Mastering Structure in Writing

Front

Which sentence uses parallel structure correctly?

Back

She likes reading, swimming, and biking.

Answer explanation

The correct choice, 'She likes reading, swimming, and biking,' uses parallel structure by maintaining the same grammatical form for all items in the list (gerunds). The other options mix forms, disrupting the parallelism.

Tags

CA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1.a

Front

Identify the sentence that does NOT use parallel structure.

Back

The teacher asked us to write essays, reading books, and presenting projects.

Answer explanation

The correct choice, 'The teacher asked us to write essays, reading books, and presenting projects,' lacks parallel structure as it mixes verb forms (infinitive and gerund) instead of maintaining a consistent form.

Tags

CA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1.a

Front

Which of the following is a prepositional phrase? Options: Under the table, She sings

Back

Under the table

Answer explanation

A prepositional phrase includes a preposition and its object. 'Under the table' fits this definition, as 'under' is the preposition and 'the table' is the object. The other options do not contain a preposition.

Tags

CA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1.b

Front

Which sentence contains an independent clause?

Back

The dog barked loudly

Answer explanation

An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence. 'The dog barked loudly' is an independent clause because it has a subject ('the dog') and a verb ('barked'), making it a complete thought.

Tags

CA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1.b

Front

Choose the sentence that correctly uses parallel structure.

Back

He enjoys hiking, biking, and swimming.

Answer explanation

The correct choice, 'He enjoys hiking, biking, and swimming,' uses parallel structure by maintaining the same grammatical form for all items in the list (gerunds). The other options mix forms, disrupting parallelism.

Tags

CA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1.a

Front

Rewrite the sentence using parallel structure: "She wanted to learn French, cooking, and how to play the piano."

Back

She wanted to learn French, to cook, and to play the piano.

Answer explanation

The correct choice, 'She wanted to learn French, to cook, and to play the piano,' maintains parallel structure by using the same grammatical form for each item: 'to learn,' 'to cook,' and 'to play.' This creates a balanced and clear sentence.

Tags

CA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1.a

Front

Which sentence uses a participial phrase to add detail?

Back

The cat, purring softly, slept on the sofa.

Answer explanation

The correct choice, 'The cat, purring softly, slept on the sofa,' uses the participial phrase 'purring softly' to provide additional detail about the cat, enhancing the sentence's description.

Tags

CA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1.b

Front

Select the sentence that uses a relative clause to add information.

Back

The book, which is on the table, belongs to Sam.

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'The book, which is on the table, belongs to Sam.' because it includes a relative clause ('which is on the table') that provides additional information about the book.

Tags

CA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1.b

Front

Which sentence uses an adverbial clause to show time?

Back

She finished her homework when the clock struck eight.

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'She finished her homework when the clock struck eight.' This sentence uses the adverbial clause 'when the clock struck eight' to indicate the time at which the homework was completed.

Tags

CA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1.b

Front

Identify the noun phrase in the following sentence: "The tall, green tree swayed in the wind."

Back

The tall, green tree

Answer explanation

The noun phrase in the sentence is "The tall, green tree" as it serves as the subject. It includes the determiner "The" and adjectives "tall" and "green" describing the noun "tree."

Tags

CA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1.b