FTCE English Language Arts 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student writes: 'The team are playing their best game.' Which grammatical issue does this sentence illustrate?
- Collective noun treated as plural in American English usage (Correct answer)
- Subject-verb disagreement due to wrong verb tense
- Dangling modifier attached to the wrong subject
- Misuse of a reflexive pronoun
Correct answer: Collective noun treated as plural in American English usage
In American English, collective nouns like 'team' take singular verbs ('The team is'), while British English may use plural agreement.
Question 2: Which literary device is used in the phrase 'The fog comes on little cat feet'?
- Metaphor (Correct answer)
- Simile
- Alliteration
- Hyperbole
Correct answer: Metaphor
This line from Carl Sandburg's poem 'Fog' uses metaphor, directly comparing fog to a cat without using 'like' or 'as.'
Question 3: A teacher wants to assess students' ability to synthesize multiple texts. Which assignment best achieves this goal?
- Write an essay comparing arguments across three articles on the same topic (Correct answer)
- Summarize the main idea of a single informational text
- Identify figurative language in a poem
- Create a timeline of events from a narrative text
Correct answer: Write an essay comparing arguments across three articles on the same topic
Synthesis requires integrating ideas from multiple sources, which is best assessed through a comparative essay across several texts.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of a text structure using 'cause and effect' in informational writing?
- To explain why events happen and what results from them (Correct answer)
- To present two opposing viewpoints on an issue
- To describe characteristics of a topic in order of importance
- To narrate events in the sequence they occurred
Correct answer: To explain why events happen and what results from them
Cause-and-effect structure shows the relationship between an event or action and its consequences.
Question 5: A student confuses the words 'affect' and 'effect.' Which sentence uses both words correctly?
- The weather can affect your mood, and its effect on productivity is well documented. (Correct answer)
- The weather can effect your mood, and its affect on productivity is well documented.
- The weather can affect your mood, and its affect on productivity is well documented.
- The weather can effect your mood, and its effect on productivity is well documented.
Correct answer: The weather can affect your mood, and its effect on productivity is well documented.
'Affect' is typically a verb meaning to influence, while 'effect' is typically a noun meaning result.
Question 6: Which reading strategy helps students monitor their own understanding while reading complex texts?
- Metacognitive self-questioning (Correct answer)
- Choral reading
- Echo reading
- Round-robin reading
Correct answer: Metacognitive self-questioning
Metacognitive self-questioning prompts students to check their own comprehension by asking themselves questions as they read.
Question 7: In argument writing, what is the function of a counterclaim?
- To acknowledge and respond to opposing viewpoints, strengthening the writer's credibility (Correct answer)
- To restate the thesis using different words at the essay's conclusion
- To provide statistical evidence that supports the main claim
- To introduce the topic with a compelling hook for the reader
Correct answer: To acknowledge and respond to opposing viewpoints, strengthening the writer's credibility
Addressing a counterclaim shows the writer understands multiple perspectives and makes the argument more persuasive.
FTCE English Language Arts 2
A student writes: 'The team are playing their best game.' Which grammatical issue does this sentence illustrate?