MTEL Communication and Literacy Skills Flashcards

A candidate must revise a wordy sentence. Which revision of 'Due to the fact that it was raining, the game was cancelled' is most concise?

Answer: Since it rained, the game was cancelled.

Replacing the wordy phrase 'due to the fact that' with the single subordinating conjunction 'since' creates a concise, clear sentence.

Which of the following is an example of denotation rather than connotation?

Answer: 'Dog' referring to a domesticated canine mammal

Denotation is the literal, dictionary definition of a word; 'a domesticated canine mammal' is the objective meaning of 'dog.'

A writer wants to shift from an informal to a formal register. Which change is most appropriate?

Answer: Replacing 'kids' with 'children'

Replacing informal terms like 'kids' with more neutral, formal equivalents like 'children' raises the register appropriately.

Which organizational structure would be most effective for an essay comparing two instructional approaches?

Answer: Point-by-point comparison

Point-by-point comparison discusses each criterion for both subjects together, making similarities and differences immediately clear.

A passage uses the phrase 'a double-edged sword.' This is an example of which literary device?

Answer: Idiom

An idiom is a fixed expression whose figurative meaning differs from the literal words; 'double-edged sword' means something with both advantages and disadvantages.

Which transition word best signals that the writer is introducing a conclusion?

Answer: Therefore

'Therefore' is a logical connector indicating that what follows is a conclusion drawn from the preceding information.

Which sentence correctly uses an apostrophe to show possession for a plural noun ending in 's'?

Answer: The students' essays were graded.

For plural nouns already ending in 's,' only an apostrophe is added after the 's' to show possession: 'students'.'