PSSA English 2

Question 1

A student reads a passage where the author uses the phrase 'the city roared with anger.' What literary device is this?

Accepted Answer

Personification

Answer

Personification gives human qualities (anger, roaring) to a non-human thing like a city.

Question 2

Which sentence uses correct subject-verb agreement?

Accepted Answer

The group of scientists is conducting research.

Answer

When a collective noun like 'group' acts as a single unit, it takes a singular verb such as 'is.'

Question 3

In a narrative, the term 'rising action' refers to which part of the plot?

Accepted Answer

Events that build tension toward the climax

Answer

Rising action consists of events that develop the conflict and increase tension leading to the climax.

Question 4

A student wants to write a persuasive essay about school lunch options. Which type of evidence would be MOST effective to include?

Accepted Answer

A statistic showing the percentage of students who skip lunch

Answer

Statistics provide objective, measurable data that strengthen a persuasive argument more than personal anecdotes alone.

Question 5

Read this sentence: 'Despite studying all night, Marcus failed the exam.' What does 'despite' signal?

Accepted Answer

A contrast between two ideas

Answer

'Despite' is a concessive conjunction that signals a contrast between an expected outcome and what actually happened.

PSSA - Pennsylvania System of School Assessment Practice Test