ATI TEAS ENGLISH AND LANGUAGE USAGE
DIAGNOSTIC TEST (45 QUESTIONS)
AND ANSWERS
Question 1
Which of the following words is spelled correctly?
Absense
Absence
Abcense
Absents
End Quiz
Answer Explanation
Correct
Answer:
Absence
This is correct. Ab- as a prefix means away, so absent is the adjective that
describes someone who is away from a certain place. Replacing the –
t in absent with –ce creates the noun form absence (the state/condition of
being away from a place). This principle applies to other words like different and
difference.
Absense is incorrect because it is not a correctly spelled word. It should be spelled
“absence”.
Absents is incorrect because absent is an adjective and cannot be made plural by
adding an -s.
Abcense is incorrect because –cense (as in the word incense) has to do with
smells. So, abcense would mean away from scents.
1. Question 2 of 37
, The principle of the high school was debating whether to pursue the issue
any further.
Which of the following corrects an error in the sentence above?
Replace debating with debateing
Replace principle with principal
Replace whether with weather
Replace further with farther
End Quiz
Answer Explanation
Correct
Answer:
Replace principle with principal
This is correct because a principle is an idea or rule. In this case,
the principal (meaning “the most important”) is a person.
Replace debating with debateing. This is incorrect because the final -e rule states,
“Drop the final e when adding a suffix that starts with a vowel”.
Replace whether with weather. This is incorrect because whether is a conjunction
implying some type of choice, while weather has to do with climate and
atmospheric conditions.
Replace further with farther. This is incorrect because further means “in
addition”, whereas farther has to do with distance.
2. Question 3 of 37
Which of the following demonstrates correct punctuation?
We will study three sources of electrical power; solar, wind, and tidal
energy.
We will be studying three sources of electrical power: solar, wind, and tidal
energy.
We will study three sources of electrical power that are: solar, wind, and
tidal energy.
, We will be studying three sources of electrical power, solar, wind, and tidal
energy.
End Quiz
Answer Explanation
Correct
Answer:
We will be studying three sources of electrical power: solar, wind, and tidal
energy
When adding a list that gives the details of a claim in the sentence, use a colon. The
colon must follow an independent clause. In other words, the part in front of the
colon should be able to stand on its own as a sentence. “Will study/will be
studying” are both grammatically correct and do not affect the solution.
We will study three sources of electrical power that are: solar, wind, and tidal
energy is incorrect because the part of the sentence in front of the colon cannot
stand on its own. “That are” leaves the sentence with an incomplete idea.
We will study three sources of electrical power; solar, wind, and tidal energy is
incorrect because a semicolon needs to divide two independent clauses, and the
portion following the semicolon has no verb.
We will be studying three sources of electrical power, solar, wind, and tidal
energy is incorrect because a comma turns “electrical power” into one item of a
list of nouns joined by “and.” The sentence implies that “we” will be studying three
sources of electrical power, three sources of solar, three sources of wind, and three
sources of tidal energy.
3. Question 4 of 37
Where do you recommend scheduling a pedicure appointment __________
Which of the following options correctly completes the sentence
above?
around here.
around here
, around here!
around here?
End Quiz
Answer Explanation
Correct
Answer:
around here? is correct.
Since the speaker is asking a question, this sentence needs a question mark.
around here. is incorrect. This is because the sentence is asking a question and not
making a statement.
around here is incorrect. This is because every sentence must have end
punctuation.
around here! is incorrect. This is because the speaker is not yelling or exclaiming.
4. Question 5 of 37
She baked the ___________ to perfection.
Which of the following options correctly completes the sentence
above?
soft, fluffy biscuits
soft fluffy, biscuits
soft and fluffy biscuits
soft fluffy biscuits
End Quiz
Answer Explanation
Incorrect
Answer:
soft, fluffy biscuits
This is correct because a comma separates the two coordinating adjectives.
DIAGNOSTIC TEST (45 QUESTIONS)
AND ANSWERS
Question 1
Which of the following words is spelled correctly?
Absense
Absence
Abcense
Absents
End Quiz
Answer Explanation
Correct
Answer:
Absence
This is correct. Ab- as a prefix means away, so absent is the adjective that
describes someone who is away from a certain place. Replacing the –
t in absent with –ce creates the noun form absence (the state/condition of
being away from a place). This principle applies to other words like different and
difference.
Absense is incorrect because it is not a correctly spelled word. It should be spelled
“absence”.
Absents is incorrect because absent is an adjective and cannot be made plural by
adding an -s.
Abcense is incorrect because –cense (as in the word incense) has to do with
smells. So, abcense would mean away from scents.
1. Question 2 of 37
, The principle of the high school was debating whether to pursue the issue
any further.
Which of the following corrects an error in the sentence above?
Replace debating with debateing
Replace principle with principal
Replace whether with weather
Replace further with farther
End Quiz
Answer Explanation
Correct
Answer:
Replace principle with principal
This is correct because a principle is an idea or rule. In this case,
the principal (meaning “the most important”) is a person.
Replace debating with debateing. This is incorrect because the final -e rule states,
“Drop the final e when adding a suffix that starts with a vowel”.
Replace whether with weather. This is incorrect because whether is a conjunction
implying some type of choice, while weather has to do with climate and
atmospheric conditions.
Replace further with farther. This is incorrect because further means “in
addition”, whereas farther has to do with distance.
2. Question 3 of 37
Which of the following demonstrates correct punctuation?
We will study three sources of electrical power; solar, wind, and tidal
energy.
We will be studying three sources of electrical power: solar, wind, and tidal
energy.
We will study three sources of electrical power that are: solar, wind, and
tidal energy.
, We will be studying three sources of electrical power, solar, wind, and tidal
energy.
End Quiz
Answer Explanation
Correct
Answer:
We will be studying three sources of electrical power: solar, wind, and tidal
energy
When adding a list that gives the details of a claim in the sentence, use a colon. The
colon must follow an independent clause. In other words, the part in front of the
colon should be able to stand on its own as a sentence. “Will study/will be
studying” are both grammatically correct and do not affect the solution.
We will study three sources of electrical power that are: solar, wind, and tidal
energy is incorrect because the part of the sentence in front of the colon cannot
stand on its own. “That are” leaves the sentence with an incomplete idea.
We will study three sources of electrical power; solar, wind, and tidal energy is
incorrect because a semicolon needs to divide two independent clauses, and the
portion following the semicolon has no verb.
We will be studying three sources of electrical power, solar, wind, and tidal
energy is incorrect because a comma turns “electrical power” into one item of a
list of nouns joined by “and.” The sentence implies that “we” will be studying three
sources of electrical power, three sources of solar, three sources of wind, and three
sources of tidal energy.
3. Question 4 of 37
Where do you recommend scheduling a pedicure appointment __________
Which of the following options correctly completes the sentence
above?
around here.
around here
, around here!
around here?
End Quiz
Answer Explanation
Correct
Answer:
around here? is correct.
Since the speaker is asking a question, this sentence needs a question mark.
around here. is incorrect. This is because the sentence is asking a question and not
making a statement.
around here is incorrect. This is because every sentence must have end
punctuation.
around here! is incorrect. This is because the speaker is not yelling or exclaiming.
4. Question 5 of 37
She baked the ___________ to perfection.
Which of the following options correctly completes the sentence
above?
soft, fluffy biscuits
soft fluffy, biscuits
soft and fluffy biscuits
soft fluffy biscuits
End Quiz
Answer Explanation
Incorrect
Answer:
soft, fluffy biscuits
This is correct because a comma separates the two coordinating adjectives.
