Written Expression and Grammar Flashcards

Which of the following sentences contains a misplaced modifier?

Answer: She nearly drove her children to school every day.

'Nearly' is misplaced; the intended meaning is 'She drove her children to school nearly every day,' not that she 'nearly drove' them.

On the VCLA Writing subtest, parallel structure requires that items in a series be expressed in:

Answer: The same grammatical form

Parallel structure requires that all items in a series use the same grammatical form, such as all gerunds or all infinitives.

Which sentence demonstrates correct use of an apostrophe?

Answer: The teachers' lounge was renovated last year.

'The teachers' lounge' correctly uses an apostrophe after 'teachers' to show plural possession.

Which of the following is an example of a sentence fragment?

Answer: Because she studied every evening.

'Because she studied every evening' is a dependent clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence—it is a fragment.

In formal writing tested on the VCLA, which verb tense should be maintained consistently within a single paragraph describing past events?

Answer: Past tense

Consistent use of past tense throughout a paragraph describing past events maintains tense consistency and avoids confusion.

Which coordinating conjunction would best complete this sentence: 'She wanted to attend the workshop, ___ she had a prior commitment'?

Answer: but

'But' is the correct coordinating conjunction because it introduces a contrasting idea—the desire to attend versus a conflicting obligation.