Test Prep PRAXIS PRAXIS-WRITING-SECTION Questions & Answers

• Question 21:

  Identify the error in the following sentence:

  It is ineffective for high school administration to make policy without even asking for student input; banning flip flops and enforcing strict dress codes has merit but there must be a happy medium in school policy.

  A. ineffective

  B. administration

  C. student

  D. has

  E. No error

  Correct Answer: E

  Explanation: This sentence is correct as written.

• Question 22:

  Identify the error in the following sentence:

  Its very important to read and absorb the stories of classic dramas written by the Greek and English playwrights for the universal messages of humanity and ambition.

  A. Its

  B. written by

  C. playwrights

  D. messages of

  E. No error

  Correct Answer: A

  Explanation: Part A is wrong as it is the incorrect form of it/its/it's. "Its" is the way to discuss possession. For example, if you were talking negatively about your local government you could say "Its last two years in office were spent drowning in corruption and inefficiency." However, if you use "it's" then you are using the contracted form (when an apostrophe and s are used) to mean "it is." This contract form is necessary here because the sentence should read "It is very important..."

• Question 23:

  Identify the error in the following sentence:

  After the brilliant team that developed the atomic bomb for the United States government finished testing and realized the apocalyptic consequences of use, each member of the team felt remorseful and adamant urged the government to reach peace.

  A. that

  B. apocalyptic

  C. use

  D. adamant

  E. No error

  Correct Answer: D

  Explanation: This sentence tests your knowledge of adverbs. Adverbs alter and describe the meaning of a verb, hence the name adverb as it represents an "adjective" for a "verb." Adverbs are most easily recognized by an "-ly" at the end such as "quickly," "shrewdly" and "nicely." In this sentence because the scientists "urged" against use of the atomic bomb, the adjective "adamant" must be modified to an adverb and be "adamantly."

• Question 24:

  Identify the error in the following sentence:

  Driving to school is one of the special privileges of being an upperclassman in high school; however, concerns many parents and teachers who fear the dangers of the road.

  A. is

  B. being

  C. concerns

  D. who

  E. No error

  Correct Answer: C

  Explanation: This sentence is flawed because the sentence clause following "however" is not independent. If a sentence is separated by a semi-colon, then both "sides" of the sentence must be independent (which means they could be sentences on their own). When a transition such as "however" is used as it is here (preceded by a semi-colon and followed by a comma) it is created a division that demands two separate, independent clauses. The second clause has a verb (i.e. concerns) but it lacks a subject like "it" or "teen driving" before "concerns." What concerns people? Whatever it is, MUST be properly identified. Choice

  "concerns" must be modified, so it is the right answer.

• Question 25:

  Identify the error in the following sentence:

  Listening to music while working on homework is a dubious habit that many students have and do not want to break.

  A. Listening to music

  B. working on

  C. dubious

  D. break

  E. No error

  Correct Answer: E

  Explanation: This sentence is correct as written.

• Question 26:

  Identify the error in the following sentence: Boxing is arguably the most physically demanding sports as professional boxers must have strength, agility and accuracy; without these skills, a boxer will just be someone that you never heard of.

  A. arguably

  B. as

  C. strength, agility

  D. of

  E. No error

  Correct Answer: D

  Explanation: This sentence tests how you apply prepositions to sentences. No sentence may end with a preposition, which includes "out," "under" and especially "of." This sentence would need to read something like "...without these skills, a boxer will be unknown." At all costs, avoid placing "of" at the end of a sentence -- especially on college and scholarship applications.

• Question 27:

  Identify the error in the following sentence:

  Even though I worked all day to clean the house and leave it in immaculate condition, my mother was not satisfied about the job that I completed diligently.

  A. leave

  B. immaculate

  C. about

  D. diligently

  E. No error

  Correct Answer: C

  Explanation: The proper idiom is "to be satisfied with" and not "to be satisfied about." Knowing this proper idiom, one can see why choice "about" is erroneous. It is okay to say, "leave it..." because it is in the same infinitive form as "to clean" so pick choice "about".

• Question 28:

  Identify the error in the following sentence:

  I was so worried about the test results that came back yesterday afternoon, but as it turns out Maria was more worried than me.

  A. so worried

  B. that came

  C. but

  D. me

  E. No error

  Correct Answer: D

  Explanation: "Me" can be used if it is an object that is affected, but not if an action is being performed. At the end of this sentence, the word that replaces me (i.e. I) needs to be "worried." Which sounds more correct, "Me was worried." or "I was worried."? Oftentimes questions such as these identifying the error writing questions on the test will demand you to apply critical thinking and place the word in a different context than its original context in order to test the meaning and how the word fits. Change "me" to "I" in order to fix this sentence.

• Question 29:

  Identify the error in the following sentence:

  Many students that take rigorous English courses in high school spend time analyzing and interpreting prose and poetry by well-respected writers.

  A. that

  B. English

  C. prose

  D. well-respected

  E. No error

  Correct Answer: A

  Explanation: This sentence refers to English courses taken by high school students. Whenever there is a description of a person or people, the pronoun "who" must be used. Students are not inanimate objects. Therefore, part A should be replaced by "who" in the place of "that." English should always be capitalized because it is a language, "prose" is a form of writing just like poetry and "well-respected" is an adjective that is appropriate to describe writers.

• Question 30:

  Identify the error in the following sentence:

  The scandals surrounding steroid use in sports has not subsided even though time has passed because of continued use, increased media exposure and deteriorating values.

  A. surrounding

  B. has

  C. time has

  D. deteriorating

  E. No error

  Correct Answer: B

  Explanation: The writer refers to "scandals," a plural noun. So the verb describing such plurality must match. "Scandals...have not subsided" would be more appropriate. Just as you would not say "The other girls in my school has become more cooperative..." you must not say "...scandals...has not subsided." Sound sentences out, and the errors will jump out at you.