Grammar & Usage
Identify the Error:
"The group of students are planning a trip."
"The group of students is planning a trip."
Which transition word best fits?
“She studied hard; ___,
she passed the test.”
(a) however (b) therefore
b) therefore
What does “benevolent” mean?
a) kind
b) angry
c) lazy
a) kind
If unsure of a question, what is the best guessing strategy?
Eliminate clearly wrong answers, then make an educated guess.
Choose the correctly punctuated sentence:
a) She bought apples, oranges and bananas.
b) She bought apples, oranges, and bananas.
b) She bought apples, oranges, and bananas.
Fix the unclear pronoun:
"When Jessica spoke to Emily, she was excited."
Who is "she"?
"Jessica was excited when she spoke to Emily."
Is this a fragment?
“Because she was tired.”
Fix it.
Fragment; fix: “She went to bed because she was tired.”
Choose the synonym for “quick.”
a) slow
b) rapid
c) late
b) rapid
How much time should you spend on average per passage?
Approximately 45-60 seconds per question
Identify the punctuation error in this sentence:
“Its raining outside, bring an umbrella.”
Missing apostrophe: Correct is “It’s raining outside, bring an umbrella.”
Identify misplaced modifier:
“Running quickly, the finish line was crossed by the athlete.”
“Running quickly, the athlete crossed the finish line.”
Correct the run-on sentence:
“I love to read I have many books.”
“I love to read, and I have many books.”
Using context clues, what does “exuberant” most likely mean?
“His exuberant personality makes him fun to be around.”
“exuberant” means very happy or energetic.
Which questions should you answer first?
Answer easier questions first to secure points quickly.
Correct the comma splice:
“I love reading, it is my favorite hobby.”
Comma splice corrected: “I love reading; it is my favorite hobby.”
Choose correct parallel structure:
a) She likes hiking, to swim, and biking.
b) She likes hiking, swimming, and biking.
b) “She likes hiking, swimming, and biking.”
What effect does repeating “never give up” have in a passage?
Repetition of “never give up” emphasizes perseverance and determination.
What is the meaning of “bark” in “The dog’s bark was loud”?
“bark” means the sound a dog makes.
What is the best way to eliminate wrong answers?
Eliminate answers that contradict the passage or have grammar errors.
When should you use a semicolon instead of a comma?
Use a semicolon to join two related independent clauses without a conjunction.
Combine sentences:
“The sky was dark. It started to rain.”
“The sky was dark, and it started to rain.”
Create a complex sentence using a subordinating conjunction.
Example complex sentence: “Although it was raining, we went for a walk.”
What does “candid” imply about a person’s speech?
“I want to be quite candid with you.”
“candid” implies speech that is honest and straightforward.
What is the benefit of annotating the passage as you read?
Annotating helps track main ideas and locate evidence faster.
Explain the difference between “its” and “it’s” with examples.
“Its” = possessive (belonging to it): The dog wagged its tail.
“It’s” = contraction of “it is” or “it has”: It’s going to rain today.