Free TEAS 7 English & Language Usage Practice Test 1 — 30 Questions With Full Explanations

Question 1. Conventions of Standard English easy

Which sentence uses correct subject-verb agreement?

• A. Each of the essays have been returned to the students.
• B. The boxes of donated books sits in the lobby until pickup.
• C. Every one of the schedules needs one more review. (correct)
• D. The list of supplies were taped to the storeroom door.

Explanation: The true subject, not the noun inside a prepositional phrase, controls the verb. Every one is singular, so it takes the singular verb needs. The list sentence and the each sentence are also singular and call for was and has, while the plural boxes calls for sit.

Question 2. Conventions of Standard English easy

Which sentence uses the apostrophe correctly?

• A. The company published its yearly report in March. (correct)
• B. It's color faded after two summers in the sun.
• C. The team celebrated it's first victory at home.
• D. Its supposed to snow by morning, so bring the shovel inside.

Explanation: The possessive pronoun its never takes an apostrophe, while it's always stands for it is or it has. The published-report sentence uses the possessive, so it is correct. The color sentence, the victory sentence, and the snow sentence all need the contraction it's, which the it-is substitution test confirms.

Question 3. Conventions of Standard English medium

Which sentence keeps a consistent verb tense?

• A. Rosa completed the shift, clocks out, and headed for the bus stop.
• B. When the alarm sounded, the crew will gather at the assembly point.
• C. The train arrives at six, so we left the office early.
• D. The committee reviewed the bids, weighed the costs, and chose a contractor. (correct)

Explanation: Verbs inside one sentence should stay in the same time frame. The reviewed, weighed, and chose sentence keeps all three verbs in the past tense. The Rosa sentence drifts from past to present with clocks out, the alarm sentence drifts from sounded to will gather, and the train sentence drifts from arrives to left.

Question 4. Conventions of Standard English medium

Read the sentence. The rehearsal ends at nine, the crew stays to stack the chairs. Which choice corrects the comma splice?

• A. The rehearsal, ends at nine; the crew stays to stack the chairs.
• B. The rehearsal ends at nine; afterward, the crew stays to stack the chairs. (correct)
• C. The rehearsal ends at nine, the crew stays to stack the chairs and locks up.
• D. The rehearsal ends at nine the crew stays to stack the chairs.

Explanation: A comma splice joins two complete sentences with only a comma. The semicolon version fixes it, with afterward marking the order of events. The locks-up version still splices at the first comma, the no-mark version drops all end marks and fuses the clauses, and the last version plants a comma inside the subject where it does not belong.

Question 5. Conventions of Standard English easy

Choose the sentence in which every homophone is used correctly.

• A. Their going to meet us at the entrance, so do not be late.
• B. They're planning to leave the keys over there by their mailbox. (correct)
• C. Your going to need a ladder to reach the attic shelf.
• D. The movers set the crates over their by the garage door.

Explanation: They're stands for they are, there points to a place, and their shows possession. The mailbox sentence uses all three correctly. The ladder sentence needs you're, the crates sentence needs there, and the entrance sentence needs they're.

Question 6. Conventions of Standard English medium

Which sentence avoids a misplaced or dangling modifier?

• A. Covered in fresh paint, the painter let the railing dry overnight.
• B. The dog was adopted by the family with the wagging tail.
• C. We watched the parade from the balcony in matching green shirts.
• D. Wearing matching green shirts, the volunteers lined both sides of the parade route. (correct)

Explanation: A descriptive phrase must sit next to the word it describes. Placing the volunteers right after the matching-green-shirts phrase makes the meaning clear. The paint choice dangles its phrase so the painter seems coated in paint, the tail choice gives the family the wagging tail, and the balcony choice puts the green shirts on the balcony.

Question 7. Conventions of Standard English easy

Which sentence uses capital letters correctly?

• A. My cousin studies biology at a college in the Pacific Northwest. (correct)
• B. We visited the Lincoln Memorial on a crisp Fall Morning.
• C. The history class reads Primary Sources every Friday.
• D. Jordan said the bus stops near Main street after lunch.

Explanation: Capital letters mark proper nouns and the first word of a sentence. The biology sentence correctly caps only the name of the region. The memorial sentence wrongly caps the season and the common noun morning, the class sentence wrongly caps ordinary words in a subject name, and the bus sentence should cap Street as part of the proper name Main Street.

Question 8. Conventions of Standard English medium

Which sentence contains no misspelled words?

• A. She was embarassed when her phone rang during the speech.
• B. It is necessary to recieve a receipt before the refund is processed.
• C. The pharmacy closes early on Wednesdays for staff training. (correct)
• D. The recipe said to seperate the dry goods before mixing.

Explanation: Correct spelling turns on four trouble spots: separate has a rat in its middle, embarrassed doubles both the r and the s, and receive follows the i-before-e rule after c. The pharmacy sentence is the only one without an error. The other three each hold one misspelling: seperate, embarassed, and recieve.

Question 9. Conventions of Standard English hard

Which sentence uses the colon correctly?

• A. The bakery case held three things my grandmother loved: lemon bars, almond horns, and walnut bread. (correct)
• B. My grandmother loved: lemon bars, almond horns, and walnut bread.
• C. The bakery case held: lemon bars, almond horns, and the walnut bread my grandmother loved.
• D. Three things my grandmother loved were: lemon bars, almond horns, and walnut bread.

Explanation: A colon must follow a complete independent clause, and then it may introduce a list. Only the lemon-bars sentence puts a full clause (the bakery case held three things my grandmother loved) before the colon. The other three set the colon after an incomplete phrase such as loved, held, or were, leaving the clause unable to stand alone.

Question 10. Conventions of Standard English easy

Choose the pronoun that correctly completes the sentence: The scholarship was divided between Marcus and ___.

• A. I
• B. myself
• C. mine
• D. me (correct)

Explanation: A pronoun that follows a preposition takes the object form, so between Marcus and me is correct. I works only as a subject, myself is a reflexive form that needs an earlier I to reflect back on, and mine is possessive and cannot serve as the object of between.

Question 11. Conventions of Standard English easy

Which sentence uses apostrophes correctly?

• A. The three dog's barked until the mail carrier left the porch.
• B. The childrens' coats hung on the rack by the door.
• C. Both neighbors' fences were damaged in the windstorm. (correct)
• D. The two teacher's lounge will be repainted during spring break.

Explanation: For plural nouns that already end in s, the apostrophe goes after the s, which is what the neighbors' sentence shows. The lounge sentence names two teachers and needs teachers', the dog sentence needs the plain plural dogs with no apostrophe, and the coats sentence needs children's because children is an irregular plural that does not end in s.

Question 12. Conventions of Standard English hard

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

• A. The ferry was delayed by fog, however; the passengers stayed calm.
• B. The ferry was delayed by fog; however, the passengers stayed calm. (correct)
• C. The ferry was delayed by fog, however, the passengers stayed calm.
• D. The ferry was delayed by fog; however the passengers stayed calm.

Explanation: A conjunctive adverb such as however cannot join two complete sentences with commas alone. The correct sentence puts a semicolon before however and a comma after it. The first wrong sentence splices two clauses with commas, the second drops the comma after however, and the last places the semicolon after however, cutting the word off from the clause it opens.

Question 13. Knowledge of Language easy

Which choice best combines the two sentences into one sentence? Sentence one: The trail climbs sharply for two miles. Sentence two: It ends at a stone lookout.

• A. The trail climbs sharply for two miles before it ends at a stone lookout. (correct)
• B. The trail climbs sharply for two miles, it ends at a stone lookout.
• C. The trail climbs sharply for two miles and a stone lookout.
• D. Climbing sharply for two miles, a stone lookout ends the trail.

Explanation: The combined sentence should keep one clear time order and add no new errors. The before version links the ideas in a single flowing sentence. The comma version splices two complete sentences, the and version tries to make the lookout a second thing the trail climbs, and the opening-phrase version dangles so that the lookout appears to climb.

Question 14. Knowledge of Language easy

The community garden added raised beds last spring. ___, the number of gardeners who could plant vegetables doubled. Which transition best fits the blank?

• A. Meanwhile
• B. For instance
• C. As a result (correct)
• D. Nevertheless

Explanation: The blank needs a connector that signals result, since the doubled membership flowed from the new beds. As a result does that job. Nevertheless signals contrast, meanwhile signals events happening at the same time, and for instance introduces an example, so none of them fits a cause-and-effect link.

Question 15. Knowledge of Language medium

Which revision is the most concise without losing meaning? Original sentence: Due to the fact that the lobby elevator was out of service, the movers carried the pianos up eleven flights of stairs.

• A. Due to the fact that the lobby elevator was out of service, the movers carried the pianos up the stairs, all eleven flights.
• B. Because the lobby elevator was out of service, the movers carried the pianos up eleven flights of stairs. (correct)
• C. Owing to the fact that the lobby elevator was not in service, the movers carried the pianos up eleven flights of stairs.
• D. The lobby elevator was out of service, so therefore the movers carried the pianos up eleven flights of stairs.

Explanation: Concision trims wordy connectives without dropping facts. Replacing due to the fact that with because saves four words and keeps every detail. The owing-to version and the due-to version stay wordy, and the so-therefore version stacks two connectors that say the same thing.

Question 16. Knowledge of Language medium

A student is writing to the dean's office to request a transcript. Which sentence best fits the formal register of that letter?

• A. Hey, I need that transcript thing today if possible.
• B. Gimme a copy of my transcript as soon as you can, thanks.
• C. I wanna ask about getting a transcript sent over real quick.
• D. I am writing to request a copy of my transcript for a scholarship application. (correct)

Explanation: A letter to the dean's office calls for formal register: a plain statement of the request, no slang, no casual speech. The writing-to-request sentence meets that standard. The other three lean on slang and casual phrasing such as hey, gimme, wanna, and real quick, which undercut the writer's standing.

Question 17. Knowledge of Language medium

Read the paragraph. The animal shelter schedules dog walks in two shifts so that every dog gets outside twice a day. Volunteers log each dog's appetite and energy on a shared chart. A nearby clinic donates a monthly checkup for every kennel. Which sentence works best as the paragraph's topic sentence?

• A. Volunteers must complete a training session before their first shift.
• B. Cats are usually easier to house than dogs.
• C. Running the shelter well takes steady routines and many helping hands. (correct)
• D. Dog adoption fees went down by twenty dollars this year.

Explanation: A topic sentence must cover every detail that follows. The steady-routines sentence spans the walking shifts, the chart notes, and the clinic visits that the details supply. The fees sentence and the training sentence each match only one detail, and the cats sentence compares animals the paragraph never mentions.

Question 18. Knowledge of Language medium

Read the sentence. When the manager met with the assistant after the audit, she said the numbers needed a second look. Which revision makes it clear who said the numbers needed a second look?

• A. When the manager met with the assistant after the audit, the manager said the numbers needed a second look. (correct)
• B. When the manager met with the assistant after the audit, they said the numbers needed a second look.
• C. When the manager met with her after the audit, she said the numbers needed a second look.
• D. After the audit, the manager met with the assistant, and it was said that the numbers needed a second look.

Explanation: A pronoun with two possible nouns in front of it is unclear. Replacing she with the manager removes the doubt, which the repeated-noun version does. The they version keeps the same two-way reading, the her-and-she version adds more unclear pronouns, and the it-was-said version hides the speaker behind a vague phrase.

Question 19. Knowledge of Language medium

Which choice best combines the two sentences? Sentence one: The bakery opens before sunrise. Sentence two: The smell of warm bread drifts down the whole block.

• A. Before sunrise, the bakery opens, the smell of warm bread drifts down the whole block.
• B. When the bakery opens before sunrise, the smell of warm bread drifts down the whole block. (correct)
• C. The bakery opens before sunrise, the smell of warm bread drifts down the whole block.
• D. The bakery opens before sunrise when the smell of warm bread drifts down the whole block.

Explanation: The time link should show that the smell follows the opening. The when version does that by making the opening the condition for the drifting smell. The two comma versions splice complete sentences, and the misplaced-when version claims the bakery opens at the very moment the smell drifts, which reverses the order of events.

Question 20. Knowledge of Language hard

A draft of a recipe reads: Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. ___ soak the rice in cold water for thirty minutes. Drain it well before it goes into the pot. Which transition best fits the blank?

• A. Instead
• B. Meanwhile
• C. Otherwise
• D. Then (correct)

Explanation: The sentences give steps in sequence, so the blank calls for a sequence word, and then fits. Meanwhile would run the soaking at the same time as the rinsing, instead would claim the soaking replaces the rinsing, and otherwise would introduce a warning about skipping a step rather than the next step itself.

Question 21. Knowledge of Language easy

Which sentence is free of redundant wording?

• A. The final budget is due at noon on Friday. (correct)
• B. We must plan ahead for the upcoming anniversary party next year.
• C. In my personal opinion, the recap at the end was repeated twice.
• D. Each and every entrant must first pre-register before the audition begins.

Explanation: Redundant pairs and repeats pad a sentence without adding meaning. The noon-Friday sentence states its deadline once and stops. The party sentence doubles up with plan ahead, the opinion sentence stacks in my personal opinion with repeated twice, and the entrant sentence chains each and every with pre-register before.

Question 22. Knowledge of Language easy

A student is drafting a report for the school board. Which choice best replaces the casual phrase a whole lot of in this sentence? The new lighting would save the district a whole lot of money each year.

• A. a bunch of
• B. a considerable amount of (correct)
• C. tons of
• D. loads of

Explanation: Formal prose swaps casual quantity phrases for precise wording. A considerable amount of suits a report to the school board. Tons of, loads of, and a bunch of are all casual intensifiers that stay just as vague as the phrase they would replace.

Question 23. Knowledge of Language hard

Read this paragraph. The city library extended its weekend hours last fall. Attendance rose by a third within three months, mostly among students preparing for exams. The building's 1970s carpet was replaced that year with a maple-toned floor. Evening workshops on job applications filled within a week. Which sentence should be removed to keep the paragraph focused on the results of the longer hours?

• A. The city library extended its weekend hours last fall.
• B. Attendance rose by a third within three months, mostly among students preparing for exams.
• C. Evening workshops on job applications filled within a week.
• D. The building's 1970s carpet was replaced that year with a maple-toned floor. (correct)

Explanation: Every sentence that supports the paragraph's point names a result of the longer hours: higher attendance and quickly filled workshops. The carpet sentence instead reports a remodeling project, which shows no effect of the new schedule. Cutting it keeps the paragraph on its single focus.

Question 24. Vocabulary Acquisition easy

Read the sentence. The new office manager was meticulous, labeling every folder, backing up every file, and locking every drawer before leaving. What does meticulous mean as used in the sentence?

• A. hurried
• B. talkative
• C. extremely careful (correct)
• D. careless

Explanation: Context clues carry the meaning: labeling, backing up, and locking are all habits of extreme care, which is exactly what meticulous means. Careless sits at the opposite end of the scale, hurried clashes with the slow and thorough routine, and talkative describes speech rather than attention to detail.

Question 25. Vocabulary Acquisition medium

Which word best completes the sentence with a positive shade of meaning? Grandma Rosa was so ___ that she saved jars, reused foil, and still gave generously to the food drive.

• A. frugal (correct)
• B. stingy
• C. miserly
• D. cheap

Explanation: The sentence praises both the saving and the giving, so the blank needs a kind word for careful spending. Frugal carries exactly that warm shade. Stingy, miserly, and cheap all imply an unwillingness to spend or share, which clashes with the gifts to the food drive.

Question 26. Vocabulary Acquisition easy

The Latin root bene means good or well. Based on that root, what does benefactor most likely mean?

• A. a person who performs on a stage
• B. a person who designs factory equipment
• C. a person who gives money or other help (correct)
• D. a person who causes harm to others

Explanation: Bene- means good or well, and the -factor ending marks a doer, so a benefactor is someone who does good, most often by giving money. The harm reading belongs to words built on mal-, such as malefactor, and the other two readings ignore the root entirely.

Question 27. Vocabulary Acquisition medium

Which word best replaces walked in the sentence? Burdened by two heavy bags and a long day, Marta ___ up the four flights to her apartment.

• A. wandered
• B. trudged (correct)
• C. strolled
• D. marched

Explanation: Verb choice should match the scene the sentence paints. With two heavy bags and a long day, Marta's steps are slow and heavy, which is what trudged shows. Strolled suggests ease, marched suggests brisk energy, and wandered suggests drifting without a goal.

Question 28. Vocabulary Acquisition hard

Read the sentence. After the bridge inspection, the engineer declared the span stable and reopened it to traffic. Which meaning of stable is used in the sentence?

• A. a building where horses are kept
• B. level-headed and not easily upset
• C. a group of racehorses owned by one person
• D. firmly fixed and not likely to fall or give way (correct)

Explanation: Stable has several meanings, and the bridge setting selects the structural one: firmly fixed and not likely to fall or give way. The horse-barn reading belongs to farm settings, the even-tempered reading describes people, and the racehorse-group reading belongs to owners and tracks, not to bridges.

Question 29. Vocabulary Acquisition medium

Read the sentence. The vending machine malfunctioned again, keeping everyone's coins and dispensing nothing. What does the word malfunctioned mean in this sentence?

• A. was refilled
• B. made a loud noise
• C. failed to work properly (correct)
• D. ran smoothly

Explanation: The prefix mal- means bad or wrongly, so a machine that malfunctioned failed to work the way it should, which the stuck coins and empty slot show. Ran smoothly contradicts the prefix, was refilled names a fix rather than the failure, and made a loud noise describes sound rather than broken function.

Question 30. Vocabulary Acquisition hard

Read the sentence. The inspector's report was candid: it listed every shortcut the crew had taken and named the supervisor who approved them. Which word is closest in meaning to candid as used in the sentence?

• A. frank (correct)
• B. careless
• C. brief
• D. polite

Explanation: Candid means frank, or open to the point of bluntness, and the report's habit of naming every shortcut proves that openness. Careless describes sloppy work rather than honest speech, brief describes length, and polite points toward softened words, which is the opposite of the report's bluntness.