PARCC Writing Practice Questions 1 — Questions and Answers

Question 1: 1. Are you all ready for the English exam?" asked mom. No error.

A
B
C
D (Correct answer)
E

Correct answer: D

The error is in option D, 'mom.' When 'mom' is used as a proper noun, specifically in direct address or as a substitute for a name, it should be capitalized. In the sentence 'asked mom,' 'mom' functions as a proper noun, so it should be capitalized as 'Mom.'

Question 2: 2. According to the fire marshall's statistics, smoking cigarettes in bed are the cause of many tragic fires. No error.

A
B
C
D (Correct answer)
E

Correct answer: D

The error is in option D, 'are.' This is a subject-verb agreement error. The true subject of the sentence is the gerund phrase 'smoking cigarettes in bed,' which acts as a singular noun. Therefore, the verb should be singular ('is') to agree with the singular subject, not plural ('are').

Question 3: 3. Signs of decay that should be recognized by every citizen includes oil spills along the shoreline as well as the absence of wildlife. No error.

A
B (Correct answer)
C
D
E

Correct answer: B

The error is in option B, 'includes.' This is a subject-verb agreement error. The subject of the verb is 'Signs' (plural), not 'decay' or 'citizen.' Therefore, the verb should be plural ('include') to agree with its plural subject, rather than the singular form 'includes.'

Question 4: 4. Either Philip or Joe will always finish their trigonometry homework in class. No error.

A
B
C (Correct answer)
D
E

Correct answer: C

The error is in option C, 'their.' This is a pronoun-antecedent agreement error. When two singular subjects ('Philip' and 'Joe') are joined by 'either...or,' the pronoun referring to them should be singular. Therefore, 'their' (plural) should be replaced with 'his' (singular) to agree with the singular antecedents.

Question 5: 5. Who else beside Jim Smith won a scholarship? No error.

A
B
C (Correct answer)
D

Correct answer: C

The error is in option C, 'beside.' 'Beside' means 'next to' or 'at the side of.' The correct word to use in this context, meaning 'in addition to' or 'apart from,' is 'besides.' The sentence should read, 'Who else besides Jim Smith won a scholarship?'

Question 6: 6. I appreciate your helping me in the kitchen when my mom is at work. No error.

A
B
C
D
E (Correct answer)

Correct answer: E

There is no error in this sentence. 'Your' is correctly used as a possessive pronoun modifying the gerund 'helping.' 'Mom' is correctly not capitalized as it is preceded by a possessive pronoun ('my'). The verb 'is' correctly agrees with the singular subject 'mom.' All parts are grammatically sound.

Question 7: 7. I am certain that the English scholarship winner will be hear. No error.

A
B
C
D (Correct answer)
E

Correct answer: D

The error is in option D, 'hear.' This is a homophone error. 'Hear' means to perceive sound with one's ears. The correct word for 'in this place' or 'at this location' is 'here.' The sentence should state that the winner 'will be here.'

Question 8: 8. Talking with my grandfather about World War II effected me more than I thought it would have. No error.

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B (Correct answer)
C
D
E

Correct answer: B

The error is in option B, 'effected me.' This is a common confusion between 'affect' and 'effect.' 'Effect' is primarily a noun meaning 'a result,' while 'affect' is primarily a verb meaning 'to influence' or 'to have an impact on.' In this sentence, the intended meaning is 'influenced me,' so the correct word should be 'affected.'

Question 9: 9. The president is all together opposed to the bill. No error.

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B
C (Correct answer)
D
E

Correct answer: C

The error is in option C, 'all together.' 'All together' means 'all in one place' or 'simultaneously.' The word intended here, meaning 'completely' or 'entirely,' is 'altogether.' The sentence should read, 'The president is altogether opposed to the bill.'

Question 10: 10. Tsetse flies, which carry the dreaded disease called sleeping sickness attacks both human and cattle. No error.

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B
C
D (Correct answer)
E

Correct answer: D

The subject of the main clause is "Tsetse flies," which is a plural noun. The verb "attacks" is singular, creating a subject-verb agreement error. To correct this, the verb must also be plural, so the correct form is "attack" to match the plural subject.

Question 11: 11. According to Aunt Grace, this kind of a sweater is the warmest for the winter months. No error.

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B (Correct answer)
C
D
E

Correct answer: B

The phrase "kind of a" is grammatically incorrect and redundant. The indefinite article "a" should be omitted after "kind of" when referring to a type or category. The correct and more concise phrasing is "this kind of sweater."

Question 12: 12. Many reading lists for high-school students include translations from Scandinavian writers such as Lagerlog, Undset, and Ibsen. No error.

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B
C
D
E (Correct answer)

Correct answer: E

The sentence contains no grammatical errors, punctuation mistakes, or issues with word usage. The plural subject "Many reading lists" correctly agrees with the plural verb "include," and all other parts of the sentence are structured properly. Therefore, 'No error' is the correct choice.

Question 13: 13. Will they ascent to our proposal? No error.

A
B
C (Correct answer)
D
E

Correct answer: C

The word "ascent" is a noun meaning a climb or rise. However, the sentence requires a verb meaning "to agree or express approval," which is "assent." This is a common homophone error, where the wrong word is used despite sounding similar.

Question 14: 14. Earlier synthetics, such as Bakelite, have went the way of the dinosaur. No error.

A
B
C (Correct answer)
D
E

Correct answer: C

The phrase "have went" is grammatically incorrect. The present perfect tense, formed with "have" or "has," requires the past participle form of the main verb. For the verb "go," the past participle is "gone," not "went." Therefore, the correct phrasing should be "have gone."

Question 15: 15. After the attack by the U-boat, the Lusitania sunk in 18 minutes; over 1000 people drowned. No error.

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B (Correct answer)
C
D
E

Correct answer: B

The verb "sunk" is the past participle form of "sink," typically used with auxiliary verbs like "has" or "had." In this sentence, the simple past tense is required to describe an action completed in the past. The correct simple past tense of "sink" is "sank."

Question 16: 16. The teacher discussed the rule that the compliment of thirty degrees is sixty degrees. No error.

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B (Correct answer)
C
D
E

Correct answer: B

The word "compliment" means an expression of praise. In geometry, the term for an angle that, when added to another, totals 90 degrees is "complement." This is a common homophone error, where the incorrect word is used due to similar pronunciation.

Question 17: 17. As you approach the intersection, drive as cautious as you can. No error.

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B (Correct answer)
C
D
E

Correct answer: B

The word "cautious" is an adjective, but it is incorrectly used here to modify the verb "drive." Verbs should be modified by adverbs. The correct adverbial form is "cautiously," making the phrase "drive as cautiously as you can."

Question 18: 18. The queen's counsil could not agree on the correct policy. No error.

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B (Correct answer)
C
D
E

Correct answer: B

The word "counsil" is misspelled. The correct spelling for a group of people appointed or elected to give advice or make decisions is "council." This is a common spelling error that changes the meaning of the word.

Question 19: 19. Scury, one of the diseases of modern science has conquered result from a lack of vitamin C. No error.

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B
C
D (Correct answer)
E

Correct answer: D

The subject of the main clause is "Scury," which is a singular noun. Therefore, the verb must also be singular. The word "result" is a plural verb form, creating a subject-verb agreement error. The correct singular verb form is "results."

Question 20: 20. Some people say that compact discs offers a brighter treble and truer base than conventional records. No error.

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B (Correct answer)
C
D
E

Correct answer: B

The subject of the clause "compact discs offers" is "compact discs," which is a plural noun. The verb "offers" is singular, creating a subject-verb agreement error. The correct plural verb form to match the plural subject is "offer."

Question 21: 21. I learned about the Roaring Twenties from my great-grandmother and he. No error.

A
B
C
D (Correct answer)
E

Correct answer: D

The pronoun "he" is used incorrectly here. It is part of a compound object of the preposition "from," which requires the objective case for pronouns. The correct objective case for "he" is "him," so the phrase should be "from my great-grandmother and him."

Question 22: 22. Mrs. Jones was formally head of the history department at Center High School. No error.

A (Correct answer)
B
C
D
E

Correct answer: A

The word "formally" means in a formal or official manner. However, the sentence intends to convey that Mrs. Jones *previously* held the position. The correct word for "in the past" or "formerly" is "formerly," indicating a past status or role.

Question 23: 23. The British navy, members of which are called "limeys," were responsible for first using limes to prevent scury during long sea voyages. No error.

A
B
C
D (Correct answer)
E

Correct answer: D

The subject of the main clause is "The British navy," which, as a collective noun acting as a single unit, requires a singular verb. The verb "were responsible" is plural, creating a subject-verb agreement error. The correct singular verb form is "was responsible."

Question 24: 24. Please write and tell my mother and I about your trip to San Francisco. No error.

A
B
C (Correct answer)
D
E

Correct answer: C

The pronoun "I" is used incorrectly here. It is part of a compound object of the verb "tell," which requires the objective case for pronouns. The correct objective case for "I" is "me," so the phrase should be "tell my mother and me."

PARCC Writing Practice Questions 1

1.
Are you all ready for the English exam?" asked mom.
No error.