Writing STAAR English

(20) By the end of the first day, the lighthouse was more than 10 feet away from it’s original location.
How should sentence 20 be changed? 

• Change was to is
• Change it’s to its
• Change original to origanal
• Sentence 20 should not be changed.

(30) The current living arrangements is causing me a lot of stress.

What change, if any, should be made in sentence 30? 

• Change arrangements to arangements
• Change is causing to are causing
• Change a lot to alot
• Make no change

(20) I jotted down some notes about the word’s origin along with a couple of example sentences, the rest of the report would be a breeze.

What is the correct way to write sentence 20? 

• I jotted down some notes about the word’s origin along with a couple of example sentences. Sure that the rest of the report would be a breeze.
• I jotted down some notes about the word’s origin. Which along with a couple of example sentences meant that the rest of the report would be a breeze.
• I jotted down some notes about the word’s origin along with a couple of example sentences. The rest of the report would be a breeze.
• The sentence is written correctly in the paper.

(9) It connects your brain to your spinal cord. (10) Which connects to most of the nerves in your body.

What is the correct way to write sentences 9 and 10? 

• It connects your brain to your spinal cord, this connects to most of the nerves in your body. 
• Connecting your brain to your spinal cord and then to most of the nerves in your body.
• Connecting your brain to your spinal cord. It connects to most of the nerves in your body.
• It connects your brain to your spinal cord, which connects to most of the nerves in your body. 

(18) José Peruyero is a Florida dog trainer, he explains that while a human can walk into a kitchen and know that a stew is cooking on the stove, a dog can be trained to distinguish a stew that has carrots in it from one that doesn’t.

What is the correct way to write sentence 18? 

• José Peruyero, a Florida dog trainer, explains that while a human can walk into a kitchen and know that a stew is cooking on the stove. A dog can be trained to distinguish a stew that has carrots in it from one that doesn’t.
• José Peruyero is a Florida dog trainer who explains that while a human can walk into a kitchen and know that a stew is cooking on the stove, a dog can be trained. To distinguish a stew that has carrots in it from one that doesn’t.
• José Peruyero is a Florida dog trainer. Who explains that while a human can walk into a kitchen and know that a stew is cooking on the stove, a dog can be trained to distinguish a stew that has carrots in it from one that doesn’t.
• José Peruyero, a Florida dog trainer, explains that while a human can walk into a kitchen and know that a stew is cooking on the stove, a dog can be trained to distinguish a stew that has carrots in it from one that doesn’t.

(15) Mr. Owens, my Band Director, insists that I practice every night.

How does sentence 15 need to be changed? 

• Change Band Director to band director
• Delete the second comma
• Change insists to insisting 
• Sentence 15 does not need to be changed.

(9) “This, ladies and gentlemen,” Mr. Potter announced as he held up a hat, “Contains all the words on your vocabulary list.”

What change needs to be made in sentence 9? 

• Change ladies to lady’s
• Change announced to announsed
• Delete the comma after hat 
• Change Contains to contains 

(10) Instead of telling my Mom, I asked the teacher to move me to the front of the room.

What change needs to be made in sentence 10? 

• Change Mom to mom 
• Change the comma to a period 
• Change asked to ask
• No change needs to be made. 

(12) I would also have a place to spread out materials and work on projects without getting in anyone elses way.

What change needs to be made in sentence 12? 

• Change I to And 
• Change spread to spred 
• Change anyone to no one 
• Change elses to else’s 

(18) Sleepy but determinned, I crawled out of bed, got dressed, and headed to the store for the weekly shopping venture.

What change, if any, needs to be made in sentence 18? 

• Change Sleepy to i was sleepy
• Change determinned to determined 
• Insert a comma after store 
• No change needs to be made in this sentence.