Test Prep Test Prep Certifications PRAXIS-WRITING-SECTION Questions & Answers

• Question 71:

  Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised. Choose the correct option.

  Without making a sound Geoffrey crept down the stairs.

  A. No error

  B. sound; Geoffrey crept

  C. sound, Geoffrey crept

  D. sound, crept Geoffrey

  E. sound Geoffrey, crept

  Correct Answer: C

  Explanation: The dependent clause needs to be separated with a comma.

• Question 72:

  Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised. Choose the correct option.

  Until you learn the intricacies of the trade, one cannot be qualified to make a judgment.

  A. No error

  B. you can not be qualified

  C. one can't be qualified

  D. you cannot be qualified

  E. one can not be qualified

  Correct Answer: D

  Explanation: In order to agree with the first part of the sentence, you must be used.

• Question 73:

  Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised. Choose the correct option.

  Who knows who will be the winner?

  A. No error

  B. Whom knows who

  C. Who knew whom

  D. Who knows whom

  E. Whom knows whom

  Correct Answer: A

  Explanation: Since in both cases who is being used as the subject of a clause, this form is correct.

• Question 74:

  Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised. Choose the correct answer.

  When he emerged from the pool, wondering how good he had done, he immediately looked to the clock.

  A. wondering if he had done good,

  B. No error

  C. wondering how well he had done,

  D. wondering well, had he done good,

  E. done wondering he had done well,

  Correct Answer: C

  Explanation: Since it is being used as the object of he had done, the correct form is well.

• Question 75:

  Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised. Choose the correct option.

  McCarthyism was an ideology and an applied pursuit that arose in the middle of the twentieth century and targeted communists in the United States state department.

  A. McCarthyism was an ideology and an applied pursuit that arose in the middle of the twentieth century and targeted communists in the United States state department

  B. McCarthyism was an ideology, an applied pursuit that arose in the middle of the twentieth century, targeted communists in the United States state department

  C. McCarthyism was an ideology and an applied pursuit that arose in the middle of the twentieth century and targeted Communists in the United States state department

  D. McCarthyism will be an ideology and an applied pursuit that arose in the middle of the twentieth century and targeted communists in the United States

  E. McCarthyism was an ideology and an applied pursuit that arose in the middle of the twentieth century and targeted communists in the United States State department

  Correct Answer: E

  Explanation: The original choice is wrong strictly for the lack of capitalization of "State Department." Choice "McCarthyism was an ideology, an applied pursuit that arose in the middle of the twentieth century, targeted communists in the United States state department" complicates problems more than "McCarthyism was an ideology and an applied pursuit that arose in the middle of the twentieth century and targeted communists in the United States state department" by deleting certain words that turn the sentence into a run-on sentence. Choice "McCarthyism was an ideology and an applied pursuit that arose in the middle of the twentieth century and targeted Communists in the United States state department" fails to capitalize "State Department" (it needs to be capitalized because it is a proper noun -- the United States State Department, not just "a state department"). Although choice "McCarthyism will be an ideology and an applied pursuit that arose in the middle of the twentieth century and targeted communists in the United States" corrects the capitalization error, it changes "was" to "will be," which is an illogical verb tense (i.e. future) because later in the sentence it is stated that the ideology arose "in the middle of the twentieth century," which has already passed. Choice "McCarthyism was an ideology and an applied pursuit that arose in the middle of the twentieth century and targeted communists in the United States State department" corrects the capitalization error and leaves the sentence as it is. Sometimes just minor changes are needed.

• Question 76:

  Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised. Choose the correct option.

  Plenty of high school students spend their time involved in the community by working with peers, young children and also helping senior citizens.

  A. spend their time involved in the community by working with peers, young children and also helping senior citizens.

  B. spend his time involved in the community by working with peers, young children and also helping senior citizens.

  C. spend one's time involved in the community by working with peers, young children and also helping senior citizens.

  D. spend their time involved in the community by working with peers, young children and senior citizens.

  E. spend their time involving in the community by working with peers, young children and also helping senior citizens.

  Correct Answer: D

  Explanation: By breaking the parallelism (continuity of a pattern, in this case), the underlined portion of this sentence must be changed. By simply changing "also helping senior citizens" to "senior citizens" the list is clearly discussing people in the community from various age groups. Each other choice besides "spend their time involved in the community by working with peers, young children and senior citizens" uses incorrect pronouns (i.e. his) and/or parallel structure (i.e. also helping senior citizens).

• Question 77:

  Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised. Choose the correct option.

  Study the ancient fighting art of Hapkido and you will learn to avoid directly matching your strength against your opponents.

  A. your strength against your opponents.

  B. yours against your opponent.

  C. your strength against your opponent.

  D. your strength with your opponent.

  E. your opponent's strength against one's own.

  Correct Answer: A

  Explanation: "yours against your opponent" doesn't say what's being matched with what. "your strength against your opponent", "your strength with your opponent", and "your opponent's strength against one's own" all have some sort of parallelism error.

• Question 78:

  Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised. Choose the correct option.

  Since the work force is becoming increasingly competitive in light of technological advances and outsourcing, therefore, it is even more basic for students to complete high school and attain at least a bachelor's degree.

  A. therefore, it is even more basic for students to complete high school and attain at least a bachelor's degree.

  B. moreover, it is even more basic for students to complete high school and attain at least a bachelor's degree.

  C. but, it is even more basic for students to complete high school and attain at least a bachelor's degree.

  D. so it is even more basic for students to complete high school and attain at least a bachelor's degree.

  E. it is even more basic for students to complete high school and attain at least a bachelor's degree.

  Correct Answer: E

  Explanation: This sentence is a run-on sentence and can be fixed with the deletion of one word: "therefore." By beginning with a conjunction such as "Since" the sentence already has a descriptive clause in motion and just needs to be followed by a succinct (brief) statement of what the background of the first clause was describing. All of the choices except choice "it is even more basic for students to complete high school and attain at least a bachelor's degree." use this erroneous second conjunction (i.e. therefore, moreover, but, so), so they must be eliminated. Choice "it is even more basic for students to complete high school and attain at least a bachelor's degree" is grammatically sound.

• Question 79:

  Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised. Choose the correct option.

  A shockingly indelible moment, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I found out that Kurt Cobain had died.

  A. A shockingly indelible moment,

  B. A shocking, indelible moment,

  C. It was a shocking and indelible moment;

  D. Shocked and indelible,

  E. Shocking and I will never forget it,

  Correct Answer: C

  Explanation: "A shockingly indelible moment,", "A shocking, indelible moment,", "Shocked and indelible,",

  and "Shocking and I will never forget it," all have dangling modifier errors, because they aren't describing

  what comes after the comma.

  Indelible means not able to be erased; you wouldn't say that about a person in this context.

• Question 80:

  Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised. Choose the correct option.

  Sports commentators often provide informative and witty insight during games that enhance the sports-watching experience.

  A. enhance the sports-watching experience.

  B. enhance the experience.

  C. enhances the sports-watching experience.

  D. enhances the sports-watching experience for fans.

  E. have enhanced the sports-watching experiences for fans.

  Correct Answer: C

  Explanation: The problem with this sentence is that the second action verb (i.e. enhance) needs to be singular (i.e. enhances) because this verb refers to "insight." Some readers may believe that because there are two characteristics to the insight (i.e. informative and witty) there should be a plural form of the verb. Choice "enhances the sports-watching experience" and choice "enhances the sports-watching experience for fans" correct this agreement error of the verb; however, choice "enhances the sports-watching experience for fans" is wordy. Obviously, fans are the ones who watch sports, so why restate this. Choice "enhances the sports-watching experience" therefore is most direct and grammatically sound.