Inferences
Clue: What can you infer about Della’s money situation? How did she feel while saving this money?
One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one’s cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas. There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it.
She is very poor and has been saving her money
Which sentence states the author’s claim?
(1) Over the past decade, the average American teenager’s daily recreational screen time has climbed to more than seven hours. (2) Pediatric researchers have linked excessive screen use to disrupted sleep, diminished attention spans, and heightened anxiety. (3) Yet most high schools offer virtually no instruction on how digital platforms are deliberately engineered to capture and hold users’ attention. (4) Therefore, every high school should require a semester-long course in digital literacy before graduation. (5) Such a course would equip students to recognize manipulative design and make deliberate decisions about their own technology use.
Clue: Which of these word groups are complete thoughts?
A) The storm knocked out power across the county.
B) so the district canceled classes.
C) yet the buses were already on their routes.
D) Several roads remained flooded for days.
A
Which of these is a complete thought?
A) Unless the committee approves the budget.
B) The committee approved the budget.
C) Whoever finishes the project first.
D) After the votes had been counted.
C) Whoever finishes the project first.
What other school does Ms. Smith teach at?
Point
What can you infer about Walter Banks’s own education? Why do you think he chose to help this specific group of students?
For thirty-two years, Walter Banks mopped the hallways of Jefferson High School, arriving before sunrise and leaving long after the final bell. Last spring, the retired custodian quietly donated $180,000, nearly his entire life savings, to create a scholarship for students who are the first in their families to attend college. When a reporter asked why, Banks hesitated before answering. “I never got to walk across that stage,” he said. “So I spent thirty-two years making sure the floor was clean for the kids who did.”
He never graduated but chooses to help people who did
Which TWO sentences provide factual evidence for the claim?
(1) City governments should invest in expanding public transportation rather than widening highways. (2) When Houston widened the Katy Freeway to as many as 26 lanes in 2008, commute times actually increased within a few years. (3) Adding lanes encourages more people to drive, which ultimately recreates the very congestion the project was designed to eliminate. (4) Furthermore, the American Public Transportation Association reports that every dollar invested in public transit generates approximately five dollars in economic returns. (5) Critics argue that public transit is expensive to construct and maintain. (6) Nevertheless, the long-term benefits to commuters, businesses, and the environment far outweigh these initial costs.
Sentence 2 and 3
Clue: Fix this run-on using a comma and a conjunction (FANBOYS)
: “The museum offered free admission on Saturday the line stretched around the block by nine o’clock.”
Clue: Fix this run-on using a comma and a conjunction: “The museum offered free admission on Saturday the line stretched around the block by nine o’clock.”
Clue: This is an incomplete thought. Turn it into a complete sentence and punctuate it correctly: “Unless the city repairs the bridge before winter.”
Any complete thought added after a comma, such as “Unless the city repairs the bridge before winter, drivers will have to take a thirty-minute detour.”
Where is Ms. Smith from?
Chicago
What can you infer about Dr. Ruiz’s feelings toward the reef? Why might she have refused interviews, and what does the final line suggest?
In 1998, marine biologist Dr. Elena Ruiz began documenting a small coral reef off the coast of Belize. She returned every year afterward, even after her research funding ran out, financing the trips by teaching night classes at a community college. Colleagues jokingly called the reef “Elena’s patient.” Last year, when a survey revealed that more than half of the coral had bleached and died, Ruiz declined every interview request. Instead, she published photographs of the reef taken on the same date each year for twenty-five years. On the final page, she included a single sentence: “For whoever loves it next.”
She cares deeply about it
Which sentence does NOT support the author’s claim?
(1) Schools should replace traditional letter grades with standards-based reporting, which describes a student’s mastery of specific skills. (2) A “B” in English reveals little about whether a student struggles with grammar, analysis, or research. (3) Standards-based reports, by contrast, identify precisely which skills a student has mastered and which require further practice. (4) Letter grades have been used in American schools since the late 1800s, when Mount Holyoke College adopted an A-through-E scale. (5) In one district that piloted standards-based reporting, teachers found that parent conferences became more productive because conversations centered on specific skills. (6) When students understand exactly what they need to improve, they are far more likely to take ownership of their learning.
Sentence 4
Combine these into one sentence using a conjunction and correct punctuation, that shows the second idea.
“The forecast predicted a foot of snow. Only a light dusting fell overnight.”
“The forecast predicted a foot of snow, but only a light dusting fell overnight.”
Also accept "yet"
Fill in each blank with a DIFFERENT BUSWAIT word that makes sense.
“___ the bus was late, Diego still made it to his interview on time. He had left home early ___ he knew the roads might be icy. ___ he hadn’t, he would have missed it.”
1) Although/Though, (2) because/since, (3) If
What type of pet does Ms. Smith have?
A Dog
What is really happening to Grandpa Teodoro? Why does he claim he’s bored of crosswords, and what does the index-card project reveal?
Every Sunday for as long as Nico could remember, Grandpa Teodoro had completed the newspaper crossword in pen, announcing each answer to the room before anyone asked. This Sunday, the puzzle lay untouched beside his plate, the pen still capped. When Nico’s mother gently asked whether he might see a doctor about his “little forgetful moments,” Grandpa laughed and insisted he had simply grown bored of crosswords. That afternoon, Nico found him alone at the kitchen table with an old address book, carefully copying names onto index cards and labeling each one in large block letters: DAUGHTER. GRANDSON. NEIGHBOR, MRS. PARK.
He is losing his memory
Clue: Which sentence fails “Can I trust it?” Question for it being strong evidence?
(1) Our school should replace the soda in its vending machines with water and low-sugar drinks. (2) The American Heart Association recommends that teenagers consume no more than about six teaspoons of added sugar per day, yet a single 20-ounce soda contains roughly sixteen. (3) A post from an anonymous social media account claims that students who drink soda earn lower grades. (4) One student told me she feels tired every afternoon after drinking a soda at lunch. (5) Replacing soda with healthier choices would help students stay focused and energized throughout the afternoon.
Sentence 3
The passage has an error. Find and fix it
“The candidate spoke for nearly an hour, but, she never answered the reporter’s question. Her supporters cheered anyway, they seemed completely satisfied.”
. Her supporters cheered anyway, they seemed completely satisfied.”
This is a run-on sentence.
Her supporters cheered anyway, yet/but they seemed completely satisfied.”
Combine these two sentences using “until.” Write it TWO ways: once with “until” at the beginning and once in the middle. Punctuate both correctly.
“The baby will not stop crying. Someone turns on the vacuum cleaner.”
“Until someone turns on the vacuum cleaner, the baby will not stop crying.” (comma needed)
“The baby will not stop crying until someone turns on the vacuum cleaner.
When is Ms. Smith's birthday?
October 12
What really happened between the lab partners, and why did Dev earn the higher grade? Can this narrator be trusted?
I’ll concede that I was hardly enthusiastic when Ms. Okoye assigned Dev as my lab partner, but I remained entirely professional. When he proposed testing how colored light affected plant growth, I reminded him that my approach, measuring soil temperature, was considerably more scientific, and he eventually agreed. When our results proved inconclusive, I informed Ms. Okoye that Dev had been responsible for recording half the data, which was technically accurate. Naturally, I was astonished when she awarded Dev a higher collaboration grade than mine. Apparently, some teachers simply reward whoever complains the least.
No (explain why?)
Clue: Which is the strongest piece of evidence?
(1) Our district should switch to a four-day school week. (2) My cousin attends a school with a four-day week, and she says she has never been happier. (3) A website that sells family vacation packages reports that families with longer weekends are closer and less stressed. (4) Students in Finland, whose schools are often praised as some of the best in the world, spend fewer hours in class each day than many American students. (5) According to a state education department report, districts that switched to four-day weeks saved money on bus transportation and building costs. (6) Clearly, a four-day week would benefit every student in our district.
(1) The orchestra rehearsed for months, the conductor still wasn’t satisfied. (2) She demanded perfection from every musician. (3) She refused to accept excuses. (4) The concert sold out and the reviews were glowing.
Combine these sentences into 2 examples of a compound sentences (4 to 2 sentences total).
Answers can vary: Example:
The orchestra rehearsed for months, but the conductor still wasn't satisfied as she demanded perfection from every musician. She refused to accept excuses, so the concert sold out and the reviews were glowing.
This passage has TWO errors. Find and fix both.
“Since the library closed early the students finished their project at a coffee shop. They worked for three more hours. Because the project was due the next morning.”
How many siblings does Ms. Smith have?
3