SAMPLE QUALIFYING EXAMINATION FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

PURSUING BACHELOR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

MAJOR IN ENGLISH

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DIRECTION: Read each test item carefully. Choose the letter of the correct answer and
shade it on the answer sheet.
______________________________________________________________________
BEGIN HERE

1. Something that is done inadvertently is probably done___________.

A. Accidentally C. Intentionally
B. Imaginatively D. Maliciously

2. Your agreement with a decision is your__________.

A. Ascent C. Assent
B. Asset D. Assist

3. The first, second, and third American astronauts were Shepard, Grissom, and
Glenn,____________.
A. Respectfully C. Consecutively
B. Respectively D. Relatively

4. Complete the sentence. “I read a in magazine ________the testing of nuclear

devices __________no effect on the weather.”
A. That, has C. Where, hasn’t
B. That, have D. Where, have

5. It seems to me that neither of the political parties ____entirely right on any issue.
A. Is C. Was
B. Are D. Were

6. “Is it fair?” The simple subject of the sentence.

A. It C. Is
B. Fair D. You (implied)

7. If classified according to structure, the sentence in item #6 (Is it fair?) is:

A. Compound C. Simple
B. Complex D. Compound-complex

8. What order does the sentence in item #6 (Is it fair?) follow?

A. Natural order, the implied subject “you” comes before the verb “is”
B. Natural order, the sentence is interrogative.
C. Inverted order, the linking verb comes before the subject.
D. Inverted order, the subject is between a linking verb and a main verb.

9. “Ricardo turns down the offer.” The sentence pattern is:

A. S-IV, subject + intransitive verb
B. S-LV-C, subject + linking verb +complement
C. S-TV-IO-DO, subject + transitive verb +indirect object+ direct Object
D. S-TV-DO, subject +transitive verb + direct object
10. The noun “offer” in the sentence in item #9 (Ricardo turns down the offer) is:
A. Direct object, it receives the action in the transitive verb
B. Object complement, it renames the direct object
C. Subject complement, it identifies the subject of the sentence
D. Indirect object, it answers the question to whom or to what

11. Which of these can be considered as miscellaneous parts of a business letter?

A. Complimentary close, attention line, subject line, and signature
B. Reference line, postscript, enclosure, and inside address
C. Carbon copy, salutation, inside address, and letterhead
D. Attention line, reference line, typist line, and postscript

12. Which sentence contains two independent clauses?

A. Allen and Reginald arrived home early and prepared the meal.
B. Allen and Reginald prepared the meal and the movie to watch.
C. Allen prepared Reginald a meal.
D. Allen prepared the meal, and Reginald chose the movie to watch.

13. In composition writing, Ian makes first a review of the different elements such as
characters, settings and scenes of the movie “Insidious,” then at the concluding
part, gives his overall impression of it. Ian’s composition is using what order or
structural device?
A. Deductive order C. Spatial order
B. Inductive order D. Chronological order

14. Sphere is to axis, as circle is to______.

A. Hypotenuse C. Circumference
B. Square D. Diameter

15. It names a quality, a characteristic or an idea (e.g. popularity, coldness,

efficiency).
A. Concrete noun C. Abstract noun
B. Compound noun D. Collective noun

16. What verb tense is mainly used to express an action that has been completed at
some indefinite time in the past, as in the sentence: “They have sold their
mansion.”?
A. Past tense C. Past perfect tense
B. Present perfect tense D. Present perfect progressive tense

17. In morphology, some classes of words are called “closed” because they contain
relatively small number of items to which no new words or bound morphemes
can normally be added. Which of the following belongs to closed word classes?
A. Fear C. Across
B. Boy D. Live
18. Nouns are used in different ways: “The dog barks. The man bit the dog.” In the
first case, dog is the actor, or the one that initiates the action of the verb. In the
second, dog is acted upon. In “The dog barks,” the dog is the subject of the verb.
In the other sentence, dog is________.
A. Indirect object C. Subject complement
B. Direct object D. Predicate nominative

19. In the sentence, “He was tired; therefore, he stayed home,” the word therefore
modifies the clause of which it is a part and connects the clause to the previous
part of the sentence. “Therefore” is not to be used as a conjunction, hence the
semicolon. In parts of speech, adverbs like therefore, accordingly, besides, etc.
are called?
A. Conjunctive adverbs C. Adverbs of Time
B. Relative adverbs D. Adverbs of Manner

20. It is a special kind of coordinate conjunction that connects elements but it works
in pairs of words: both, and; either, or; neither, nor, etc.
A. Coordinate conjunction C. Correlative conjunction
B. Subordinate conjunction D. Conjunctive adverb

21. It is a useful all-purpose name for any short sequence of words (or even a single
word, considered as an element in the structure of a clause or sentence),
especially a grouping which could be replaced by a single word.
A. Phrase C. Sentence
B. Clause D. Morpheme

22. What is the process of forming new words from existing ones by adding affixes to
them like shame + less + ness --------shamelessness?
A. Calque C. Neologism
B. Agglutination D. Back-formation

23. Morphemes such as prefixes and suffixes (collectively called affixes), cannot
stand alone---they need to be part of a complex word to make sense. These
morphemes are said to be___________.
A. Bound morphemes C. Root
B. Free morphemes D. Stem

24. For example, toilet is usually classified as a noun. But UK primary school
teachers often speak of toileting children (I had to toilet John twice today.) In
describing such a sentence, you should be guided by the internal grammar of the
sentence (syntax) rather than the dictionary. Here, toilet is a transitive verb. If this
usage becomes standard, lexicographers will record it. The kind of word
formation is____________.
A. Derivation C. Conversion
B. Neologism D. Agglutination
25. What do we call the last two lines of a sonnet?
A. Heroic couplet C. Coupled
B. Couplet D. Couply

26. In developmental reading, this pertains to the ability of the learner to relate the
written symbol to its corresponding sound.
A. Phonemic awareness C. Syntax
B. Phonics D. Semantics

27. She is riding________ a plane.

A. In C. At
B. On D. Into

28. Which of the following has the correct order of adjectives?

A. An expensive red European sports car
B. A red expensive European sports car
C. A European red expensive sports car
D. An expensive European red sports car

29. Which is not true about the present perfect tense?

A. The action started sometime in the past and continued up until present
B. It must bear with its auxiliary verb has/have, plus the past participle form of
the verb.
C. The action is still happening at present or just recently ended.
D. The action is happening at present and may still happen in the future.

30. A sonnet has 14 iambic pentameter lines and that means?

A. There are 10 syllables in a line.
B. There are 5 syllables in a line
C. There are 8 syllables in a line.
D. There are 11 syllables in a line.

31. “She walked away and so the world turns…..” What figure of speech is used?
A. Asyndeton C. Synecdoche
B. Euphemism D. Ellipsis

32. An examination of the morphemic structure of words; an appreciation of the fact

that words with common roots share common meanings, and that affixes change
words in predictable and consistent ways.
A. Morphology C. Semantics
B. Phonology D. Lexicography

33. The vocal gestures from which words are constructed in a language; the smallest
unit of speech that serves to distinguish one utterance from another is called___.
A. Phoneme C. Phone
B. Morpheme D. Phonics
34. Which of these best defines an eponym as a mechanism of word formation?
A. A word is formed by stringing together older words, like earthquake.
B. It is matching a foreign word with a phonetically and semantically similar pre
existent native word/root.
C. A proper noun that becomes commonly used for an idea it is associated with,
usually by changing its parts of speech, like Xerox.
D. It is done by taking part of existing word like forming ad from advertisement.

35. Which word has the consonant C pronounced as /s/?

A. Censure C. Comma
B. Connote D. Collaborate

36. Robert Frost’s poems are commonly about________________.

A. Beautiful girls C. God and faith
B. Decision making ang faith D. End of the world

37. In Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, which tale talks about three friends who killed
each other for the chest filled with treasures?
A. Pardoner’s Tale C. Merchant’s Tale
B. Knight’s Tale D. The Nun Priest’s Tale

38. He is considered as the father of essay.

A. Michel de Montaigne C. William Shakespeare
B. Francis Bacon D. George Eliot

39. “Jay, sweep the floor, and Joy, arrange the chairs before you leave the room.”
The sentence is:
A. Simple C. Compound
B. Complex D. Compound-complex

40. This part of a business letter points out that an item or some data are included or
attached to the letter.
A. Enclosure C. Postscript
B. Carbon copy D. Reference line

41. In sentence, it tells what the subject does or has. It can also tell what the subject
is or is like.
A. Subject C. Predicate
B. Direct Object D. Indirect Object

42. In essay writing, for instance, the essayist traces the reasons behind the
existence of addiction to computer games, then, he also states the outcomes or
say, negative effects of such addiction most especially to academic
performances of students engaged to. The form or style of his essay is likely:
A. Comparison and Contrast C. Classification and Division
B. Cause and Effect D. Dialectic
43. In which of the following sentences the word “but” is used as a preposition?
A. She was warned that the stove was hot, but still she touched it.
B. They’ve done nothing but argue all afternoon.
C. I didn’t tell anyone but my sister.
D. She went to the shop, but it was already closed.

44. “Nitrogen is another element essential for life.” The prepositional phrase “for life”
modifies what part of speech in the given sentence?
A. Noun C. Adverb
B. Adjective D. Adverb phrase

45. “He had been in gymnastics for sometime before he even considered to essay
the move.” The word “essay” is used as:
A. Noun C. Verb
B. Adjective D. Adverb

46. The letter ‘x’ can sound either /eks/ or /egz/ depending on the letter that follows it
where the stress falls. Which of these words is pronounced with ‘x’ as /egz/?
A. Excellent C. Excuse
B. Exhibit D. Excel

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

47. In the 2012 game Mass Effect 3, this second stanza of the poem is cited by one
of the main characters: Ashley Williams, lieutenant-commander of the Alliance.
From what poem the stanza was taken?
A. Tagore’s Gitanjali C. Henley’s Invictus
B. Tu Fu’s The Little Rain D. Frost’s The Road Not Taken

48. Which of the following proves Tennyson’s versatility both as a literary figure and
a sage of political affairs?
A. In Cambridge University, he formed a close friendship with Arthur Hallam.
B. He became a poet laureate and accepted baron and a seat in the House of
Lords in 1884.
C. In Memoriam, he concluded with assurances that the loss of individual lives
will be made good both in eternity and in the advance of human history.
D. As laureate, Tennyson composed a number of poems on national occasions.
49. Which has an incorrect pair of a writer and his literary piece?
A. Edgar Allan Poe----Annabel Lee C. Geoffrey Chaucer---The Pearl
B. Victor Hugo---Les Miserables D. Toni Morrison---Sula

By the /shores of /Gitche /Gumee,

By the /shining /Big-Sea/-Water,

50. Consider the two poetic lines above. What is the regular meter of each line?
A. Iambic Tetrameter C. Trochaic Tetrameter
B. Spondaic Pentameter D. Iambic Pentameter

51. The examination_________two hours, didn’t it?

A. Didn’t last C. Should last
B. Lasted D. Hasn’t lasted

52. You couldn’t possibly come earlier,_____________?

A. Couldn’t you C. Can’t you
B. Could you D. Could you not

53. The teacher speaks English well,__________?

A. Isn’t it C. Don’t she
B. Doesn’t she D. Can she

54. He________her that he would be absent.

A. Told C. Said
B. Told to D. Was telling to

55. The guard reads the note____________.

A. Very careful C. Quiet carefully
B. Quite carefully D. With great carefully

56. Your sister Liza_________the novel, hasn’t she?

A. Has read C. Hadn’t borrowed
B. Hasn’t written D. Will sell

57. Indiscriminate logging has resulted__________soil erosion.

A. In C. With
B. To D. By

58. “Dancing on the floor, street boys entertain the audience.” The underlined unit in
the given sentence is _______.
A. Infinitive phrase C. Participial phrase
B. Gerund phrase D. Adverb phrase
59. In prose literature, it is a work of fiction that is usually written often in narrative
format usually dealing with few characters and often concentrates on the creation
of mood rather than a plot.
A. Novel C. Play
B. Short story D. Comedy

For items 60-65. Identify errors in each of the given sentences.

60. Some believe that a more conservative "fourth-wave" of feminism will replace the
current "third-wave" feminism and the liberal values they endorse.
A. Believe C. Will replace
B. Liberal values D. They endorse

61. Neither the pitcher nor the catcher are prepared for the upcoming game.
A. Neither C. Are
B. For D. Upcoming

62. Einstein couldn't hardly do well in school as a young boy but excelled in his later
years.
A. Couldn’t hardly C. Excelled
B. But D. Do well

63. Everyone, including Mr. and Mrs. Robinson, are in shock of Jamie's terrible
behavior.
A. Everyone C. Are
B. In D. Including

64. Hitler was a marginal general at best; he was to haughty and emotional to be an
effective commander.
A. Was C. Marginal
B. To haughty D. Emotional

65. Even though many people are against free trade, there is still many supporters of
the NAFTA and CAFTA acts.
A. Even though C. Is
B. Acts D. No error

66. It is a counter proposition and denotes a direct contrast to the original

proposition. In setting the opposite, an individual brings out a contrast in the
meaning (e.g. the definition, interpretation, or semantics) by obvious contrast in
the expression. In poetry, “The strong master gives his judgment and goes home;
the weak servant collects his key and goes to jail.”
A. Antithesis C. Hyperbole
B. Metaphor D. Irony
67. Many introductions to English grammar for school children are to blame for
presenting this common-proper distinction as if it were very straightforward—by
referring only to well-behaved kinds of proper noun, such as personal names or
the names of cities, rivers etc. In which of the following a noun cannot be used as
in a sentence?
A. Object of a preposition C. Indirect object
B. Subject complement D. None of the given

For items 68-71. Choose what completes the logical pairing of the words.

68. Frugal: Waste :: Infallible:____________

A. Dread C. Prosper
B. Err D. Criticize

69. Coup d’ etat: Government :: Poison:_____________

A. Existence C. Population
B. Rebellion D. Iodone

70. Sword: Sheath :: Airliner:____________

A. Fuselage C. Runway
B. Landing D. Hangar

71. Drama: Intermission :: Conflict:______________

A. Feud C. Stage
B. Truce D. Intervention

For items 72-75. Read the passage below, then answer the questions that
follow.

A few minutes ago, walking back from lunch, I started to cross the street
when I heard the sound of a coin dropping. It wasn't much but, as I turned, my
eyes caught the heads of several other people turning too. A woman had
dropped what appeared to be a dime.

The tinkling sound of a coin dropping on pavement is an attention-getter. It

can be nothing more than a penny. Whatever the coin is, no one ignores the
sound of it. It got me thinking about sounds again.

We are besieged by so many sounds that attract the most attention.

People in New York City seldom turn to look when a fire engine, a police car or
an ambulance comes screaming along the street.

When I'm in New York, I'm a New Yorker. I don't turn either. Like the
natives. I hardly hear a siren there.
 At home in my little town in Connecticut, it's different. The distant wail of a
police car, an emergency vehicle or a fire siren brings me to my feet if I'm seated
and brings me to the window if I'm in bed.

It's the quietest sounds that have most effect on us, not the loudest. In the
middle of the night, I can hear a dripping tap a hundred yards away through three
closed doors. I've been hearing little creaking noises and sounds which my
imagination turns into footsteps in the middle of the night for twenty-five years in
our house. How come I never hear those sounds in the daytime?
I'm quite clear in my mind what the good sounds are and what the bad sounds
are.

I've turned against whistling, for instance. I used to think of it as the mark
of a happy worker but lately I've been associating the whistler with a nervous
person making compulsive noises.

The tapping, tapping, tapping of my typewriter as the keys hit the paper is
a lovely sound to me. I often like the sound of what I write better than the looks of
it.

72. The sound of a coin dropping makes people _______.

A. Think of money C. Look at each other
B. Pay attention to it D. Stop crossing the street

73. People in New York_____________.

A. Don’t care about emergencies C. Are used to sirens
B. Are attracted by sounds D. Don’t hear loud noises

74. How does the author relate to sounds at night?

A. He exaggerates quiet sounds.
B. He imagines sounds that do not exist
C. He thinks taps should be turned off.
D. He believes it’s rather quiet at night.

75. How does the writer feel about sounds in general?

A. They make him feel at home.
B. He thinks they should be ignored.
C. He believes they are part of our lives.
D. He prefers silence to loud noises.
76. In writing process, once you have gathered your information and ideas, you can
choose from many kinds of details---examples, facts, statistics, reasons, and
concrete and sensory details---to support your idea and put them in order. What
method of organization is used in arranging items according to how important or
how familiar to the reader each one is? This organization is often used in papers
evaluating results.
A. Cumulative C. Chronological
B. Cause and Effect D. Deductive

77. Don’t ___________ that__________ button on your shirt.

A. Loose, lose C. Lost, loose
B. Lose, loose D. Loose, lost

78. In the sentence, “I wonder what is making Catherine so worried,” the underlined
unit is likely:
A. Noun clause C. An adverb clause
B. An adjective clause D. An independent clause

79. In communicative language teaching, this pertains to sentence-level grammatical

forms, the ability to recognize the lexical, morphological, syntactic and
phonological feature of a language and to make these features to interpret and
form words and sentences.
A. Socio-cultural competence C. Grammatical competence
B. Strategic competence D. Discourse competence

80. It is a movement based on the proposition that all language teaching should be
tailored to the specific learning and language use needs of identified groups of
students---and also sensitive to the socio-cultural contexts in which these
students will be using English.
A. English for Specific Purposes C. Bilingualism
B. English as a Second Language D. English for the 20th century.

81. In language classroom instructions, it comes as an oral presentation by the

teacher of a story or an event as lengthy practice, although not necessarily
lesson-based. Moreover, it implies the use of extended discourse and aims at
maintaining attention or motivation and is often entertaining.
A. Warm-up C. Propos
B. Storytelling D. Brainstorming
 Examination-Exam (Clipping)
Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus-Scuba (Acronymy)
Superior market-Supermarket (Blending)
Vend-Vendee (Affixation)

82. The word “pap smear” (medical term) means a test usually done on females for
detecting cancer of the cervix. Considering the word formations on the box
above, what process does it follow if the original word for the given is
“pappenicolaou”?
A. Acronymy C. Blending
B. Clipping D. Affixation

83. In news story writing, a structure of news follows an inverted pyramid in which
the climax or condensed content is told in a capsule form right at the very
introduction. What is this part that actually answers right away the questions or
the WH’s the reader would naturally ask?
A. Elaboration of the Who C. The body
B. Lead D. Details

84. Which of the following are the responsibilities of a layout editor?

I. Overseeing the layout of the paper
II. Coordinating with the printing press
III. Managing the literary and feature writers and write-ups
IV. Assigning beats or news coverage to reporters on daily basis
V. Managing artists, including the editorial cartoonist and graphic artist
A. I, II, and IV C. I, II, and V
B. II, III, and V D. I, II, III, IV, and V

85. “We will win the championships,” coach Kenn Marquez confidently declared
yesterday. The sample news story lead can be classified as___________.
A. Literary Allusion Lead C. Question Lead
B. Direct Address Lead D. Quotation Lead

86. Consider the question statements below.

a. Could you give us an example of xx?
b. How did you read the conclusion of xx?
c. How is this related to xx?
d. Could you tell us more about xx?
 A wide variety of question types can be used in an interactive listening and
speaking. Which of these is the correct categorization of the question statements
above?
A. Clarification-a C. Repetition-a
Challenge-b Clarification-b
Extension-c Elaboration-c
Elaboration-d Challenge-d

B. Challenge-a D. Clarification-a
Extension-b Challenge-b
Elaboration-c Verification-c
Clarification-d Elaboration-d

87. Teaching grammar means enabling language students to use linguistic forms
accurately, meaningfully, and appropriately. In keeping with language form
approaches, traditional grammar teaching has employed a structural syllabus
and lessons known as PPP. What is PPP?
A. Presentation, Practice, Production C. Practice, Production, Presentation
B. Production, Practice, Presentation D. Presentation, Production, Practice

88. Grammatical collocations are those in which a noun, verb or adjective frequently
occurs with a grammatical item, usually a preposition. Lexical collocations differ
in that they do not contain grammatical words, but consist of full lexical items.
Which of these is a lexical collocation?
A. account for C. in retrospect
B. by accident D. rancid butter

89. How would an experienced writer of an academic prose rephrase the given
statement below?
----Sir Kenn is a neurologist. He wrote the article “Brilliant Light: A Chemical
Boyhood.” In this article, he describes how his “Uncle Tungsten” influenced his
love of science.
A. In “Brilliant Light: A Chemical Boyhood,” neurologist Sir Kenn describes how
his “Uncle Tungsten” influenced his love of science.
B. A neurologist Sir Kenn describes how his “Uncle Tungsten” influenced his
love of science in his article “Brilliant Light: A Chemical Boyhood.”
C. An article “Brilliant Light: A Chemical Boyhood” written by Sir Kenn, a
neurologist, describes how his “Uncle Tungsten” influenced his love of
science.
D. Sir Kenn, a neurologist and writer of an article “Brilliant Light: A Chemical
Boyhood” describes how his “Uncle Tungsten” influenced his love of science.
90. Which of the following best describes a “kicker” in a campus paper?
A. It is a line giving the source of the story or illustration, as “reprinted from the
Manila Times”
B. A tagline placed above but smaller than the headline, also known as teaser. If
it is bigger than the headline, it is called hammer.
C. The beginning of a news story
D. The title of any news story

91. What type of listening is present when the auditor (a single listener) acts as a
sounding board as the speaker talks through a problem, works out a difficult
situation, or expresses deep emotional stress?
A. Therapeutic Listening C. Empathic Listening
B. Critical Listening D. Appreciative Listening

92. In speaking, using passive voice consistently may create equally passive
listeners, because it makes the speaker appear less involved in the actions he or
she is describing. Which of the following statements is in a passive voice?
A. It was decided by the board of directors to postpone action.
B. The finance officer raised a suggestion.
C. In the meeting, the secretary admitted the negligence.
D. The clerk announced apologies for absences.

93. We traveled_________ than this on our last hike.

A. Far C. More farther
B. Farther D. Farthest

94. The school band is certainly playing its_________.

A. Loud C. Louder
B. Loudest D. More loud

95. In phonetics, American /r/ is like a vowel because:

A. The tongue completely blocks all air from leaving through the mouth.
B. Upon producing the sound, the lips are slightly rounded and stuck out.
C. It does not touch anywhere in the mouth.
D. The lips are quickly opened to emit a puff of breath.

96. If the /t/ is in the middle of the word between two vowel sounds, intonation
changes the sound to a soft /d/. Which of these words shows the rule?
A. Better C. Turn
B. Times D. Accent
97. From what poem the following lines are taken?

O well for the fisherman’s boy

That he shouts with his sister at play

A. Tennyson’s Break, Break, Break C. Dylan’s Blowin’ In the Wind

B. Kilmer’s Trees D. Frost’s The Road Not Taken

98. Which of the following proves Tennyson’s versatility both as a literary figure and
a sage of political affairs?
A. In Cambridge University, he formed a close friendship with Arthur Hallam
B. He became a poet laureate and accepted baron and a seat in the House of
Lords in 1884
C. In Memoriam, he concluded with assurances that the loss of individual lives
will be made good both in eternity and in the advance of human history.
D. As laureate, Tennyson composed a number of poems on national occasions

99. Which of the following is the correct sequence of writing process?

A. Editing, Presenting, Prewriting, Drafting and Revising
B. Prewriting, Editing, Revising , Drafting and Presenting
C. Prewriting, Drafting, Revising, Editing and Presenting
D. Drafting, Prewriting, Editing, Presenting, and Revising

100. In sentence, “The grand jury could indict the mayor for fraud and
embezzlement,” the word indict means:
A. Vindicate C. Exonerate
B. Exculpate D. Charge

***********************YOUR QUALIFYING EXAM ENDS HERE**********************