Math Writing Questions Test 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which choice best maintains the sentence pattern already established in the paragraph?
- NO CHANGE
- Coordinating stoplight timing can help alleviate rush hour traffic jams in a congested downtown area.
- Stoplight timing is coordinated to alleviate rush hour traffic jams in a congested downtown area. (Correct answer)
- In a congested downtown area, stoplight timing is coordinated to alleviate rush hour traffic jams.
Correct answer: Stoplight timing is coordinated to alleviate rush hour traffic jams in a congested downtown area.
This choice best maintains the sentence pattern by using a clear and concise passive voice construction, 'Stoplight timing is coordinated.' This structure likely aligns with other sentences in the paragraph that describe processes or functions in a general, objective manner. It avoids the more active or wordy phrasing of the other options, ensuring consistency in style and tone.
Question 2: Which choice best maintains the sentence pattern already established in the paragraph?\t
- NO CHANGE
- occur, they are
- occurs, they are
- occurs, it is (Correct answer)
Correct answer: occurs, it is
This choice correctly uses singular subject-verb agreement ('occurs' for a singular subject like 'occurrence' or implied singular event) and singular pronoun agreement ('it is' referring back to the singular subject). This ensures grammatical accuracy and maintains consistency with a sentence pattern that likely requires precise agreement between subjects, verbs, and pronouns.
Question 3: Which choice best maintains the sentence pattern already established in the paragraph?\t
- NO CHANGE
- to design
- designing (Correct answer)
- design
Correct answer: designing
The choice 'designing' best maintains the sentence pattern, likely by creating parallelism within a list or series of actions. If other items in the sentence or paragraph use gerunds (verb forms ending in -ing that function as nouns), then 'designing' would match that structure. This ensures grammatical consistency and improves the flow of the sentence.
Question 4: Which choice best maintains the sentence pattern already established in the paragraph?\t
- NO CHANGE (Correct answer)
- where job opportunities are more plentiful.
- and the majority are employed by government agencies.
- DELETE the underlined portion and end the sentence with a period.
Correct answer: NO CHANGE
The choice 'NO CHANGE' is correct because the original underlined portion is relevant and contributes meaningfully to the sentence and paragraph. It likely provides necessary context or detail without being redundant or distracting. Deleting it or replacing it with other options would either remove important information or introduce less suitable phrasing.
Question 5: Which choice best maintains the sentence pattern already established in the paragraph?\t
- NO CHANGE
- planner’s job (Correct answer)
- planners job,
- planners job
Correct answer: planner’s job
The correct choice 'planner’s job' uses the apostrophe correctly to indicate singular possession. The job belongs to one planner, so the apostrophe comes before the 's.' This maintains grammatical accuracy and clarity within the sentence pattern established in the paragraph.
Question 6: Which choice best maintains the sentence pattern already established in the paragraph?\t
- NO CHANGE
- current design of the road right now
- road as it is now currently designed
- current design of the road (Correct answer)
Correct answer: current design of the road
The choice 'current design of the road' is the most concise and clear option, avoiding redundancy. Phrases like 'right now' or 'as it is now currently designed' unnecessarily repeat the idea of 'current.' This option maintains the sentence pattern by being direct and efficient, aligning with good writing practices.
Question 7: Which choice best maintains the sentence pattern already established in the paragraph?\t
- NO CHANGE
- For instance, (Correct answer)
- Furthermore,
- Similarly,
Correct answer: For instance,
The transition 'For instance,' is the most appropriate choice because it signals that the following sentence will provide a specific example or illustration of a general statement made previously. This logically connects the ideas and maintains the established sentence pattern of presenting a claim followed by supporting evidence.
Question 8: The writer is considering deleting the underlined sentence. Should the sentence be kept or deleted?
- Kept, because it provides supporting evidence about the benefits of walking.
- Kept, because it provides an additional example of a community stakeholder with whom transportation planners work.
- Deleted, because it blurs the paragraph’s focus on the community stakeholders with whom transportation planners work. (Correct answer)
- Deleted, because it doesn’t provide specific examples of what the numerous benefits of walking are.
Correct answer: Deleted, because it blurs the paragraph’s focus on the community stakeholders with whom transportation planners work.
The sentence should be deleted because it shifts the focus away from the paragraph's main topic, which is the community stakeholders transportation planners work with. Discussing the general benefits of walking, while potentially related to urban planning, does not directly contribute to the specific theme of stakeholder engagement. Deleting it improves the paragraph's coherence and focus.
Question 9: Which choice best maintains the sentence pattern already established in the paragraph?\t
- NO CHANGE (Correct answer)
- People, who pursue careers in transportation planning,
- People who pursue careers, in transportation planning,
- People who pursue careers in transportation planning,
Correct answer: NO CHANGE
The choice 'NO CHANGE' is correct because the original sentence structure, without commas around 'who pursue careers in transportation planning,' is grammatically sound. This clause is likely restrictive, meaning it is essential to identify *which* people are being discussed, and therefore does not require commas. Adding commas would incorrectly make it a non-restrictive clause.
Question 10: Which choice best maintains the sentence pattern already established in the paragraph?\t
- NO CHANGE (Correct answer)
- varied, and including
- varied and which include
- varied, which include
Correct answer: NO CHANGE
The choice 'NO CHANGE' is correct because the original phrasing 'varied, including' is grammatically sound and maintains a clear, concise sentence pattern. It effectively introduces a list of examples that illustrate the variety. Other options might introduce awkward phrasing, redundancy, or grammatical errors, disrupting the flow and clarity.
Question 11: Which choice completes the sentence with accurate data based on the graph?
- NO CHANGE
- warning, however, that job growth in urban and regional planning will slow to 14 percent by 2020.
- predicting that employment of urban and regional planners will increase 16 percent between 2010 and 2020. (Correct answer)
- indicating that 14 to 18 percent of urban and regional planning positions will remain unfilled.
Correct answer: predicting that employment of urban and regional planners will increase 16 percent between 2010 and 2020.
This choice accurately reflects the data presented in the graph, stating that employment of urban and regional planners is predicted to increase by 16 percent between 2010 and 2020. This directly corresponds to how such data is typically represented and interpreted from a graph. The other options either present incorrect percentages or misinterpret the nature of the data.
Math Writing Questions Test 1
Which choice best maintains the sentence pattern already established in the paragraph?