Question

standardized test practice read each passage and decide which type of error, if any, appears in each underlined section. mark the letter for your answer on your paper. carlos looked suspiciously at his little brother, ry. ry was only seven, after all, and carlos wasnt sure a seven - year - old would be able to sustain an interest in playing music long enough to get it right. carlos carefully explained that all ry had to do was beat on the drum. he showed him the rhythm he needed. \as long as you keep it steady, everything will be fine, said carlos encouragingly. ry started beating on the drum. \is that okay?\ he asked. carlos agreed by picking up his clarinet and playing the melody he had invented that morning. the notes mixed in with the drums beat and became a song. \its music!\ cried ry, and missed a beat. \it sure was,\ said carlos. \well call ourselves the carter brothers band. lets take it again from the top.\ 1 a spelling error b capitalization error c punctuation error d no error 2 f spelling error g capitalization error h punctuation error j no error 3 a spelling error b capitalization error c punctuation error d no error 4 f spelling error g capitalization error h punctuation error j no error 5 a spelling error b capitalization error c punctuation error d no error 6 f spelling error g capitalization error h punctuation error j no error one day in 1992, ivan sillars, a news geology student, was walking along the coast of ireland. he came across a strange set of impressions in a stone that looked like footprints. there were 150 of these fossilized footprints, each about the size of a dogs foot. paleontologists believe that the tracks were left 360 million years ago by a tetrapod, one of the first creatures ever to walk rather than swim. the tetrapod walked through shallow water. scientists believe, at a time when ireland was south of the equator, just how an creatures fins became legs, and how it moved from the shallow up onto dry land, is still a mystery. 1 a spelling error b capitalization error c punctuation error d no error 2 f spelling error g capitalization error h punctuation error j no error 3 a spelling error b capitalization error c punctuation error d no error 4 f spelling error g capitalization error h punctuation error j no error 5 a spelling error b capitalization error c punctuation error d no error 6 f spelling error g capitalization error h punctuation error j no error

Explanation:

1. Underlined (1): "arms" is incorrect contextually; should be "seven" (spelling/usage error).
2. Underlined (2): "Music" is incorrectly capitalized (it is not a proper noun here).
3. Underlined (3): Missing closing quotation mark after "fine" (punctuation error).
4. Underlined (4): "beeting" is misspelled; correct is "beating" (spelling error).
5. Underlined (5): No error in this section.
6. Underlined (6): "Carter brothers Band" has incorrect capitalization; should be "Carter Brothers Band" (capitalization error).

For the right passage:

1. Underlined (1): "teen agers" is misspelled; correct is "teenagers" (spelling error).
2. Underlined (2): "impressions in a" has no error.
3. Underlined (3): "dugs" is misspelled; correct is "dog's" or "dogs'" (spelling error).
4. Underlined (4): "tetrapod one of" has no error.
5. Underlined (5): "sealed though" has no error.
6. Underlined (6): "moved from the shallow up onto dry land" has no error.

Answer:

Left Passage:

1. A. Spelling error
2. G. Capitalization error
3. C. Punctuation error
4. F. Spelling error
5. D. No error
6. G. Capitalization error

Right Passage:

1. A. Spelling error
2. J. No error
3. A. Spelling error
4. J. No error
5. D. No error
6. J. No error