PSSA Released Grammar Items

Read the paragraph.

(1) Along the old pioneer trails in the West, you will find a huge rock that looks like the back of a turtle’s shell. (2) During the 1800s, pioneers—many from eastern states like Pennsylvania—would anxiously await the day they would arrive at this special landmark. (3) They knew that if they arrived there by Independence Day, then they would likely be able to make it to California and Oregon before the winter storms began to arrive. (4) Independence Day is the Fourth of July. (5) Because of this, the landmark was named Independence Rock.

Which revision that combines sentences 3 and 4 into one sentence best improves the logical relationship between the two sentences?

• The Fourth of July, Independence Day, was when they arrived in California and Oregon before the winter storms began to arrive.

• Independence Day, to California and Oregon, is where the pioneers wanted to be by the Fourth of July so they could avoid the winter storms.

• Arriving by Independence Day, they knew that they would be able to make it to California and Oregon before the winter storms began to arrive on the Fourth of July.

• They knew that if they arrived there by Independence Day, the Fourth of July, then they would likely be able to make it to California and Oregon before the winter storms began to arrive.

Read the sentence.

After the apartment manager received many complaints from tenants, a builder was hired by her to design a new entrance to the apartment complex.

Without changing the meaning of the sentence, which is the best way to rewrite the sentence using only active voice?

• After many complaints from tenants were received by the manager of the apartment complex, she hired a builder to design a new entrance to the apartment complex.

• After the manager of the apartment complex received many complaints from tenants, she was hired by a builder to design a new entrance to the apartment complex.

• After the apartment manager received many complaints from tenants, she hired a builder to design a new entrance to the apartment complex.

• After many complaints from the manager were received by tenants, a builder was hired to design a new entrance to the apartment complex.

Tags

CCSS.L.2.1F

CCSS.L.8.1B

CCSS.L.8.1D

CCSS.L.8.3A

Read the sentences from a paragraph.

(1) While hot cereals like porridge or oatmeal have been popular in Europe for centuries, cold cereals that are packaged for quick and easy use are the invention of American entrepreneurs. (2) Two such pioneers were Charles Post and W. K. Kellogg, whose companies were founded in Battle Creek, Michigan known at one time as the capital of cereal production. (3) Their companies developed several varieties, such as corn flakes and crisped rice.

Choose the correct way to punctuate sentence 2 to most effectively emphasize the underlined information.

• Two such pioneers were Charles Post and W. K. Kellogg, whose companies were founded in Battle Creek, Michigan, “known at one time as the capital of cereal production.”

• Two such pioneers were Charles Post and W. K. Kellogg, whose companies were founded in Battle Creek, Michigan (known at one time as the capital of cereal production).

• Two such pioneers were Charles Post and W. K. Kellogg, whose companies were founded in Battle Creek, Michigan—known at one time as the capital of cereal production.

• Two such pioneers were Charles Post and W. K. Kellogg, whose companies were founded in Battle Creek, Michigan, known at one time as the capital of cereal production.

Tags

CCSS.L.6.2A

Read the paragraph from an essay about Alexander Hamilton.

(1) Alexander Hamilton served as secretary of the treasury in the cabinet of President George Washington. (2) One of his challenges was to come up with a way to get more cash for the United States. (3) His plan included establishing the credit of the new nation. (4) He also needed people to invest in a central bank that would keep the funds of the government secure.

Which sentence should be revised to maintain the formal style of the paragraph?

• sentence 1

• sentence 2

• sentence 3

• sentence 4

Read the paragraph.

(1) James Pollard Espy was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1785. (2) He is remembered today as a pioneering scientist who discovered how clouds are formed. (3) Espy spent much of his career working for the United States government, specializing in creating weather maps. (4) If he had not made these advancements, he is still remembered as one of the first scientists to use the telegraph to obtain weather reports from different parts of the country.

Which change should be made to the paragraph to correct the error in verb usage?

• Change was born to had been born in sentence 1

• Change is to would be in sentence 2.

• Change spent to would be spending in sentence 3.

• Change is still to would still be in sentence 4.

Tags

CCSS.L.2.1D

CCSS.L.3.1E

CCSS.L.4.1B

CCSS.L.5.1.B-D

Read the paragraph.

(1) Louisa May Alcott, a 19th-century author, used her life experiences as material in her work. (2) In her novel Little Women, Alcott relates childhood experiences that she and her sisters shared growing up in Massachusetts. (3) The story follows the lives of Jo March and her sisters, characters based on Alcott’s own family. (4) Set in New England, the novel shows the difficulties the sisters faced during the American Civil War a time of great change.

Which revision corrects an error in punctuation?

• Remove the commas after Alcott and author in sentence 1.

• Add a comma after experiences in sentence 2.

• Remove the comma after sisters in sentence 3.

• Add a comma after War in sentence 4.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.2C

CCSS.L.6.2A

Read the paragraph.

(1) The student council itself, concerned that older students hardly know the younger students in the school, want to start a program called Reading Buddies. (2) Once a week, students in sixth, seventh, or eighth grade have the option to spend time reading with a kindergartner or first grader. (3) Members of the student council believe that the program will promote a stronger school community. (4) No one has to be a Reading Buddy, but the program will be more successful if the majority of students take part.

Which change should be made to correct the error in the paragraph?

• Change want to wants in sentence 1.

• Change have to has in sentence 2.

• Change believe to believes in sentence 3.

• Change take to takes in sentence 4.

Tags

CCSS.L.3.1F

Read the paragraph.

(1) The Willis Tower, located in Chicago, is the second tallest building in the Western Hemisphere at 1,450 feet. (2) On a clear day, a tourist can see four different states Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan. (3) The building uses approximately 25,000 miles of electric cable, enough to circle the entire Earth at the equator.

Which revision would correct the mistake in punctuation?

• Remove the comma after Tower in sentence 1

• Add a dash after at in sentence 1.

• Add a dash after states in sentence 2.

• Remove the comma after cable in sentence 3.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.2C

CCSS.L.6.2A

Read the paragraph.

(1) What do the Egyptian pyramids look like when they were first built? (2) Today, they have an attractive shape, but the stonework’s appearance is rather dull. (3) When the pyramids were first built, they had siding of white limestone and sometimes capstones of glittering gold. (4) Just imagine what they must have looked like back then!

Which sentence in the paragraph contains an error in verb usage?

• sentence 1

• sentence 2

• sentence 3

• sentence 4

Tags

CCSS.L.2.1D

CCSS.L.3.1E

CCSS.L.4.1B

CCSS.L.5.1.B-D

Read the sentences.

“Located on the Volga River, Kazan is known as the third capital of Russia,” the professor told his students. “In 2005, Kazan turned let me check my notes 1,000 years old.”

Which is the correct way to write the underlined part of the sentence to indicate a break?

• turned. Let me check my notes. 1,000 years old

• turned—let me check my notes—1,000 years old

• turned let me check my notes, 1,000 years old

• turned, let me check my notes 1,000 years old

Tags

CCSS.L.6.2A