Grammar and Language Conventions Flashcards

Which sentence correctly uses a participial phrase to add descriptive detail, as expected in higher-proficiency OELPA writing?

Answer: Running quickly, the student missed the bus.

The participial phrase "Running quickly" must be placed next to the noun it modifies, "the student," to avoid a dangling modifier.

Which sentence correctly uses parallel structure in a list?

Answer: She likes reading, writing, and painting.

Parallel structure requires all items in a series to use the same grammatical form; here, all three gerunds (-ing) are parallel.

Which word is a preposition in the following sentence: "The student sat beside the teacher during the test"?

Answer: beside

"Beside" is a preposition indicating the spatial relationship between the student and the teacher.

In an OELPA writing task, which sentence correctly avoids a run-on error?

Answer: The student studied, and he passed.

Using the coordinating conjunction "and" after a comma correctly joins two independent clauses and eliminates the run-on.

Which sentence correctly uses an adverb to modify a verb?

Answer: She speaks English fluently now.

Adverbs, not adjectives, modify verbs; "fluently" is the adverb form of "fluent" and correctly modifies the verb "speaks."

Which sentence correctly uses a modal verb to express possibility, a language feature assessed in OELPA?

Answer: She might finish the test early today.

"Might" expresses possibility or uncertainty, while "must," "should," and "will" express obligation, advice, or certainty respectively.

Which sentence correctly uses a complex sentence structure with both a dependent and an independent clause?

Answer: Although the test was long, she completed it.

"Although the test was long" is a dependent clause, and "she completed it" is the independent clause, forming a correct complex sentence.