ISEE Writing & Essay Skills 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence contains a grammatical error?
- Each of the students have completed their assignments. (Correct answer)
- The committee has reached a unanimous decision.
- Neither the teacher nor the students were prepared for the fire drill.
- The dog, which had been lost for three days, was finally found.
Correct answer: Each of the students have completed their assignments.
'Each' is a singular indefinite pronoun and requires a singular verb. The correct sentence should be: 'Each of the students has completed their assignment' or use 'his or her.'
Question 2: What is a topic sentence?
- The sentence that states the main idea of a paragraph, usually appearing first (Correct answer)
- The last sentence in every paragraph
- Any sentence that contains a proper noun
- A sentence that asks a question
Correct answer: The sentence that states the main idea of a paragraph, usually appearing first
A topic sentence states the main idea or central point of a paragraph, typically appearing as the first sentence to guide the reader about what the paragraph will discuss.
Question 3: Which transition word best shows a cause-and-effect relationship?
- Therefore (Correct answer)
- However
- Meanwhile
- Similarly
Correct answer: Therefore
'Therefore' indicates that what follows is a result or consequence of what came before, making it a cause-and-effect transition word.
Question 4: What is the difference between active and passive voice?
- In active voice the subject performs the action; in passive voice the subject receives the action (Correct answer)
- Active voice uses present tense; passive voice uses past tense
- Active voice is informal; passive voice is formal
- There is no meaningful difference
Correct answer: In active voice the subject performs the action; in passive voice the subject receives the action
Active: 'The dog bit the man' (subject acts). Passive: 'The man was bitten by the dog' (subject is acted upon). Active voice is generally clearer and more direct.
Question 5: Which sentence uses a semicolon correctly?
- She loves to read; her brother prefers video games. (Correct answer)
- She loves to read; and her brother prefers video games.
- She loves; to read her brother prefers video games.
- She loves to read her; brother prefers video games.
Correct answer: She loves to read; her brother prefers video games.
A semicolon correctly joins two independent clauses that are closely related in meaning. Both 'She loves to read' and 'her brother prefers video games' are complete sentences.
Question 6: What is parallel structure in writing?
- Using the same grammatical form for similar elements in a list or comparison (Correct answer)
- Writing sentences of equal length throughout an essay
- Placing paragraphs side by side on the page
- Starting every sentence with the same word
Correct answer: Using the same grammatical form for similar elements in a list or comparison
Parallel structure means using consistent grammatical forms for items in a series, comparisons, or paired elements. Example: 'She enjoys swimming, hiking, and reading' (all gerunds).
ISEE Writing & Essay Skills 1
Which sentence contains a grammatical error?