CBEST Writing 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence correctly uses 'fewer' versus 'less'?
- There is less students in the class today.
- I have fewer money than I expected.
- She made fewer mistakes on this test than on the last. (Correct answer)
- We need less chairs for the meeting.
Correct answer: She made fewer mistakes on this test than on the last.
'Fewer' is used with countable nouns ('mistakes'); 'less' is used with uncountable nouns.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the purpose of a thesis statement?
- To provide background information on the topic
- To present a debatable claim that the essay will support (Correct answer)
- To summarize the conclusion of the essay
- To list all the evidence that will be used
Correct answer: To present a debatable claim that the essay will support
A thesis statement presents the writer's central, arguable claim that the body of the essay will develop and support.
Question 3: Choose the sentence free of wordiness.
- At this point in time, we need to make a final decision.
- We need to decide now. (Correct answer)
- We are currently in need of making a final and conclusive decision at this moment.
- A decision needs to be made by us at this time.
Correct answer: We need to decide now.
'We need to decide now' conveys the full meaning in the fewest words without redundancy.
Question 4: A writer wants to appeal to readers' emotions in a persuasive piece about hunger in schools. Which sentence best achieves this?
- Hunger is a problem that affects many students.
- Statistics show that hunger impacts academic performance.
- Seven-year-old Maya stares at an empty lunch tray, unable to concentrate on her afternoon math lesson. (Correct answer)
- Schools should provide better meal programs.
Correct answer: Seven-year-old Maya stares at an empty lunch tray, unable to concentrate on her afternoon math lesson.
A specific, concrete narrative detail about a child creates an emotional connection that abstract statements cannot.
Question 5: Which sentence correctly uses an apostrophe to show plural possession?
- The student's lockers were inspected.
- The students lockers' were inspected.
- The students' lockers were inspected. (Correct answer)
- The students's lockers were inspected.
Correct answer: The students' lockers were inspected.
For plural nouns ending in 's,' add only an apostrophe after the 's' to show possession.
Question 6: Which type of evidence is LEAST effective in an academic persuasive essay?
- A peer-reviewed study with quantitative data
- A personal anecdote from the writer's own experience (Correct answer)
- An expert quote from a recognized authority
- Government statistics from a credible agency
Correct answer: A personal anecdote from the writer's own experience
Personal anecdotes lack objectivity and generalizability, making them the weakest form of evidence in academic writing.
Question 7: A student writes: 'The results of the study was alarming.' Which revision corrects the grammatical error?
- The results of the study were alarming. (Correct answer)
- The result of the study was alarming.
- The results of the study is alarming.
- The results of the study has been alarming.
Correct answer: The results of the study were alarming.
The subject 'results' is plural, so it requires the plural verb 'were,' not 'was.'
CBEST Writing 5
Which sentence correctly uses 'fewer' versus 'less'?