Which word is not spelled correctly in the context of the following sentence? Everyone in the fraternity found the four boys' pranks sophomoric.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The word 'boys'' should be spelled as 'boys' in this context. The correct possessive form of the plural noun 'boys' does not require an apostrophe before the final S, which indicates possession. In this sentence, the intent is to show that the pranks belong to the four boys collectively, so the correct possessive form is 'boys' without the additional apostrophe.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct punctuation needed in the sentence is a comma. A comma should be placed after 'festivities' to separate the two independent clauses in the sentence: 'In addition to the hospital's regularly scheduled festivities' and 'the custodians celebrate with a party of their own.' The comma helps in improving the clarity and structure of the sentence by indicating a pause between the clauses. Choice A, 'Period,' is incorrect because a period would create two separate sentences rather than connecting the related clauses. Choice C, 'Apostrophe,' is incorrect as there is no need for an apostrophe in this context. Choice D, 'Semicolon,' is incorrect because a semicolon is used to join closely related independent clauses, which is not the case in the given sentence.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct word to use in this sentence is 'volunteered' as it indicates an action that Cathy did in the past. The sentence suggests that Cathy was engaging in volunteering at the hospital for the first time, so the past tense form 'volunteered' is the most appropriate choice. Choice B ('volunteering') is incorrect because it is the present participle form and does not fit the past tense context of the sentence. Choice C ('was volunteered') is passive voice and implies that someone else made Cathy volunteer, which is not the intended meaning. Choice D ('volunteer') is incorrect as it is the base form of the verb and does not match the past tense requirement of the sentence.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The word 'her' is the best substitute for the underlined words 'the nurse' in the sentence. This substitution avoids redundancy and provides clarity by referring back to the nurse as a third-person singular pronoun, maintaining coherence and avoiding ambiguity. 'He' (choice B) and 'his' (choice C) are incorrect as they do not align with the gender of the nurse in the sentence. 'It' (choice D) is also incorrect as it does not refer appropriately to a person.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The phrase 'had rarely' is not used correctly in the sentence. The correct form should be 'rarely eaten' instead of 'had rarely' to convey the past tense of the children's eating habits before their hospitalization. 'Had rarely' is incorrect because it does not match the structure needed to describe the children's eating habits in the past. Choices A, B, and D are grammatically sound and fit appropriately in the sentence.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The word 'our' is the best substitute for the underlined words 'the doctor's and my' in the sentence. Using 'our' indicates joint possession, making the sentence more concise and natural. Choice A, 'his', is singular possessive and does not reflect the joint ownership implied by the sentence. Choice B, 'their', is plural possessive and does not align with the singular subjects 'the doctor and I'. Choice D, 'mine', is possessive for the first person singular pronoun and does not convey the shared ownership of the notes by both individuals.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The word 'whose' in the sentence should be 'whose.' 'Whose' is the correct possessive form used to indicate that the diploma belongs to the doctor. 'Who's' is a contraction for 'who is' or 'who has,' which does not make sense in this context. The other words in the sentence - 'That,' 'hung,' and 'partition' are all used correctly in the sentence.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is 'C: herself.' In this sentence, 'herself' is the reflexive pronoun that correctly refers back to Mary Ann. It shows that Mary Ann is giving credit to herself for studying hard and passing the test. The use of 'oneself' (choice A) would be incorrect here as it is too general and does not specify Mary Ann. Choices B and D ('itself' and 'themselves') are also incorrect because they do not match the singular subject 'Mary Ann.' Therefore, 'herself' is the only option that fits both grammatically and contextually in this sentence.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct preposition to use in this sentence to indicate the position of the fountain in relation to the driveway and the main entrance is 'between.' 'Between' conveys that the fountain is positioned centrally or in the middle of the driveway and the main entrance, making it the most suitable phrase to complete the sentence correctly. The other options do not accurately describe the fountain's position between two distinct locations, making them grammatically incorrect choices for this sentence.