Control of Composition/Writing: Short Fiction Practice Test

Read the following excerpt from a short story:

At the farmers’ market, the peaches were stacked in pyramids that dared gravity to disagree. Elise walked past them twice, pretending she was only browsing. Her tote bag was empty but heavy with restraint.

When she finally chose three peaches, she chose the bruised ones, as if damage were a discount she deserved. The vendor smiled and added a fourth.

How does the writer’s control of composition in the highlighted sentence most contribute to the passage’s meaning?

Read the following excerpt from a short story:

Nina’s father taught her to fish by refusing to speak. He would hand her the line, point once at the water, and wait. The lake accepted their silence and gave back only insects skimming the surface.

Years later, when he finally said “good,” the word landed in her like a stone—small, dense, impossible to throw back. Nina smiled as if she had been paid.

How does the writer’s control of composition in the highlighted sentence most contribute to the passage’s meaning?