Usage Flashcards
24 cards from real PARCC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 20 Usage flashcards as text
1. Bill Cosby is a well respected actor and comedian. No error.
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'.
2. Known as Johnny Appleseed, John Chapman distributed apple seeds and saplings to families bound for the west. No error.
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.
3. Dancing to unanimous acclaim in The United States and Europe, she was known for her interpretation of Stravinsky's Firebird. No error.
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'.
4. Needing a sustained wind for flight, the albatross rarely crosses the equator. No error.
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'.
5. Sparta and Athens, putting aside there own rivalry, fought off the Persians. No error.
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.
6. Mahalia Jackson, called the greatest potential blue's singer since Bessie Smith, would sing only religious songs. No error.
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.
7. Elected to the House of Representatives in 1958, Shirley Chisholm became the first black female member of Congress. No error.
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.
8. Put the ingredients altogether in a bowl when you make the cake. No error.
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.
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.
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.
10. We visited Boston Harbor, the site of the Boston Tea Party. No error.
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.
11. George's mother, Karen, has come with us to the mall. No error.
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.
12. Marian Anderson, the first black person employed as a member of the Metropolitan opera, was born February 17, 1902. No error.
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'.
13. The new expenditures will be born by the American taxpayers. No error.
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.
14. Having joined a volunteer program, Mark helps by reading stories to patients in the children ward. No error.
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.
15. Mr. French, the superintendent of schools in our district, spoke at the PTA meeting last night. No error.
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.
16. Specially treated cloths, are best for cleaning eyeglass lenses. No error.
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.
17. When he addresses the legislature, the Governor will have to answer several questions about the budget. No error.
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.
18. According to some modern scientists, Galileo's observations, which were made possible by the invention of the telescope, was long overdue. No error.
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.
19. Follow the marked route or you will surely loose your way. No error.
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.
20. Shakespeare tried to show us the complexity of the human's mind. No error.
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.