GED Reasoning Through Language Arts Writing 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which transition word best signals a contrast between two ideas?
- Furthermore
- Therefore
- Nevertheless (Correct answer)
- Similarly
Correct answer: Nevertheless
'Nevertheless' signals that something is true despite a contrasting or opposing point.
Question 2: In the sentence 'Each of the students have completed their assignments,' what is the grammatical error?
- Incorrect use of 'their'
- Subject-verb disagreement — 'have' should be 'has' (Correct answer)
- Incorrect use of 'Each'
- Missing comma after 'students'
Correct answer: Subject-verb disagreement — 'have' should be 'has'
The subject 'each' is singular and requires the singular verb 'has,' not the plural 'have.'
Question 3: Which sentence uses parallel structure correctly?
- She likes running, to swim, and biked on weekends.
- He enjoys hiking, cooking, and to read novels.
- They decided to plan the trip, book hotels, and purchase tickets. (Correct answer)
- The job requires patience, to be organized, and working late.
Correct answer: They decided to plan the trip, book hotels, and purchase tickets.
All three items — 'plan,' 'book,' and 'purchase' — use the same infinitive form, creating correct parallel structure.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes the purpose of using evidence in a GED extended response essay?
- To make the essay longer and fill the required word count
- To show personal opinions without relying on logic
- To support the argument with specific facts, examples, or reasoning from the source text (Correct answer)
- To introduce new topics unrelated to the prompt
Correct answer: To support the argument with specific facts, examples, or reasoning from the source text
Evidence from the source text supports your argument, making it more credible and logically sound.
Question 5: Which sentence correctly uses a comma to set off a nonessential clause?
- The book that she recommended was excellent.
- My sister, who lives in Denver, is visiting next week. (Correct answer)
- The car which is red belongs to my neighbor.
- Students who study regularly tend to perform better.
Correct answer: My sister, who lives in Denver, is visiting next week.
The clause 'who lives in Denver' is nonessential information and is correctly set off by commas.
Question 6: A student writes: 'The article argues that solar energy is cost-effective. This is a good point.' Which revision strengthens the analysis?
- The article argues that solar energy is cost-effective, and I agree with this.
- Solar energy is cost-effective, as stated in the article.
- The article argues that solar energy is cost-effective; this supports the claim that renewable investments reduce long-term energy bills. (Correct answer)
- The author says solar energy saves money, which is true.
Correct answer: The article argues that solar energy is cost-effective; this supports the claim that renewable investments reduce long-term energy bills.
Explaining how the evidence connects to a larger claim demonstrates analytical thinking rather than simply restating the source.
Question 7: Which of the following sentences is written in active voice?
- The presentation was delivered by the intern.
- Mistakes were made during the project.
- The committee approved the new budget. (Correct answer)
- The letter had been sent before noon by Maria.
Correct answer: The committee approved the new budget.
In 'The committee approved the new budget,' the subject (committee) performs the action (approved), making it active voice.
GED Reasoning Through Language Arts Writing 5
Which transition word best signals a contrast between two ideas?