PARCC Word Usage Practice Test Questions

Question 1

1. Whom did you talk to at the information desk at the airport? No error.

Accepted Answer

E

Answer

The sentence is grammatically correct. "Whom" is correctly used as the object of the preposition "to." To check, one can rephrase the question as "You did talk to whom?" or "You did talk to him/her," where "him/her" (objective case) corresponds to "whom." Therefore, "No error" is the correct choice.

Question 2

2. Ellen always got into more trouble than me. No error.

Accepted Answer

D

Answer

In a comparison using "than," the pronoun following "than" should be in the same case as the pronoun or noun it is being compared to. Here, Ellen (subjective case) is being compared to another person, so the pronoun should also be in the subjective case ("I"), not the objective case ("me"). The full implied comparison is "Ellen always got into more trouble than I did."

Question 3

3. The title of salutatorian goes to whomever has the second highest academic average. No error.

Accepted Answer

B

Answer

The pronoun in question, "whomever," is the subject of the verb "has" within its own clause ("whoever has the second highest academic average"). As a subject, it requires the subjective case, "whoever," not the objective case "whomever." The entire clause "whoever has the second highest academic average" functions as the object of the preposition "to," but the case of the pronoun within the clause is determined by its function *within that clause*.

Question 4

4. Do you feel good enough to go to the store? No error.

Accepted Answer

B

Answer

The verb "feel" is a linking verb in this context, connecting the subject "you" to a description of your state. While "good" is an adjective, some prescriptive grammar rules suggest using "well" (which can also function as an adjective meaning "healthy") when referring to physical health. Therefore, "well" would be the more precise and traditionally preferred adjective to describe one's physical condition for going to the store.

Question 5

5. Bolivar, an idol between his contemporaries, has been the inspiration for many modern revolutions. No error.

Accepted Answer

A

Answer

The preposition "between" is typically used when referring to two distinct items or people. However, "contemporaries" implies a group of three or more individuals. In such cases, the correct preposition to use is "among" to indicate a relationship within a larger group.

PARCC Practice Test

PARCC Practice Test

PARCC Word Usage Practice Test Questions