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: D

Rationale: In the sentence, 'The realtor showed her and me a house on Wednesday afternoon,' the pronouns 'her' and 'me' are used as objects of the verb 'showed.' When choosing pronouns to fill in the blanks, it is important to use objective pronouns to maintain correct grammar and sentence structure. Choice A ('She, I') and Choice B ('She, me') are incorrect as 'I' and 'she' are subjective pronouns, not objective pronouns needed as objects in this sentence. Choice C ('Me, her') is also incorrect as the order and usage of pronouns are reversed from the correct form in the sentence.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Option D correctly spells the words 'discipline' and 'perseverance.' The correct spelling of these words is crucial for effective communication and clarity in writing. In options A, B, and C, there are misspellings of 'discipline' and 'perseverance,' which can lead to confusion and impact the overall quality of the writing. Thus, option D is the correct choice as it accurately represents the correct spelling of both words.

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: A

Rationale: Choice A is the correct answer as the sentence is correctly punctuated using em dashes to set off the list. The em dashes help to clearly separate the list of tools from the rest of the sentence. In Choice B, a colon is used, which is incorrect as colons are typically used to introduce a list, not within the list itself. Choice C lacks any punctuation to separate the list, making it unclear and incorrect. Choice D uses semicolons, which are not appropriate for separating items in a list, making it incorrect as well.