Answers and Explanations

B. all brands of bottled water are the same; many bottlers use. The sentence in question is a comma splice or run-on sentence because it links two independent clauses with a comma. To fix the error, you need to replace the comma with a semicolon, turn the clauses into two independent sentences by replacing the comma with a period, or capitalize many.

Choice (A) gives no change and is therefore wrong. Choice (B) is the only correct option offered. It inserts the semicolon in place of the comma. Choice (C) only removes the comma, which leaves the same grammar issue. And Choice (D) is grammatically correct but introduces a style issue by starting both clauses with but.
B. They merely have to. The mistake here is the antecedent for the pronoun starting this sentence. The pronoun refers to “many bottlers,” which is plural. Choice (B) is the only correct option: Change the pronoun to they. Choice (C) doesn’t address the error, while Choice (D) corrects the pronoun but fails to correct the verb.
C. It also removes some of the lead found in the water pipes of older buildings. This is a spelling error. The word led is the past tense for to lead. The sentence requires the word lead, which refers to the metal. Other options introduce new errors. The error the easiest to miss is Choice (D), where the sentence changes tense to the past, when everything else in the passage is in the present.
C. This system boils water, collects the steam, and condenses it into absolutely pure water. This is a parallelism error. The three verbs, boils, collects, and condenses, must all be in the same tense. The verb to correct is condensed (the only one in the past tense), which you do changing it to condenses (the present tense). Choice (D) also corrects the tense error, but it introduces a new error by dropping the comma in front of the conjunction and. The other choices don’t correct the error.
D. are carbonated, either naturally or artificially in the bottling process; carbonation can add. This sentence is an example of improper punctuation. It sets off an adverb clause with a semicolon when only a comma is required. Choice (B) creates a comma splice before the word carbonation, while Choice (C) creates a sentence fragment.
B. There are also more extensive systems available. In this case of there/their/they’re confusion, the correct choice is there. The word there, when used with the verb to be, refers to existence. Their shows possession, and they’re is the contraction of they are. Because the sentence is talking about the existence of more expensive systems, there is the correct choice.
charcoal blocks. The third paragraph states that charcoal blocks work better than loose charcoal filters to remove the taste of chlorine.
B. don't remove dissolved chemicals. The text states that ceramic filters remove all suspended particles but no dissolved chemicals. Choices (A) and (D) are wrong, since particles and spores are removed. Choice (C) is wrong because there is nothing in the passage to support that choice.
A. change the word fridge to refrigerator. When you’re writing an article, you should generally use more formal language. The word fridge is vernacular. The preferred word here is refrigerator. Choice (B) is a split infinitive; avoiding split infinitives isn’t a strict grammar rule, but introducing a split infinitive isn’t the best correction. Choices (C) and (D) are incorrect.
D. effective than loose charcoal filters, also removing traces. The second sentence isn’t a complete sentence; therefore, the only way to correct this example without a complete rewrite is to replace the period between filters and also with a comma. Adding a semicolon after the word filters (Choice (C)) doesn’t correct the error, and Choice (A) introduces a homonym error: effective versus affective. Because the article talks about results, effective is the proper word here. Choice (D) is the best answer.
B. Please find enclosed a proposal for an article on alternative schools. The error is improper capitalization. “Alternative schools” isn’t a title or name, so it shouldn’t be capitalized. The phrase “for your consideration” is unnecessary, and removing it improves the flow of the sentence. Choice (A) suggests no change, which leaves the error, while Choice (C) introduces a new error. Choice (D) is a possibility, but it introduces an article/noun agreement error. When taking an indefinite article, nouns starting with a vowel must use an.
C. Your publication is an ideal platform for an article on the alternative schools. This error is stylistic. The author is trying to convince the publication’s editors that this article is ideal for them. The better way to do that is to make a definite statement: “Your publication is an ideal platform.” Choice (B) is no better than the original, and Choice (D) leaves doubt about the possibility of publication in the future.
C. change our children to their children. The sentence contains an error, so Choice (A) is wrong. Choice (B) introduces a new grammar error, changing who to that. In this case, who is the correct pronoun. Choice (C) corrects the pronoun error. Parents is in the third person and requires a third person pronoun. Our is in the first person and is thus wrong. Choice (D) suggests the wrong tense.
B. My colleague and I are educators, with experience at all levels. Choice (B) is the correct version: In compound subjects with I or we, the I or we always comes second. Choice (A) offers no correction for the noun order error. Choice (C) introduces a capitalization error; Educators isn’t a title nor attached to a specific name or position, so it stays lowercase. Choice (D) corrects the word order but uses the wrong pronoun (me).
B. We have taught elementary and secondary, as well as university and adult education. This sentence has a parallelism error. The elementary and secondary teaching and the university and adult education must be parallel, and Choice (B) corrects that. Choice (C) creates several errors around the conjunction and. Choice (D) is the wrong tense because the letter introduces the authors and their experience. That experience is in the past.
D. We were both at various times Chairs of the District School Board’s Alternative Schools Advisory Council. Choice (D) is the correct option. Because chair is often used as a verb, the authors may have overlooked the fact that this sentence actually has no verb. The correction in Choice (B), the comma after times, isn’t required. Choice (C) misspells advisory.
C. We hope that this proposal is of interest and look forward to hearing from you. This example is an error of punctuation around a conjunction. We is the subject and performs two actions: hope and look. No punctuation is required before or after the conjunction and, so Choice (C) is best. If you chose Choice (D), you made a common error: thinking that and was serving as a coordinating conjunction joining two complete sentences. However, in this case, what comes after and isn’t a complete sentence.
B. change Copie Shoppe to copy shop. The words Copie Shoppe are quaint and may have been appropriate in Williamsburg 200 years ago, but unless this is the actual name of the shop, you should use the lowercase spelling copy shop. The next part of the passage refers to the shop as the Fast Copy Company, so you know that Copie Shoppe isn’t the business name.
C. change the semicolon after copiers to a comma. Joining the first clause to the second clause with a semicolon is an error because the first clause isn’t a complete sentence. Choice (C) corrects the mistake by setting off the first part of the sentence with a comma as a subordinate clause. Choice (B) doesn’t correct the error and introduces a new error: State-of-the-art is acting as a single adjective to copiers, and multiword adjectives are nearly always hyphenated. Choice (D) is incorrect because the first sentence is clearly describing the store, not the copiers.
A. replace historical with historic. The word historic conveys a sense of lasting importance. Historical, on the other hand, describes anything based on past events, such as a historical novel. Choice (B) is incorrect because you generally capitalize president only when it’s used before the person’s name, such as President Lincoln. Choice (C) is wrong because it creates a comma splice — joining two complete sentences with a comma and without a conjunction.
C. replace Bradley’s with Bradleys. Using ’s to create a plural is a common error. The comma in Choice (A) is unnecessary, and changing tenses as in Choice (B) isn’t required.
complement. The proper word is complement, which means a complete group. A compliment is a kind statement.
C. Change the sentence to: The captain went down with the Titanic, which had been considered virtually unsinkable. The participial phrase “considered virtually unsinkable” needs a clear antecedent. It will attach itself to the nearest noun. In this case, it suggests that the captain was virtually unsinkable. The clause “considered virtually unsinkable” is an unrestricted clause introduced by the pronoun which, meaning you can omit it without changing the meaning of the sentence. The pronoun which must be preceded by a comma. Choices (B) and (D) also introduce a different error by capitalizing “captain”. Because the captain is not mentioned by name, the word must be lower case unless at the beginning of the sentence.
B. The detectives could not identify the man; whom had they arrested? Substitute he or him in the phrase “had they arrested?” The person arrested is the direct object, so the associated pronoun must be in the objective case. The proper form is whom. Changing punctuation (Choice (C)) or replacing who with that (Choice (D)) creates different errors.
D. change sneeze to sneezes. The error in this sentence is one of proper verb usage with collective nouns. The noun group is a collective noun and is singular. It requires a singular verb. Choices (B) and (C) would work, but only if you changed both verbs to the same tense. Changing just one creates a new error.
A. The unarmed are suspicious of the armed, and the armed disdain the unarmed. The text clearly states the disdain and suspicion between the armed and unarmed. Although Choice (B) may be true, it has nothing to do with the question. Choices (C) and (D) are the opposite of what the text states.
D. They are disproportionate because the armed will never yield to the unarmed. The text contradicts Choices (A), (B), and (C), so Choice (D) is correct.
A. The art of war is the only means to power. The text states in many ways that arms and skills in war equal power. Choice (B) is only partially true. Machiavelli doesn’t discuss the relationship between war and society, only princes and war.
A. someone without power who is not a prince or leader. Machiavelli refers a number of times to someone who was a private person but became a prince, or princes who paid no attention to the art of war and became private persons. The inference, then, is that private people aren’t princes and not people with power. Choices (B), (C), and (D) aren’t supported by the text.
D. She is a simple country woman who wants to do the best job she can raising Tom. She’s a simple country woman with little education who has never had to raise a child. The pattern of speech reflects her background, and the statement about teaching an old dog new tricks refers to raising a child. Choice (A) is certainly wrong, and though she acknowledges she is an old fool (Choice (B)), that’s not the main point. Choice (C) isn’t supported by the text the way Choice (A) is.
The Good Book (the Bible). The speaker, Aunt Polly, refers to that line as a quote from the Good Book.
C. She fears she is not doing as the scriptures say, thus committing a sin. After the quote “spare the rod and spoil the child,” the speaker goes on to say, “I’m a laying up sin.” She is a good woman who wants to do the right thing. However, not being strict enough with Tom goes against Biblical rules as she understands them. Choices (A) and (B) may be partially correct but aren’t the best answer. The text never gives any indication that she wants Tom to work Sundays, so Choice (D) is wrong.
A. Her makes her laugh. Early in the text, she talks about how Tom handles her. There is no evidence he stays away from home. He may pull tricks on her, but that isn’t the best answer.
B. He’s full of the devil. Old Scratch was a term country people in Twain’s time used to refer to the devil. An old superstition warned against use the devil’s name for fear of conjuring him up. You have to infer that meaning from the context. Tom may be hyperactive, but that’s not the best choice. The text contradicts Choice (C), which also means Choice (D) must be wrong.
B. people sharing backgrounds. The text gives examples of common affinity: gender, sexual orientation, disability, and so on. They’re not allies of resource groups nor do they share best practices. Choice (D) simply doesn’t apply.
D. All of the above. None of the choices is a complete answer. The last paragraph states the purpose: It’s all of the items listed. Remember: Always choose the most complete answer based on the evidence in the text.
D. All of the above. Although not stated, the comment not to send documents unless requested is repeated. You can infer that the hiring agency doesn’t want to risk losing originals, won’t be able to return them, and most likely won’t need them until an interview. Choices (A), (B), and (C) are all correct inferences, so Choice (D) is your best choice.
D. Former military personnel may receive ten additional points toward their applications. The text states that veterans may claim a ten-point preference if they submit the appropriate forms. Choice (A) is wrong because having had a government job doesn’t necessarily make you a veteran. Choice (B) may be correct, but it’s not true until the person leaves the military. Choice (C) is correct but incomplete. That leaves Choice (D) as the best option.
A. Write a separate letter for each skill, ability, and knowledge area. The instructions state that you shouldn’t send job descriptions, so Choice (B) is wrong. That means Choice (D) is also wrong. Nowhere does the information ask for letters from former employers, so Choice (C) is also wrong. Choice (A) is the best answer.
Yes. The text lists the GED along with high school diplomas.
C. Conditions apply. Unemployment terms are dictated by the state and federal governments. The passage states that unemployed people must meet certain requirements. This text comes from is a federal government organization, so the rules are federal. It also asserts that state governments determine what constitutes “through no fault of their own.”
B. They may be continued for a limited period of time. The text states that unemployed workers have “the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by their group health plan for limited periods of time.” Choices (A) and (C) contradict this statement and are wrong. Because the answer does appear in the text, Choice (D) is also incorrect.
B. to ensure that buyers can determine whether “the deal” is actually a good deal. Although a few choices are partially correct, you must select the most correct answer. The item about “the deal” implies learning how to assess deals to ensure you’re really getting a valuable offer. Choice (B) is the most correct answer.
D. Interest compounds over time, earning extra income. The “magic of time” refers to compound interest and the effect it has on both savings and debt. Compounding significantly increases long term earnings. The other choices may be partially correct but aren’t the best answer.
B. Many students don’t know that different employment payment methods are available. Choice (D) is partially correct, while Choice (A) is true but doesn't answer the question. Choice (C) may also be true but doesn't explain why these different ways of earning a living are important enough to have individual headings. Choice (B) is the best, most complete, answer.
C. my mother-in-law’s car. When creating the possessive form of compound nouns, you apply the apostrophe and s to the last word, so the correct answer here is “mother-in-law’s.”
B. to avoid emotional attachments between children and parents. Douglass states that the only purpose he can see is “to blunt and destroy the natural affection” between mother and child. Choices (A) and (C) are partially correct but not the best answers. Choice (D) is wrong because there is nothing in the text to support that idea.
A. one who allows a slave to be absent from the fields at dawn. The text specifically refers to owners who do not whip slaves who aren’t in the fields at dawn (when Douglass talks about his mother visiting him at night). The other choices may be partially correct, but nothing in the text supports these choices.
A. hours or days. The text states that weather refers to the events that last for only hours or days, as opposed to climate, which is the average weather conditions over many years.
climate. Climate is the average of weather conditions over many years, while weather varies from day to day.

Sample Extended Response

Here’s an example of an essay in response to the articles about higher education. Your essay will look different, but this example can help you compare your response to a well-structured essay. Your essay may raise many of the same points that this essay does and perhaps be organized differently, but above all, it should be well organized with a clear introduction, conclusion, and supporting evidence.

Compare the following sample to the response you wrote, and check out Chapter 8 for the scoring criteria and what evaluators look for in a response.

The two passages present different views. One argues that municipal water is safe, the other that municipal water can’t be trusted. Both passages present some facts to back their positions, but passage two presents the stronger case.
Both passages present some data to support their arguments. Passage one argues that municipal water supplies cannot be trusted. It states that trace chemicals remain despite all filtration. It further argues that the EPA monitors only a few chemicals in the water supply. It states that many trace elements remain in the water, including medication, pesticides and industrial pollution.
However, passage two contradicts part of this. It states that the EPA has standards for over 60 chemicals. It discusses some specific examples of chemicals and bacteria in the water, and it states that the EPA monitors to ensure the water supply reduces these to safe levels. It also mentions the use of charcoal to remove chemicals and the replacement of chlorine with ozone or ultraviolet light. All these steps remove trace pollutants. These statements are specific and strongly contradict passage one, making a stronger case.
The safety of the water supply is reinforced by the second passage’s argument that water filtration has eliminated outbreaks of diseases spread by municipal water. The data for that is old, but still valid. The second passage also uses the fact that water bottlers use city water to makes a strong case for its safety.
Both passages even address the issue of foul-smelling and bad-tasting water. People are naturally concerned when city water smells or tastes bad. The first passage suggests filtration to remove odors and lead. The second passage explains that taste and odor are not a safety issue. It identifies the source of the odor and taste, which is reassuring and reinforces the case that municipal water is safe.
The first passage discusses the use of additional filters in the home. It argues that extra filters are the only way to ensure that trace contaminants are removed. The second passage does not deal specifically with the issue of pesticide or medication residues. However, the first passage does not explain at what levels these contaminants are found, only that there are traces. By definition, trace contaminants are just that, traces. Nothing in the first passage explains why people need to be worried about traces of chemicals. Only one statement suggests that these trace amounts might be harmful, and even that offers no supporting evidence.
The second passage makes a more convincing case because it presents more evidence. It has clear examples of EPA standards and of efforts to deal with lead in pipes. It also successfully addresses taste and odor problems. The other passage never expands on the one area of concern it does present, the presence of trace contaminants. The second passage makes the better case.

Answers and Explanations for the RLA Practice Test

Answers and Explanations

Sample Extended Response

Answer Key