Preparing for theTest of Essential

Academic Skills/TEAS

A Presentation by the

Georgia Perimeter College

Learning and Tutoring Centers

TEAS Overview

O Consists of 170 questions O 150 questions scoredO 20 questions experimental (unscored)

O Covers the following topics:O Math (34 questions)O Science (54 questions)O Reading (48 questions) O English and Language Usage (34 questions)

TEAS English and Language Usage Sub-Skills

O Parts of Speech

O Pronouns and Antecedents

O Subject-Verb Agreement

O Verb Tense

O Passive vs. Active Voice

O Mechanics O SpellingO PunctuationO Capitalization

O Sentence Types and Sentence Structure

O Point of View

O Defining Difficult Vocabulary

Test Taking Strategies1. Try to answer every question; educated guesses are better

than skipping a problem. You don’t have to answer every problem in the order. If you feel stumped, lightly circle a question so you know to come back to it later.

2. The test is multiple choice. For every question, eliminate one or two choices that are obviously wrong.

3. Watch your time. You have 34 minutes to answer all 34 English Language Usage questions.

4. Take care of yourself. Eat a good breakfast-carbohydrates, protein, and not too much sugar. Get at least 7-9 hours of sleep. Drink water!

5. Be prepared. Arrive at least 30 minutes early to your testing location. Bring two forms of I.D. as well as your test registration confirmation.

Identifying Parts of Speech

O Nouns and Pronouns

O Verbs

O Adjectives

O Adverbs

O Conjunctions

O Prepositions

Nouns and Pronouns

O NOUNS are words that name people, places, ideas, qualities, measures

O COMMON NOUNS name a general person, place, thing or idea

O PROPER NOUNS name a specific person, place, thing or idea. Proper nouns are capitalized.

O PRONOUNS are words that rename or take the place of nouns, e.g. he, she, it, they, us and we

Some Capitalization Rules1. Capitalize proper nouns and words formed from them. Marian Harvey, Ph.D. Miss Anne Martin Aunt Mary Professor Jones Alexander the Great

2. Capitalize titles only when they refer to a specific person. Dr. Johnson, to become a medical doctor, you must attend medical school.

3. Do not capitalize titles of relationship when a personal pronoun comes before. Have you seen my aunt, Mary?

4. Capitalize geographical names: Paris, France, French culture

5. Capitalize dates: months, days of the week, holidays, historic periods, events. January, Sunday, Thanksgiving, The Middle Ages, The Civil War NOTE: Do not capitalize names of seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter.

6. Capitalize points of the compass only when they refer to recognized specific regions or part of a proper name. Do not capitalize when they indicate a direction. They are attending school in the South. Miss Collins is an expert on the Middle East. North Dakota and South Dakota are west of Minnesota.

Capitalization Practice1. Which of the following book titles is correctly capitalized? A) The Adventures of Tom sawyerB) Roots: The Saga of an American FamilyC) Harry Potter And the Philosopher’s StoneD) a Brief History of Time

2. Which of the following phrases follows the rules of capitalization?

A) grandma ThelmaB) your Great-GrandfatherC) my sister JaneD) Bill’s Aunt

Plural Nouns1. Most nouns become plural by adding s marker to the singular. boy→boys machine→machines book→books 2. For words ending in s, x, z, sh, or ch, you must add es to form the plural. dress→dresses topaz→topazes bush→bushes box→boxes 3. “Y” ending plurals: If a noun ends in y and is preceded by a consonant, change the y to i and add es. history→histories city→cities baby→babies 4. “O” ending plurals: If a noun ends in o and is preceded by a consonant, add es tomato→tomatoes hero→heroes potato→potatoes

NOTE: There are several exceptions to this rule including: piano→pianos soprano→sopranos alto→altos

Plural Nouns Continued5. If a noun ends in o and is preceded by a vowel, add s to form the plural. cameo→cameos radio→radios duo→duos

6. “F” or “Fe” ending plurals: To form the plural of a noun ending in f or fe, change the f to v and add es. calf→calves shelf→shelves knife→knives

NOTE: The following are common exceptions to this rule: safe→safes roof →roofs belief→beliefs chief→chiefs

Irregular Plural Nouns7. Here are 12 words for which there are no set rules for forming plurals. man→men ox→oxen woman→women tooth→teeth sheep→sheep moose→moose mouse→mice deer→deer foot→feet child→children goose→geese trout→trout

Irregular Plurals Practice3. Which of the following nouns is written in the correct plural form?

A) alumnus; dwarfs; axisesB) syllaba; waltzs; neurosisesC) eighthes; tooths; curriculumD) neuroses; hooves; analyses

4. Which of the following nouns is written in the correct plural form?

A) nucleusesB) sheepsC) tomatoesD) facilitys

Pronouns and Antecedents

Be sure that the pronoun agrees (matches) with the antecedent in number. If the antecedent is singular, then the pronoun must be singular. When the antecedent is plural, the pronoun must be plural.The dog chased its tail. The dogs chased their tails.

Michael was late for work, and he was very stressed about the possible consequences.

Treat COLLECTIVE nouns that name a group (e.g. team, jury, class, committee) like a singular noun and make the pronoun agree. The family takes its big vacation in July.

The committee was scheduled to meet at noon, but it still had unclear objectives.

Possessive PronounsPossessive pronouns modify a noun in order to show ownership.Possessive pronouns like her(s), his, our(s), and your(s) are fairlystraightforward. However, “its” and “their” can sometimes be confusing.The dog chased its tail.

“its” is the possessive pronoun for “dog.” Be careful not to use the word “it’s.” The contraction “it’s” represents the words “it is.” The sisters enjoyed their visit.

“Their” is the possessive pronoun for “sisters.”

The word “they’re” is a contraction of the words “they are.” I don’t know why Brandon and Will aren’t here. They’re going to be late!

The word “there” refers to a place. The library is over there.

Indefinite PronounsAn indefinite pronoun does not refer to any specific person,

thing or amount. It is vague and "not definite.”

Singular indefinite pronouns: another, anyone, anything, each, either, enough, everyone, everything, little,

less, much, neither, nobody, nothing, one, other, someone,something, and you.

Plural indefinite pronouns: both, few, fewer, many, others, several, and they

Some indefinite pronouns can either be singular or plural. Think carefully about the context in which these pronouns are used.

all the whole quantity of something or of some things or people

All is forgiven.All have arrived.

any no matter how much or how many Is any left?Are any coming?

more a greater quantity of something; a greater number of people or things

There is more over there.More are coming.

most the majority; nearly all Most is lost.Most have refused.

none not any; no person or persons They fixed the water so why is none coming out of the tap?I invited five friends but none have come.

some an unspecified quantity of something; an unspecified number of people or things

Here is some.Some have arrived.

such of the type already mentioned He was a foreigner, and he felt he was treated as such.

Indefinite Pronouns Which Can Be Singular or Plural

Pronouns Practice5. Surprising Elmer Fudd after a long chase, Bugs Bunny kissed ______ on the lips. Which of the following options correctly completes the sentence? The antecedent of the pronoun to be added is underlined.A) itB) him C) themD) us

6. The people in the crowd huddle against the snow that blinds ______ vision. Which of the following options correctly completes the sentence above?A) itsB) their C) it’sD) they’re

Verbs O VERBS tell:

O action occurring OR

O state of being

O When verbs tell the state of being of a noun, they are called LINKING VERBS.

Linking Verb Ex. Mrs. Siegel was the best teacher I’d ever had.

Action Verb Ex. The cat jumped onto the table.

Verb Tenses Another important function of verbs is to identify the time during which something happened. Understanding the SIX BASIC TENSES allows one to recreate much of the reality of time. ~Purdue Online Writing Lab

Judy taught social studies for ten years. (Past)

Judy had taught social studies for ten years. (Past Perfect)

Judy teaches social studies. (Present)

Judy has taught social studies for ten years. (Present Perfect)

Judy will teach social studies. (Future)

Judy will have taught social studies for ten years, (Future Perfect)

Verb Tense Practice7. Two days from now, the team _________. A) playing in the championship game.B) played in the championship game.C) will play in the championship game.D) has played in the championship game.

8. Since Bill’s car did not start, he _______ . A) stay home and miss the party.B) staying home and missing the party.C) stayed home and missed the party.D) will stay home and missed the party.

Subject-Verb Agreement

Plural nouns should be matched with plural verbs; singular nouns should be matched with singular verbs. In the following sentences, the subjects (nouns) and verbs do not agree.

Incorrect: Maria and her friend is going to the store.Plural Subject: Maria and her friendCorrect: Maria and her friend are going to the store.

Incorrect: One of the cereal boxes are open.Singular Subject: One Correct: One of the cereal boxes is open.

Incorrect: Either are fine.Singular Subject: EitherCorrect: Either is fine.

From Purdue OWL

Subject/Verb Agreement Practice9. Which of the following sentences has correct subject-verb

agreement?

A) Everybody in the district vote regularly.B) James or his brothers sends letters each week.C) Many in the class has heard of the concepts before.D) Neither you nor I wants to complete the assignment.

10. Which of the following sentences has correct subject-verb

agreement?

A) Either of those medications is effective.B) Several in the store likes the prices.C) One of the dogs eat only special food.D) Someone in the parking lots leave the car unlocked.

Adjectives and Adverbs O ADJECTIVES modify (tell more about) nouns

O Adjectives often appear immediately before the noun or noun phrase that they modify.

O Adjectives usually tell:O What kind He likes chocolate ice cream.O Which Stop that train.O How many She ordered three pairs of shoes.

O ADVERBS modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. They often (but not always) end in “-ly” and tell:

O How The sun rises faithfully every morning. O Where His GPS told him to drive east on Elm

Street.O How often Lori rarely eats take out.

Adjective or Adverb?11. Billy thoughtfully picked out flowers and arranged them elegantly in a vase.

Which of the following correctly identifies the parts of speech in the underlined

portions of the sentence above?

A) Adverb; adjectiveB) Adverb; adverbC) Adjective; adjectiveD) Adjective; adverb

12. The customer is always considered right in business.

Which of the following correctly identifies the parts of speech in the

underlined portions of the sentence above?

A) Adverb; adjectiveB) Adjective; adverbC) Adjective; adjectiveD) Adverb; adverb

Prepositions PREPOSITIONS describe relationships between words in a sentence.

PREPOSITIONS often indicate time or location. They are nearly always combined with articles and nouns in structures called prepositional phrases.

The noun within a prepositional phrase is called the OBJECT OF THE PREPOSITION. Generally, it is not the subject of the sentence. She stacked the pancakes on the platter and brought them to the table.

Preposition Article Object of the Preposition

on the border

under the bed

over the moon

Conjunctions

O CONJUNCTIONS are used as connectors. They link words, phrases and clauses together.

O Conjunctions are often referred to as FANBOYS because the words that carry out this function are:

for, and, not, but, or, yet, so

O If you are composing a compound sentence, remember to put a comma before a COORDINATING CONJUNCTION because it signals that you are separating two sentences

O Ex: Remember to put a comma before a coordinating conjunction, for it signals that you are separating two sentences.

Subject, Predicate, and Object

Subject:Person, Place, Thing or Idea that is doing or being something

Predicate: Follows the subject and tells something about the subject

Object:Completes the meaning of the verb or complements subject

Subject, Predicate, Object Practice

13. The patient became sick after contracting the virus from her colleagues.

What is the simple predicate of the sentence?

A) patient B) became C) sick D) contracting

Active VoiceActive voice means placing the person or thing doing the action in the nominative part (the part that comes before the verb) of the sentence.

I turned on the light.

Passive voice puts the object being acted upon before the verb.

The light was turned on by me.

Changing Passive Voice to Active Voice

14. The voting was carefully observed by the poll watchers.

Which of the following changes the sentence above so that it is written in the active rather than in the passive voice?

A) By the poll watchers, the voting was carefully observed.B) The voting by the poll watchers was carefully observed.C) The voting was observed carefully by the poll watchers.D) The poll watchers carefully observed the voting.

Point of View

Determining point of view comes down to examining what kinds of pronouns are used in the sentence.

First Person: The pronouns “I” and/or “we” are used.I felt like I was the only person who read the instructions.

Second Person: The pronoun “you” is used (also with imperative commands)

You should know that the library will close at 9 P.M.

Third Person: The sentence includes pronouns like “he,” “she,” and “it,” or the sentence simply includes names.

He felt like he was the only person who read the instructions.

Sarah didn’t know that the library closed at 9 P.M.

Point of View Practice

15. Which of the following sentences is an example ofthird-person point of view?

A) Adrian and I formed a study group to prepare for the exam. B) You would need to explain your actions. C) The reporter became the subject of the latest tabloids when a

dead body was found at his apartment. D) “Did you enjoy the meal?” Amy asked us eagerly.

Sentence StructureO Simple: One independent clause

I love music.

O Complex: One dependent and one independent clause

Since he knows how much I love music, Dad bought me a new MP3 player.

O Compound: Two independent clauses (remember to use a “fanboys”)

I love music, and my brother enjoys kung fu films.

O Compound-Complex: One dependent plus two (or multiple) independent clauses

To show Dad our thanks, my brother cut the lawn, and I washed the car.

Independent clause=a complete thought; contains subject, verb/predicate

Dependent clause = incomplete thought; missing either a subject or verb; relies on independent clause to complete meaning

Name the Sentence Structure

1. As the TV newscaster reported the story of the tsunami, the room gradually fell silent.

2. Mary and Samantha left on the bus before I arrived, so I didn’t see them at the bus station.

3. When Lee handed in his project, he didn’t give the instructor the last page, so he got an incomplete.

4. Dr. Ramirez helped me recover from a basketball injury.

Sentence Structure Practice

16. Which of the following is an example of a simple sentence?

A) All of the reasons for leaving early were realized at the arrival of an unexpected guest. B) When Aunt Gina arrived, all of the plans went out of the window. C) My strong-willed aunt had plans for us; fun was not part of her idea. D) I wanted to leave early, but everyone in the end had a good time.

Sentence Types

Imperative sentences give a direct command or instructions.

Turn left at the post office.

Interrogative sentences ask a question.

Do you know how to get to the library?

Exclamatory sentences express excitement or emotion.

Oh no! We are late for the exam!

Declarative sentences state a fact or an argument and end with aperiod.The exam will have 100 questions.

Sentence Types Practice

17. Never underestimate the power of persuasion.

What type of sentence is this?

A) DeclarativeB) ExclamatoryC) ImperativeD) Interrogative

Sentence Clarity & Structure

What is Sentence Clarity?

Separating good writing from bad writing based upon:

O Sentence StructureFix errors: Gloria and me were hungry so we went for a swim.

O Proximity of ModifiersFix errors: The boy ran from the burning house screaming and crying.

O What “Sounds” Right or Makes Sense!Fix errors: A garden was planted by the family behind the house.

Sentence Clarity Practice

18. Which sentence is the clearest?

A) I saw the criminals who were arrested watching the TV news. B) I saw the criminals watching the TV news who were arrested. C) Watching the TV news, the criminals who were arrested were seen by me. D) Watching the TV news, I saw the criminals who were arrested.

Punctuation Marks (And When to Use Them)

Period . Comma ,

Shows ending of declarative sentenceSeparates clauses, items in lists and follows the greeting in informal letters

Class starts in ten minutes. It rained over the holiday, but I still enjoyed myself.

Question Mark ? Colon :

Shows ending of interrogative sentenceTo introduce a quotation, explanation, example, or list. Also often used after salutation of a business letter.

What time does the class start? Eduardo’s main reason for agreeing to relocate is the following: he loves the Pacific Northwest.

Exclamation Point ! Semi-colon ;

Shows ending of declarative sentenceAlternative to a period that shows a close relationship between independent clauses

I scored an “A” on my final exam!Red is her favorite color; she wears it often.

Punctuation Marks (And When to Use Them)

Apostrophe ’ Hyphen -

Indicates contractions, possessive case, or plurals of lowercase letters.

Used to make compound words, join prefixes to other words, show word breaks

The bird’s wings are as wide as a kite. The props were all camera-ready.

Dash -- Quotation Marks “ ”

To insert supplementary commentary while emphasizing its importance or create emphasis

Used to indicate the exact words taken from someone’s speech or written text

To feed, clothe, and find shelter for the needy--these are real achievements.

My grandmother used to say, “Cross that bridge when you get to it.”

Ellipses … Brackets [ ]

To indicate omission Used mainly for clarification within or modification of quoted material

Full statement: Today, after hours of careful thought, we vetoed the bill.With ellipsis: Today. . . we vetoed the bill.

Examples here: http://homeworktips.about.com/od/writingrules/qt/brackets.htm

Punctuation Practice

18. Which of the following is an example of a correctlypunctuated sentence?

A) My cat is not terribly bright, (in fact) I call him Dopey after the character in “Snow White.”B) My cat is not terribly bright, in fact I call him Dopey after the character in “Snow White”.C) My cat is not terribly bright, in fact, I call him “Dopey” after the character in “Snow White.”D) My cat is not terribly bright; in fact, I call him “Dopey” after the character in “Snow White.”

Strategies to Build a Larger Vocabulary

1. Read!!! Challenge yourself by reading classic literature such as works by William Faulkner and Herman Melville. Read well-respected newspapers and magazines like the New York Times and The Economist. When you encounter a word you do not know, look it up.

2. Create vocabulary flashcards, and review them regularly. 15-30 minutes of daily review can be more effective than 3 hours of practice on a Sunday.

3. Search for common GRE and SAT words and learn them.

4. Learn word roots.

5. Learn suffixes and prefixes.

Help!!!!!!There’s a word I don’t know on the test! 1. Even if a vocabulary word is unfamiliar, increase your

chances by eliminating one or two wrong answers. 2. Use the context of nearby words to figure out unknown words.3. Don't overlook the reversing effect of negative words (like not)

or prefixes (like un-).4. If you're really stuck on the meaning of a word, try to think of

other words that have similar prefixes, roots, or suffixes.5. Eliminate choices in double-blank questions if the first word

alone doesn't make sense in the sentence.6. Let transition words (like although and likewise) help suggest

the best answer.7. Trust your gut. It is better to answer a question than to leave

it blank even when you’re not 100% sure.

Vocabulary Practice

19. Because he was credulous in nature, Steve was duped into buying the most unreliable and expensive car on the lot. Which of the following is the meaning of the word credulous as used in the sentence above.

A) Dependable and responsibleB) Believable or trustworthyC) Easily cheated or fooledD) Socially popular and outgoing

Spelling

You must be able to find the correct spelling for the following:

-Homophones: compliment/complement

-Irregular Plurals: nucleus → nuclei

-Hyphenated Words: self-employed

-Commonly misspelled words: mischievous

Tips for Becoming a Better Speller

-Read!!! Read many different types of newspapers, books, and magazines to expose yourself to different types of writers and contexts.

-Become familiar with words roots, suffixes and prefixes. We have helpful handouts at http://depts.gpc.edu/~gpcltc/commhandouts.htm

-Write frequently. If there is a word that doesn’t “look right” in your writing, look it up in a dictionary, and practicing writing it correctly.

-We also have handouts on commonly misspelled words and spelling rules at http://depts.gpc.edu/~gpcltc/commhandouts.htm

Spelling Practice

20. My nephew was fascinated by the _________dogs he saw at the zoo.

Which of the following words correctlycompletes the sentence above?

A) prarieB) prairieC) prayerD) prairy

Additional Study Resources

TEAS study manualsO You can purchase your own copy, but we also have copies in

the library and the LTC. (You cannot write in study manuals that belong to GPC. LTC study manuals must stay in the LTC.)

Ask for help at the LTCO We have tutors in all subjects who would be happy to help

you prepare for the test for free. Your tuition pays for this service!

LTC WebsiteO We have numerous handouts and self-quizzes covering

various math, English, and grammar concepts. http://depts.gpc.edu/~gpcltc/

Questions?

Presentation Content by Claire Nguyen and Jim L. LeeGeorgia Perimeter College (Decatur)

Learning and Tutoring Center April 18th, 2015

Capitol Community College

ESL Bee.com

Grammar Girl

Illinois Valley Community College

Purdue Online Writing Lab

The Punctuation Guide online

Towson University

Vappingo.com

The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin Madison online

Zahler, Kathy A. McGraw-Hill’s 5 TEAS Practice Tests. New York: McGraw Hill, 2012. Print.

Sources and References