Question

Read the passage. (1) Most Americans know that “Uncle Sam” is a nickname for the United States; however, few Americans know how the name originated. (2) Some historians believe the name comes from a nineteenth-century businessman from New York. (3) His real name was Samuel Wilson. (4) His neighbors called him Uncle Sam. (5) During the War of 1812, he won a government contract. (6) He was to supply beef to U.S. soldiers. (7) The beef was packed in barrels labeled “U.S.” to show that they belonged to the U.S. government. (8) Soldiers from New York saw the barrels. (9) They jokingly said “U.S.” stood for Uncle Sam. (10) The joke spread. (11) Soon, soldiers began using the nickname Uncle Sam to refer to the United States. (12) Civilians also began using the nickname Uncle Sam to refer to the United States. (13) In 1961, Congress passed a resolution. (14) The resolution recognized Samuel Wilson as the original Uncle Sam. Which is the most effective way to combine sentences (8) and (9)? Jokingly saying “U.S” stood for Uncle Sam, the barrels were seen by New York soldiers. Soldiers from New York saw the barrels, they jokingly said “U.S.” stood for Uncle Sam. When soldiers from New York saw the barrels, they jokingly said “U.S.” stood for Uncle Sam.

Answer 1

Answer:

Explanation:

11. A. Though his real name was Samuel Wilson, his neighbors called him Uncle Sam. - This is the best option because it shows the difference in the name in a way that is clear.

12. A. Kelli drove to school, went to play rehearsal, and the play was wonderful! - The third part of the list does not have the same grammatical structure as the first two items in the list. 

13. D. While we were waiting for the fireworks to begin, the mosquitoes began to bite. The dangling modifier (waiting) is corrected in this sentence with the addition of the word we.

14. A. There he published two popular periodicals, the Philadelphia Gazette and Poor Richard’s. This sentence is the best option because it includes all of the information from both sentences in a clear and succinct way.

15. C. Jules likes to watch comedies, but Dale prefers to watch dramas. The comma splice is incorrect because it needs to include a conjunction when joining to independent clauses. But is the best choice because it indicates a difference. However is not a good choice, because however usually shows a contradiction rather than just a difference.