PARCC Advanced Grammar Practice Questions 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: 1. David was known for belching; and telling inappropriate jokes in public.
- Capitalization
- Punctuation (Correct answer)
- Spelling
- Grammar
Correct answer: Punctuation
The semicolon in the original sentence is used incorrectly. Semicolons typically separate independent clauses or items in a complex list. In this case, "belching" and "telling inappropriate jokes" are two items in a simple list of things David was known for, joined by "and." No punctuation is needed between two items joined by "and," making the semicolon a punctuation error.
Question 2: 2. Graduation from High School is considered a momentous occasion by many.
- Capitalization (Correct answer)
- Punctuation
- Spelling
- Grammar
Correct answer: Capitalization
The words "High School" are common nouns and should not be capitalized in this general context. Capitalization is reserved for proper nouns (specific names of people, places, or things). Therefore, "high school" should be written in lowercase letters, indicating a capitalization error.
Question 3: 3. Nurses plays a vital role in the healthcare profession.
- Capitalization
- Punctuation
- Spelling
- Grammar (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Grammar
The subject of the sentence, "Nurses," is plural. According to subject-verb agreement rules, a plural subject requires a plural verb. The verb "plays" is singular, while the correct plural form is "play." This mismatch constitutes a grammatical error.
Question 4: 4. After having his tonsels removed, the child was listless for a few days.
- Capitalization
- Punctuation
- Spelling (Correct answer)
- Grammar
Correct answer: Spelling
The word "tonsels" is misspelled in the original sentence. The correct spelling is "tonsils." This error falls under the category of spelling.
Question 5: 5. The park was serine at twilight.
- Capitalization
- Punctuation
- Spelling (Correct answer)
- Grammar
Correct answer: Spelling
The word "serine" is misspelled; the correct word to describe a calm and peaceful park is "serene." "Serine" refers to an amino acid, which is clearly not the intended meaning in this context. This is a spelling error.
Question 6: 6. Was the patient's mind lucid during the evaluation.
- Capitalization
- Punctuation (Correct answer)
- Spelling
- Grammar
Correct answer: Punctuation
The sentence "Was the patient's mind lucid during the evaluation" is an interrogative sentence, meaning it asks a question. Therefore, it should end with a question mark (?) instead of a period (.). This is a punctuation error.
Question 7: 7. The bachalor never married. Most people thought it was because of misogyny.
- Capitalization
- Punctuation
- Spelling (Correct answer)
- Grammar
Correct answer: Spelling
The word "bachalor" is misspelled in the original sentence. The correct spelling is "bachelor." This error falls under the category of spelling.
Question 8: 8. The intricacy of the mathematical equation, drove the student trying to solve it crazy.
- Capitalization
- Punctuation (Correct answer)
- Spelling
- Grammar
Correct answer: Punctuation
The comma after "equation" is incorrectly placed. It separates the subject ("The intricacy of the mathematical equation") from its verb ("drove"), which is a common punctuation error. No comma should be used here, as the phrase "of the mathematical equation" is essential to the subject and not a non-essential clause.
Question 9: 9. The hybrid tomatoes is immune to most common diseases.
- Capitalization
- Punctuation
- Spelling
- Grammar (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Grammar
The subject of the sentence, "The hybrid tomatoes," is plural. Therefore, the verb must also be plural to maintain subject-verb agreement. "Is" is a singular verb, while the correct plural verb form is "are." This constitutes a grammatical error.
Question 10: 10. The professor was humiliated when his students reported him to the Dean for verbal abuse.
- Capitalization (Correct answer)
- Punctuation
- Spelling
- Grammar
Correct answer: Capitalization
The word "Dean" should only be capitalized when it is used as a formal title before a person's name (e.g., Dean Jones) or refers to a specific, named office within an institution. In this sentence, "the Dean" is used as a common noun referring to a position, not a specific person's title, and therefore should not be capitalized. This is a capitalization error.
Question 11: 11. The con artist hoodwinked the old lady when he sold her fradulent insurance.
- Capitalization
- Punctuation
- Spelling (Correct answer)
- Grammar
Correct answer: Spelling
The word "fradulent" is misspelled in the original sentence. The correct spelling is "fraudulent." This error falls under the category of spelling.
Question 12: 12. The movie star was accused of a misdemeanor, when she stole $15 worth of merchandise from the store.
- Capitalization
- Punctuation (Correct answer)
- Spelling
- Grammar
Correct answer: Punctuation
The comma before "when" is unnecessary and incorrect. The clause "when she stole $15 worth of merchandise from the store" is an essential adverbial clause that specifies the circumstances of the misdemeanor. Essential clauses should not be separated from the main clause by a comma, making this a punctuation error.
Question 13: 13. The congregation sang a comtemporary hymn.
- Capitalization
- Punctuation
- Spelling (Correct answer)
- Grammar
Correct answer: Spelling
The word "comtemporary" is misspelled in the original sentence. The correct spelling is "contemporary." This error falls under the category of spelling.
Question 14: 14. The wound were necrotic when examined.
- Capitalization
- Punctuation
- Spelling
- Grammar (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Grammar
The subject of the sentence, "The wound," is singular. Therefore, the verb must also be singular to maintain subject-verb agreement. "Were" is a plural verb, while the correct singular verb form is "was." This constitutes a grammatical error.
Question 15: 15. The defendint exhibited a peevish appearance.
- Capitalization
- Punctuation
- Spelling (Correct answer)
- Grammar
Correct answer: Spelling
The word "defendint" is misspelled in the original sentence. The correct spelling is "defendant." This error falls under the category of spelling.
Question 16: 16. The band director was scheduled to play the piccolo on tuesday.
- Capitalization (Correct answer)
- Punctuation
- Spelling
- Grammar
Correct answer: Capitalization
Tuesday" is a proper noun, as it is the specific name of a day of the week. Proper nouns must always be capitalized in English. Therefore, "tuesday" should be capitalized, indicating a capitalization error.
Question 17: 17. The renter was remiss; about the rent.
- Capitalization
- Punctuation (Correct answer)
- Spelling
- Grammar
Correct answer: Punctuation
The semicolon in the original sentence is used incorrectly. A semicolon is typically used to separate two independent clauses that are closely related or to separate items in a complex list. Here, "remiss about the rent" is a single descriptive phrase, not two independent clauses. No punctuation is needed between "remiss" and "about the rent," making this a punctuation error.
Question 18: 18. The old man was know for his sapient knowledge.
- Capitalization
- Punctuation
- Spelling
- Grammar (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Grammar
The sentence uses the incorrect verb form "know." To form the passive voice construction "was known for," the past participle of the verb "to know" is required, which is "known." The use of the base form "know" instead of "known" is a grammatical error.
Question 19: 19. The inventor create several specious ideas to solve the problem.
- Capitalization
- Punctuation
- Spelling
- Grammar (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Grammar
The sentence describes an action that occurred in the past: the inventor "create[d]" ideas. The verb "create" is in the present tense, but the context requires the simple past tense. The correct form should be "created" to reflect a completed action, making this a grammatical error.
Question 20: 20. The teacher identified the troublemakers, in her classroom.
- Capitalization
- Punctuation (Correct answer)
- Spelling
- Grammar
Correct answer: Punctuation
The comma after 'troublemakers' is incorrectly placed. It separates the direct object of the verb ('troublemakers') from an essential prepositional phrase ('in her classroom') that modifies it. Commas should not typically interrupt the flow between a verb and its direct object or a noun and an essential modifier.
PARCC Advanced Grammar Practice Questions 1
1.
David was known for belching; and telling inappropriate jokes in public.