PSSA English 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence is punctuated correctly when joining two independent clauses?
- The rain stopped we went outside.
- The rain stopped, we went outside.
- The rain stopped; we went outside. (Correct answer)
- The rain stopped and, we went outside.
Correct answer: The rain stopped; we went outside.
A semicolon correctly joins two closely related independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.
Question 2: An author describes a character who always lends money but complains about being broke. What can the reader infer about this character?
- The character is selfish and greedy.
- The character has poor financial judgment or is overly generous. (Correct answer)
- The character is wealthy and does not need money.
- The character is dishonest about needing help.
Correct answer: The character has poor financial judgment or is overly generous.
Making inferences means using text details to draw logical conclusions; lending money while claiming poverty suggests poor financial judgment or excessive generosity.
Question 3: What is the difference between a metaphor and a simile?
- A metaphor uses 'like' or 'as'; a simile does not.
- A simile uses 'like' or 'as'; a metaphor makes a direct comparison without those words. (Correct answer)
- A metaphor is used in poetry only; a simile is used in prose only.
- There is no difference; both terms mean the same thing.
Correct answer: A simile uses 'like' or 'as'; a metaphor makes a direct comparison without those words.
Similes use 'like' or 'as' to compare, while metaphors state a direct comparison without those connecting words.
Question 4: Which revision makes this sentence more concise? 'Due to the fact that it was raining, we decided to stay inside.'
- Due to the fact that there was rain, we decided to stay inside.
- Because it was raining, we stayed inside. (Correct answer)
- It was raining and because of that we decided that we should stay inside.
- We stayed inside due to the fact of rain occurring.
Correct answer: Because it was raining, we stayed inside.
Replacing 'due to the fact that' with 'because' and cutting 'decided to' creates a cleaner, more direct sentence.
Question 5: A student is writing a research report. Which source would be MOST reliable for factual information about the American Revolution?
- A blog post written by a history enthusiast
- A peer-reviewed article from a history journal (Correct answer)
- A historical fiction novel set during the Revolution
- A social media post from a teacher
Correct answer: A peer-reviewed article from a history journal
Peer-reviewed journal articles are vetted by experts and considered among the most reliable sources for factual academic information.
Question 6: In a story, the antagonist is best described as:
- The main character who the reader follows
- The character, force, or idea that opposes the protagonist (Correct answer)
- A minor character who provides comic relief
- The narrator of the story
Correct answer: The character, force, or idea that opposes the protagonist
The antagonist creates conflict for the protagonist and can be a person, group, society, nature, or internal force.
Question 7: Which type of writing would MOST likely use second-person point of view ('you')?
- A personal narrative about a family vacation
- A set of instructions for assembling furniture (Correct answer)
- A fictional short story about a dragon
- An informational article about ocean ecosystems
Correct answer: A set of instructions for assembling furniture
Instructional or procedural writing commonly uses second-person 'you' to directly address and guide the reader.
PSSA English 4
Which sentence is punctuated correctly when joining two independent clauses?