Question 1

Each cat in the four-state cat show had __________ own elaborate display area.
A)it's
B)its
C)their
D)there

Accepted Answer

"Its" should be used to show possession for a singular noun. "Their" should be used for plural nouns or when referring to a group of individuals. "There" is an adverb indicating a location or a state of being, which is not relevant in this context. "It's" is a contraction of "it is" or "it has" and is not appropriate in this sentence.

Question 2

The limping grizzly bear evidently had hurt __________ paw.
A)its'
B)it's
C)its

Accepted Answer

"Its" is the possessive form of "it," meaning belonging to it. In this sentence, we are talking about the bear's paw, so we need the possessive form of "it," which is "its." "It's" is a contraction of "it is," which does not make sense in this context. Therefore, the correct choice is C, "its."

Question 3

The coach gave the swim team two extra hours to gather __________ tickets and suitcases for the trip to the swimming meet.
A)their
B)his
C)her
D)its

Accepted Answer

"Their" is a pronoun that refers to a group of people. In this sentence, the group of people being referred to is the swim team, so "their" is the appropriate choice. "His" would not make sense here because it implies that the coach is the one gathering tickets and suitcases. "Her" and "its" would also not make sense because they do not refer to a group of people.

Question 4

I am not sure why you __________ doing that.
A)where
B)we're
C)were

Accepted Answer

The sentence is in past tense, so the correct form of "to be" is "were" instead of "where" or "we're" which are present tense forms.

Question 5

He found it hard to __________ that nothing was left after the fire __________ the ashes of all his possessions.
A)accept, except
B)except, except
C)accept, accept
D)except, accept

Accepted Answer

The first blank requires a verb that means to come to terms with or believe something to be true. The most appropriate choice is "accept." The second blank requires a preposition that indicates what was not affected by the fire. The correct choice is "except," meaning everything else was destroyed except for the ashes.

Question 6

I don't have any idea what you __________ doing out that night.
A)were
B)we're
C)where

Accepted Answer

"were" is the past tense of the verb "to be," which is the correct form for this sentence. "we're" is a contraction for "we are" and does not make sense in this context. "where" is a question word used to ask about location and does not fit grammatically in this sentence.

Question 7

In a fit of anger after an argument, I __________ out all of my friend's letters and pictures.
A)threw
B)had thrown
C)thru
D)through

Accepted Answer

"Threw" is the simple past tense of "throw", which means to propel or cast something through the air. It is the appropriate verb tense to use in this sentence to convey that the action has already occurred. "Had thrown" would be the past perfect tense, which is not necessary, and "thru" is an informal or slang version of "through" and is not the correct spelling.

Question 8

While out on Halloween, he soaped four __________.
A)peoples' cars
B)people's cars'
C)people's cars
D)peoples car's

Accepted Answer

The correct possessive form is "people's" indicating ownership of the cars. "Peoples" is the incorrect plural form, and "car's" is the incorrect singular possessive form. Additionally, the apostrophe should not be used to pluralize "peoples" or "cars."

Question 9

__________ is nothing more boring than fishing.
A)Their
B)There
C)They're

Accepted Answer

"There" is the correct choice to refer to a place or activity. "Their" would be incorrect as it denotes possession and "They're" means "they are" which does not fit in the sentence.

Question 10

The professor was surprised that four __________ were exactly the same.
A)student's essays
B)students' essays
C)students' essay's
D)student's essay'ss

Accepted Answer

The correct possessive form of "students" is "students'". Therefore, option B is the correct choice, where "students' essays" indicates that four essays belonging to multiple students were exactly the same. Option A is incorrect because "student's" indicates possession by a single student, while option C and D are incorrect due to incorrect usage of possessive apostrophes.

Question 11

The ambulance responded to an accident at the construction __________.
A)cite
B)sight
C)site

Accepted Answer

The correct word to refer to the place where an accident happened is "site." "Cite" means to quote or refer to something, and "sight" refers to the ability to see or something worth seeing.

Question 12

Each horse in the race had __________ colours.
A)their
B)there
C)its
D)it's

Accepted Answer

"Each horse" is singular, so the pronoun that follows it should also be singular, which is "its." "Their" is plural and would be incorrect in this context. "There" is an adverb indicating location and doesn't make sense in this sentence. "It's" is a contraction of "it is" and would also be incorrect.

Question 13

__________ impressive to see a grizzly bear in the wild.
A)Its'
B)Its
C)It's

Accepted Answer

"It's" is the contraction of "it is" and should not be used to show possession. "Its" is the correct form to show possession.

Question 14

The sleek brown seals did not know what had ruined __________ breeding grounds when the oil washed onto the beaches.
A)they're
B)there
C)their

Accepted Answer

"Their" is the correct choice as it is the possessive form of "they". The sentence is referring to the seals' breeding grounds, so it requires a possessive pronoun. "They're" means "they are" and "there" refers to a location, neither of which makes sense in this context.

Question 15

The doctor carefully __________ the precise side effects of the drug, as well as its potential benefits.
A)suggested
B)explained
C)implied
D)alluded to

Accepted Answer

"Explained" is the best choice because it accurately conveys the doctor's detailed communication about the drug's side effects and benefits. "Suggested" implies a less direct or conclusive expression, "implied" suggests a more indirect or subtle communication, and "alluded to" implies a reference that is not fully explained.

Question 16

In a department full of rigid thinkers, changes that __________ everyone are always difficult to __________.
A)affect, affect
B)affect, effect
C)effect, effect
D)effect, affect

Accepted Answer

The correct choice is "affect, effect" because "affect" means to influence or make a difference to, which fits the first blank as changes influence everyone. "Effect" as a verb means to bring about or cause something to happen, fitting the second blank as it refers to implementing changes.

Question 17

To sustain good health, __________ important to follow a healthful diet.
A)its
B)its'
C)it's

Accepted Answer

"It's" is the correct choice because it is a contraction of "it is," which fits the sentence meaning "it is important to follow a healthful diet."

Question 18

I would vote for that candidate again __________ of his extramarital affairs.
A)regardless
B)irregardless

Accepted Answer

"Regardless" means despite something and is the correct choice. "Irregardless" is not a standard English word and should not be used.

Question 19

Joe is the student __________ lunch box was stuffed with candy.
A)who's
B)whose

Accepted Answer

"Whose" is the correct word to indicate possession, while "who's" is a contraction for "who is".

Question 20

If my friend __________ only told the truth, I __________so angry.
A)would of, wouldn't hve been
B)would have, wouldn't have been
C)had, wouldn't have been
D)had of, wouldn't of been

Accepted Answer

The correct form for a past conditional sentence is "If [subject] had [past participle], [subject] would have [past participle]."

Quiz 5: Usage

Each cat in the four-state cat show had __________ own elaborate display area.

The limping grizzly bear evidently had hurt __________ paw.

The coach gave the swim team two extra hours to gather __________ tickets and suitcases for the trip to the swimming meet.

I am not sure why you __________ doing that.

He found it hard to that nothing was left after the fire the ashes of all his possessions.

I don't have any idea what you __________ doing out that night.

In a fit of anger after an argument, I __________ out all of my friend's letters and pictures.

While out on Halloween, he soaped four __________.

__________ is nothing more boring than fishing.

The professor was surprised that four __________ were exactly the same.

The ambulance responded to an accident at the construction __________.

Each horse in the race had __________ colours.

__________ impressive to see a grizzly bear in the wild.

The sleek brown seals did not know what had ruined __________ breeding grounds when the oil washed onto the beaches.

The doctor carefully __________ the precise side effects of the drug, as well as its potential benefits.

In a department full of rigid thinkers, changes that everyone are always difficult to .

To sustain good health, __________ important to follow a healthful diet.

I would vote for that candidate again __________ of his extramarital affairs.

Joe is the student __________ lunch box was stuffed with candy.

If my friend only told the truth, I so angry.