Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz: Recognizing Abbreviations And Symbols
10 questions · exam conditions
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Recognizing Abbreviations And SymbolsQuestion 1 of 10

A handwritten note on a refrigerator says: "Buy milk (3.49),eggs(3.49), eggs (2.99), and bread ($1.50). Store closes at 9 PM. Check list #2 for more items."

A person reads the note and wants to know the total amount of money needed for the three listed items. Which symbol should she focus on, and what is the correct total?

She should focus on the # symbol; adding 3 + 2 + 1 gives a total of 6 items needed from list #2.
She should focus on the $ symbol; adding $3.49 + $2.99 + $1.50 gives a total of $8.08 for the three items.
She should focus on the PM abbreviation; 9 PM tells her the total hours she has to shop, which equals the budget.
She should focus on the $ symbol; adding $3.49 + $2.99 + $1.50 gives a total of $7.98 for the three items.
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Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz

Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz: Recognizing Abbreviations And Symbols

Practice Recognizing Abbreviations And Symbols in Adult ESL/ELL Beginner with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Recognizing Abbreviations And Symbols, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Adult ESL/ELL Beginner.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

A handwritten note on a refrigerator says: "Buy milk (3.49),eggs(3.49), eggs (2.99), and bread ($1.50). Store closes at 9 PM. Check list #2 for more items."

A person reads the note and wants to know the total amount of money needed for the three listed items. Which symbol should she focus on, and what is the correct total?

  1. She should focus on the # symbol; adding 3 + 2 + 1 gives a total of 6 items needed from list #2.
  2. She should focus on the $ symbol; adding $3.49 + $2.99 + $1.50 gives a total of $8.08 for the three items.
  3. She should focus on the PM abbreviation; 9 PM tells her the total hours she has to shop, which equals the budget.
  4. She should focus on the $ symbol; adding $3.49 + $2.99 + $1.50 gives a total of $7.98 for the three items. (correct answer)
Explanation: When reading a note that lists prices, your first job is to find the right symbol. The dollar sign ($) tells you something is a price — money you need to spend. To find a total cost, you add up all the dollar amounts shown. Here, the three prices are $3.49, $2.99, and $1.50. Adding them carefully: $$3.49 + 2.99 + 1.50$$ Start with $3.49 + $2.99: the cents give you 148 cents, or $1.48 carried over, making $6.48. Then add $1.50: $$6.48 + 1.50 = 7.98$$ The correct total is $7.98, which makes D the right answer. Now let's look at why the other choices miss the mark. A focuses on the # symbol, which refers to "list #2" — a label for another list, not a math problem. Adding 3 + 2 + 1 gives you nothing meaningful about money. B arrives at the right symbol (the $ sign) but makes an addition error, landing on $8.08 instead of the correct $7.98 — this is a classic careless-math trap, so always double-check your arithmetic. C focuses on PM, which tells you the store's closing time, not anything about a budget or total cost. Mixing up time information with money information is an easy mistake when a passage contains multiple facts. Study tip: On questions like this, circle or underline the symbol that matches what the question is asking about (money → $, lists → #, time → AM/PM). That habit stops you from solving the wrong problem entirely.

Question 2

A gas station pump screen displays: "Price: $3.85/gal. Receipt #: 00471. Transaction complete at 2:14 PM."

A driver filled her tank with exactly 10 gallons. She wants to know how much she was charged in total. Which symbol and information on the screen help her calculate the correct amount?

  1. The # symbol; multiplying receipt number 471 by 10 gallons gives the total charge for her fill-up.
  2. The PM abbreviation; 2:14 PM means she filled up after noon, so the after-noon rate of $14 applies to her purchase.
  3. The $ symbol; multiplying the price of $3.85 per gallon by 10 gallons gives a total charge of $38.50. (correct answer)
  4. The $ symbol; adding the price of $3.85 per gallon plus 10 gallons gives a total charge of $13.85 for her fill-up.
Explanation: When you see a question about reading a price display and calculating a total cost, focus on two things: identifying the correct symbol and applying the right math operation (multiplication, not addition). The $ symbol signals money — specifically, a price. On this screen, $3.85/gal means $3.85 per gallon, so to find the total cost for 10 gallons, you multiply: $3.85 \times 10 = \38.50$$ That makes C the correct answer — it correctly identifies the $ symbol and uses multiplication to arrive at $38.50. A is wrong for two reasons: the # symbol stands for "number" and simply labels the receipt for record-keeping. It has nothing to do with pricing. Multiplying a receipt number (471) by gallons would be meaningless — receipt numbers are not dollar amounts. B confuses the abbreviation PM with a pricing system. PM just tells you the time of day (after noon). There is no "after-noon rate" mentioned anywhere on the screen, so this answer invents information that doesn't exist. D correctly identifies the $ symbol but uses the wrong operation — it adds $3.85 + 10 instead of multiplying. Per-unit prices always require multiplication: price × quantity = total. Adding would only make sense if you were combining two dollar amounts, not a price-per-gallon with a number of gallons. Study tip: Whenever you see a price written as "$/unit" (like $/gal or $/lb), that's your signal to multiply by the quantity to find the total. This pattern appears often in everyday math and on this exam.

Question 3

A store sign reads: "Sale ends at 9 PM. Items start at $5. Call #555-0100 for info."

A customer reads the sign and wants to know the lowest price for a sale item. Which part of the sign tells her this?

  1. The symbol $ followed by a number tells her the starting price of items on sale. (correct answer)
  2. The abbreviation PM followed by a number tells her the lowest price available.
  3. The symbol # followed by a number tells her the price code for sale items.
  4. The word 'Sale' alone tells her the exact lowest price of any item in the store.
Explanation: When reading signs, advertisements, or notices, certain symbols carry specific meanings that help you find information quickly. This question tests whether you can match the right symbol to the right type of information. The customer wants the lowest price, and the sign says "Items start at 5."Thedollarsign(∗∗5." The dollar sign (****) is a currency symbol used in the United States to indicate money. When you see $5, it means five dollars. The phrase "start at" tells you this is the beginning price — in other words, the lowest price available. So A is correct: the $ symbol followed by a number communicates the starting price of sale items. Here is why the other choices miss the mark. B is wrong because "PM" is a time abbreviation — it stands for post meridiem and tells you when something happens (in this case, when the sale ends at 9 PM). PM has nothing to do with price. C is wrong because the # symbol here is a phone number indicator — "#555-0100" is a telephone number you call for information, not a price code. The # symbol can mean different things in different contexts, so always look at what surrounds it. D is wrong because the word "Sale" only tells you that items are discounted — it gives no specific number or lowest price on its own. Study tip: On questions about signs and notices, match each symbol or abbreviation to its real-world meaning: $ = money, PM/AM = time, # = number or phone. This habit will help you read everyday English texts accurately.

Question 4

A community flyer reads: "English class: Mon & Wed, 10 AM – 12 PM. Fee: $0. Register at desk #3. Class size: max 15 students."

A new student reads the flyer. She wants to confirm that the class is free and find out where to sign up. Which two symbols give her this information?

  1. AM and PM confirm the class is free during morning hours, and the number 15 tells her which desk to visit.
  2. The # symbol confirms the class is free because # means 'no charge,' and $ tells her the desk location number.
  3. The $ symbol confirms the cost is zero dollars (free), and the AM abbreviation tells her to register only in the morning.
  4. The $ symbol confirms the cost is zero dollars (free), and the # symbol shows she must register at desk number 3. (correct answer)
Explanation: When reading signs, flyers, or notices in English, symbols carry specific meanings that work like a shorthand language. Two of the most common are $ (dollar sign) and # (number/pound sign). Understanding what each symbol means helps you get key information quickly — which is exactly what this question tests. Look at the flyer carefully. It shows **Fee: 0∗∗.Thedollarsign(0**. The dollar sign () represents money, and the zero (0) after it tells you the amount is zero — meaning the class costs nothing. It's free. This directly answers the student's first question. For her second question — where to sign up — the flyer says desk #3. The # symbol here means "number," so "#3" means "number 3." She registers at desk number three. That makes D the correct answer: $ confirms the cost is zero dollars (free), and # shows she must register at desk number 3. Choice A is wrong because AM and PM indicate time (morning vs. afternoon), not cost or desk location. The number 15 is the maximum class size, not a desk number. Choice B flips the symbols entirely — # does not mean "no charge," and isnotrelatedtodesklocation.Thisanswerinventsmeaningsthatdon′texist.Choice∗∗C∗∗ispartiallyright( is not related to desk location. This answer invents meanings that don't exist. Choice **C** is partially right ( does confirm the free cost), but AM only means the time of day — it gives no information about where to register. Study tip: When you see $ on a sign, always look at the number right after it — that number tells you the price. When you see #, it almost always means "number."

Question 5

A bus schedule posted at a stop reads: "Route #7 departs: 7:45 AM, 12:00 PM, 4:30 PM. Fare: $1.75. For info call #511."

A passenger arrives at the bus stop at 11:50 AM with exactly $1.75. She wants to catch the next bus. Which abbreviation confirms she arrived in time for the noon departure, and which symbol confirms she has enough money?

  1. The # symbol confirms she is at the right stop for the noon bus, and AM confirms she has the exact fare amount.
  2. The PM abbreviation confirms the noon bus runs after midnight, and the $ symbol confirms $1.75 is enough for the fare.
  3. The PM abbreviation confirms the 12:00 departure is after noon, meaning she arrives 10 minutes early, and the $ symbol confirms $1.75 matches the listed fare. (correct answer)
  4. The AM abbreviation confirms she arrived before noon, and the # symbol confirms the fare amount listed on the schedule.
Explanation: When reading schedules and signs in English, two types of symbols appear constantly: abbreviations (letters that stand for words) and symbols (characters like $ and #). Knowing what each one means helps you get real-world information quickly. Here's the key knowledge you need: AM means "before noon" and PM means "after noon." So "12:00 PM" means noon — the middle of the day, after the morning hours end. The $ symbol means "dollars" and signals a price or amount of money. Answer C is correct because it uses both symbols accurately. The passenger arrives at 11:50 AM, which is 10 minutes before 12:00 PM. Since PM confirms the 12:00 departure happens after noon (at noon exactly), she arrives in time. The $ symbol next to 1.75 on the schedule shows the fare is $1.75 — exactly what she has. Both conditions are met. Answer A is wrong because the # symbol is a number or reference sign (used here for the route and the info line), not a time indicator. AM does not describe a fare amount — it describes morning time. Answer B is wrong because PM does not mean "after midnight" — that is AM. This is a very common mix-up. B reverses the meaning entirely. Answer D is wrong because while AM correctly relates to morning time, the # symbol indicates a route number or phone number — not a fare amount. The $ symbol is what marks the price. Study tip: Memorize this pair — AM = morning (before noon), PM = afternoon/evening (after noon). On everyday reading exams, these abbreviations appear constantly in schedules, receipts, and announcements.

Question 6

A medicine label reads: "Take 2 tablets at 8 AM and 2 tablets at 8 PM. Cost: $12.99 per bottle. Refill #: 3."

A patient takes her first dose correctly. How many hours later should she take her next dose, and which abbreviations help her figure this out?

  1. 12 hours later; the AM and PM abbreviations show that 8 AM and 8 PM are exactly 12 hours apart in the same day. (correct answer)
  2. 24 hours later; the AM abbreviation means she should only take the medicine once in the morning each day.
  3. 8 hours later; the numbers 8 in '8 AM' and '8 PM' show she must count 8 hours between doses.
  4. 4 hours later; the $ symbol shows the cost per dose, and dividing $12.99 by the refill number gives the dose interval.
Explanation: When reading medicine labels, focus on time abbreviations — they tell you exactly when and how often to take your doses. AM (from Latin ante meridiem) means before noon, and PM (post meridiem) means after noon. Together, these two abbreviations divide every 24-hour day into two equal 12-hour halves. Looking at the label, 8 AM is in the morning and 8 PM is in the evening. Counting from 8 AM to 8 PM gives you exactly 12 hours. That makes A the correct answer — a patient takes her second dose 12 hours after the first, and the AM/PM abbreviations are the key clues that show this timing. Choice B is wrong because it misreads AM as a signal to take medicine only once in the morning. AM simply tells you which 8 o'clock is meant — it doesn't reduce the schedule to one daily dose. Choice C makes a common number-confusion mistake: the "8" in "8 AM" and "8 PM" refers to the clock hour, not the number of hours between doses. You must subtract times, not just read the number on the clock. Choice D is completely off-track — the dollar sign ($) tells you the price of the bottle, and the refill number tells you how many times you can renew the prescription. Neither has anything to do with dose timing. A handy tip: on questions about schedules and labels, always convert times into hours and calculate the gap between them. Don't assume the numbers on the label directly tell you the interval.

Question 7

A flyer reads: "Community meeting TONIGHT at 7:30 PM. Room #14. Admission: FREE. Bring $2 for parking."

A neighbor reads the flyer. She has $1.50 in her pocket and arrives at 7:45 PM. Which TWO symbols on the flyer are most directly relevant to her situation right now?

  1. The # symbol and the word FREE, because she needs to find the room and admission costs nothing.
  2. The $ symbol and the PM abbreviation, because she needs to pay for parking and she has already passed the meeting start time. (correct answer)
  3. The PM abbreviation and the # symbol, because PM tells her the meeting is canceled and # gives an alternative phone number.
  4. The $ symbol and the word FREE, because both symbols represent the total cost she must pay at the door.
Explanation: When reading a flyer, the key skill is connecting the printed information to a specific person's real situation. Ask yourself: "What problems or facts about this person matter right now, and which symbols on the flyer speak directly to those problems?" This neighbor has two important facts about her: she only has 1.50,andshearrivedat7:45PM.Nowlookattheflyer.The∗∗1.50, and she arrived at 7:45 PM. Now look at the flyer. The **** symbol appears next to the parking cost — $2. Since she only has $1.50, she cannot cover parking. That's a real, immediate problem. The PM abbreviation tells you the meeting starts at 7:30 PM. She arrived at 7:45 PM, meaning she is already 15 minutes late. Both of these details — the dollar sign and PM — connect directly to her situation, making B the correct answer. Choice A is tempting because finding Room #14 and free admission both seem useful, but she hasn't even parked yet. The parking cost is the more urgent obstacle, and being late is more critical than finding the room number. Choice C is completely incorrect — PM does not mean the meeting is canceled, and the # symbol is a room number, not a phone number. These are common misreadings of symbols that you should memorize carefully. Choice D confuses the two cost-related details: FREE means admission costs nothing, so she pays $0 at the door — the real cost problem is parking, not admission. Study tip: On flyer or sign-reading questions, always match each symbol or detail to the specific person's situation. Don't pick information that's generally useful — pick what's urgently relevant to that individual right now.

Question 8

A text message reads: "Hey! The apt. is $950/mo. Avail. NOW. Call btwn 9 AM–5 PM. Apt #4B."

A reader sees the message and wants to know two things: the monthly cost and which specific unit is available. Which symbols directly answer BOTH questions?

  1. The abbreviation AM and the abbreviation PM together show the cost and the unit number in the message.
  2. The symbol $ shows the monthly cost is $950, and the symbol # identifies the specific unit as 4B. (correct answer)
  3. The symbol $ shows the monthly cost, and the abbreviation 'mo.' identifies the specific apartment unit number.
  4. The symbol # shows the monthly cost per unit, and the abbreviation 'avail.' tells which specific unit is open.
Explanation: When reading short messages like texts or ads, symbols and abbreviations each carry specific jobs. Your task here is to match the right symbol to the right piece of information — cost and unit number — without getting distracted by symbols that serve a different purpose. The dollar sign **∗∗isauniversalsymbolmeaning"money."Inthismessage,∗∗$950∗∗tellsyoudirectlythatthemonthlycostis** is a universal symbol meaning "money." In this message, **$950** tells you directly that the monthly cost is 950. The number sign # is used to identify a specific number in a series — here, #4B identifies the exact apartment unit available. Together, $ and # answer both questions the reader has, making B the correct answer. Choice A is wrong because "AM" and "PM" are time abbreviations — they tell you when to call, not what the cost is or which unit is available. They answer a completely different question. Choice C is tricky because $ does correctly show the monthly cost, but "mo." is short for "month" — it tells you how often you pay, not which apartment unit is being offered. It describes the payment frequency, not the unit number. Choice D misreads both symbols. The # sign identifies the unit number, not the cost. And "avail." is short for "available," which tells you the apartment is open right now — but it does not specify which unit that is. Study tip: When a question asks which symbols answer specific questions, map each symbol to its function one at a time. Ask yourself: "What job does this symbol do?" — that habit will help you eliminate distractors quickly.

Question 9

A work schedule posted on a bulletin board says: "Morning shift: 6 AM – 11 AM. Afternoon shift: 12 PM – 5 PM. See mgr. for changes."

An employee reads the schedule. She wants to work the shift that ends closest to noon. Which shift should she choose, and what does the relevant abbreviation tell her?

  1. The afternoon shift, because PM means the hours are before noon and end near 12:00.
  2. The morning shift, because AM means the hours are after midnight and before noon, so 11 AM ends just before noon. (correct answer)
  3. The morning shift, because AM means the hours are after noon, so 11 AM is the latest possible time in the day.
  4. The afternoon shift, because AM and PM both refer to morning hours, and 5 PM is earlier than 11 AM.
Explanation: When you see AM and PM on a schedule, the question is really testing whether you understand what those abbreviations mean and how they help you read time correctly. AM and PM are Latin abbreviations that divide the 24-hour day into two halves: AM (ante meridiem) covers midnight to just before noon, and PM (post meridiem) covers noon to just before midnight. The employee wants the shift ending closest to noon. The morning shift runs 6 AM – 11 AM. Since AM means "before noon," 11 AM falls just one hour before 12:00 noon — making it the closest possible endpoint to noon among the listed options. That makes B the correct answer: the morning shift, because AM confirms those hours fall before noon, with 11 AM ending right at noon's doorstep. Choice A is wrong on two counts: the afternoon shift ends at 5 PM, which is five hours past noon — much farther from noon than 11 AM. It also incorrectly defines PM as "before noon," which is the opposite of what PM means. Choice C is wrong because it claims AM means "after noon" — that's the definition of PM, not AM. Choice D is wrong because it treats AM and PM as interchangeable morning terms, which they are not, and incorrectly claims 5 PM comes before 11 AM. A helpful memory trick: AM = "At Morning" (before noon) and PM = "Past Midday" (after noon). On workplace documents and schedules, you'll see these abbreviations constantly, so locking in these definitions will serve you well beyond just this exam.

Question 10

A parking lot sign reads: "MAX STAY: 2 HRS. FEE: $3/HR. PAY AT BOOTH #2."

A driver parks at 10 AM and pays the correct amount. She returns to her car at 12:30 PM. What does the combination of symbols on the sign tell her about her situation?

  1. She paid correctly because $ means the fee is optional, and # means she paid at the right booth number.
  2. She overstayed the maximum time because she was there over 2 hours, and the $ symbol shows she may now owe an additional fee. (correct answer)
  3. She is fine because PM means afternoon hours are free, so the $ fee only applies to AM parking times.
  4. She underpaid because the # symbol next to 2 means the hourly rate doubles after booth number 2 opens.
Explanation: When you see a sign with symbols like $, #, and abbreviations like MAX and HRS, your job is to decode each piece and apply it to a real situation. Think of it like following a set of rules — you need to check whether the rules were followed correctly. The sign says the maximum stay is 2 hours. The driver arrives at 10 AM and returns at 12:30 PM. That is 2 hours and 30 minutes — 30 minutes over the limit. The symbolsimplymeans"dollars,"sothefeeissymbol simply means "dollars," so the fee is3 for every hour parked. She already paid for 2 hours ( 2 \times $3 = $6 ), but she stayed longer than allowed, meaning she likely owes an additional fee. This makes B the correct answer — she overstayed, and the $ symbol correctly signals a money consequence. Choice A is wrong because the $ symbol never makes a fee "optional" — it is just the symbol for dollars. Choice C invents a rule that does not exist. The sign says nothing about AM or PM hours being treated differently — there is no such parking rule indicated anywhere. Choice D misreads the # symbol entirely. The # symbol here simply means "number," so "Booth #2" means Booth Number 2. It has nothing to do with doubling the rate. A helpful strategy: on questions involving signs and symbols, take each symbol one at a time. Ask yourself, "What does this symbol actually mean in everyday use?" Do not let unfamiliar combinations trick you into inventing meanings that are not there.