HiSET Language Arts Writing Practice Test 1

Question 1

Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised.

Accepted Answer

For homes in typically colder geographic regions

Answer

The original phrase "For homes in typically colder geographic regions" is grammatically correct and concise. Other options introduce redundancy (e.g., "people in homes"), awkward phrasing, or unnecessary changes. The phrase effectively describes the target for the homes without adding superfluous words or altering the intended meaning.

Question 2

Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised.

Accepted Answer

and napkins from the coffee shop, but no gloves.

Answer

The original sentence likely had a construction like "there were a few napkins... and there were no gloves." Option D improves parallelism and conciseness by directly listing the items. It maintains a clear and direct flow, stating "napkins from the coffee shop, but no gloves," which is more efficient than repeating "there were" or using awkward phrasing like "not any gloves."

Question 3

Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised.

Accepted Answer

understand global warming but also to prevent its growth.

Answer

The phrase "not only... but also" requires parallel structure, so "to understand" should be paired with "to prevent." Option D correctly uses "but also to prevent" and improves specificity by adding "its growth," referring to the growth of global warming, which is a more precise objective than simply "prevent it." Additionally, "its" (possessive) is correctly used, unlike "it's" (it is).

Question 4

Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised.

Accepted Answer

laugh when the sheriff throws his mug.

Answer

The sentence describes a habitual action or a general truth, implying that people *always* or *regularly* laugh when the sheriff throws his mug. Therefore, the present tense is appropriate for both verbs to maintain consistency. "Laugh" and "throws" correctly convey this ongoing or repeated action, making the sentence grammatically sound.

Question 5

Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised.

Accepted Answer

Alumni who have worked hard since graduation and now consider themselves successful usually look forward to high school reunions.

Answer

The original sentence uses 'that' to refer to people ('alumni'), but 'who' is the correct relative pronoun for people. Additionally, option C revises the sentence from passive voice ('are usually looked forward to by alumni') to active voice ('Alumni... usually look forward to'), which generally results in a clearer and more direct statement. This makes option C the most grammatically sound and stylistically improved choice.

HiSET - High School Equivalency Test Practice Test

HiSET - High School Equivalency Test Practice Test

HiSET Language Arts Writing Practice Test 1