PSAT Practice Writing

Which choice best maintains the sentence pattern already established in the paragraph?

• NO CHANGE

• Coordinating stoplight timing can help alleviate rush hour traffic jams in a congested downtown area.

• Stoplight timing is coordinated to alleviate rush hour traffic jams in a congested downtown area.

• In a congested downtown area, stoplight timing is coordinated to alleviate rush hour traffic jams.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.7

CCSS.RI.11-12.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.7

Which choice results in the most effective transition to the information that follows the paragraph?

• NO CHANGE

• where job opportunities are more plentiful.

• and the majority are employed by government agencies

• DELETE the underlined portion and end the sentence with a period

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

7

• NO CHANGE

• For instance,

• Furthermore,

• Similarly,

Tags

CCSS.L.1.1G

CCSS.L.3.1H

CCSS.L.5.1A

CCSS.L.5.1E

The writer is considering deleting the underlined sentence. Should the sentence be kept or deleted?

• Kept, because it provides supporting evidence about the benefits of walking.

• Kept, because it provides an additional example of a community stakeholder with whom transportation planners work.

• Deleted, because it blurs the paragraph’s focus on the community stakeholders with whom transportation planners work.

• Deleted, because it doesn’t provide specific examples of what the numerous benefits of walking are.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

What is the purpose of a thesis statement in an essay?

• To summarize the conclusion

• To list the sources used

• To state the main argument or claim

• To describe the methodology

Tags

DOK Level 3: Strategic Thinking

The contents of the Writing and Language Test include (select all that apply):

• 4 Passages

• 44 Passage Based Questions

• All Questions are Multiple Choice

• No Mathematical Computation is Required

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RI.9-10.7

CCSS.RL.11-12.7

CCSS.RL.8.7

CCSS.RL.9-10.7

Ever since introducing coffee to Italy several centuries ago, it has been a ubiquitous part of Italian culture.

• NO CHANGE

• they introduced coffee

• their introduction of coffee

• coffee was introduced

Tags

CCSS.L.3.1A

CCSS.L.3.1D

At this point, the writer is considering adding the following sentence. These espresso-based coffee drinks have become increasingly popular in the United States over the past several decades. Should the writer make this addition here?

• Yes, because it adds force to the writer's argument about the popularity of coffeehouses in Italy.

• Yes, because it elaborates on the statement in the previous sentence about different types of drinks.

• No, because it suggest that coffee drinking is not as popular in Italy as the writer claims it is.

• No, because it digresses from the main topic of how coffee is regarded in Italy.

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Each caffetteria functions as a social hub in its neighborhood, and the way in which most patrons consume their coffee contribute to this fact

• NO CHANGE

• contributes

• contributing

• which contributes

Tags

CCSS.L.3.1F

Ever since [1] introducing coffee to Italy several centuries ago, it has been a ubiquitous part of Italian culture.

• a. NO CHANGE

• b. they introduced coffee

• c. their introduction of coffee

• d. coffee was introduced

Answer explanation

Choice D is the best answer because the pronoun “it” in the independent clause that begins “it has been . . .” needs the antecedent “coffee.” The passive voice phrase “coffee was introduced” is acceptable in this context because indicating who introduced coffee to Italy is not important to the passage.

Tags

CCSS.L.3.1A

CCSS.L.3.1D