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

Question 1. Conventions of Standard English easy

Read the sentence. The carton of strawberries were left on the counter overnight. Which option corrects the error in subject-verb agreement?

• A. The carton of strawberries are left on the counter overnight.
• B. The cartons of strawberries was left on the counter overnight.
• C. The carton of strawberries was left on the counter overnight. (correct)
• D. The carton of strawberries were leaving on the counter overnight.

Explanation: The subject of the sentence is carton, a singular noun, while of strawberries is a prepositional phrase that never controls the verb. A singular subject takes the singular verb was, so option c is the only version that repairs the agreement error without altering the meaning.

Question 2. Conventions of Standard English easy

Read the sentence. The town celebrated with a parade on the fourth of july. Which option uses capital letters correctly?

• A. The town celebrated with a parade on the Fourth of July. (correct)
• B. The town celebrated with a parade on the fourth of July.
• C. The town celebrated with a parade on the Fourth of july.
• D. The town celebrated with a parade on fourth of July.

Explanation: Holiday names such as the Fourth of July are proper nouns, so their main words are capitalized while the article the stays lowercase. The other options lowercase Fourth, lowercase July, or drop the article entirely, and each of those choices violates standard capitalization rules.

Question 3. Conventions of Standard English medium

Read the sentence. Each student in the woodworking class must bring their own safety goggles to the first session. Which option corrects the pronoun-antecedent error?

• A. Each student in the woodworking class must bring its own safety goggles to the first session.
• B. Each student in the woodworking class must bring his or her own safety goggles to the first session. (correct)
• C. All student in the woodworking class must bring their own safety goggles to the first session.
• D. Each students in the woodworking class must bring their own safety goggles to the first session.

Explanation: The antecedent each student is singular, so the singular pronoun his or her is required rather than the plural their or the inanimate its. Though singular they is common in speech, traditional usage questions expect his or her, and the other options also introduce agreement errors such as all student and each students.

Question 4. Conventions of Standard English medium

Read the sentence. The mechanic tightened the bolts, checked the fluid levels, and then the oil filter was replaced. Which option keeps the verb forms parallel and consistent?

• A. The mechanic tightens the bolts, checked the fluid levels, and replaced the oil filter.
• B. The mechanic tightened the bolts, checks the fluid levels, and replaced the oil filter.
• C. The mechanic tightened the bolts, checked the fluid levels, and the oil filter was replaced.
• D. The mechanic tightened the bolts, checked the fluid levels, and replaced the oil filter. (correct)

Explanation: All three actions should appear as matching past-tense verbs: tightened, checked, and replaced. The original shifts to the passive was replaced, option c keeps that passive shift, and the other options mix tenses such as tightens and checks, breaking the parallel pattern of the list.

Question 5. Conventions of Standard English medium

Read the sentence. The porch light flickered the crickets grew louder. Which option correctly fixes the run-on sentence?

• A. The porch light flickered, and the crickets grew louder. (correct)
• B. The porch light flickered; and the crickets grew louder.
• C. The porch light flickered, the crickets grew louder.
• D. The porch light flickered the crickets, grew louder.

Explanation: The original is a fused sentence with two independent clauses and no punctuation or conjunction between them. Adding a comma and the coordinating conjunction and joins the clauses correctly, while a comma alone leaves a splice, a semicolon before and is nonstandard, and option d strands the verb grew.

Question 6. Conventions of Standard English medium

Read the sentence. The bakery won the contest however the prize money barely covered the ingredients. Which option punctuates the sentence correctly?

• A. The bakery won the contest, however the prize money barely covered the ingredients.
• B. The bakery won the contest; however the prize money barely covered the ingredients.
• C. The bakery won the contest; however, the prize money barely covered the ingredients. (correct)
• D. The bakery won the contest, however, the prize money barely covered, the ingredients.

Explanation: A semicolon correctly separates the two independent clauses, and a comma after the conjunctive adverb however sets it off from the second clause. The other options either splice the clauses with only a comma, omit the comma after however, or insert a comma that wrongly splits the subject from its verb.

Question 7. Conventions of Standard English medium

Read the sentence. While the bread baked in the oven. Which revision turns the fragment into a complete sentence?

• A. While the bread baked in the oven, filling the kitchen with the scent of yeast.
• B. While the bread baked in the oven, the kitchen filled with the scent of yeast. (correct)
• C. While the bread baked in the oven, the scent of yeast filling the kitchen.
• D. While the bread baked in the oven, yeast scent.

Explanation: The original is only a dependent clause introduced by while, with no main clause to complete it. Option b supplies an independent clause, the kitchen filled, so the sentence expresses a full thought; the other choices add only phrases or fragments without a true subject and verb.

Question 8. Conventions of Standard English hard

Choose the verb that correctly completes the sentence: Many a cyclist ___ the steep climb before reaching the summit.

• A. Many a cyclist attempt the steep climb before reaching the summit.
• B. Many a cyclist have attempted the steep climb before reaching the summit.
• C. Many a cyclist are attempting the steep climb before reaching the summit.
• D. Many a cyclist attempts the steep climb before reaching the summit. (correct)

Explanation: The fixed expression many a is singular even though it refers to a group, so it takes the singular verb attempts. The plural forms attempt, have attempted, and are attempting each need a plural subject, and none of them agrees with the singular noun cyclist that follows many a.

Question 9. Conventions of Standard English hard

Read the sentence. Us volunteers will set up the chairs before the meeting. Which option corrects the pronoun case?

• A. We volunteers will set up the chairs before the meeting. (correct)
• B. Our volunteers will set up the chairs before the meeting.
• C. The us volunteers will set up the chairs before the meeting.
• D. Volunteers us will set up the chairs before the meeting.

Explanation: The pronoun stands in apposition to the subject volunteers, so it must take the subject form we rather than the object form us. The objective us would be correct only as an object, as in the award went to us volunteers, while the possessive our and the scrambled word orders in the other options are wrong.

Question 10. Conventions of Standard English hard

Read the sentence. The training teaches interns not only to read the blueprints but also how they should calibrate the tools. Which option creates parallel structure?

• A. The training teaches interns not only reading the blueprints but also to calibrate the tools.
• B. The training teaches interns not only to read the blueprints but also to calibrate the tools. (correct)
• C. The training teaches interns not only to read the blueprints but also calibration of the tools.
• D. The training teaches interns not only to read blueprints but also the tools need calibrating.

Explanation: Correlative pairs such as not only and but also must join matching grammatical forms, and option b links two infinitive phrases, to read and to calibrate. The original pairs an infinitive with a clause, while the other options mix infinitives with gerunds, nouns, or full clauses and break the parallel structure.

Question 11. Conventions of Standard English hard

Read the sentence. The number of commuters using the ferry have doubled since the bridge closed. Which option corrects the error?

• A. The numbers of commuters using the ferry has doubled since the bridge closed.
• B. The number of commuters using the ferry are doubled since the bridge closed.
• C. The number of commuters using the ferry has doubled since the bridge closed. (correct)
• D. The number of commuters using the ferry have been doubling since the bridge, closed.

Explanation: The expression the number names a single total and is singular, so it requires the singular verb has, and the plural noun commuters inside the prepositional phrase does not govern the verb. The other choices keep plural verbs such as have or are, misuse the plural numbers, or insert a needless comma.

Question 12. Knowledge of Language easy

Which sentence is appropriate for a formal letter to a city council about a proposed zoning change?

• A. You guys should totally let me talk about this zoning thing at the hearing.
• B. I really want to come and talk at the hearing, so hook me up with a spot.
• C. If you want, I could maybe come speak about the zoning change sometime.
• D. I would appreciate the opportunity to speak at the public hearing next Tuesday. (correct)

Explanation: A formal letter uses complete sentences, standard vocabulary, and a respectful tone. Option d does all of this, while the other choices use the casual phrase you guys, the slang hook me up, or the hesitant filler maybe, none of which is appropriate for official correspondence with elected officials.

Question 13. Knowledge of Language easy

Which choice best combines the two sentences? Sentence one: The freight elevator is being repaired. Sentence two: All packages must go up the stairs.

• A. Because the freight elevator is being repaired, all packages must go up the stairs. (correct)
• B. The freight elevator is being repaired, all packages must go up the stairs.
• C. The freight elevator is being repaired all packages must go up the stairs.
• D. All packages must go up the stairs, the freight elevator is being repaired.

Explanation: Beginning with the subordinating conjunction because turns the first sentence into a dependent clause that explains the cause, and the comma correctly joins it to the main clause. The other options splice two independent clauses with a comma, fuse them with no punctuation, or reverse the cause-and-effect order.

Question 14. Knowledge of Language medium

Which revision is the most concise without losing meaning? Original sentence: At this point in time, we are not in a position to be able to offer a refund for the damaged mug.

• A. At this point in time, we cannot offer a refund for the damaged mug.
• B. We cannot offer a refund for the damaged mug. (correct)
• C. We are not in a position to be able to offer a refund for the damaged mug.
• D. For the damaged mug, we cannot at this point in time offer a refund.

Explanation: The best revision strips the filler phrases at this point in time, in a position to, and be able to while keeping every essential fact: who cannot do what and for which item. The other choices each retain at least one redundant phrase or needlessly reorder the sentence without saving any words.

Question 15. Knowledge of Language medium

Read the sentence. The editor told the reporter that she had missed the deadline. Which revision makes clear that the reporter, not the editor, missed the deadline?

• A. The editor told the reporter that the editor had missed the deadline.
• B. The editor, told the reporter that she had missed the deadline.
• C. The editor told the reporter that the reporter had missed the deadline. (correct)
• D. The editor told the reporter; she had missed the deadline.

Explanation: Replacing the ambiguous pronoun she with the noun reporter makes the meaning unmistakable. The original leaves unclear whether the editor or the reporter missed the deadline, option a blames the editor instead, and the other choices keep the vague pronoun or add faulty punctuation between the clauses.

Question 16. Knowledge of Language medium

Which choice best combines the two sentences? Sentence one: The trailhead parking lot was full. Sentence two: Hikers parked along the shoulder of the road.

• A. The trailhead parking lot was full hikers parked along the shoulder of the road.
• B. The trailhead parking lot was full, hikers parked along the shoulder of the road.
• C. Hikers parked along the shoulder of the road, the trailhead parking lot was full.
• D. The trailhead parking lot was full; hikers parked along the shoulder of the road. (correct)

Explanation: The semicolon correctly joins two closely related independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction, preserving the cause-and-effect relationship between a full lot and roadside parking. A comma alone creates a splice, joining the clauses with no punctuation is a run-on, and reversing the order with a comma still leaves a splice.

Question 17. Knowledge of Language medium

Read the sentence. The end result of the committee's meeting was a unanimous vote by all members. Which revision removes the redundant wording?

• A. The committee reached a unanimous decision. (correct)
• B. The end result of the committee's meeting was a unanimous vote by all members.
• C. The committee's final outcome was a unanimous vote by every member.
• D. All members voted unanimously, and the vote was unanimous.

Explanation: End result repeats one idea, and unanimous vote by all members says the same thing twice, so the revision keeps the essential claim of a fully agreed committee decision while deleting repeated words. The other choices preserve end result, final outcome, or unanimous stated two times within a single sentence.

Question 18. Knowledge of Language medium

Read the sentence. The campers were soaking wet; ___, they were in high spirits. Which transition best fits the blank?

• A. The campers were soaking wet; therefore, they were in high spirits.
• B. The campers were soaking wet; nevertheless, they were in high spirits. (correct)
• C. The campers were soaking wet; for example, they were in high spirits.
• D. The campers were soaking wet; in addition, they were in high spirits.

Explanation: The second clause states an outcome that runs against what the first clause leads a reader to expect, and nevertheless signals exactly that kind of contrast. Therefore would imply the wet campers were the cause of their good mood, while for example and in addition do not connect the two ideas logically.

Question 19. Knowledge of Language medium

A warehouse supervisor is writing a memo about the new footwear rule. Which sentence fits a professional tone?

• A. Everybody's gotta wear closed-toe shoes out on the floor, no exceptions.
• B. Shoes that cover your toes are a must for floor work, peeps.
• C. All staff members must wear closed-toe shoes while working on the floor. (correct)
• D. No more bare toes while you work, okay?

Explanation: A professional memo uses complete sentences, standard grammar, and neutral vocabulary. Option c states the rule plainly and directly, while the other choices rely on the contraction gotta, the slang peeps, or a casual imperative that would undermine the authority of a workplace dress-code notice.

Question 20. Knowledge of Language medium

Read the sentence. The workshop covered budgeting and also how to file taxes and marketing your small business. Which revision presents the topics as a clear, parallel list?

• A. The workshop covered budgeting and tax filing and marketing for small businesses and how to do them.
• B. The workshop covered budgeting, also tax filing, also marketing your small business.
• C. The workshop covered budgeting, tax filing, and how you market your small business.
• D. The workshop covered budgeting, tax filing, and small-business marketing. (correct)

Explanation: Option d converts every item in the list to the same grammatical form, a noun phrase: budgeting, tax filing, and small-business marketing. The original jumbles and also how to with a gerund, leaving the list lopsided, and the other options keep mixed structures or add filler words that obscure the three topics.

Question 21. Knowledge of Language hard

Which choice best combines the three sentences into one? Sentence one: The bus was late. Sentence two: The passengers missed the ferry. Sentence three: They waited for the next one.

• A. Because the bus was late, the passengers missed the ferry and waited for the next one. (correct)
• B. The bus was late, the passengers missed the ferry, they waited for the next one.
• C. The passengers missed the ferry, the bus was late, and they waited for the next one.
• D. Waiting for the next one, the bus was late and the passengers missed the ferry.

Explanation: The revision preserves the cause-and-effect chain by opening with the subordinating conjunction because, then joining the two results with and. The other options string the clauses together with commas, scramble the causal order so the lateness is blamed on the ferry, or open with a dangling participial phrase that misdescribes the bus.

Question 22. Vocabulary Acquisition easy

Read the sentence. The hikers were elated when they finally saw the summit hut through the clearing. What does elated mean as used in the sentence?

• A. tired
• B. overjoyed (correct)
• C. nervous
• D. confused

Explanation: The clue finally saw the summit hut tells the reader the hikers had reached their long-awaited goal, so their feeling is one of great happiness. Overjoyed matches that triumphant emotion, while tired, nervous, and confused do not fit the relief and excitement the sentence describes.

Question 23. Vocabulary Acquisition medium

The prefix over- can mean too much. Based on that meaning, what does overcook most likely mean?

• A. cook too little
• B. cook before the meal starts
• C. cook for too long (correct)
• D. cook without salt

Explanation: When the prefix over- attaches to a verb, it often signals excess, so overcook means to cook for longer than the food needs, which usually ruins the texture and flavor. The other options assign meanings about undercooking, early timing, or seasoning that the prefix does not carry.

Question 24. Vocabulary Acquisition easy

Which word is the closest synonym of swift?

• A. heavy
• B. gradual
• C. sluggish
• D. rapid (correct)

Explanation: Swift and rapid both describe great speed, so rapid is the closest match in meaning. Sluggish and gradual both describe slowness, which is nearly the opposite of swift, and heavy describes weight rather than how quickly something moves or happens.

Question 25. Vocabulary Acquisition medium

Read the sentence. The board deferred the vote on the new stadium until the next fiscal quarter, after the cost estimates were revised. What does deferred mean as used in the sentence?

• A. postponed (correct)
• B. canceled
• C. approved
• D. rejected

Explanation: The clause until the next fiscal quarter shows the vote was moved to a later date rather than dropped, so postponed captures the meaning of deferred. Canceled and rejected would end the matter entirely, and approved directly contradicts the delay described in the sentence.

Question 26. Vocabulary Acquisition medium

Which word contains the root port-, which means carry, and names the act of moving goods from one place to another?

• A. predict
• B. transport (correct)
• C. visible
• D. chronicle

Explanation: Transport combines trans-, meaning across, with the root port-, meaning carry, so it names the act of carrying goods or people from one place to another. The other choices draw on different roots: dict- for speaking, vis- for seeing, and chron- for time.

Question 27. Vocabulary Acquisition hard

In the word dangerous, what meaning does the suffix -ous contribute?

• A. It makes the word name a person who causes danger.
• B. It makes the word mean free of danger.
• C. It makes the word mean full of danger. (correct)
• D. It makes the word name the act of causing danger.

Explanation: The suffix -ous turns the noun danger into an adjective meaning having or full of danger. It does not express absence, which would require the suffix -less, nor does it name a person or an action, which would require a suffix such as -er or -tion added to a verb.

Question 28. Vocabulary Acquisition hard

Read the sentence. The accountant flagged the discrepancy in the ledger, noting that the deposit total did not match the receipts. What does discrepancy mean as used in the sentence?

• A. a duplicate entry
• B. an official refund
• C. an authorization mark
• D. a difference between figures that should agree (correct)

Explanation: The detail that the deposit total did not match the receipts explains the problem the accountant noticed, a difference between two figures that should agree. Discrepancy names that inconsistency, rather than a copy of an entry, a repayment, or a signature that authorizes a transaction.

Question 29. Vocabulary Acquisition hard

Read the sentence. The archaeologist was circumspect about dating the shard, publishing only after two laboratories confirmed the results. What does circumspect mean as used in the sentence?

• A. cautious (correct)
• B. careless
• C. boastful
• D. furious

Explanation: Publishing only after two laboratories confirmed the results shows the archaeologist acted with care and restraint, so circumspect means cautious. Careless is nearly the opposite, and boastful and furious describe attitudes that have nothing to do with the careful verification the sentence describes.

Question 30. Vocabulary Acquisition hard

Which word is the best antonym of abundant as used in the sentence? The pantry had abundant supplies before the holiday rush.

• A. ample
• B. scarce (correct)
• C. plentiful
• D. dense

Explanation: Scarce is the opposite of abundant, which describes a very large quantity of something. Ample and plentiful are synonyms of abundant rather than antonyms, and dense describes how tightly packed something is instead of how much of it exists.