How To Pass Odesk US Basic English Part one - Updated 2012e 2012

How to Pass Odesk US Basic English Test.

To be confident to sit for the Odesk US Basic English Test you need at least to be ready for questions covering punctuation, sentence structure, pronouns, indirect speech, articles and conjunctions, prepositional phrases, adjectives and adverbs, verbs and verb tenses and work order.

Below are major punctuations rules to help you at least get started.

Common Punctuations Rules.

Punctuations are used to separate sentences and parts of sentence and to make their meaning clear.  I will highlight the most common punctuation rules so that you get  to understand what you might expect in the Odesk US English Basic Test

Comma (, ).
Commas is used to separate independent clauses in a sentence, for example: The meeting was over, but the people refused to leave.

Use commas after introductory words, phrases, or clauses that come before the main clause: For example: While I was walking, my foot stumbled on a stone (it is wrong to say,- My foot stumbled on a stone, while I was walking).

Introductory words that should be followed by a comma are: yes, however and well. for example: Yes, yes you can call me tomorrow.

You can use a pair of commas to separated an aside from the main body of the sentence. for example: Grace and Martin, the couple sitting next to you,  are coming to the meeting today.

You can use comma to separate all items in a list or three or more items. For example: When you go to the supermarket buy for me pineapples, pumpkins, potatoes and tomatoes.

Use commas to set off all geographical names, items in dates (except the month and day), addresses (except the street number and name, and titles in names. For example: July 14, 1970, was a momentous day in my life.

Full stop (.).
Full stop primarily ends a sentence. Full stop is also used at the end of an abbreviation. For example:  Mr. Jones. St. Patrick to mean Saint Patrick, etc., to mean et cetera.

Quotation (?).
 The question is only used at the end of a sentence which is a question. For example: What is your name? You do not use a period when using a question mark.

Exclamation Mark(!).
Only use the exclamation mark when  issuing a command or speaking forcefully. You do not use a period  when using an exclamation mark.

Quote Marks ("").
Quotation marks are used to quote another  person's words exactly,  For example: Grace said, "we do not need this equipment anymore".

Quotation marks can also be used to denote irony or sarcasm, or not note something unusual about it.

Colon (:).
A colon should be used after a complete statement in order to introduce one or more directly related ideas such as a series of directions, a list or a quotation or other comment illustrating or explaining the statement. For example: The course consists three sections: introduction,  theory and  practicals.

Semicolon (;).
Use a semicolon to join related independent clauses in compound sentences. For example: Susan overslept by two hours; she was going to miss the bus again.

The semicolon is also used to separate items in a series if the elements of the series already include commas. for example: Members of the Sacco include Grace burg, secretary; Collins Martin, treasurer; and Joden Corg, chairman.

Apostrophe (').
apostrophe forms possessives of noun. For example: The girl's dress. If the non after is a building, an object or a piece of furniture, then no apostrophe is needed. For example: the car door.

Apostrophe is used to show omission of letters. for example He'll go to mean He will go
Apostrophe is used to indicate certain plurals or lowercase letters. For example: mind your p's and q's.


Hyphen(-).
Use hyphen to join words to show that their meaning is linked in some way For example:  This is a rather out-of-date book. Book-case.

Use hyphen to make compound modifiers before nouns. For example: the well-known actor.
Use a hyphen with certain prefixes like all, exe and self. for example: all-inclusive, ex-wife and self-control.

Use a hyphen when a prefix comes before capitalize word. for example: non-English
Use a hyphen when writing numbers 21 to 99, and fractions. For example: twenty-one, one hundred and sixty-five..

Single Quotation ('').
Single quotations is used if you want to use quotation marks inside quotation marks. For example: He said to her: "I thought  'Coming Soon' was a good book".

Odesk test changes by the day, but most of the questions are often repeated in most Odesk tests, according to my observation. If you are preparing for Odesk test, then you better do some revision with previous past Odesk test examples. This is an updated Odesk test Part one as of 20th June 2012. Check it out. The Odesk test answers are in red. Wishing you all the best as you prepare for your Odesk test. Look out for part two post tomorrow.


             Question 1: 

             Lilacs ______ violets are usually purple, ______ I have seen some ______ are white.

a.      and, however, that.

b.      or, yet, which.

c.     and, although, that.

d.     or, but, and.

Question 2:
Which of the following sentences is NOT punctuated correctly?

a.       We expect only three things from our dog: loyalty, affection, and tail wagging.

b.      I need you to pick up several boxes of paperclips, pens, and pencils; three pounds each of potatoes, carrots, and peas; and my dry cleaning.

c.        Marcy, my parrot, squawked for an hour, before finally calming down.

d.      All of the above are punctuated correctly 

Question 3:
Choose the verb that best completes the following sentence.
Do you know if Harlon ____________Japanese before moving to Japan?

a.       Has studied.

b.       Has been studying.

c.       Will have been studying.

d.       Will be studying.

Question 4:
Rearrange the following words to create the most logical and grammatically correct sentence
days. For last has good weather few The been the not.

a.       weather for The last few good has not been the days.

b.      The good days has not been for the last few weather.

c.       The few days has not been good for the last weather.

d.      The weather has not been good for the last few days.

Question 5:
Choose the series of adjectives and adverbs that best completes the following sentence.

            One of the two book, Sam’s is definitely the _______: however, even though Sandra’s didn’t turn
            out as _____as expected, she still did a _______________ job of writing it.

a.       Better, well, good.

b.       Best, good, good.

c.       Better, good, better.

d.       Best, well, well.

Question 6:
Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.
The deer ran quickly _______  the trees, its hooves pounding _______  the forest floor.

a.       Amid, from.

b.      Over, at.

c.       Through, on.

d.      Throughout, on.

Question 7:
Although the issue was very serious, the committee disposed ______ it in a few minutes and moved _______ to other business.

a.       onto, off.

b.      of, away.

c.       on, out.

d.      of , on.

Question 8:
 It’s never too late to learn how to swim ________________ you may fall off a boat! 

a.       .You never know when.

b.       You never know when.

c.       __you never know as.

d.       ;you never know when.

Question 9:
Which of the following sentences illustrates proper sentence structure?

a.       Unless the world controls its population, mankind will continue to face one problem after another.

b.       Unless the world doesn't control its population, mankind will continue to face one problem after another.

c.       Unless the world controls its population, until then mankind will continue to face one problem after another.

d.       Unless the world fails to control its population, mankind until then will continue to face one problem after another.

Question 10:
Choose the series of verbs that best completes the following passage.
I find it very hard to remember _________ letters that are entrusted to me. In fact, I remember 
_________ to do so dozens of times!

a.       to mail, forgetting.

b.       mailing, to forget.

c.       to mail, to forget.

d.       mailing, forgetting.


Question 11:
Change the following sentence from a quotation to indirect speech.
 “I can meet with you at noon,” said Peter.

a.       Peter says he can meet with me at noon.

b.       Peter said he will meet with me at noon.

c.       Peter said he could meet with me at noon.

d.       Peter can meet with me at noon, so he said.

 Question 12:
Which of the following sentences illustrates the proper use of parallel construction?

a.       Arthur failed when he tried to open the lock with a key, but succeeded when he tried to open it with a hammer.

b.      We painted the conference room yellow, hung a poster on the wall, and are rearranging the chairs.

c.        No one in the room knew that the doors had been locked and that policemen will be running up the stairs.

d.       Andrea is incapable of walking and to talk at the same time.

 Question 13:
Rearrange the following words to create the most logical and grammatically correct sentence.

            With can't phone . on Whenever always to the time spend I speak I my friend , him.

a.       Whenever I always phone on my friend to speak, I can't spend the time with him.

b.       Whenever I spend time on the phone to him, I can't always speak with my friend.

c.       Whenever I speak to him, I can't always spend time with my friend on the phone.

d.       Whenever I can't speak to him on the phone, I always spend time with my friend.

e.       Whenever I can't spend time with my friend, I always speak to him on the phone.

Question 14 :
Which of the following sentences illustrates correct usage of articles and conjunctions?

a.       The cake that I ate was better that the one you had.

b.       An house is not the home, or so they saying goes.

c.       For my birthday, I would like a book, an hourglass, and the keys to a new boat.

d.       Has a package I've been waiting for been delivered yet, nor must I wait longer?

Question 15:
Complete the following sentence by choosing the phrase with the best word order from the options 
given. The excited children, who had run toward the loud. _____________ .

a.       music and then told the others about the ice cream truck outside.

b.       music, are telling to the others about the ice cream truck outside.

c.       ice cream truck to tell the others about the music outside.

d.        music, told the others about the ice cream truck outside.

 Question 16:
Choose the series of articles and conjunctions that best completes the following sentence.

             _______ she was feeling ill, Teresa wanted to eat only _____ apple _____ some soup.

a.       Yet, the, or.

b.       After, an, and.

c.        Because, an, or.

d.        If, a, and 

Question 17
Which of the following sentences illustrates correct usage of articles and conjunctions?

a.       Celine lives on Arthur Street; however, she works on Beatrice Boulevard..

b.       I would eat a peach every day if I could, nor the doctor told me I couldn’t.

c.       Will Gertrude play the piano or an harp at the concert?

d.       Although she is angry at them, neither her son and her father will be at the party

 Question 18:
 Choose the series of pronouns that best completes the following sentence.
_______  is the name of the opera, and _______ role did you say Maria would play?

a.       This, which.

b.       Who, that.

c.       What, which.

d.       Which, what

 Question 19:
 Choose the series of adjectives and adverbs that best completes the following sentence.
While __________ of our relatives live on the __________ hill in the county, __________ of our friends live in the __________ __________ areas of the valley.

a.       more, windy, many, most, protection.

b.       many, windiest, most, more, protected.

c.       many, winding, more, most, protected.

Question 20:
 Neither we ________ Sal, our neighbor, could understand ________ it had been our  dog Rover or Sal's cat's kittens _________ had destroyed all the flower beds in the middle of _______ night.

a.       nor, whether, that, the.

b.       or, if, who, the.

c.       and, whether, than, a.

d.        nor, if, that, a.

Click the following link to get the part 2 of oDesk US Basic English Test; How To Pass Odesk US Basic English Test Part 2

Please send your comments about the answers I have given.