Praxis Writing Sentence Correction Exam

Question 1

Who knows who will be the winner?

Accepted Answer

Who knows who

Answer

The correct choice uses "who" in both instances because it functions as the subject of a verb in both clauses. In "Who knows...", "who" is the subject of the verb "knows". In the embedded clause "...who will be the winner?", "who" is the subject of the verb phrase "will be". "Whom" is an objective pronoun and would be used when it is the object of a verb or preposition, which is not the case here.

Question 2

When he emerged from the pool, wondering how good he had done, he immediately looked to the clock.

Accepted Answer

wondering how well he had done,

Answer

The original sentence incorrectly uses the adjective "good" to modify the verb "done." To describe the manner in which an action was performed, an adverb is required. "Well" is the correct adverb to modify the verb "done," indicating the quality of his performance. Therefore, "wondering how well he had done" is the grammatically correct phrasing.

Question 3

Until you learn the intricacies of the trade, one cannot be qualified to make a judgment.

Accepted Answer

you cannot be qualified

Answer

The original sentence contains a pronoun shift, starting with "you" ("Until you learn...") and then switching to "one" ("one cannot be qualified..."). For grammatical consistency, the pronoun should remain the same throughout the sentence. Therefore, "you cannot be qualified" correctly maintains the second-person perspective established at the beginning of the sentence.

Question 4

Without making a sound Geoffrey crept down the stairs.

Accepted Answer

sound, Geoffrey crept

Answer

The phrase "Without making a sound" is an introductory adverbial phrase that modifies the main clause "Geoffrey crept down the stairs." According to standard punctuation rules, an introductory phrase of this length should be followed by a comma to separate it from the independent clause that follows. This improves readability and clarifies the sentence structure.

Question 5

At seventeen he shipped as a cabin boy, bound for Liverpool.

Accepted Answer

a cabin boy, bound for"

Answer

The phrase "bound for Liverpool" is a non-restrictive participial phrase that provides additional, descriptive information about the "cabin boy." Since this information is not essential to the meaning of the main clause, it should be set off by a comma. The comma correctly separates the descriptive phrase from the rest of the sentence, following standard punctuation rules for non-essential elements.

PRAXIS Practice Test

PRAXIS Practice Test

Praxis Writing Sentence Correction Exam