Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Sentence D is a compound-complex sentence because it contains two independent clauses ('Even though the puppy was much smaller than his mother' and 'his eyes were dark brown and shiny just like hers') and one dependent clause ('and his ears were long and floppy, too'). Choices A, B, and C do not meet the criteria for a compound-complex sentence as they lack a combination of independent and dependent clauses.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is sentence D: 'I cooked, so I could eat dinner.' This sentence uses a comma correctly to separate two independent clauses, 'I cooked,' and 'so I could eat dinner.' Choice A is incorrect as it lacks punctuation to separate the clauses properly. Choice B incorrectly uses a comma after 'so,' disrupting the flow of the sentence. Choice C incorrectly places a comma after 'I,' which is not needed in this context.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The comma after 'delicious' is unnecessary as it separates the adjective 'delicious' from the noun 'stew'. In this case, 'delicious' is describing the type of stew, so the comma should be removed to maintain correct sentence structure. The other commas in the sentence are correctly used to separate items in a list and after introductory phrases, making them necessary for clarity and grammatical correctness.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses connected by a coordinating conjunction (such as 'and,' 'but,' 'so,' etc.) or a semicolon. In this case, 'The baby was sick' and 'I decided to stay home from work' are two independent clauses connected by the coordinating conjunction 'so.' Choice A is a simple sentence with one independent clause. Choice B is a complex sentence with an independent clause 'Marissa last saw Elena' and a dependent clause 'and talked to her this morning.' Choice D is also a simple sentence with one independent clause.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct plural form of 'cactus' is 'cacti' according to the English language rules for forming plural nouns ending in -us. The word 'cacti' is the plural form of 'cactus,' which follows this particular rule. Choice A 'Tomatoes' is incorrect because the correct plural form of 'tomato' is 'tomatoes,' not 'tomatos.' Choice B 'Analysis' is incorrect as it is already the plural form. Choice D 'Criterion' is incorrect as its plural form is 'criteria,' not 'criterion.'