ACCUPLACER TEST STUDY GUIDE
ACCUPLACER
TEST STUDY
GUIDE
Copyright © EmerGents, LLC 2004
All Rights Reserved
,ACCUPLACER TEST STUDY GUIDE
ENGLISH GRAMMER AND USAGE
The following list of English Grammar Rules and their Usage Rules are essential for you
to know. You must be familiar with these rules if you want to score well in this area of
the test.
Capitalization
1. Capitalize the first word of a sentence.
2. Capitalize all proper names.
Example: Russia, United Methodist Church, Dan Marino.
3. Capitalize days of the week, months of they year, and holidays.
Example: The package was mailed on Tuesday, the day after Easter.
Note: Do NOT capitalize seasons.
Example: In Hawaii, summer is hot.
4. Capitalize the first and all other important words of a title.
Example: The Art of a Blacksmith
5. Capitalize nouns that are not regularly capitalized when they are used as part of proper
names.
Example: Tomorrow, I am going to visit Aunt Mary, my favorite aunt.
Example: Tiger Avenue is a very wide avenue.
6. Capitalize the points of the compass only when referring to a direction.
Example: Many people enjoy country food in the South.
Note: Do NOT capitalize the points of the compass when referring to direction.
Example: Many geese head south in the fall.
,ACCUPLACER TEST STUDY GUIDE
7. Capitalize languages and specific place names used as modifiers. Do not capitalize
any other school subjects.
Example: In two years, I will take German, astrology, English literature, geometry,
American history, and ancient cultures.
8. Capitalize the first word of a direct quotation.
Example: It was Martin Luther King who said, “I have a dream.”
Note: Do NOT capitalize the first word within quotation marks if it does not begin a
complete sentence, when a directly quoted sentence is broken.
Example: “I hit my head,” he told us, “because the cabinet was left open.”
Punctuation
The Apostrophe
1. Use an apostrophe to indicate possession. Place the apostrophe according to this rule:
“The apostrophe, when used to indicate possession, means belonging to everything to
the left of the apostrophe.”
Examples: man’s = belonging to the man
men’s = belonging to the men
children’s = belonging to the children
Note: To test for correct placement of the apostrophe, read “of the.”
Example: childrens’ = of the children (clearly incorrect)
The placement rule applies at all times, even with regard to compound nouns
separated by hyphens and with regard to entities made up of two or more names.
Example: son-in-law’s = belonging to a son-in-law
Example: Morris, Benson, and Smith’s law firm = the law firm belonging to Morris,
Benson, and Smith
Example: Gomez and Son’s delivery truck = the delivery truck of Gomez and Sons
, ACCUPLACER TEST STUDY GUIDE
2. Use an apostrophe in a contraction in place of the omitted letter or letters.
Examples: haven’t = have not
we’re = we are
let’s = let us
o’clock = of the clock
class of ’85 = class of 1985
Note: Do NOT start a paragraph with a contraction that begins with an apostrophe.
3. Use an apostrophe to form plurals of numbers, letters, and phrases referred to as
words.
Example: The child pronounced his t’s as b’s.
Example: Solution of the puzzle involves crossing out all the 3’s and 9’s.
Example: Her speech was plagued with you know’s.
The Colon
1. Use a colon after the salutation in a business letter.
Example: Dear Committee Member:
2. Use a colon to separate hours from minutes.
Example: The sun rose at 6:01 P.M.
3. Use of the colon is optional in the following cases:
(a) to introduce a list, especially after an expression such as follows
(b) to introduce a long quotation
(c) to introduce a question
Example: My question is this: Are you interested in the job?
The Comma
1. Use a comma after a salutation of a personal letter.
Example: Dear Joe,
ACCUPLACER
TEST STUDY
GUIDE
Copyright © EmerGents, LLC 2004
All Rights Reserved
,ACCUPLACER TEST STUDY GUIDE
ENGLISH GRAMMER AND USAGE
The following list of English Grammar Rules and their Usage Rules are essential for you
to know. You must be familiar with these rules if you want to score well in this area of
the test.
Capitalization
1. Capitalize the first word of a sentence.
2. Capitalize all proper names.
Example: Russia, United Methodist Church, Dan Marino.
3. Capitalize days of the week, months of they year, and holidays.
Example: The package was mailed on Tuesday, the day after Easter.
Note: Do NOT capitalize seasons.
Example: In Hawaii, summer is hot.
4. Capitalize the first and all other important words of a title.
Example: The Art of a Blacksmith
5. Capitalize nouns that are not regularly capitalized when they are used as part of proper
names.
Example: Tomorrow, I am going to visit Aunt Mary, my favorite aunt.
Example: Tiger Avenue is a very wide avenue.
6. Capitalize the points of the compass only when referring to a direction.
Example: Many people enjoy country food in the South.
Note: Do NOT capitalize the points of the compass when referring to direction.
Example: Many geese head south in the fall.
,ACCUPLACER TEST STUDY GUIDE
7. Capitalize languages and specific place names used as modifiers. Do not capitalize
any other school subjects.
Example: In two years, I will take German, astrology, English literature, geometry,
American history, and ancient cultures.
8. Capitalize the first word of a direct quotation.
Example: It was Martin Luther King who said, “I have a dream.”
Note: Do NOT capitalize the first word within quotation marks if it does not begin a
complete sentence, when a directly quoted sentence is broken.
Example: “I hit my head,” he told us, “because the cabinet was left open.”
Punctuation
The Apostrophe
1. Use an apostrophe to indicate possession. Place the apostrophe according to this rule:
“The apostrophe, when used to indicate possession, means belonging to everything to
the left of the apostrophe.”
Examples: man’s = belonging to the man
men’s = belonging to the men
children’s = belonging to the children
Note: To test for correct placement of the apostrophe, read “of the.”
Example: childrens’ = of the children (clearly incorrect)
The placement rule applies at all times, even with regard to compound nouns
separated by hyphens and with regard to entities made up of two or more names.
Example: son-in-law’s = belonging to a son-in-law
Example: Morris, Benson, and Smith’s law firm = the law firm belonging to Morris,
Benson, and Smith
Example: Gomez and Son’s delivery truck = the delivery truck of Gomez and Sons
, ACCUPLACER TEST STUDY GUIDE
2. Use an apostrophe in a contraction in place of the omitted letter or letters.
Examples: haven’t = have not
we’re = we are
let’s = let us
o’clock = of the clock
class of ’85 = class of 1985
Note: Do NOT start a paragraph with a contraction that begins with an apostrophe.
3. Use an apostrophe to form plurals of numbers, letters, and phrases referred to as
words.
Example: The child pronounced his t’s as b’s.
Example: Solution of the puzzle involves crossing out all the 3’s and 9’s.
Example: Her speech was plagued with you know’s.
The Colon
1. Use a colon after the salutation in a business letter.
Example: Dear Committee Member:
2. Use a colon to separate hours from minutes.
Example: The sun rose at 6:01 P.M.
3. Use of the colon is optional in the following cases:
(a) to introduce a list, especially after an expression such as follows
(b) to introduce a long quotation
(c) to introduce a question
Example: My question is this: Are you interested in the job?
The Comma
1. Use a comma after a salutation of a personal letter.
Example: Dear Joe,
