VCLA Written Expression and Grammar 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following sentences contains a misplaced modifier?
- She nearly drove her children to school every day. (Correct answer)
- He handed the report to the supervisor carefully.
- Nearly every student passed the VCLA exam.
- She carefully reviewed each answer before submitting.
Correct 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.
Question 2: On the VCLA Writing subtest, parallel structure requires that items in a series be expressed in:
- Different grammatical forms for variety
- The same grammatical form (Correct answer)
- As few words as possible
- Complete independent clauses only
Correct 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.
Question 3: Which sentence demonstrates correct use of an apostrophe?
- The teachers' lounge was renovated last year. (Correct answer)
- The teacher's are meeting this afternoon.
- Its' a challenging exam to prepare for.
- The student's are ready to begin.
Correct answer: The teachers' lounge was renovated last year.
'The teachers' lounge' correctly uses an apostrophe after 'teachers' to show plural possession.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of a sentence fragment?
- The student submitted the assignment.
- Because she studied every evening. (Correct answer)
- She passed the exam with a high score.
- They reviewed the material together.
Correct 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.
Question 5: In formal writing tested on the VCLA, which verb tense should be maintained consistently within a single paragraph describing past events?
- Present tense
- Past tense (Correct answer)
- Future tense
- Mixed tenses for variety
Correct answer: Past tense
Consistent use of past tense throughout a paragraph describing past events maintains tense consistency and avoids confusion.
Question 6: Which coordinating conjunction would best complete this sentence: 'She wanted to attend the workshop, ___ she had a prior commitment'?
- and
- so
- but (Correct answer)
- for
Correct answer: but
'But' is the correct coordinating conjunction because it introduces a contrasting idea—the desire to attend versus a conflicting obligation.
VCLA Written Expression and Grammar 2
Which of the following sentences contains a misplaced modifier?