Composition: Editing Drafts for Grammar (TEKS.ELA.7.10.D)
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Texas 7th Grade ELA › Composition: Editing Drafts for Grammar (TEKS.ELA.7.10.D)
Dear City Council Members, My name is Jordan, and I live in El Paso. I am writing because the crosswalks near my middle school is unsafe during the morning commute. Students hurry across Mesa Street, but drivers doesn't always see us when the sun is in their eyes. The city should add flashing lights and repaint the lines so pedestrians are protected and to make the area look better for visitors. If the changes are approved there will be fewer close calls for kids and families walking to school. Thank you for considering my request to improve safety in our neighborhood. I appreciate your time and your service to the community. Sincerely, Jordan Reyes
Which revision of the underlined portion so pedestrians are protected and to make the area look better creates correct parallel structure?
so pedestrians are protected and making the area look better
so pedestrians are protected and for making the area look better
to protect pedestrians and make the area look better
so that pedestrians are protected, and to make the area look better
Explanation
Choice C uses two parallel infinitive phrases (to protect/make). The other choices mix forms (are protected/making; are protected/for making; are protected/to make), which breaks parallelism.
On Saturday we drive to a bluebonnet festival outside Brenham. The fields was shining with color, and the air smelled like warm bread. When we reached the booths I say, "this is the best day ever"! My cousin and me wandered between the art tents, and we bought honey from a beekeeper nearby. We listened to a band play under a white tent, and the music drifted across the pasture. After we took photos, we sat on a blanket and watched clouds pull long shadows over the flowers.
Which revision of the sentence When we reached the booths I say, "this is the best day ever"! correctly fixes verb tense, capitalization, and punctuation?
When we reached the booths, I say, "This is the best day ever!"
When we reached the booths, I said, "This is the best day ever!"
When we reached the booths I said "this is the best day ever".
When we reached the booths, I said "This is the best day ever!"
Explanation
Choice B uses past tense (said), adds the needed comma after the introductory clause and after said, capitalizes This, and places the exclamation point inside the quotation marks.
West Texas has become a leader in wind energy, the turbines stretch across the plains for miles. The industry not only brings jobs but also helping schools with new tax revenue that supports building repairs and technology. Some residents who live near wind farms worries about noise, which is often measured at lower levels than traffic in towns and along highways. When a community discusses energy options they should look carefully at data, consider costs and benefits, and listen to each person's concerns. By comparing different sources and visiting sites in person, students can learn how energy choices affect both people and the environment.
Which revision of sentences 1–2 best corrects the comma splice and the error with not only...but also, while keeping a formal tone?
West Texas has become a leader in wind energy, and turbines stretch across the plains for miles, the industry not only brings jobs but also helping schools with new tax revenue.
West Texas has become a leader in wind energy: turbines stretch across the plains for miles, and the industry not only brings jobs but also help schools with new tax revenue.
West Texas has become a leader in wind energy. Turbines stretch across the plains for miles, and the industry not only brings jobs but also helping schools with new tax revenue.
West Texas has become a leader in wind energy; turbines stretch across the plains for miles, and the industry not only brings jobs but also helps schools with new tax revenue.
Explanation
Choice D fixes the comma splice with a semicolon and makes the structures parallel (brings/helps). The other options either keep a run-on, misuse agreement (help), or keep the nonparallel helping.
Water is scarce in parts of West Texas, everyone must conserve. During long summers, lawns and parks can turn brown fast, and farmers depend in rivers and aquifers for their crops. Texans have learned from past droughts, but many forgets today, leaving sprinklers running at noon when the sun wastes most of the spray. When a person sees neighborhood restrictions, they sometimes think the rules are for someone else. However, conservation only works if each household follows a plan, like watering on assigned days and fixing leaks quickly. Communities that save water can protect wildlife, keep small towns thriving, and make sure there is enough for future growth. Responsible use is not only smart—it's necessary in our dry state.
Which revision corrects all errors in grammar, usage, and punctuation in the passage?
Water is scarce in parts of West Texas; everyone must conserve. During long summers, lawns and parks can turn brown fast, and farmers depend in rivers and aquifers for their crops. Texans have learned from past droughts, but many forgets today, leaving sprinklers running at noon when the sun wastes most of the spray. When people see neighborhood restrictions, they sometimes think the rules are for someone else. However, conservation only works if each household follows a plan, like watering on assigned days and fixing leaks quickly. Communities that save water can protect wildlife, keep small towns thriving, and make sure there is enough for future growth. Responsible use is not only smart—it's necessary in our dry state.
Water is scarce in parts of West Texas; everyone must conserve. During long summers, lawns and parks can turn brown fast, and farmers depend on rivers and aquifers for their crops. Texans have learned from past droughts, but many forget today, leaving sprinklers running at noon when the sun wastes most of the spray. When a person sees neighborhood restrictions, they sometimes think the rules are for someone else. However, conservation only works if each household follows a plan, like watering on assigned days and fixing leaks quickly. Communities that save water can protect wildlife, keep small towns thriving, and make sure there is enough for future growth. Responsible use is not only smart—it's necessary in our dry state.
Water is scarce in parts of West Texas, so everyone must conserve. During long summers, lawns and parks can turn brown fast, and farmers depend on rivers and aquifers for their crops. Texans have learned from past droughts, but many forget today, leaving sprinklers running at noon when the sun wastes most of the spray. When people see neighborhood restrictions, they sometimes think the rules are for someone else. However, conservation only works if each household follows a plan, like watering on assigned days and fixing leaks quickly. Communities that save water can protect wildlife, keep small towns thriving, and make sure there is enough for future growth. Responsible use is not only smart—it's necessary in our dry state.
Water is scarce in parts of West Texas, so everyone must conserve. During long summers, lawns and parks can turn brown fast, and farmers depend on rivers and aquifers for their crops. Texans has learned from past droughts, but many forget today, leaving sprinklers running at noon when the sun wastes most of the spray. When people see neighborhood restrictions, they sometimes think the rules are for someone else. However, conservation only works if each household follows a plan, like watering on assigned days and fixing leaks quickly. Communities that save water can protect wildlife, keep small towns thriving, and make sure there is enough for future growth. Responsible use is not only smart—it's necessary in our dry state.
Explanation
Choice C fixes the comma splice (adds a coordinating conjunction), corrects the preposition (depend on), corrects subject-verb agreement (many forget), and fixes pronoun agreement by making the subject plural (When people see … they).
Dear Manager Sanchez:
I am writing to request permission for our student council to host a food drive at your store next month. We seen how your company supports local charities, and we hopes to partner with you to help our community. On May 12 we plan to set up tables near the entrance, we will not block any doors. If you approve this idea, we will send flyers so customers can recieve information about donating. Our volunteers will bring their own tables and clean the area afterward. We can coordinate with your staff to choose the best time, preferably a Saturday morning. Thank you for considering our request.
Which option is the best revision of the letter that corrects all errors in tense, agreement, punctuation, and spelling?
Dear Manager Sanchez:
I am writing to request permission for our student council to host a food drive at your store next month. We have seen how your company supports local charities, and we hope to partner with you to help our community. On May 12, we plan to set up tables near the entrance, and we will not block any doors. If you approve this idea, we will send flyers so customers can receive information about donating. Our volunteers will bring their own tables and clean the area afterward. We can coordinate with your staff to choose the best time, preferably a Saturday morning. Thank you for considering our request.
Dear Manager Sanchez:
I am writing to request permission for our student council to host a food drive at your store next month. We have seen how your company supports local charities, and we hope to partner with you to help our community. On May 12 we plan to set up tables near the entrance, we will not block any doors. If you approve this idea, we will send flyers so customers can recieve information about donating. Our volunteers will bring their own tables and clean the area afterward. We can coordinate with your staff to choose the best time, preferably a Saturday morning. Thank you for considering our request.
Dear Manager Sanchez:
I am writing to request permission for our student council to host a food drive at your store next month. We seen how your company supports local charities, and we hope to partner with you to help our community. On May 12, we plan to set up tables near the entrance, and we will not block any doors. If you approve this idea, we will send flyers so customers can receive information about donating. Our volunteers will bring their own tables and clean the area afterward. We can coordinate with your staff to choose the best time, preferably a Saturday morning. Thank you for considering our request.
Dear Manager Sanchez:
I am writing to request permission for our student council to host a food drive at your store next month. We has seen how your company supports local charities, and we hope to partner with you to help our community. On May 12, we plan to set up tables near the entrance, and we will not block any doors. If you approve this idea, we will send flyers so customers can receive information about donating. Our volunteers will bring their own tables and clean the area afterward. We can coordinate with your staff to choose the best time, preferably a Saturday morning. Thank you for considering our request.
Explanation
Choice A corrects all issues: present perfect (have seen), subject-verb agreement (we hope), the comma splice (adds a comma and coordinating conjunction), and spelling (receive). Other options leave an error or introduce a new one.
I stood on the porch and watch the clouds crawl over the fields. Racing across the sky, my brother watched the first streaks of lightning in the distance. Each of the trees were bending, and the air grew cool as the storm drew nearer. The rain began, it hammered the roof while thunder rolled like drums. The horizon blurred under sheets of water, and the smell of wet earth rose like smoke. Even though I wanted to stay outside and see more, I went inside at last and shut the door. When the wind eased, the porch light flickered and then steadied.
Which revision corrects all errors in verb tense, modifier placement, agreement, and comma usage?
I stood on the porch and watched the clouds crawl over the fields. Racing across the sky, my brother watched the first streaks of lightning in the distance. Each of the trees was bending, and the air grew cool as the storm drew nearer. The rain began, it hammered the roof while thunder rolled like drums. The horizon blurred under sheets of water, and the smell of wet earth rose like smoke. Even though I wanted to stay outside and see more, I went inside at last and shut the door. When the wind eased, the porch light flickered and then steadied.
I stood on the porch and watch the clouds crawl over the fields. As lightning raced across the sky, my brother watched the first streaks in the distance. Each of the trees were bending, and the air grew cool as the storm drew nearer. The rain began, and it hammered the roof while thunder rolled like drums. The horizon blurred under sheets of water, and the smell of wet earth rose like smoke. Even though I wanted to stay outside and see more, I went inside at last and shut the door. When the wind eased, the porch light flickered and then steadied.
I stood on the porch and watched the clouds crawl over the fields. As lightning raced across the sky, my brother watched the first streaks in the distance. Each of the trees are bending, and the air grew cool as the storm drew nearer. The rain began; it hammered the roof while thunder rolled like drums. The horizon blurred under sheets of water, and the smell of wet earth rose like smoke. Even though I wanted to stay outside and see more, I went inside at last and shut the door. When the wind eased, the porch light flickered and then steadied.
I stood on the porch and watched the clouds crawl over the fields. As lightning raced across the sky, my brother watched the first streaks in the distance. Each of the trees was bending, and the air grew cool as the storm drew nearer. The rain began, and it hammered the roof while thunder rolled like drums. The horizon blurred under sheets of water, and the smell of wet earth rose like smoke. Even though I wanted to stay outside and see more, I went inside at last and shut the door. When the wind eased, the porch light flickered and then steadied.
Explanation
Choice D fixes all four problems: consistent past tense (watched), corrects the dangling modifier by making lightning race, uses singular agreement (Each of the trees was), and replaces the comma splice with a comma and coordinating conjunction.
Researchers in Austin study the Mexican free-tailed bats that roost beneath the Congress Avenue Bridge. The bats emerge at dusk, they form dark streams over the river. Our team measured how the colony interacts with the urban enviroment and compared behavior at two sites. We noted that the bridge habitat is different than the nearby park in temperature and light. To reduce bias, the methods were to observe the colony, recording acoustic data, and measure air temperature for one hour each evening. From late spring through early fall, tourists gather along the railings to watch the nightly flight. The city's skyline provides a clear backdrop, which makes counting easier for volunteers.
Which revision correctly fixes the comma splice, spelling, preposition choice, and parallel structure?
Researchers in Austin study the Mexican free-tailed bats that roost beneath the Congress Avenue Bridge. The bats emerge at dusk; they form dark streams over the river. Our team measured how the colony interacts with the urban environment and compared behavior at two sites. We noted that the bridge habitat is different than the nearby park in temperature and light. To reduce bias, the methods were to observe the colony, recording acoustic data, and measure air temperature for one hour each evening. From late spring through early fall, tourists gather along the railings to watch the nightly flight. The city's skyline provides a clear backdrop, which makes counting easier for volunteers.
Researchers in Austin study the Mexican free-tailed bats that roost beneath the Congress Avenue Bridge. The bats emerge at dusk; they form dark streams over the river. Our team measured how the colony interacts with the urban environment and compared behavior at two sites. We noted that the bridge habitat is different from the nearby park in temperature and light. To reduce bias, our methods included observing the colony, recording acoustic data, and measuring air temperature for one hour each evening. From late spring through early fall, tourists gather along the railings to watch the nightly flight. The city's skyline provides a clear backdrop, which makes counting easier for volunteers.
Researchers in Austin study the Mexican free-tailed bats that roost beneath the Congress Avenue Bridge. The bats emerge at dusk, they form dark streams over the river. Our team measured how the colony interacts with the urban enviroment and compared behavior at two sites. We noted that the bridge habitat is different from the nearby park in temperature and light. To reduce bias, our methods included observing the colony, recording acoustic data, and measuring air temperature for one hour each evening. From late spring through early fall, tourists gather along the railings to watch the nightly flight. The city's skyline provides a clear backdrop, which makes counting easier for volunteers.
Researchers in Austin study the Mexican free-tailed bats that roost beneath the Congress Avenue Bridge. The bats emerges at dusk; they form dark streams over the river. Our team measured how the colony interacts with the urban environment and compared behavior at two sites. We noted that the bridge habitat is different from the nearby park in temperature and light. To reduce bias, our methods included observing the colony, recording acoustic data, and measuring air temperature for one hour each evening. From late spring through early fall, tourists gather along the railings to watch the nightly flight. The city's skyline provides a clear backdrop, which makes counting easier for volunteers.
Explanation
Choice B fixes the comma splice with a semicolon, corrects environment spelling, uses the standard preposition (different from), and makes the list parallel with included + -ing forms. Other choices leave at least one error or introduce a new one.