Parallel Structure
Which is correct? "He likes to run, jump, and playing" or "run, jump, and play"?
"Run, jump, and play" (Match the base verbs).
Combine using an appositive: "Mercury is a planet. It is closest to the sun."
"Mercury, the planet closest to the sun, is small."
Which transition shows a conclusion: "In addition" or "In summary"?
In summary.
Identify the Active sentence: "The dog bit him" or "He was bitten by the dog."
"The dog bit him."
The "Signal" Challenge: If a paragraph uses the words consequently, as a result, and therefore, which structure is being used?
Cause and Effect. (Focus on the relationship between events).
Fix the list: "The student was smart, hardworking, and she was funny."
"...smart, hardworking, and funny."
STAAR often uses appositives to fix "wordy" sentences. Shorten: "The man who is my uncle is a vet."
"My uncle, a vet, ..." (Removes "who is").
Choose the best transition for a counter-argument: "Similarly" or "Conversely"?
Conversely.
Rewrite to be more direct/active: "The trophy was won by the underdog team."
"The underdog team won the trophy."
The "Visual" Challenge: A passage includes a timeline or a series of dates at the beginning of each paragraph. What is the organizational structure?
Chronological / Sequence. (Dates are the ultimate "tell" for STAAR).
Is this parallel? "I came, I saw, and I was conquering."
No. "I came, I saw, and I conquered."
Combine: "The Great Gatsby is a classic novel. It was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald."
"The Great Gatsby, a classic novel, was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald."
Which transition fits a spatial description? "Moreover" or "Adjacent to"?
Adjacent to.
Why use active voice in a persuasive essay instead of passive?
It sounds more authoritative, clear, and takes up fewer words (conciseness).
Identify the structure: "Unlike the traditional internal combustion engine, an electric vehicle relies on a battery pack and an induction motor."
Compare and Contrast. (The word "Unlike" is the key indicator here).
Rewrite for parallelism: "Success requires dedication, focusing, and to be brave."
"...dedication, focus, and bravery" (All nouns).
Fix the punctuation: "My best friend an expert coder helped me fix my website."
"My best friend, an expert coder, helped..."
Identify a transition that provides an example (other than "for example").
For instance, To illustrate, Specifically.
Change this to Passive (often used in lab reports): "The student dropped the chemical."
"The chemical was dropped."
On the STAAR, this structure often ends with a "Call to Action." What is the author trying to persuade the reader to do?
Implement the solution. (The author identifies a problem and then tells the reader how to fix it or why they should support a specific change).
Create a sentence using three parallel gerunds ( -ing words) as the subject.
e.g., "Reading, writing, and studying are essential for the exam."
STAAR Question: What is the most effective way to combine these? (Use an appositive).
Usually requires putting the appositive immediately after the noun it renames to avoid "misplaced modifiers."
Explain the difference in meaning between "Furthermore" and "Nevertheless."
Furthermore adds info (And); Nevertheless shows contrast (But).
Rewrite to focus on the receiver: "The hurricane destroyed the coastal town."
"The coastal town was destroyed by the hurricane."
The "Purpose" Challenge: If an author uses a Description structure (using many sensory details and adjectives), what is their likely goal for the reader?
To visualize or understand the characteristics of a specific person, place, or thing.