CSET SubTest 1 Cleaning Up English

Cleaning Up English

Why is proper grammar and usage important?

Grammar mistakes can distract audiences and hurt credibility, even if the message is strong.

What are the four major sections of “Cleaning Up English”?

• Words (Word Weirdness)

• Apostrophes

• Pronouns

• Sentences

Why are words often mixed up in writing?

Because many words sound alike when spoken but have different meanings and spellings.

Why is “Ima” incorrect?

It is not a real word; the correct contraction of “I am” is “I’m.”

Why is “gonna” incorrect in formal writing?

It is a spoken shortcut for “going to” and is not grammatically correct in formal English.

What is wrong with “irregardless”?

It creates a double negative; the correct word is “regardless.”

Why is “hisself” incorrect?

It is not a correct pronoun form; the correct word is “himself.”

Is “alot” a correct spelling?

No. The correct phrase is “a lot.”

Why is “supposably” incorrect?

It is not a real word; the correct adverb is “supposedly.”

What is the correct spelling of “libary”?

Library.

What is the correct pronunciation and spelling of February?

February, with the first “r” included

What is the correct spelling of “chimbley”?

Chimney.

What are apostrophes used for in possessives?

To show ownership or possession.

How do you form a possessive singular noun?

Add ’s to the noun. Example: Lauren’s sweater.

How do you form a possessive plural noun ending in s?

Place the apostrophe after the s. Example: parents’ yard.

What is the possessive exception for “it”?

The possessive form is “its” without an apostrophe.

What is a contraction?

A combination of two words with omitted letters replaced by an apostrophe.

Give examples of contractions.

• can’t = can not

• I’m = I am

• they’re = they are

How can you check if a contraction is correct?

Replace the contraction with the two original words and see if the sentence still makes sense.

What does “it’s” mean?

“It is.”

What does “its” mean?

It shows possession.

Which sentence is correct: “The tree lost it’s leaves” or “The tree lost its leaves”?

“The tree lost its leaves.”

Do apostrophes make words plural?

No. Apostrophes usually show possession or contractions.

When can apostrophes appear in plural forms?

When leaving them out could cause confusion, such as with letters.

What type of pronoun is “me”?

An object pronoun.

What type of pronoun is “myself”?

A reflexive pronoun.

What type of pronoun is “I”?

A subject pronoun.

Which is correct: “Cheryl and me went to lunch” or “Cheryl and I went to lunch”?

“Cheryl and I went to lunch.”

Which is correct: “She gave the book to Sandy and I” or “She gave the book to Sandy and me”?

“She gave the book to Sandy and me.”

What trick helps decide between “I” and “me”?

Remove the other person from the sentence and see which sounds correct.

What are subject pronouns?

Pronouns that replace the subject of a sentence (I, she, he, we, they).

What are object pronouns?

Pronouns that replace the object of a sentence (me, him, her, them, us).

Which is correct: “between you and I” or “between you and me”?

“Between you and me.”

What is a vague pronoun reference?

When it is unclear which noun a pronoun refers to.

How can vague pronoun references be fixed?

Replace the pronoun with the specific noun for clarity.

Why is this sentence vague: “When Jimmy hit the ball toward the window, it broke”?

It is unclear whether “it” refers to the ball or the window.

What are the three requirements of a complete sentence?

A complete sentence must have a subject, a verb, and express a complete thought.

What is subject-verb agreement?

The subject and verb must match in number (singular/plural) and tense (past/present/future).

What is wrong with the sentence: “The stack of books are on the table”?

The subject is stack (singular), so the verb should be is, not are.

What is the correct version of “The stack of books are on the table”?

“The stack of books is on the table.”

What is wrong with the sentence: “We watch the sunset yesterday”?

The verb is present tense, but “yesterday” requires past tense.

What is the correct version of “We watch the sunset yesterday”?

“We watched the sunset yesterday.”

What is wrong with the sentence: “She be at work all day”?

The verb be is incorrectly conjugated

What is the correct version of “She be at work all day”?

“She is at work all day.”

How can contractions cause subject-verb agreement problems?

The sentence may sound correct until the contraction is expanded into its full words.

Why is “There’s three boats tied up in the harbor” incorrect?

“There’s” means “there is,” which is singular, but “boats” is plural.

What is a good way to check contractions?

Replace the contraction with the full words and see if the sentence still makes sense.

What happens when two negatives are used in the same sentence?

They create a positive meaning.

What is a double negative?

Two negative words used together in a sentence, often changing the intended meaning.

Why is “Don’t tell no one about what happened” incorrect?

“Don’t” and “no one” create a double negative.

What is the correct version of “Don’t tell no one about what happened”?

“Don’t tell anyone about what happened.”

Why is “She shouldn’t never have tried to stand on top of the moving car” incorrect?

“Shouldn’t” and “never” create a double negative.

What are two correct revisions of that sentence?

• “She shouldn’t ever have tried to stand on top of the moving car.”

• “She should never have tried to stand on top of the moving car.”

Why is “I can’t eat no more” incorrect?

It uses a double negative.

What is the correct version of “I can’t eat no more”?

“I can’t eat any more.”

What is parallel structure?

Using the same grammatical pattern for similar ideas in a sentence.

Why is parallel structure important?

It makes sentences balanced, clear, and easier to understand.

What is wrong with the sentence “Running, cycling, and a swim are all required components of a triathlon”?

Two items are gerunds (running, cycling), but one is not (a swim).

What is the correct version of that sentence?

“Running, cycling, and swimming are all required components of a triathlon.”

What is wrong with “The class voted to end weekend homework and that they should have the last 10 minutes of class to talk”?

The sentence uses two different grammatical structures.

What is the correct version of that sentence?

“The class voted to end weekend homework and to have the last 10 minutes of class to talk with each other.”

What is a preposition?

A word that shows a relationship between nouns or pronouns and other words (e.g., at, in, on, with).

Is it always wrong to end a sentence with a preposition?

No. Modern English allows it in informal speech and writing, but it is usually avoided in formal writing.

Why is “Where are you at?” considered poor grammar?

The word at is unnecessary because “Where are you?” already makes complete sense.

What is the correct version of “Where are you at?”

“Where are you?”