praxis reading language arts 5002 practice test

A series of tests developed by ETS to assess the skills and knowledge of prospective teachers.

Which of the following is best identified as a simple sentence?
  • A. William, Jorge, and Roberto waited for the storm to pass.
  • B. The plane was late, so I did not get to see my grandfather.
  • C. The dogs went into the backyard, and then they ate their food.
  • D. Because they could not see the sun, the boys got lost on the hike.
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A

A simple sentence consists of a single independent clause that expresses a complete thought. Option A, "William, Jorge, and Roberto waited for the storm to pass," meets this criterion as it contains a subject and a verb and does not include any dependent clauses or additional conjunctions. Option B features a compound sentence, combining two independent clauses with "so." Option C also presents a compound structure, linking two independent clauses with "and." Lastly, Option D is a complex sentence, as it includes a dependent clause ("Because they could not see the sun") along with an independent clause. Thus, only Option A qualifies as a simple sentence.

Other Related Questions

A group of students work together at a literacy center where the individual letters "p," "i," and "g" are printed on card stock. One student puts the three letters together and says, "I made 'pig'!" The activity best supports which of the following reading skills?
  • A. Building words with onsets
  • B. Dividing words using syllabication
  • C. Blending phonemes to make words
  • D. Segmenting phonemes to make words
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C

The activity involves combining individual letters to form the word "pig," which directly supports blending phonemes. Blending is the skill of merging individual sounds to create a complete word, exemplified by the student saying "I made 'pig'." Option A, building words with onsets, focuses specifically on the initial consonant sounds, which is not the primary skill demonstrated here. Option B, dividing words using syllabication, pertains to breaking words into syllables, while this activity emphasizes merging sounds instead. Option D, segmenting phonemes, involves breaking words into their individual sounds, which is the opposite of what the student is doing in this scenario.
Which THREE of the following words are best to use in a lesson on using roots and affixes to determine meaning?
  • A. Family
  • B. Review
  • C. Careful
  • D. Endanger
  • E. Because
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B,C,D

Using roots and affixes to determine meaning involves analyzing the components of words. **Review (B)** contains the prefix "re-" meaning "again," allowing students to explore its meaning by breaking it down into "view" and understanding the concept of looking at something again. **Careful (C)** combines the prefix "care-" with the suffix "-ful," illustrating how adding a suffix alters the meaning to indicate being full of care. **Endanger (D)** includes the prefix "en-" meaning "to cause to be," which helps students grasp how the word conveys the idea of putting someone or something in danger. **Family (A)** and **Because (E)** do not contain clear roots or affixes that lend themselves to this type of analysis, making them less suitable for the lesson focus.
Which of the following statements is true?
  • A. Sentences 1 and 2 are compound sentences.
  • B. Sentences 3 and 5 are complex sentences.
  • C. Sentence 1 is complex and sentence 4 is simple.
  • D. Sentence 2 is complex and sentence 6 is compound.
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A

Option A accurately identifies that sentences 1 and 2 are compound sentences, which consist of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction. This structure allows for the combination of related ideas, making the statement true. Option B incorrectly categorizes sentences 3 and 5 as complex. Complex sentences contain an independent clause and at least one dependent clause, which does not apply here. Option C misclassifies sentence 1 as complex; it is, in fact, compound. Additionally, sentence 4 is not simple, as it may contain additional clauses. Option D mistakenly labels sentence 2 as complex and sentence 6 as compound, which misrepresents their structures.
Which of the following most effectively combines the statements above into a single coherent and grammatically correct sentence?
  • A. Much of the Great Wall of China, which is actually a network of walls and towers, was built in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
  • B. The Great Wall of China, this is actually a network of walls and towers, much of it is built in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
  • C. Much of the Great Wall of China, building in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and it is actually a network of walls and towers.
  • D. Actually a network of walls and towers, they built much of the Great Wall of China in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: A

Option A effectively combines the statements into a coherent sentence by using a relative clause ("which is actually a network of walls and towers") to provide additional information about the Great Wall of China without disrupting the main thought. Option B incorrectly uses a comma splice, creating two independent clauses that are improperly joined. Option C introduces a participial phrase that makes the sentence awkward and unclear, failing to maintain grammatical structure. Option D starts with a fragment, lacking a clear subject, and misattributes the building of the wall, leading to confusion about who built it.