PARCC Sentence Flow 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which revision best combines these choppy sentences? "The storm hit. It flooded the streets. People stayed home."
- When the storm hit, it flooded the streets, so people stayed home. (Correct answer)
- The storm hit and it flooded the streets and people stayed home.
- The storm hit, it flooded the streets, people stayed home.
- The storm hit; flooding streets; people home.
Correct answer: When the storm hit, it flooded the streets, so people stayed home.
Subordinating and coordinating the ideas creates smooth, logical flow.
Question 2: Which transition best shows contrast between two sentences?
- however (Correct answer)
- therefore
- furthermore
- meanwhile
Correct answer: however
"However" signals a contrast or opposing idea.
Question 3: Identify the run-on sentence.
- I finished my homework I went to bed. (Correct answer)
- After I finished my homework, I went to bed.
- I finished my homework, so I went to bed.
- I finished my homework; then I went to bed.
Correct answer: I finished my homework I went to bed.
Two independent clauses are joined without punctuation or a conjunction.
Question 4: Which sentence uses parallel structure correctly?
- She likes hiking, swimming, and biking. (Correct answer)
- She likes hiking, to swim, and biking.
- She likes to hike, swimming, and biked.
- She likes hike, swim, and to bike.
Correct answer: She likes hiking, swimming, and biking.
All three items share the same -ing form, creating parallelism.
Question 5: Where should a comma go to fix this sentence? "While we waited the rain stopped."
- After "waited" (Correct answer)
- After "While"
- After "rain"
- No comma is needed
Correct answer: After "waited"
A comma follows an introductory dependent clause.
Question 6: Which revision removes the redundancy? "The final outcome of the game ended in a tie."
- The game ended in a tie. (Correct answer)
- The final outcome ended in a tie game.
- The final game outcome was a tie ending.
- The outcome of the final tie game ended.
Correct answer: The game ended in a tie.
"Final outcome" and "ended" repeat the same idea, so trimming improves flow.
Question 7: Which sentence flows best by varying its opening?
- Quietly, the cat slipped through the open door. (Correct answer)
- The cat the cat slipped through the door.
- The cat slipped the cat through the door.
- Slipped the cat quietly door open through.
Correct answer: Quietly, the cat slipped through the open door.
Beginning with an adverb varies the sentence opener and reads smoothly.
