use" come between them; "drivers who use" is already correct.

12. Question 12 of 19

    What is the problem in sentence 5?

    Read this draft memo. The sentences are numbered.

    (1) To all staff: the parking lot will be repaved next week. (2) From Monday to Wednesday, please park in the overflow lot behind the warehouse. (3) The overflow lot is smaller, so carpooling is encouraged. (4) Each of the drivers who use the overflow lot need to display a permit. (5) Permits can be picked up from Janet in reception, she is there from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

    • A"Reception" needs an apostrophe
    • BTwo sentences are joined by only a comma
    • CThe sentence has no verb
    • DThe name "Janet" should not start with a capital letter
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Two sentences are joined by only a comma

    "Permits can be picked up from Janet in reception" and "she is there from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m." are both complete. Joining them with only a comma makes a comma splice.

13. Question 13 of 19

    Sentence 3 says "carpooling is encouraged" instead of naming who encourages it. Why might the writer choose this passive form?

    Read this draft memo. The sentences are numbered.

    (1) To all staff: the parking lot will be repaved next week. (2) From Monday to Wednesday, please park in the overflow lot behind the warehouse. (3) The overflow lot is smaller, so carpooling is encouraged. (4) Each of the drivers who use the overflow lot need to display a permit. (5) Permits can be picked up from Janet in reception, she is there from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

    • AIt hides the fact that the overflow lot is much smaller
    • BIt makes the sentence a question
    • CIt shows the event happened long ago
    • DIt keeps the focus on the action and sounds polite
    Show answer

    Answer: D. It keeps the focus on the action and sounds polite

    The passive voice puts the action first and leaves out the doer. In memos, this keeps the focus on what to do and avoids sounding bossy.

14. Question 14 of 19

    What is wrong with sentence 1?

    Read this paragraph from a student's draft. The sentences are numbered.

    (1) Walking into the clinic, the waiting room was full. (2) The receptionist asked me to fill out a form, show my health card, and that I should wait. (3) When my sister talked to the receptionist, she said she would be late. (4) After forty minutes, the doctor finally saw me.

    • A"Clinic" should start with a capital
    • B"Was" should be changed to "were" to match the subject
    • CIt seems the waiting room walked into the clinic
    • DIt should end with a question mark
    Show answer

    Answer: C. It seems the waiting room walked into the clinic

    This is a dangling modifier. The opening phrase must describe the word right after the comma. A fix: "Walking into the clinic, I saw that the waiting room was full."

15. Question 15 of 19

    Which is the best way to write sentence 2?

    Read this paragraph from a student's draft. The sentences are numbered.

    (1) Walking into the clinic, the waiting room was full. (2) The receptionist asked me to fill out a form, show my health card, and that I should wait. (3) When my sister talked to the receptionist, she said she would be late. (4) After forty minutes, the doctor finally saw me.

    • AThe receptionist asked me to fill out a form, show my health card, and that I should wait.
    • BThe receptionist asked me filling out a form, show my health card, and to wait.
    • CThe receptionist asked me to fill out a form, show my health card, and wait.
    • DThe receptionist asked me to fill out a form, showing my health card, and that I wait.
    Show answer

    Answer: C. The receptionist asked me to fill out a form, show my health card, and wait.

    Items in a list should have the same form (parallel structure): "to fill out," "show" and "wait."

16. Question 16 of 19

    Why is sentence 3 unclear?

    Read this paragraph from a student's draft. The sentences are numbered.

    (1) Walking into the clinic, the waiting room was full. (2) The receptionist asked me to fill out a form, show my health card, and that I should wait. (3) When my sister talked to the receptionist, she said she would be late. (4) After forty minutes, the doctor finally saw me.

    • A"She" could mean the sister or the receptionist
    • BThe word "receptionist" is spelled incorrectly
    • CIt is a sentence fragment
    • DIt uses the past tense
    Show answer

    Answer: A. "She" could mean the sister or the receptionist

    A pronoun must point clearly to one noun. Here "she" could mean either woman, so the reader cannot tell who will be late.

17. Question 17 of 19

    A safety poster says: "Spills happen. Clean them up right away." Why does the writer use two short sentences?

    • AShort sentences make the message quick and easy to remember
    • BShort sentences make the poster sound more formal and official
    • CShort sentences hide who is responsible
    • DShort sentences show the poster is a story
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Short sentences make the message quick and easy to remember

    Short sentences are fast to read and stand out. On signs and posters, they help the main message stick.

18. Question 18 of 19

    Instructions often begin with verbs, such as "Turn off the machine" and "Wait for the green light." What is the effect?

    • AThey show the writer is unsure
    • BThey describe something that already happened
    • CThey make the text sound like a poem
    • DThey tell the reader directly what to do
    Show answer

    Answer: D. They tell the reader directly what to do

    These are commands (the imperative). They are clear and direct, which is why instructions and procedures use them.

19. Question 19 of 19

    A story says: "I waited. And waited. And waited." Why might the writer use the fragments "And waited."?

    • ATo introduce a new character
    • BTo show the waiting was very short
    • CTo stress how long the wait felt
    • DBecause the writer made a grammar mistake
    Show answer

    Answer: C. To stress how long the wait felt

    Writers sometimes break rules on purpose. Repeating short fragments slows the reader down and makes the wait feel long.

Keyboard: 1–4 to answer, Enter for the next question.

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