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AHSGE Language Exam Definitions and Examples

1. Identify correct noun formsNouns name a person, place, thing, or idea. Plural nouns add ans ores.Collective nouns name a group. Proper nouns name specific things and are capitalized. Some nouns have

alternate accepted forms. For example, the plural ofindex could be indexes or indices.

2. Identify correct verb formsVerbs show action or state of being. There are six main tenses: present, past, future,present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect. Some past tense verbs added, while other irregular verbs

change form. For example, the verb sing becomes sang or sung. Future tense verbs add the helping verb will.

Present perfect verbs add the helping verb has or have. Past perfect verbs add the helping verb had, while futureperfect verbs add the helping verbs will have.

3. Recognize subject-verb agreementSingular subjects go with singular verbs, while plural subjects go with pluralverbs. The subject of the sentence determines the verb. Some singular verbs have ans ending (the opposite of

nouns), while plural verbs do not. If thes is on the subject, it wont be on the verb, and if thes is on the verb, it

wont be on the subject.

4. Recognize pronoun-antecedent agreementPronouns take the place of a noun. The antecedent is the word thepronoun refers to. For example,in the sentence, The poor old man was all wrapped up, except for his face, his

is the pronoun referring to man (the antecedent).

5. Identify incorrect shifts in verb tenseKeep your verb tense consistent. For example, if the first verb in thesentence or paragraph is in past tense, the other verbs should be too.6. Identify correct pronoun caseThere are three cases: nominative, objective, and possessive. Nominativepronouns come in the beginning of the sentence, such as I, you, he/she/it, we, and they. Objective pronouns are in

the end of the sentence, such as me, you, him/her/it, us, and them. Possessive pronouns show ownership and do

NOT have apostrophes: my, mine, your/yours, his/her/its, our/ours, and their/theirs.

7. Identify effective use of voiceActive voice verbs show the subject performing the action. Active voice ispreferred over passive. For example, in the sentenceThe boy threw the ballthe boy is doing the throwing.

Passive voice verbs have the action being performed on the subject. For exampleThe ball was thrown by the

boythe ball becomes the subject and the verb adds the words was and by.

8. Determine correct placement of modifiersMisplaced modifiers modify the wrong word or modify more thanone word in a sentence. For example, in the sentenceThe campers slipped on the mossy rocks crossing the

riverit sounds as if the rocks are crossing the river, not the campers. Dangling modifiers do not seem to modifyany word in the sentence. For example, there is no subject in the following sentence: Canoeing all day, a break

was needed. It sounds as if the break was canoeing when, in fact, it was probably the campers from the previous

example.

9. Identify correct usage of commonly confused wordsSome commonly confused words are: its/its,their/there/theyre, affect/effect, accept/except, wear/were/were/where, weather/whether, your/youre,

whos/whose, lie/lay, sit/set. Consult a grammar book or the Internet for the meanings of these words.

10.Use words that create clarity, precision, and vivid descriptionDo not use meaningless phrases that add nothingto the sentence and omit repetitive or redundant phrases. Dont use clichs or jargon. DO use descriptive

language that focuses on the five senses: smell, taste, touch, sight, and hearing.

11.Use formal and informal language appropriatelyFormal language is what you use in school and formal reports.Formal language should avoid slang, contractions, second person you, and jargon. Informal language is what

you use when you talk with your friends.

12.Correct run-on sentences, sentence fragments, and comma splicesA run-on sentence contains two or morecomplete sentences written as one. To correct a run-on, separate the main clauses with either an end mark, a

semicolon (;), or a comma and a coordinating conjunction (, but). A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence,

which may be missing a subject, a verb, or both. A comma splice is when two complete sentences are joined with

a comma instead of a semicolon, comma and coordinating conjunction, or an end mark. For example, There was

a mistake on our bill, the server took care of it.

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13.Correct sentences that lack internal parallelismParallel structure means using like grammatical parts toemphasize a similarity between ideas. A sentence is NOT parallel if the words dont have the same grammatical

structure. For example, Wordsworth likes reflecting on an event more than to experience it. To correct the

sentence, change to experience to experiencing to match with reflecting. Some examples of correlative

conjunctions are: bothand, eitheror, whetheror, neithernor, not onlybut also. The correlative is always

placed immediately before the parallel item. For example, The image of Wordsworth as a dreamy poet chasing

butterflies is not only silly but also erroneous.

14.Demonstrate correct use of capitalizationCapitalize proper nouns and adjectives that name a specific person,place, thing or idea. Capitalize the first word in each sentence and in direct quotations.

15.Demonstrate correct use of commasUse commas between items in a series, with quotation marks, and afterintroductory adverbial clauses. For example,After the curtain fell, the actors bowed for the applause.

16.Demonstrate correct use of a semicolon and a colonUse a semicolon (;) to separate two complete sentences thatare closely related in thought and are not joined by a conjunction. Use a semicolon between sentences joined by a

conjunctive adverb such as however. Use a semicolon between items in a series if the items contain commas.

For example, He gives Finkle information about Sophie, a widow; Lily, a high school teacher; and Ruth, an

honors student. The colon (:) is a mark that means note what follows. Use it before a list of items, especially

after expressions such asfollows and the following. However, do not use a colon before a list that directly follows

a verb or a preposition. For example, The author tells about the following women: Sophie, Lily, and Ruth.

17.Demonstrate correct use of quotation marks and underliningUse quotation marks in direct quotations (the exactwords someone said) and to indicate titles of SHORT works such as poems, song titles, and short stories. For

example, Willie said, I want some ice cream. Underline (or italicize) titles of LONG works such as books,

movies, and television shows.

18.Demonstrate correct use of the apostropheUse apostrophes in contractions such asIm forI am. Make singularnouns possessive by adding an apostrophe pluss (classs project). If a plural noun ends ins, add the

apostrophe after thes (classesschedules). If a plural noun does not end ins, add s (childrensgames).

Possessive pronouns do NOT have an apostrophe (its, yours, ours, and theirs). Its is a contraction for it is.

19.Determine logical progression and completeness of paragraphsThis includes introductory sentences, concludingsentences, sequence of events, transitional words, and irrelevant and/or redundant sentences. Each sentence in a

paragraph should add details or explanation to the topic sentence or the main idea of a paragraph.

Example: Choose the sentence that BEST fits the blank.

John had to learn how to do his laundry when he went away to school. He learned to sort the white clothes from

the dark. _______________________. He had no trouble with the dryer except remembering to hang up shirts

and pants immediately so they wouldnt wrinkle.

A. John was more careful not to buy clothes he had to iron.B. He washed clothes only once a week.C. Next he carefully followed the detergents instruction as to the amount to add.D. John still took his dirty clothes to his mother when he went home.To find the sentence that fits best in the blank, read each choice and find the one that gives details about the topic

sentence or additional explanation. The main idea of the paragraph is John learning to do his own laundry. Even

though A is about clothes, it does not fit with learning how to do laundry. Answers B and D are details, but

neither sentence gives details or explanation about the steps he follows when doing laundry. Answer C is the

correct answer because it gives the step between sorting the clothes and drying them.