PARCC Usage Practice Questions — Questions and Answers

Question 1: 1. Bill Cosby is a well respected actor and comedian. No error.

A
B (Correct answer)
C
D
E

Correct answer: B

The error is in option B, 'well respected.' When an adverb-participle combination like 'well respected' functions as a compound adjective modifying a noun (like 'actor'), it should be hyphenated. Therefore, it should be written as 'well-respected' to correctly modify 'actor'.

Question 2: 2. Known as Johnny Appleseed, John Chapman distributed apple seeds and saplings to families bound for the west. No error.

A
B
C
D (Correct answer)
E

Correct answer: D

The error is in option D, 'west.' When referring to a specific geographical region, such as the American West, compass directions should be capitalized. Therefore, it should be written as 'West' to denote a proper noun.

Question 3: 3. Dancing to unanimous acclaim in The United States and Europe, she was known for her interpretation of Stravinsky's Firebird. No error.

A
B (Correct answer)
C
D
E

Correct answer: B

The error is in option B, 'The United States.' While 'United States' is a proper noun, the article 'the' that precedes it is generally not capitalized unless it is the first word of a sentence or part of a specific title where all major words are capitalized. In this context, it should be 'the United States'.

Question 4: 4. Needing a sustained wind for flight, the albatross rarely crosses the equator. No error.

A
B
C
D (Correct answer)
E

Correct answer: D

The error is in option D, 'equator.' 'Equator' refers to a specific, unique geographical line and is therefore a proper noun. As a proper noun, it should be capitalized, so the correct form is 'Equator'.

Question 5: 5. Sparta and Athens, putting aside there own rivalry, fought off the Persians. No error.

A (Correct answer)
B
C
D
E

Correct answer: A

The error is in option A, 'there.' The sentence requires a possessive adjective to show that the rivalry belongs to Sparta and Athens. The correct word is 'their,' which indicates possession, rather than 'there,' which indicates a place.

Question 6: 6. Mahalia Jackson, called the greatest potential blue's singer since Bessie Smith, would sing only religious songs. No error.

A (Correct answer)
B
C
D
E

Correct answer: A

The error is in option A, 'blue's.' The word 'blues' refers to a genre of music and should be a plural noun without an apostrophe. The apostrophe in 'blue's' incorrectly suggests possession or a contraction, which is not intended here.

Question 7: 7. Elected to the House of Representatives in 1958, Shirley Chisholm became the first black female member of Congress. No error.

A
B
C
D
E (Correct answer)

Correct answer: E

There is no error in the sentence. All parts are grammatically correct, and proper nouns like 'House of Representatives' and 'Congress' are correctly capitalized. The sentence is well-structured and follows standard English conventions.

Question 8: 8. Put the ingredients altogether in a bowl when you make the cake. No error.

A
B (Correct answer)
C
D
E

Correct answer: B

The error is in option B, 'altogether.' The word 'altogether' means entirely or completely. The sentence requires the phrase 'all together,' meaning 'all in one place' or 'at the same time,' to indicate that the ingredients should be combined in a bowl.

Question 9: 9. Horatio, Hamlet's loyal friend, wishes to die by his own hand, but he consents to stay alive so he can tell Hamlet's story. No error.

A
B
C
D
E (Correct answer)

Correct answer: E

There is no error in the sentence. All punctuation, capitalization, and grammar are correct. The sentence is well-structured and conveys its meaning clearly.

Question 10: 10. We visited Boston Harbor, the site of the Boston Tea Party. No error.

A
B
C
D
E (Correct answer)

Correct answer: E

There is no error in the sentence. All proper nouns, such as 'Boston Harbor' and 'Boston Tea Party,' are correctly capitalized. The sentence is grammatically sound and properly punctuated.

Question 11: 11. George's mother, Karen, has come with us to the mall. No error.

A
B
C
D
E (Correct answer)

Correct answer: E

There is no error in the sentence. The possessive form 'George's' is correct, the verb 'has come' is appropriate for the present perfect tense, and the prepositional phrase 'with us' is used correctly. The sentence is grammatically sound.

Question 12: 12. Marian Anderson, the first black person employed as a member of the Metropolitan opera, was born February 17, 1902. No error.

A
B
C
D (Correct answer)
E

Correct answer: D

The error is in option D, 'opera.' 'Metropolitan Opera' is the proper name of a specific institution. Therefore, 'Opera' should be capitalized as part of this proper noun, just like 'Metropolitan'.

Question 13: 13. The new expenditures will be born by the American taxpayers. No error.

A
B (Correct answer)
C
D
E

Correct answer: B

The error is in option B, 'be born.' The word 'born' refers to being brought into existence. The sentence requires 'borne,' which is the past participle of 'bear' meaning to carry, support, or endure, indicating that the expenditures will be sustained by the taxpayers.

Question 14: 14. Having joined a volunteer program, Mark helps by reading stories to patients in the children ward. No error.

A
B
C
D (Correct answer)
E

Correct answer: D

The error is in option D, 'children ward.' To correctly indicate a ward designated for children, the possessive form 'children's ward' is needed. The apostrophe 's' shows that the ward belongs to or is for children.

Question 15: 15. Mr. French, the superintendent of schools in our district, spoke at the PTA meeting last night. No error.

A
B
C
D
E (Correct answer)

Correct answer: E

There is no error in the sentence. All punctuation, capitalization, and grammar are correct. 'Mr.' is correctly abbreviated, and titles like 'superintendent of schools' are correctly lowercased when not part of a formal address or specific name.

Question 16: 16. Specially treated cloths, are best for cleaning eyeglass lenses. No error.

A
B (Correct answer)
C
D
E

Correct answer: B

The error is in option B, 'cloths, are best.' There is an unnecessary comma after 'cloths,' which incorrectly separates the subject ('Specially treated cloths') from its verb phrase ('are best'). A comma should not be used to separate a subject directly from its verb.

Question 17: 17. When he addresses the legislature, the Governor will have to answer several questions about the budget. No error.

A
B (Correct answer)
C
D
E

Correct answer: B

The word "Governor" should be capitalized because it refers to a specific, high-ranking official when used in this context, particularly when addressing a legislative body. Proper nouns and titles of specific officials are always capitalized. Therefore, option B, "Governor," is the error.

Question 18: 18. According to some modern scientists, Galileo's observations, which were made possible by the invention of the telescope, was long overdue. No error.

A
B
C
D (Correct answer)
E

Correct answer: D

The subject of the main clause is "Galileo's observations," which is a plural noun. The verb must agree with its plural subject. Therefore, the singular verb "was" should be changed to the plural verb "were" to maintain subject-verb agreement.

Question 19: 19. Follow the marked route or you will surely loose your way. No error.

A
B
C
D (Correct answer)
E

Correct answer: D

The word "loose" is an adjective meaning "not tight or confined," while "lose" is a verb meaning "to misplace" or "to fail to keep." In this sentence, the context requires the verb "lose" to indicate that one might misplace their way. Therefore, "loose" is an incorrect word choice.

Question 20: 20. Shakespeare tried to show us the complexity of the human's mind. No error.

A
B
C
D (Correct answer)
E

Correct answer: D

The word "human's" uses an apostrophe to indicate singular possession, implying the mind of one specific human. However, the sentence refers to the mind of humanity in general, making "human" an adjective modifying "mind." The correct phrasing should be "the human mind" to refer to the general concept of the mind belonging to humans.

Question 21: 21. The governor announced that the roof of the capital needs repair. No error.

A
B
C (Correct answer)
D
E

Correct answer: C

The word "capital" refers to a city that is the seat of government or to accumulated wealth. The building where a legislative body meets, such as a state legislature or the U.S. Congress, is spelled "capitol." Therefore, "capital" is an incorrect word choice in this context.

Question 22: 22. I am reading about Geraldine Ferraro, the first female vice-presidential candidate of a major party. No error.

A
B
C
D
E (Correct answer)

Correct answer: E

The sentence is grammatically correct and contains no errors in spelling, punctuation, or word usage. "Vice-presidential" is correctly used as an adjective modifying "candidate," and the hyphenation is appropriate for a compound adjective. Therefore, "No error" is the correct choice.

Question 23: 23. After the eggs are weighed, they are separated by weight in to five groups. No error.

A
B
C
D (Correct answer)
E

Correct answer: D

The phrase "in to" is incorrectly used here. The correct word is "into," a single preposition that indicates movement toward the inside of something or a change of state. "In to" is rarely correct and typically occurs only when "in" is part of a verb phrase and "to" is a separate preposition or infinitive marker.

Question 24: 24. The President decorated the astronaut, who had orbited Earth. No error.

A
B
C (Correct answer)
D
E

Correct answer: C

The clause "who had orbited Earth" is a restrictive clause because it provides essential information to identify the specific astronaut being discussed. Restrictive clauses should not be set off by commas. Removing the comma before "who" would make the sentence grammatically correct.

PARCC Usage Practice Questions

1.
Bill Cosby is a well respected actor and comedian.
No error.