Descriptive Writing Quiz

Which of the following is a complete sentence?

• Running through the dark alley.

• The stars twinkled in the night sky.

• While the rain poured down.

• A deep silence before the storm.

Which sentence is a fragment?

• He waited at the station for hours.

• The wind whispered softly.

• A strange shadow moving behind the trees.

• The old house stood at the top of the hill.

Which sentence contains a subordinate clause?

• The door creaked as she stepped inside.

• The candle flickered.

• The night was cold.

• The air smelled of fresh rain and flowers.

Which sentence contains an adverb?

• The cat sat on the windowsill.

• She walked cautiously through the empty house.

• The walls were covered in old pictures.

• A tall lamp stood in the corner.

A simple sentence contains:

• One independent clause.

• Two independent clauses joined by a conjunction.

• A subordinate clause.

• Two or more dependent clauses.

Which of the following is a compound sentence?

• The moon was full, and the wolves howled in the distance.

• As the night fell, the streetlights flickered on.

• The city was quiet.

• The storm raged on, its winds shaking the trees.

A complex sentence includes:

• Two independent clauses.

• A main clause and at least one subordinate clause.

• A single subject and verb.

• A list of actions.

Why is a comma needed in this sentence: "Cold and silent, the forest stretched before them."?

• To separate two independent clauses.

• To introduce a quote.

• To set off an introductory phrase.

• To list multiple objects.

Which sentence correctly uses a colon?

• She had one wish: to see the ocean again.

• The candle flickered: and the wind howled.

• The night was cold, silent: and endless.

• A storm is coming: be careful.

How does the dash affect this sentence? "The house stood alone—forgotten, abandoned, lifeless."

• It connects two independent clauses.

• It introduces a list for dramatic effect for emphasis.

• It replaces a comma.

• It separates a quote from narration.