Test Prep PRAXIS PRAXIS-WRITING-SECTION Questions & Answers

• Question 101:

  Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised. Choose the correct option.

  Even though I have seen the movie countless times, I still laughed when the sheriff throws his mug.

  A. laughed when the sheriff throws his mug.

  B. laugh when the sheriff throws his mug.

  C. laugh when the sheriff threw his mug.

  D. laughed whenever the sheriff throws his mug.

  E. laugh when the sheriff will throw his mug.

  Correct Answer: B

  Explanation: "laughed when the sheriff throws his mug", "laugh when the sheriff threw his mug", "laughed whenever the sheriff throws his mug", and "laugh when the sheriff will throw his mug" all have verb tense mismatches.

• Question 102:

  Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised. Choose the correct option.

  Concerns about global warming have grown into actual efforts sanctioned by non-governmental organizations and governments that not only work to understand global warming and also to prevent it.

  A. understand global warming and also to prevent it.

  B. understand global warming but also to prevent it.

  C. understand global warming yet also to prevent it.

  D. understand global warming but also to prevent its growth.

  E. understand global warming yet also to prevent it's growth.

  Correct Answer: D

  Explanation: The original underlined portion is incorrect because of the improper use of the "not only...but also..." structure. Only choice "understand global warming but also to prevent it" and choice "understand global warming but also to prevent its growth" use this structure, but choice "understand global warming but also to prevent its growth" accurately adds "to prevent its growth." The sentence began by discussing growth because global warming is a dynamic problem that has not just stagnated; it continually has changed. Choice "understand global warming but also to prevent its growth" corrects the structure and also uses the proper possessive form of it (i.e. its).

• Question 103:

  Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised. Choose the correct option.

  Inside the glove compartment were legal documents, pictures, and there were a few napkins from the coffee shop, but no gloves. And there were a few napkins from the coffee shop, but no gloves.

  A. and there were a few napkins from the coffee shop, but no gloves.

  B. and there were a few napkins from the coffee shop, but not any gloves.

  C. and napkins from the coffee shop, no gloves were there.

  D. and napkins from the coffee shop, but no gloves.

  E. and napkins from the coffee shop, there were no gloves.

  Correct Answer: D

  Explanation: "and there were a few napkins from the coffee shop, but not any gloves" break the parallelism of the list of things in the glove compartment. "And napkins from the coffee shop, no gloves were there" and "and napkins from the coffee shop, there were no gloves" are run-ons.

• Question 104:

  Determine whether the underlined portion of the sentence below is correct or whether it needs to be revised. Choose the correct option.

  For homes in typically colder geographic regions, it is particularly important to have effective and efficient heating systems.

  A. For homes in typically colder geographic regions

  B. For people in homes in typically colder geographic regions

  C. For homes in typically cold geographic regions

  D. People in typically colder geographic regions

  E. Homes in typically colder geographic regions

  Correct Answer: C

  Explanation: The problem with this sentence is that it makes sense conversationally but not in written English. You cannot just say "colder geographic regions" when there is no object of comparison. Colder compared to what? An area can easily be identified as cold without a prior standard (such as the southern regions or areas near the equator) but not "colder." Also, it is wrong to refer to people as the subject of this sentence because the second clause states that "it is particularly important to have ... heating system." People cannot have heating systems usually. Therefore, choice "For homes in typically cold geographic regions", which uses a descriptive rather than comparative term, is the best choice.