PRAXIS Writing Usage 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence demonstrates correct parallel structure?
- She likes hiking, swimming, and to bike.
- She likes to hike, swimming, and biking.
- She likes hiking, swimming, and biking. (Correct answer)
- She likes hike, swim, and biking.
Correct answer: She likes hiking, swimming, and biking.
All three items use the same gerund (-ing) form, maintaining parallelism.
Question 2: Choose the sentence that correctly uses "fewer" or "less."
- There were less students in class today.
- There were fewer students in class today. (Correct answer)
- She has less books than I do.
- We need less chairs for the event.
Correct answer: There were fewer students in class today.
"Fewer" is used with countable nouns like "students."
Question 3: Identify the sentence with the correct verb tense.
- By next year, she will graduate.
- By next year, she will have graduated. (Correct answer)
- By next year, she has graduated.
- By next year, she graduated.
Correct answer: By next year, she will have graduated.
The future perfect "will have graduated" describes an action completed before a future point.
Question 4: Which sentence avoids a dangling modifier?
- Running to catch the bus, my backpack fell open.
- Running to catch the bus, I dropped my backpack. (Correct answer)
- Running to catch the bus, the backpack opened.
- Running to catch the bus, the door slammed.
Correct answer: Running to catch the bus, I dropped my backpack.
The modifier "Running to catch the bus" correctly describes "I," the subject.
Question 5: Choose the sentence with correct comma usage.
- After the test we went home.
- After the test, we went home. (Correct answer)
- After, the test we went home.
- After the test we, went home.
Correct answer: After the test, we went home.
A comma follows an introductory phrase like "After the test."
Question 6: Which word is the correct choice? "The new policy will ____ all employees."
- affect (Correct answer)
- effect
- affects
- effected
Correct answer: affect
"Affect" is a verb meaning to influence; "effect" is usually a noun.
Question 7: Identify the correctly punctuated sentence.
- I bought apples, oranges and, bananas.
- I bought apples oranges and bananas.
- I bought apples, oranges, and bananas. (Correct answer)
- I bought, apples, oranges, and bananas.
Correct answer: I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.
Items in a series are separated by commas, including the optional Oxford comma.
PRAXIS Writing Usage 3
Which sentence demonstrates correct parallel structure?