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SUMMING UP LANGUAGE ARTS WRITING PART I

SENTENCE CORRECTION

Many of the questions (approximately 35%) will contain sentences in which part of the sentence is underlined. The five answer choices that you are offered in these questions give you different ways in which to rephrase or re-write the underlined sections of the text.

These types of questions are designed to test you on your ability to correct a sentence that may have any number of problems with it. Using the standards of written English, make sure to choose your answers carefully, remembering to consult the rules of grammar that were outlined earlier. Be sure that your answer choices form smooth sentences and sound clear and concise.

One of the best ways to check if your answer choices are correct is to simply follow your own intuition. Often your own ear can tell you more than you expect, so you should learn to trust it. Read each of the sentences carefully, and insert each of the answer choices into the spaces that correspond with the questions.

Never stop at the first answer choice, even if it sounds correct. The first answer choice can be deceptive, and you should never sell yourself short by just assuming, without checking all of the choices. What might initially seem like the best choice can prove to be wrong once you have read through each answer and substituted each of the answer choices. Allow your instinct to guide you when you read through the options. Often, at least one or two of the choices can be ruled out in a quick reading because the choice doesn't fit well with the sentence and may not be logical.

USE THE CONTEXTUAL CLUES IN THE TEXT

Many clues are often included within the text, and this is a fact that should remain in your mind as you practice for and eventually take the test. Look for these clues, as they can be of great help to you. Often, there are key words in a sentence that will assist you in deciding exactly which answer choice is the correct replacement phrase for the text.

An example of where contextual clues can direct you to the right answer choice is below:

The Human Genome Project has recently discovered that human beings are not so close as to be genetically related to chimpanzees as was previously supposed by prominent scientists.

(a) are not as closely genetically related to chimpanzees as was previously supposed
(b) are not so close as genetically related to chimpanzees as supposed scientist previously assumed

In the above example, the word “supposed” is used. The answer choices suggest that the word could refer either to the scientists or to their previous assumptions. The question sentence itself is grammatically awkward and clunky, so it is unlikely that it would remain unchanged. The sentence refers to the Human Genome Project - a very real project - so again it is unlikely that the scientists referred to are “supposed.” The first answer choice is most likely to be correct because of the contextual clues included in the sentence. First, it is the most concise, clear, and grammatically correct option. Second, it makes the most sense within the context of the sentence.

Remember, simplicity is crucial.

The importance of keeping your answer choices simple cannot be stressed enough. The longer and more complex answer choices on the GED are rarely the correct ones. These sentences are constructed to look more complicated and to trick test-takers into believing they are correct. These overly complex choices are rarely the correct ones. Often, a simple point can be made with few words; if this is the case on a test question, choose that answer. You should be wary of additional phrases that don't add any meaning to the text, but just complicate the grammar and make the answer choice unnecessarily lengthy.

While you should definitely keep these tips in mind, you should also remember not to choose an answer choice just for the sake of simplicity if it doesn't make any sense or is lacking crucial information.

A BRIEF LOOK AT WHAT TO EXPECT BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE SAMPLE QUESTIONS

1. Sentence Structure - 30%

You must understand how sentences are formed, what the major parts of a sentence are, and be able to spot errors in sentence construction.

2. Usage - 30%

You must be able to use the parts of speech correctly, to comprehend how sentences fit together, and to be able to find errors in verb tenses and agreements.

3. Mechanics - 25%

You must understand the basic rules of punctuation, possessives, contractions, homonyms, and capitalization.

4. Organization - 15%

You must be able to find the best place for a passage in a sentence, know where a new paragraph should begin, and be able to spot erroneous sentences that do not belong in the passage at all.

Next is a sample of test questions that cover all of these types of questions. You may find it helpful to go through and re-read the LANGUAGE ARTS directions that are detailed earlier in this lesson. If you feel confident and have already familiarized yourself with them, go ahead and begin, while keeping in mind the amount of time that you should ideally spend on each question: 1.5 minutes per question.

Back: Lesson 3 | Next: Practice Test

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