CAASPP Writing 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student is writing about climate change for a science class. Which source would be MOST credible?
- A personal blog written by a concerned citizen
- A peer-reviewed journal article published by climate scientists (Correct answer)
- A social media post with thousands of likes
- An opinion column in a local newspaper
Correct answer: A peer-reviewed journal article published by climate scientists
Peer-reviewed scientific articles are vetted by experts in the field, making them the most reliable sources for scientific claims.
Question 2: Which technique BEST helps a writer develop a complex character in a narrative?
- Describing only the character's physical appearance in detail
- Showing the character's thoughts, actions, and reactions to events (Correct answer)
- Telling the reader directly what type of person the character is
- Keeping the character's behavior the same throughout the story
Correct answer: Showing the character's thoughts, actions, and reactions to events
Complex characters are revealed through their thoughts, choices, and responses to challenges rather than simple description.
Question 3: What is the function of a topic sentence in a body paragraph?
- To provide a specific piece of evidence for the argument
- To state the main idea of the paragraph and connect it to the thesis (Correct answer)
- To transition from the previous paragraph using signal words
- To conclude the essay by restating the overall argument
Correct answer: To state the main idea of the paragraph and connect it to the thesis
A topic sentence introduces the paragraph's central idea and links it to the essay's overall thesis.
Question 4: A student underlines this sentence for revision: 'There are many reasons why students should read books.' What is the BEST revision?
- Reading books is one of many important things students can do.
- Students benefit from reading books for academic, social, and creative reasons. (Correct answer)
- There exist many good reasons for students to engage in book reading.
- Books are something that students should read for many different reasons.
Correct answer: Students benefit from reading books for academic, social, and creative reasons.
The revised sentence eliminates the weak 'there are' opener and specifies what types of reasons, making it more direct and informative.
Question 5: In a research-based informational essay, what is the purpose of paraphrasing a source?
- To copy the source's exact words while giving credit to the author
- To restate the source's ideas in the writer's own words to show understanding (Correct answer)
- To summarize an entire book in one or two sentences
- To replace difficult words in the source with simpler vocabulary
Correct answer: To restate the source's ideas in the writer's own words to show understanding
Paraphrasing demonstrates comprehension by restating information in the writer's own words while still requiring a citation.
Question 6: Which sentence demonstrates CORRECT use of an apostrophe?
- The students' projects were displayed in the hallway. (Correct answer)
- The student's each turned in their own essay.
- The teachers graded the student's essays quickly.
- Its a difficult exam that test's many skills.
Correct answer: The students' projects were displayed in the hallway.
'Students'' correctly shows possession for multiple students by placing the apostrophe after the plural noun.
Question 7: When asked to write an explanatory essay on a CAASPP assessment, a student should focus on:
- Persuading readers to agree with a personal opinion on the topic
- Clearly explaining a topic using facts, definitions, and concrete details (Correct answer)
- Telling a personal story that relates to the topic emotionally
- Summarizing what other writers have said about the topic
Correct answer: Clearly explaining a topic using facts, definitions, and concrete details
Explanatory (informational) essays inform readers by presenting facts, definitions, examples, and explanations—not arguments or personal narratives.
CAASPP Writing 5
A student is writing about climate change for a science class.
Which source would be MOST credible?