ATI TEAS 7 FULL STUDY GUIDE (SMART EDITION): ENGLISH - CONVENTIONS OF STANDARD ENGLISH

What is a suffix?

A word part that is added to the ending of a root word.

A suffix changes the meaning and spelling of words.

Examples:

paint --> painter

real --> reality

real --> realism

What does adding -er, -ist, or -or change the root to mean?

Doer or performer.

Example:

paint --> painter

abolition --> abolitionist

act --> actor

What does adding -ation or -ment change the root to mean?

An action or a process.

Example:

ador(e) --> adoration

develop --> development

What does adding -sim change the root to mean?

Theory or ideology.

Example:

real --> realism

What does adding -ity, -ness, -ship, or -tude change the root to mean?

Condition, quality, or state.

Example:

real --> reality

sad --> sadness

relation --> relationship

soli(tary) --> solitude

General rule for plurals, if a word ends in -s, -ss, -z, -zz, -ch, or -sh, add __________.

-es

Example:

bus --> buses

General rule for plurals, if a word ends in a -y...

Drop the -y and add -ies.

Example:

pony --> ponies

General rule for plurals, if a word ends in an -f....

Change the f to a v and add -es.

Example:

knife --> knives

General rule for plurals, for all other endings outside of the previous rules add a(n) ______.

-s.

Example:

dog --> dogs

What is a homophone?

A word that has the same sound as another word, but does not have the same meaning or spelling.

Example:

to, too, and too.

there, their, and they're.

see and sea.

What is a homograph?

A word that has the same spelling as another word, but does not have the same sound or meaning.

Example:

lead (to go in front of) and lead (a metal)

bass (deep sound) and bass (a fish)

Describe vowels.

AEIOU and sometimes Y.

Vowels have both short and long sounds.

Describe consonants.

The other 21 letters.

Have weak sounds.

They are often doubled to make stronger sounds.

When is north, east, south, and west capitalized?

Only when they relate to a definite region.

Example:

Go north on I-5 for 200 miles.

The West Coast has nice weather.

When are northern, southern, eastern, and western capitalized?

Only when they describe people or the cultural and political activities of people.

Or if it is part of the official name.

Example:

There is nothing interesting to see in eastern Colorado.

The Western states almost always vote Democratic.

She lives in southern California.

I loved visiting Northern Ireland.

Are continents, countries, states, cities, and towns capitalized?

Yes.

Are historical events capitalized?

Yes.

They should be capitalized to separate the specific from the general.

Example:

The bubonic plague in the Middle Ages killed a large portion of the population in Europe.

The Great Depression took place in the early 1930s.

We are living in the twenty-first century.

Are the names of national organizations capitalized?

Yes.

Short prepositions, articles, and conjunctions within the title are not capitalized unless they are in the first word.

Example:

The National American Woman Suffrage Association was essential in passing the Nineteenth Amendment.

The House of Representatives is one part of Congress.

Are the titles of books, chapters, articles, poems, newspapers, and other publications capitalized?

Yes.

Example:

Her favorite book is A Wrinkle In Time.

I do the crossword in the New York Times every Sunday.

The Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll has many silly sounding words.

Are people's names and their familial relationship title capitalized?

Yes.

Example:

Barack Obama was our first African American president.

Uncle Joe brought the steaks for our Memorial Day grill.

Aunt Sarah lives in California, but my other aunt lives in Florida.

When do professional titles need to be capitalized?

When they precede a name, or as a direct address.

If it is after a name or is used generally, titles do not need to be capitalized.

Example:

Governor Cuomo is trying to modernize the subway system in New York.

Andrew Cuomo is the governor of New York.

A governor runs the state. A president runs the country.

Thank you for the recommendation, Mr. President.

I need to see Doctor Smith.

I need to see a doctor.

When do you capitalize the title of high-ranking government officials?

When they are referred to.

Example:

The Secretary of State travels all over the world.

The Vice President joined the meeting.

With compound titles, are the prefixes or suffixes capitalized?

No.

Example:

George W. Bush is the ex-President of the United States.

Are months and days of the week capitalized?

Yes.

Example:

Her birthday is in November.

Saturdays and Sundays are supposed to be fun and relaxing.

Are holidays capitalized?

Yes.

Example:

Most kids' favorite holiday is Christmas.

The new school year usually starts after Labor Day.

Are seasons capitalized?

No.

Example:

It gets too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter.

What is terminal punctuation and what are the 3 types?

Punctuation used at the end of a sentence.

1. Periods.

2. Question marks.

3. Exclamation points.

What is internal punctuation?

It's used within a sentence to help keep words, phrases, and clauses in order.

These punctuation marks can be used to indicate elements such as direct quotations and definitions in a sentence.

Why are commas used?

A comma signifies a small break within a sentence and separates words, clauses, or ideas.

What are commas used for?

1. They are used before conjunctions that connect 2 independent clauses.

2. They are used to set off an introductory phrase.

3. Short phrases that emphasize thoughts and emotions are enclosed by commas.

4. Commas set off the words yes and no.

5. Commas set off a question tag.

6. Commas are used to indicate direct address.

Commas separate items in a series.

What are semicolons used for?

They're used to connect 2 independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction like AND or BUT.

A semicolon creates a bond between 2 sentences that are related.

Example:

The ice cream man drove down my street; I bought a popsicle.

My mom cooked dinner; the chicken was delicious.

It is cloudy today; it will probably rain.

What are colons used for?

1. Introducing a list.

2. At the end of a sentence, colons can create emphasis of a word or phrase.

Example:

She teaches three subjects: English, history, and geography.

She had one goal: pay the bills.

What are apostrophes used for?

To indicate possession or to create a contraction.

For plurals that are also possessive, put the apostrophe after the s.

Make contractions by combining 2 words.

Examples:

Bob has a car - Bob's car is blue.

Steve's cat is beautiful.

Soldiers' uniforms are impressive.

I do not have a dog --> I don't have a dog.

I can't swim.

T/F: Its and it's do not follow the normal possessive rule.

True.

Its is possessive while it's means it is.

What are hyphens used for?

They are mainly used to create compound words.

Examples:

The documentary was a real eye-opener for me.

We have to check-in to the hotel before midnight.

The graduate is a twenty-two-year-old woman.

When are quotation marks used?

When directly quoting someone else's words and to indicate the title of poems, chapters, and articles.

Examples:

Steve said, "I will be there at noon."

Robert Frost wrote "The Road Not Taken."

What is the rule with quotation marks and where to place commas, periods, colons, semicolons, question marks, and exclamation points?

Commas and periods, sometimes question marks and exclamation points, are placed within quotation marks.

Colons and semicolons are placed outside of the quotation marks, unless they are part of the quoted material.

Example:

Ernest Hemingway once claimed, "There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self."

What is the rule with quotation marks and capitalization?

If quoting an entire sentence, capitalize the first word.

If it is a fragment, do not capitalize the first word.