PSSA English 4

Question 1

Which sentence is punctuated correctly when joining two independent clauses?

Accepted Answer

The rain stopped; we went outside.

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

The character has poor financial judgment or is overly generous.

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

A simile uses 'like' or 'as'; a metaphor makes a direct comparison without those words.

Answer

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.'

Accepted Answer

Because it was raining, we stayed inside.

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

A peer-reviewed article from a history journal

Answer

Peer-reviewed journal articles are vetted by experts and considered among the most reliable sources for factual academic information.

PSSA - Pennsylvania System of School Assessment Practice Test

PSSA - Pennsylvania System of School Assessment Practice Test

PSSA English 4