FTCE English Language Arts 2

Question 1

A student writes: 'The team are playing their best game.' Which grammatical issue does this sentence illustrate?

Accepted Answer

Collective noun treated as plural in American English usage

Answer

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'?

Accepted Answer

Metaphor

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

Write an essay comparing arguments across three articles on the same topic

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

To explain why events happen and what results from them

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

The weather can affect your mood, and its effect on productivity is well documented.

Answer

'Affect' is typically a verb meaning to influence, while 'effect' is typically a noun meaning result.

FTCE Practice Test