3. Last night the weather forecaster announced that this is the most rainy season the area has had in the past decade.

this has been the most rainy season the

this was the most rainy season the

this is noted as the most rainy season the

PARCC Grammar Practice Questions — Questions and Answers

Question 1: 1. The word boycott derives from the name of Charles C. Boycott, an English land agent in Ireland that was ostracized for refusing to reduce rent.

that was ostracized for refusing
who was ostracized for refusing (Correct answer)
which was ostracized for refusing
that had been ostracized for refusing

Correct answer: who was ostracized for refusing

The original sentence incorrectly uses the relative pronoun 'that' to refer to a person, Charles C. Boycott. When referring to people, the correct relative pronoun to use is 'who' or 'whom.' The corrected option properly uses 'who,' ensuring correct pronoun usage and grammatical accuracy.

Question 2: 2. As a result of his method for early music education, Shinichi Suzuki has been known as one of the world's great violin teachers.

has been known as one
had been known as one
is seen as one (Correct answer)
is being seen as one
has been one

Correct answer: is seen as one

The original sentence uses the present perfect tense 'has been known as one,' which implies a continuous state from the past to the present. However, the simple present tense 'is seen as one' is more appropriate to describe a current, widely accepted reputation or status. This choice conveys that Suzuki is presently recognized as a great teacher, rather than emphasizing the duration of that recognition.

Question 3: 3. Last night the weather forecaster announced that this is the most rainy season the area has had in the past decade.

this is the most rainy season the
this has been the most rainy season the
this was the most rainy season the
this is noted as the most rainy season the
this is the rainiest season the (Correct answer)

Correct answer: this is the rainiest season the

The original sentence incorrectly forms the superlative of 'rainy' as 'most rainy.' For most one- or two-syllable adjectives ending in 'y', the superlative form is created by changing the 'y' to 'i' and adding '-est.' Therefore, 'rainiest' is the correct superlative form of 'rainy,' making the sentence grammatically sound.

Question 4: 4. Although Mandy is younger than her sister, Mandy is the tallest of the two.

is the tallest of the
is the taller of the (Correct answer)
has been the taller of the
is the most tall of the
is the more taller of the

Correct answer: is the taller of the

When comparing only two items or people, the comparative form of an adjective should be used, not the superlative. The original sentence incorrectly uses 'tallest,' which is the superlative form. Since Mandy is being compared to only her sister, 'taller' is the correct comparative adjective to use.

Question 5: 5. When Katherine Hepburn's play came to town, all the tickets had sold out far in advance.

had sold out far
have sold out far
were sold out far
had been sold out far (Correct answer)
had been sold out for

Correct answer: had been sold out far

The original sentence uses the active voice 'had sold out,' implying the tickets performed the action of selling themselves. However, tickets are passive objects that are sold by someone. The correct answer uses the past perfect passive voice, 'had been sold out,' which accurately reflects that the tickets were the recipients of the action, making the sentence grammatically correct.

Question 6: 6. The origins of most sports is unknown.

sports is unknown
sports have been unknown
sports are unknown (Correct answer)
sports has been unknown
sports are now unknown

Correct answer: sports are unknown

The subject of the sentence is 'origins,' which is a plural noun. The original sentence incorrectly uses the singular verb 'is,' violating subject-verb agreement. The corrected option properly uses the plural verb 'are' to match the plural subject 'origins,' ensuring grammatical correctness.

Question 7: 7. Neither of the Smith brothers expect to be drafted by a major league team this year.

expect to be drafted
expects to be drafted (Correct answer)
has expected to be drafted
is expecting to be drafted
was expecting to be drafted

Correct answer: expects to be drafted

The indefinite pronoun 'neither' is always singular, even when followed by a plural noun phrase like 'of the Smith brothers.' Therefore, it requires a singular verb for subject-verb agreement. The original sentence incorrectly uses the plural verb 'expect,' while the corrected option properly uses the singular verb 'expects.'

Question 8: 8. Has any of the witnesses been sworn in yet?

Has any of the
Is any of the
Will any of the
Are any of the
Have any of the (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Have any of the

The indefinite pronoun 'any' takes a plural verb when it refers to a plural noun and implies a quantity or selection from a group, as in 'any of the witnesses.' The original sentence incorrectly uses the singular auxiliary verb 'Has.' The corrected option properly uses the plural auxiliary verb 'Have' to maintain subject-verb agreement.

Question 9: 9. TheLusitania sunk on May 7, 1915.

sunk
did sink
was sunk
did sank
sank (Correct answer)

Correct answer: sank

The verb 'to sink' is an irregular verb with the principal parts: sink (present), sank (past), and sunk (past participle). The original sentence incorrectly uses the past participle 'sunk' as the simple past tense. Since the sentence describes a completed action in the past, the simple past tense form 'sank' is the correct choice.

Question 10: 10. Whos in the office now?

Whos in
Whose in
Who is in
Who's in (Correct answer)
Whose' in

Correct answer: Who's in

The original sentence incorrectly uses 'Whos.' 'Who's' is a contraction for 'who is' or 'who has,' which is grammatically appropriate for the sentence 'Who is in the office now?' 'Whose' is a possessive pronoun and would be incorrect in this context.

Question 11: 11. There are now many kinds of dictionaries, such as a dictionary of synonyms and antonyms, a biographical dictionary, and a geographical dictionary with pronunciations given.

with pronunciations given (Correct answer)
that has pronunciations given
with pronunciations' given
that have pronunciations given
that do have pronunciations given

Correct answer: with pronunciations given

The original sentence is grammatically correct and requires no changes. The phrase 'with pronunciations given' is a concise and effective prepositional phrase that clearly describes a feature of the geographical dictionary. It functions correctly as a modifier, making the sentence clear and well-structured.

Question 12: 12. Towering 700 feet above the valley floor, Mount Rushmore National Memorial was an impressive site.

was an impressive site
is a impressive sight
is an impressive sight (Correct answer)
was an impressive sight
is an impressive site

Correct answer: is an impressive sight

The original sentence contains two errors: incorrect verb tense and incorrect word choice. Mount Rushmore still exists, so the present tense 'is' is appropriate to describe its current state, not 'was.' Furthermore, 'site' refers to a location, while 'sight' refers to something seen or visible, making 'sight' the correct word to describe an impressive view.

Question 13: 13. San Francisco lays southwest of Sacramento.

lays southwest
has laid southwest
is lying southwest
lain southwest
lies southwest (Correct answer)

Correct answer: lies southwest

The original sentence incorrectly uses the verb 'lays.' The verb 'to lay' means to place something down and requires a direct object, while 'to lie' means to recline or to be situated and does not take a direct object. Since San Francisco is situated southwest of Sacramento, the intransitive verb 'lies' is the correct choice.

Question 14: 14. Did they know that Labor Day always came on the first Monday in September?

came on
comes on (Correct answer)
has come on
had come on
has came on

Correct answer: comes on

The sentence describes a habitual action or a universal truth—Labor Day always occurs on the first Monday in September. Such facts, even when embedded in a past tense question, should be expressed in the simple present tense. Therefore, 'comes on' is the correct verb form to reflect this ongoing truth.

Question 15: 15. Eating, drinking, and to stay up late at night were among her pleasures.

to stay up late
to remain up late
staying up late (Correct answer)
she liked staying up late
trying to stay up late

Correct answer: staying up late

The sentence requires parallel structure for the list of pleasures: 'Eating, drinking, and...' Since 'eating' and 'drinking' are gerunds (verb forms ending in -ing used as nouns), the third item in the list must also be a gerund. 'Staying up late' maintains this parallel structure, ensuring grammatical consistency and clarity.

Question 16: 16. Each night when night came and the temperature fell, my parents lit the fire in the bedroom.

and the temperature fell, (Correct answer)
and that the temperature did fall
and that the temperature fell
and because the temperature fell
and when the temperature fell

Correct answer: and the temperature fell,

The original sentence uses "when night came" to introduce a temporal clause. The phrase "and the temperature fell" is parallel to "night came," describing a simultaneous event. Option A maintains this parallelism and conciseness, effectively linking the two events without introducing unnecessary words or changing the grammatical structure.

Question 17: 17. Frances promised to bring the Papago basket that she bought in Arizona.

bought in
had bought in (Correct answer)
has bought in
did buy in
purchased in

Correct answer: had bought in

The sentence describes two past actions: Frances "promised" (simple past) and she "bought" the basket. The act of buying the basket occurred *before* she made the promise. The past perfect tense ("had bought") is correctly used to indicate an action completed before another past action, clearly showing the sequence of events.

Question 18: 18. He has lain his racquetball glove on the beach.

has lain
has laid (Correct answer)
have lain
have laid
is lying

Correct answer: has laid

The verb "lay" means "to place something," and it requires a direct object, which "his racquetball glove" serves as in this sentence. The past participle of "lay" is "laid." In contrast, "lie" means "to recline" and is an intransitive verb (does not take a direct object), with its past participle being "lain." Therefore, "has laid" is the correct form for placing an object.

Question 19: 19. I would have lent you my notes if you would have asked me.

would have asked me
could of asked
could ask
had asked (Correct answer)
had of asked

Correct answer: had asked

This sentence uses the third conditional, which describes a hypothetical situation in the past that did not happen. The correct structure for the "if" clause in the third conditional is the past perfect tense ("had asked"). The main clause correctly uses "would have lent," so "had asked" completes the proper grammatical construction for this type of conditional sentence.

Question 20: 20. Many scientists are still hoping to have found life on another planet.

to have found
to find (Correct answer)
two find
to have been found
too have found

Correct answer: to find

The phrase "hoping to find" correctly expresses a future aspiration or goal. The infinitive "to find" indicates an action that scientists are currently hoping to accomplish. Using "to have found" would imply that they are hoping for an action that has already been completed, which contradicts the ongoing nature of their hope.

Question 21: 21. Because she had an astounding memory, Sue has never forgotten an important equation.

had an
could have had
has (Correct answer)
did have
has had

Correct answer: has

The main clause "Sue has never forgotten" uses the present perfect tense, indicating a state that continues up to the present. For consistency, the reason for this ability—her astounding memory—should also be expressed in the present tense. "Has" correctly indicates that she currently possesses an astounding memory, which explains why she *has never forgotten* anything.

PARCC Grammar Practice Questions

1.
The word boycott derives from the name of Charles C.
Boycott, an English land agent in Ireland that was ostracized for refusing to reduce rent.