After a long, exhausting hike, Stephanie went home and fell asleep on the couch, which she had done many times before. Which comma should be removed in the sentence above?

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C) The comma after the word 'home' should be removed. In the sentence, "After a long, exhausting hike, Stephanie went home and fell asleep on the couch, which she had done many times before," the phrase "which she had done many times before" is a non-essential clause providing additional information about falling asleep on the couch. When we have a non-essential clause in the middle of a sentence, it should be set off by commas. However, if we remove the non-essential clause, the sentence reads, "After a long, exhausting hike, Stephanie went home and fell asleep on the couch." In this case, the comma after 'home' is unnecessary because it separates the verb 'went' from its object 'home,' causing a disruption in the sentence flow. The other commas in the sentence serve specific purposes: - The comma after 'long' is correct as it sets off an introductory word or phrase. - The comma after 'hike' correctly sets off an introductory participial phrase. - The comma after 'couch' is necessary to separate the main clause from the non-essential relative clause that follows. Understanding when to use commas is essential in writing to ensure clarity and coherence. This question highlights the importance of punctuation rules in constructing well-structured sentences. Students need to grasp these rules to effectively convey their ideas and improve the readability of their writing.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D, 'chocolate cookies and vanilla cupcakes.' In this sentence, the friendly baker is the subject, 'offered' is the verb, and 'chocolate cookies and vanilla cupcakes' receive the action of the verb, making them the direct object. Choices A, B, and C do not directly receive the action of the verb 'offered,' so they are not the direct object. Choice A is the verb phrase, choice B is a prepositional phrase, and choice C is the subject of the sentence.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B, 'On the 5:30 train.' This is a sentence fragment because it does not contain a subject and a verb. In this case, 'On the 5:30 train' is a prepositional phrase, not a complete sentence. Choices A, C, and D are complete sentences as they have both a subject and a verb, making them grammatically correct and not sentence fragments.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is sentence A: 'The guests had a wonderful time at the party.' This sentence uses formal language suitable for most written communication. Choice B uses informal language with the word 'awesome,' which is more casual and conversational. Choice C, 'The partygoers wanted to hang out all night,' while not as informal as choice B, is still less formal than choice A. Choice D, 'The partiers were up for something more,' uses slang ('partiers') and casual language ('up for something more'), making it the least formal option among the choices.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A because the phrase 'pretty sure' is a colloquialism, making the sentence less formal. Choice B is incorrect as it is a formal recommendation. Choice C is incorrect as it contains no colloquial expressions. Choice D is incorrect as it is a straightforward statement without colloquial language.