PSSA Grammar Practice

1. Read the sentence .

The school counselor told me that I should, select elective classes that interest me, check

to see whether the times for those classes conflict with the times for my required courses,

discuss my choices with my parents, and then complete the schedule form provided by my

homeroom teacher .

Which revision should be made to correct the punctuation error in the sentence?

• A . Remove the comma after should .

• B . Add a comma after conflict .

• C . Remove the comma after courses .

• D . Add a comma after form 

Read the sentence .

Once the microscopes and slides had been placed on the tables, the students could

continue the experiment .

Choose the correct way to rewrite the sentence using only active voice .

• A . Once the microscopes and slides had been placed on the tables, the experiment could be continued .

• B . The students continued the experiment once they had placed the microscopes and slides

  on the tables .

• C . The students could continue the experiment once the microscopes and slides had been

  placed on the tables .

• D . Once the microscopes and slides had been placed on the tables by the students, they

  could continue the experiment .

Read the paragraph .

(1) The Student Art Society was invited to help host an art exhibit at a local gallery . (2) The

members of our organization helped to hang the artwork . (3) The gallery owner supervised

our work very closely . (4) She was understandably a little nervous . (5) When we finished, the

gallery owner praised us for our careful and helpful work . (6) Later, we worked in pairs to

learn as much as possible about each piece of artwork so that we could answer questions

for visitors . (7) Having played a role in preparing and hosting the show, we were very

satisfied to see the crowd of patrons enjoying the event .

Choose the best way to revise sentences 2, 3, and 4 to improve meaning in the paragraph .

• A . The members of our organization helped to hang the artwork as the gallery owner,

  understandably a little nervous, closely supervised our work .

• B . The gallery owner supervised our work very closely, the members of our organization

  helping to hang the artwork and her being a little nervous .

• C . The members of our organization helped to hang the artwork, while the gallery owner

  supervised our work very closely though she was nervous .

• D . The gallery owner supervised our work very closely, she was understandably a little

  nervous, and the members of our organization helped to hang the artwork

Read the sentences from a story .

Holding her binoculars with both hands, Jennifer stepped lightly on the winding path,

searching the treetops for her favorite bird, the cardinal . A rustling sound from somewhere

in the forest caught her attention . She stopped, crouched down, and silently scanned the

forest . In the distance, she spotted two red squirrels going everywhere . Amused by the

sight, Jennifer slowly rose and continued down the path in search of a cardinal .

Which revision of the underlined words best describes the squirrels and maintains the style of

the paragraph?

• A . moving rapidly from tree to tree

• B . running happily through the forest

• C . scurrying playfully from branch to branch

• D . proceeding quickly through the trees in the forest

Read the paragraph .

(1) It is time to replace the curtains in the school auditorium . (2) Yesterday during play

practice, the curtains stopped on their track twice when they were supposed to close

the scene . (3) Also, the curtains have tears and holes in them . (4) Someone told us the

curtains were bought by some group a long time ago and cost a lot of money . (5) If needed,

students in the drama program could organize fundraisers to help with the expense of new

curtains .

Which sentence should be revised to provide more precise information?

• A . sentence 2

• B . sentence 3

• C . sentence 4

• D . sentence 5

Read the paragraph .

The ancient Sumerians developed the first system of writing . It was called cuneiform .

Cuneiform consisted of wedge-shaped marks made on clay tablets . How did writers make

the marks? They used a thick reed as a stylus . Traders and merchants first used cuneiform

to record transactions . Later, scribes and priests used the system to record stories and

religious beliefs .

Which revision would most improve the paragraph?

• A . rewriting it using active voice

• B . correcting the run-on sentences

• C . changing the sentence order

• D . combining some of the sentences

Read the sentences from a story .

Over lunch in the cafeteria, Joe sat with Jennifer as they listened to Bill talk about his

favorite hobby: building model cars .

“That’s really interesting,” said Jennifer . “What model car are you building now?”

Suddenly, Joe remembered that he needed to meet with his math teacher before class . He

rose to leave .

“I’m working on a 1965 Corvette Joe, don’t leave yet and I plan to take it to the show next

Saturday,” said Bill, as he, too, rose from the table to follow Joe .

Which revision correctly punctuates the underlined group of words to indicate a break in

thought?

• A . “I’m working on a 1965 Corvette, Joe, don’t leave yet—and I plan to take it to the show

  next Saturday,” said Bill as he, too, rose from the table to follow Joe .

• B . “I’m working on a 1965 Corvette—Joe, don’t leave yet—and I plan to take it to the show

  next Saturday,” said Bill as he, too, rose from the table to follow Joe .

• C . “I’m working on a 1965 Corvette (Joe, don’t leave yet) and I plan to take it to the show next

  Saturday,” said Bill as he, too, rose from the table to follow Joe .

• D . “I’m working on a 1965 Corvette, Joe, don’t leave yet, and I plan to take it to the show next

  Saturday,” said Bill as he, too, rose from the table to follow Joe .

Read the paragraph .

(1) Have you ever accidentally shaken a soda bottle and had it erupt when you opened the

cap? (2) This is similar to the violent eruption of a stratovolcano, which has a deep magma

reservoir beneath the surface . (3) Pressure builds in the magma chamber as gases which

have been under immense heat and pressure are dissolved into liquid rock . (4) Because

these types of volcanoes form in a system of underground channels, stratovolcanoes

sometimes blow out the sides of their cone, as well as the crater at the summit .

Which revision should be made to the paragraph?

• A . Add a comma before when in sentence 1 .

• B . Remove the comma before which in sentence 2 .

• C . Add a comma before which and after pressure in sentence 3 .

• D . Remove the comma before stratovolcanoes and after cone in sentence 4 .