PTA Writing and Grammar 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a run-on sentence?
- Two or more independent clauses joined without proper punctuation or conjunction (Correct answer)
- A very long sentence
- A sentence with too many adjectives
- A sentence fragment
Correct answer: Two or more independent clauses joined without proper punctuation or conjunction
Run-on sentences improperly connect independent clauses. They can be fixed with periods, semicolons, or coordinating conjunctions.
Question 2: What is the difference between their, there, and they're?
- Their = possessive, there = location/existence, they're = they are (Correct answer)
- They all mean the same thing
- Their is a location word
- There is possessive
Correct answer: Their = possessive, there = location/existence, they're = they are
'Their' shows possession, 'there' indicates location or existence, and 'they're' is a contraction of 'they are'.
Question 3: What is a thesis statement?
- A sentence that presents the main argument or position of an essay (Correct answer)
- The last sentence of an essay
- Any opinion statement
- A question the essay answers
Correct answer: A sentence that presents the main argument or position of an essay
A thesis statement declares the writer's central argument, typically at the end of the introduction, and guides the entire essay's content.
Question 4: What are the three main parts of an essay?
- Introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion (Correct answer)
- Only body paragraphs
- Title, paragraphs, and bibliography
- Summary, analysis, and opinion
Correct answer: Introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion
Essays have a clear three-part structure: the introduction presents the thesis, body paragraphs develop supporting arguments, and the conclusion summarizes and reinforces the main points.
Question 5: What is subject-verb agreement?
- The verb must match the subject in number — singular subjects take singular verbs (Correct answer)
- Verbs always end in -s
- Subjects and verbs must be adjacent
- Agreement only applies to past tense
Correct answer: The verb must match the subject in number — singular subjects take singular verbs
Subject-verb agreement requires singular subjects to pair with singular verbs and plural subjects with plural verbs: 'The dog runs' vs. 'The dogs run'.
Question 6: What is the purpose of a topic sentence?
- To introduce the main idea of a paragraph and guide the reader (Correct answer)
- To summarize the entire essay
- To repeat the thesis
- To provide a conclusion
Correct answer: To introduce the main idea of a paragraph and guide the reader
Each body paragraph's topic sentence states the paragraph's central point, connecting to the overall thesis and previewing the evidence to follow.
PTA Writing and Grammar 1
What is a run-on sentence?