SHSAT Sunset

Practice Test

Wordy, vague or informal

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Question 1 of 14

2026 Practice Test B English, question 45
Passage The End of an Era

The End of an Era

(1) In 2004, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) landed a rover, or robotic vehicle, named Opportunity on the surface of Mars. (2) The rover’s mission was to search for evidence of water and life on the planet. (3) The rover was designed to gather data on Mars for about 90 days, but Opportunity’s assignment did not come to an end until nearly 15 years later in 2019.

(4) During the rover’s mission, a high-resolution camera on the rover’s robotic arm took magnified photographs of the surface of Mars. (5) The photographs revealed small round rocks scattered across the surface of the planet. (6) The scientists nicknamed these rocks “blueberries” based on the rocks’ resemblance to the fruit. (7) These rocks were important because their spherical shape suggested that liquid water may have flowed over them for a substantial amount of time.

(8) Opportunity continued to provide valuable data about craters and other surface features. (9) Throughout the mission, the rover traveled a total of 28.06 miles across Mars’ surface. (10) When Opportunity had traveled nearly the length of a marathon, scientists celebrated the accomplishment by naming the valley that the rover was in Marathon Valley. (11) However, in 2018, a dust storm spread all over the planet, putting the rover’s progress on hold.

(12) Prior to this planet-wide dust storm, minor dust storms had periodically deposited a layer of dust onto the solar panels of the rover. (13) These prevented it from charging its batteries. (14) Scientists then had to rely on the passing winds and dust devils to clean off the solar panels. (15) After the massive 2018 dust storm subsided, scientists expected to be able to reestablish communication with Opportunity. (16) They made repeated attempts but to no avail. (17) In 2019, NASA finally declared Opportunity’s mission complete.

(18) Opportunity was an important asset in scientists’ study of Mars; it returned valuable data about our neighbor planet and survived powerful dust storms. (19) NASA described the mission of Opportunity as “one of the most successful and enduring feats of interplanetary exploration.” (20) Even though this rover’s journey ended, other rovers still roam the surface of Mars.

Question

Which revision of sentence 11 best maintains the formal style established in the passage?

  • AHowever, in 2018, a dust storm covered the planet, bringing the rover’s progress to a standstill.
  • BHowever, in 2018, a dust storm shrouded the planet, impermanently halting the rover’s progress.
  • CHowever, in 2018, a dust storm enveloped the whole of the planet, arresting the rover’s progress for a time.
  • DHowever, in 2018, a dust storm covered up the whole planet, which quickly brought a stop to the progress of the rover.
Show the answer

Correct answer: A

The question asks for the revision of sentence 11 that best maintains the formal style established in the passage.

A. CORRECT. This sentence uses clear and formal writing throughout. The phrase “covered the planet” is accurate and formal without being overly poetic, and “standstill” is a precise word for putting something “on hold,” as expressed by the original sentence, while maintaining the formal style of the passage.

B. Incorrect. Although the sentence is formal in style, the word “shrouded” is overly poetic, and the phrase “impermanently halting” is too stilted and formal for the style and tone of the passage.

C. Incorrect. Although the sentence is formal in style, the words “enveloped” and “arresting” are overly poetic, especially when used in the same sentence, and the phrases “the whole of the planet” and “for a time” are needlessly wordy and imprecise, compared with the formal scientific language of the passage.

D. Incorrect. The phrases “covered up the whole planet” and “quickly brought a stop to the progress of the rover” are less formal and unnecessarily wordy, compared with the formal style established by the rest of the passage.

Question analysis

This style question asks which revision of sentence 11, about the 2018 dust storm that covered Mars and stopped the Opportunity rover, best maintains the formal style of the passage. All four versions say the same thing, so students must compare word choice and wordiness and decide which one reads like the rest of the passage.

NYS standards
  • 7W2f informative writing style
  • 7L3a precise and concise language
Grade level
Grade 8 reading and task
Compared with grade 7
Above grade 7 Keeping a formal style is grade 7 writing work, usually tested by spotting slang or casual wording. Here all four revisions keep the meaning and differ in register by degrees, so students must judge the passage's own style closely, more than typical.
Estimated difficulty
Hard: combines ideas, needs a plan, and has more than one tempting wrong answer.
Evidence
Answered from one sentence or line
Reading level
Passage: about grade 11, 337 words; question and choices: about grade 9, 80 words.
Students, last 30 days
Not enough answers yet to show (it takes 10).
Why it is hard, traps and wrong answers (shows the answer)

Why it is hard

The question turns on what “formal” means. Many students equate it with impressive words and choose the revision with “enveloped” and “arresting,” or the one with “shrouded,” missing that both are more poetic than a passage that reports dates and distances. The casual revision is easy to reject, so the real test is preferring the plainest formal sentence to the grandest one.

  1. Something you must already know moderate Working it out

    Students must know that a formal informational style is plain and precise, so words such as “shrouded,” “enveloped” and “arresting” are too ornate for a passage that reports miles and dates. (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001)

  2. Every choice must be checked moderate Choosing the answer

    All four revisions keep the meaning of sentence 11 and differ only in register and length, so each must be heard against the passage’s voice rather than checked for errors. (Embretson & Wetzel, 1987)

  3. Hard words minor Understanding the question

    “Impermanently,” “shrouded” and “arresting,” in its sense of stopping, are uncommon words, and students must judge how they sound in the passage, not only what they mean. (Perfetti, 2007; Freedle & Kostin, 1993)

Strategy: Reread a few sentences around sentence 11 to hear the passage's voice, then check each revision for casual phrasing, needless words and words that would sound out of place in that voice.

Traps

The wrong answers, classified

How the questions are analyzed, and the research behind it

Working it out, step by step

  1. Figure out what the question asks

    This question asks which version of sentence 11 keeps the passage’s formal style. Formal writing is serious and clear, like a textbook. It avoids slang and casual words. But formal doesn’t mean fancy. Formal writing about science uses plain, exact words. For example, The game got called off is casual. The contest was halted indefinitely is too fancy. The game was canceled is formal and plain.

  2. Hear the passage’s voice

    Sentence 9 says “the rover traveled a total of 28.06 miles across Mars’ surface.” Sentence 12 says minor storms “deposited a layer of dust onto the solar panels.” The words are exact and plain. The passage gives dates and numbers. It doesn’t paint poetic pictures.

  3. Check each revision

    • A is right. “Covered the planet” is plain and exact. A standstill is a complete stop, a clear way to say “on hold.”
    • B is wrong. “Shrouded” is poetic. A shroud is a cloth wrapped around a body. “Impermanently halting” sounds stiff and odd.
    • C is wrong. “Enveloped” and “arresting” are fancy words. Here arresting means stopping. “The whole of the planet” and “for a time” add extra words.
    • D is wrong. “Covered up” is casual. “Brought a stop to the progress of the rover” is wordy, or longer than it needs to be.

    Watch out: Many students think formal means big words, so they choose C. But a passage of dates and miles calls for plain words.

  4. Choose the answer

    Only A is both formal and plain, like the rest of the passage. So the answer is A: “However, in 2018, a dust storm covered the planet, bringing the rover’s progress to a standstill.”

Why this answer and not the closest wrong one

C is the closest wrong answer, because it has no slang and sounds serious. But “enveloped” and “arresting” are poetic, and “the whole of the planet” is wordy. The passage reports facts in plain words. A says the same thing in the plainest formal way.

More questions like this

The original DOE question
Question 45 as shown on the DOE’s digital test, page 63 of its printable version.
As printed in the DOE’s printable version of 2026 Practice Test B English, page 63, question 45.
The passage “The End of an Era” as printed (page 60)The passage “The End of an Era” as printed on page 60 of the DOE handbook.

Question 2 of 14

2026 Practice Test B English, question 47

Uses the passage above: “The End of an Era”.

Question

What is the best way to combine sentences 12 and 13?

  • APreventing the rover from charging its batteries, minor dust storms had periodically deposited a layer of dust onto the solar panels of the rover prior to this planet-wide dust storm.
  • BPeriodically depositing a layer of dust onto the solar panels of the rover prior to this planet-wide dust storm, minor dust storms had prevented it from charging its batteries.
  • CMinor dust storms, prior to this planet-wide dust storm, prevented the rover from charging its batteries because they had periodically deposited a layer of dust onto the solar panels of the rover.
  • DPrior to this planet-wide dust storm, minor dust storms had periodically deposited a layer of dust onto the solar panels of the rover, preventing it from charging its batteries.
Show the answer

Correct answer: D

The question asks for the best way to combine sentences 12 and 13.

A. Incorrect. The phrase “this planet-wide dust storm” in the original sentence 12 makes a direct reference to sentence 11 and therefore acts as a transition that should be kept at the beginning. In this sentence, the transition phrase is placed at the end of the sentence, making the phrase confusing. In addition, the sentence is unnecessarily repetitive and wordy.

B. Incorrect. This combination unnecessarily turns sentence 12 into an overly long participial phrase, making the connection between “it” and its antecedent, “the rover,” unclear and distracting from the subject of the sentence, “minor dust storms.”

C. Incorrect. Not only does this combination move the reference to “this planet-wide dust storm” farther from sentence 11, but it is also unnecessarily wordy, adding “because” and repeating “the rover.”

D. CORRECT. This sentence efficiently and accurately adds sentence 13 to sentence 12 as a participial phrase by changing “These prevented” to “preventing,” while also retaining the meanings of the original sentences 12 and 13.

Question analysis

This sentence-combining question asks for the best way to join two sentences from the rover passage: one saying minor dust storms had periodically coated the rover's solar panels, the other saying this kept it from charging its batteries. The four versions keep the same facts in different orders, so students must judge which is clearest and most concise in context.

NYS standards
  • 7L1 grammar and usage conventions
  • 7L3a precise and concise language
Grade level
Grade 8 reading and task
Compared with grade 7
Above grade 7 Combining two sentences is grade 7 work, usually with one version clearly better. These four are long, keep the same facts and differ in order and wording, so students must weigh clarity and concision across nearly identical sentences, more than typical.
Estimated difficulty
Hard: combines ideas, needs a plan, and has more than one tempting wrong answer.
Evidence
Answered from one sentence or line
Reading level
Passage: about grade 11, 337 words; question and choices: about grade 13, 129 words.
Corrected from the DOE handbook
  • Two grammar terms in the explanation were corrected.
Students, last 30 days
Not enough answers yet to show (it takes 10).
Why it is hard, traps and wrong answers (shows the answer)

Why it is hard

None of the versions is plainly ungrammatical, so the ear gives little help, and the version with “because” looks best to students who value a clearly stated cause. Its cost is wordiness and a weaker link: the result comes first and the reference back to sentence 11 is buried mid-sentence. The question rewards keeping the original order, cause then effect, and folding sentence 13 in as a short closing phrase.

  1. How sentences fit together moderate Working it out

    “Prior to this planet-wide dust storm” points back to sentence 11, so the best version keeps it first; three versions move it later, which loosens the link between the two sentences. (Halliday & Hasan, 1976)

  2. Every choice must be checked moderate Choosing the answer

    All four versions keep every fact of sentences 12 and 13 and run 29 to 32 words, so none can be ruled out by content; order, pronouns and repetition decide. (Embretson & Wetzel, 1987)

  3. Complex sentences minor Understanding the question

    Each version is one long sentence built around a participial phrase or a “because” clause, and at that length a stranded “it” or a doubled “the rover” is easy to miss. (Abedi & Lord, 2001; Freedle & Kostin, 1993; Messick, 1989)

Strategy: Read sentence 11 first, then compare the versions on how smoothly each connects to it, how many words it uses, and whether every pronoun has a clear antecedent.

Traps

The wrong answers, classified

What was corrected from the DOE handbook, and why

  • Explanation: The DOE’s explanation of Option B says the combination turns sentence 12 into “an overly long dependent clause,” and its explanation of Option D says Option D adds sentence 13 to sentence 12 “as a dependent clause” by changing “These prevented” to “preventing.” Neither is a clause: “Periodically depositing a layer of dust onto the solar panels of the rover prior to this planet-wide dust storm” (Option B) and “preventing it from charging its batteries” (Option D) have no subject or finite verb of their own. Both are participial phrases, and the site now calls them that. The reasoning and the answer, Option D, are unchanged.

How the questions are analyzed, and the research behind it

Working it out, step by step

  1. Figure out what the question asks

    This question asks for the best way to join sentences 12 and 13 into one sentence. The best version keeps the meaning, uses few words and is clear. It should also connect smoothly to sentence 11, the sentence before.

  2. Read the sentences in order

    Sentence 11 tells about the giant 2018 dust storm. Sentence 12 begins “Prior to this planet-wide dust storm.” Prior to means before. That phrase points back to sentence 11, so it works best at the start. Sentence 12 says small storms put dust on the solar panels. Sentence 13 gives the result: “These prevented it from charging its batteries.”

  3. Learn the tool: a participial phrase

    A participial phrase is a group of words built on a verb form, often an -ing word. It describes something, but it has no subject and can’t stand alone. Example: The dog ran to the door. It wagged its tail. becomes The dog ran to the door, wagging its tail. Choice D does this. It turns “These prevented” into “preventing.”

  4. Check each choice

    • A is wrong. It starts with the result. It moves “prior to this planet-wide dust storm” to the end, far from sentence 11. It also says “the rover” twice.
    • B is wrong. Its long opening phrase hides the rover. Then “it” comes after “minor dust storms,” so it is hard to tell what “it” means.
    • C is wrong. It adds “because,” puts the result first and says “the rover” twice. It is wordier than D.
    • D is right. It keeps the link to sentence 11 first, gives the cause, then adds the result as a short participial phrase.

    Watch out: C looks clear because “because” names the cause. But it is longer, and it puts an extra phrase between “Minor dust storms” and its verb.

  5. Choose the answer

    So the answer is D: “Prior to this planet-wide dust storm, minor dust storms had periodically deposited a layer of dust onto the solar panels of the rover, preventing it from charging its batteries.”

Why this answer and not the closest wrong one

C is the closest wrong answer, because “because” makes the cause very clear. But C puts the result first and repeats “the rover.” D keeps the original order, cause then result. It also keeps the link to sentence 11 up front, in fewer words.

More questions like this

The original DOE question
Question 47 as shown on the DOE’s digital test, page 65 of its printable version.
As printed in the DOE’s printable version of 2026 Practice Test B English, page 65, question 47. This is the DOE’s version, before the corrections listed in the analysis.

Question 3 of 14

2026 Practice Test C English, question 44
Passage New York City and the Hudson Valley Brickmaking Industry

New York City and the Hudson Valley Brickmaking Industry

(1) Residents of New York City cannot help but notice that the buildings they are surrounded by are predominantly made of brick. (2) Indeed, one author described the bricks that make up some of New York City’s most recognizable landmarks, including the Empire State Building and the arches of the Brooklyn Bridge, as “an inescapable presence.” (3) Nearly 65 million people visit New York City every year to see these and other attractions. (4) Why was so much brick used in buildings constructed during the century before World War II? (5) The answer involves an explosion in New York City’s population that caused an increase in demand for bricks starting in the mid-1800s and lasting into the 1940s that affected the area more than 100 miles up the Hudson River Valley toward Albany. (6) When demand later declined, the industry would entirely disappear.

(7) New York City’s appetite for brick was fueled by surging population and demand for safer building materials. (8) The city’s population ballooned from about 313,000 people in 1840 to more than 7 million a century later. (9) Following large, destructive fires in the 1830s, the city had enacted laws requiring the use of fire-resistant materials. (10) Bricks turned out to be an inexpensive way for builders to quickly throw together a lot of structures while keeping building owners and safety inspectors happy.

(11) The brickmaking industry in the Hudson Valley skyrocketed. (12) At the industry’s peak, approximately 130 brick factories crammed themselves into a 120-mile stretch along the Hudson River. (13) These factories employed much of the region’s population. (14) Population growth in the Hudson River Valley after the mid-1800s was substantial, though percentage increases were smaller than those in New York City. (15) Even though the factories operated only during the summers, their production was immense. (16) Hudson Valley factories shipped over a billion bricks on barges down the river to New York City annually. (17) In fact, The New York Times declared, “It’s fairly safe to assume that any brick building constructed between 1800 and 1950 includes some form of sediment from the banks of the Hudson River.”

(18) History has proven, however, that boom times eventually end. (19) Shifting architectural trends halted not only the Hudson Valley’s brickmaking boom, but its entire industry. (20) Starting early in the twentieth century, architects and builders increasingly favored steel, glass, and concrete instead of brick. (21) By 1979, reduced demand for brick had driven every Hudson Valley brick factory out of business.

(22) The Hudson Valley’s brickmaking legacy lives on in the architecture of New York City. (23) Throughout the city, famous and ordinary buildings stand as evidence of the remarkable productivity achieved by the Valley’s brickmakers. (24) The brick buildings surrounding New Yorkers today serve as a reminder that, as one amateur brick historian put it, “The skyline of New York City used to be the landscape of the Hudson River Valley.”

Question

Which revision of sentence 10 would best maintain the style established in the passage?

  • ABuilders turned to brick, which was an affordable material that met safety standards while satisfying the city’s large demand for buildings.
  • BFiguring out that bricks were inexpensive, builders used tons of them to satisfy inspectors and the city’s desperate construction needs.
  • CBuilders favored brick as a pleasingly economical way to meet significant construction demand while following municipal regulations.
  • DOnce builders realized that low-cost brick was a law-abiding way to meet the city’s building needs, they hardly ever used any other materials.
Show the answer

Correct answer: A

The question asks for the revision of sentence 10 that would best maintain the style established in the passage.

A. CORRECT. This sentence maintains the style established in the passage because it uses clear, precise, and formal language. The phrases “affordable material” and “met safety standards” are accurate and appropriate to the historical and technical context. The word “satisfying” is a precise replacement for “keeping building owners . . . happy” from the original sentence, preserving both the meaning and the formal tone of the passage.

B. Incorrect. Although the sentence conveys the same basic ideas as the passage, the phrases “Figuring out” and “tons of them” are informal and inconsistent with the passage’s formal style. In addition, the word “desperate” introduces a subjective and emotional tone, whereas the passage maintains an objective, fact-based style.

C. Incorrect. Although this sentence incorporates some formal vocabulary, the phrase “pleasingly economical” introduces an opinion that is inconsistent with formal historical writing. The passage’s style avoids subjective language and focuses on precise, factual descriptions of events and conditions. The phrase “municipal regulations” is also more technical and at the same time less clear and precise than the style established in the passage.

D. Incorrect. This sentence does not maintain the passage’s formal style because the phrase “law-abiding way” is awkward and informal for a historical description, and the expression “hardly ever” is conversational. The passage uses precise, objective language when describing building practices and material choices, avoiding casual or conversational phrasing.

Question analysis

This style question asks which revision of sentence 10 of the passage “New York City and the Hudson Valley Brickmaking Industry” best keeps the passage’s style. The original says bricks let builders “quickly throw together a lot of structures” while keeping owners and inspectors “happy.” Students compare four rewrites for wording that sounds casual, emotional or out of place.

NYS standards
  • 7W2f informative writing style
  • 7L3a precise and concise language
Grade level
Grade 7 reading and task
Compared with grade 7
At grade 7 Choosing wording that fits a passage’s formal style is regular grade 7 writing work. The four rewrites are single sentences on a familiar subject, but they differ in small word choices that must each be weighed, a typical grade 7 demand.
Estimated difficulty
Moderate: several steps, or a close reading with one strong distractor.
Evidence
Answered from one sentence or line
Reading level
Passage: about grade 12, 465 words; question and choices: about grade 13, 94 words.
Corrected from the DOE handbook
  • A misquotation of the passage in the explanation was corrected.
Students, last 30 days
Not enough answers yet to show (it takes 10).
Why it is hard, traps and wrong answers (shows the answer)

Why it is hard

Sentence 10 is the passage’s most casual sentence, so the task is to raise its register without overshooting. Students who equate formality with long words fall for the rewrite with “pleasingly economical” and “municipal regulations,” which sounds official but adds an opinion. Others overlook the chatty “tons of them,” or miss that “hardly ever used any other materials” claims more than the original does. The plain, accurate key can look too ordinary to be best.

  1. A very close wrong answer moderate Choosing the answer

    The “pleasingly economical” rewrite carries the same three ideas as the key, low cost, heavy demand and the rules, in grander words; only its opinion word and the stiffer “municipal regulations” set it apart. (Embretson & Wetzel, 1987; Gorin & Embretson, 2006; Ascalon et al., 2007)

  2. Every choice must be checked minor Choosing the answer

    Each rewrite hides its off-key words among neutral ones, “tons of them” and “desperate,” “pleasingly,” “hardly ever,” so every phrase must be checked, not the overall sound. (Embretson & Wetzel, 1987)

  3. Something you must already know minor Working it out

    Students must already know what counts as formal written English, and the passage’s own lively verbs, “ballooned,” “skyrocketed” and “crammed themselves,” make its style harder to pin down. (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001)

Strategy: Spot what makes sentence 10 sound casual, then check every phrase of each rewrite, not just its overall sound, for chatty, emotional or opinionated wording, and make sure the facts stay the same.

Traps

The wrong answers, classified

What was corrected from the DOE handbook, and why

  • Explanation: The handbook’s explanation of Option A calls “satisfying” a replacement for “keeping owners happy” from the original sentence. Sentence 10 ends “while keeping building owners and safety inspectors happy,” so the site now quotes “keeping building owners . . . happy.”

How the questions are analyzed, and the research behind it

Working it out, step by step

  1. Figure out what the question asks

    This question is about style, the way a passage sounds. You need a new version of sentence 10 that sounds like the rest of the passage. The passage is an informational article. It uses clear, serious, factual language. It has no slang or chatty phrases, and the writer doesn’t share feelings.

  2. Spot the casual words in sentence 10

    Sentence 10 says: “Bricks turned out to be an inexpensive way for builders to quickly throw together a lot of structures while keeping building owners and safety inspectors happy.” Three phrases sound like everyday talk: “throw together,” “a lot of,” and “keeping … happy.” Here is the rule with a made-up example. Casual: The kids threw together a ton of posters. Formal: The students quickly made many posters.

  3. See how A keeps the meaning

    Choice A says the same things in formal words. “Inexpensive” becomes “affordable material.” Keeping the safety inspectors happy becomes “met safety standards.” The word “satisfying” takes the place of keeping the building owners happy. And the many buildings become the city’s “large demand for buildings.” Nothing is added, and no feelings slip in.

  4. Check each choice

    • A is right. It is clear, exact and serious, like the rest of the passage.
    • B is wrong. “Figuring out” and “tons of them” are chatty. “Desperate” adds strong feeling.
    • C is wrong. “Pleasingly” gives the writer’s opinion. “Municipal regulations” is stiff and less clear than plain words like city rules.
    • D is wrong. “Hardly ever” is chatty, and “law-abiding way” is awkward. It also claims builders almost never used other materials. Sentence 10 never says that.

    Watch out: C uses long, official-sounding words, so it can seem the most formal. But formal writing still avoids opinions.

  5. Choose the answer

    Only one version sounds like the rest of the passage and keeps the meaning. So the answer is A, “Builders turned to brick, which was an affordable material that met safety standards while satisfying the city’s large demand for buildings.”

Why this answer and not the closest wrong one

C is the closest wrong answer. It carries the same three ideas as A: low cost, high demand and the rules. But “pleasingly economical” tells you how the writer feels about brick. The passage reports facts and doesn’t judge. A says the same things plainly and without an opinion.

More questions like this

The original DOE question
Question 44 as shown on the DOE’s digital test, page 65 of its printable version.
As printed in the DOE’s printable version of 2026 Practice Test C English, page 65, question 44. This is the DOE’s version, before the corrections listed in the analysis.
The passage “New York City and the Hudson Valley Brickmaking Industry” as printed (page 64)The passage “New York City and the Hudson Valley Brickmaking Industry” as printed on page 64 of the DOE handbook.

Question 4 of 14

2026 Practice Test C English, question 46

Uses the passage above: “New York City and the Hudson Valley Brickmaking Industry”.

Question

Which phrase should be added to the beginning of sentence 11 to provide the best transition from the ideas in sentence 10?

  • AWhile adapting to new uses for brick,
  • BBecause the building boom preferred brick,
  • CAs a result of New York City’s building boom,
  • DAlthough reliance on brick became the norm,
Show the answer

Correct answer: C

The question asks which phrase should be added to the beginning of sentence 11 to provide the best transition from the ideas in sentence 10.

A. Incorrect. The phrase “While adapting to new uses for brick” is not the best transition to place at the beginning of sentence 11 because it does not accurately describe the content of sentence 10. Although sentence 10 conveys that brick was a low-cost way for builders to adapt to two new demands—New York City’s need for a lot of new buildings and its recently changed fire-safety laws—neither sentence 10 nor any of the preceding sentences in the second paragraph (sentences 7–10) indicate that builders found any new ways to use bricks. The focus is on the amount of bricks used, rather than any changes in how the builders used them.

B. Incorrect. Although the phrase “Because the building boom preferred brick” accurately indicates a cause-and-effect relationship between builders using a lot of bricks and the skyrocketing brick production mentioned in sentence 11, it overstates the position of builders described in sentence 10. While sentence 10 says that builders found bricks to be a low-cost way of meeting several needs, it does not say that builders actually preferred to use bricks. In addition, the phrase is awkward and imprecise because a “building boom” cannot literally “prefer” something. Thus, this is not the best transition phrase to add to sentence 11.

C. CORRECT. The transition phrase “As a result of New York City’s building boom” clearly conveys the cause-and-effect relationship between sentence 10, which describes a trend among New York City’s builders to use a lot of bricks to “quickly throw together a lot of structures while keeping building owners and safety inspectors happy,” and sentence 11, which points out a result of the building trend: brickmaking skyrocketed in the nearby Hudson River Valley.

D. Incorrect. The word “although” in the transition phrase “Although reliance on brick became the norm,” incorrectly indicates an opposing relationship that does not exist between the ideas in sentences 10 and 11. Sentence 10 explains how using a lot of bricks helped New York City’s builders meet the demands of a building boom and new safety regulations. As sentence 16 details, many of the bricks made in the Hudson River Valley were shipped “down the river to New York City.” Thus, it is not logical that the skyrocketing growth of the brickmaking industry in the Hudson River Valley described in sentence 11 happened “although” or despite New York City builders using a lot of brick. Therefore, this transition is not the best one to place at the beginning of sentence 11.

Question analysis

This transition question asks which phrase should open sentence 11 of the brickmaking passage, where the third paragraph begins with the Hudson Valley industry that “skyrocketed,” to connect it with sentence 10 about how New York City’s builders used brick. Students must name the relationship between the two paragraphs, and more than one phrase sounds reasonable on a first reading.

NYS standards
  • 7W2d transitions in informative writing
Grade level
Grade 7 reading and task
Compared with grade 7
At grade 7 Choosing a transition that shows how ideas relate is standard grade 7 writing work. Here the link crosses from one paragraph to the next, and each phrase must be checked for the relationship it signals and for accurate wording, a typical grade 7 demand.
Estimated difficulty
Moderate: several steps, or a close reading with one strong distractor.
What makes it hard
Evidence
Answered from several paragraphs or stanzas
Reading level
Passage: about grade 12, 465 words; question and choices: about grade 5, 49 words.
Students, last 30 days
Not enough answers yet to show (it takes 10).
Why it is hard, traps and wrong answers (shows the answer)

Why it is hard

Most students sense that the Hudson Valley boom follows from New York City’s appetite for brick, which rules out the contrast of “Although” quickly. The real decision is between two phrases that both signal a cause: one names the building boom accurately, the other gives the boom a preference it cannot have and that sentence 10 never states. The question rewards checking a transition’s own words as well as the relationship it signals.

  1. How sentences fit together moderate Working it out

    The phrase must bridge two paragraphs: sentence 10 ends the account of New York City’s builders turning to brick, and sentence 11 opens with the Hudson Valley industry that “skyrocketed,” its result. (Halliday & Hasan, 1976)

  2. A very close wrong answer moderate Choosing the answer

    The “Because the building boom preferred brick” phrase signals the same cause and effect as the key; only its wording, a boom that “preferred” something, separates the two. (Embretson & Wetzel, 1987; Gorin & Embretson, 2006; Ascalon et al., 2007)

Strategy: Before reading the phrases, name how sentence 11 relates to sentences 7–10, then pick the phrase that signals that relationship and is also accurate and logical in its own words.

Traps

  • Wrong transition: A connecting word or phrase that signals the wrong relationship, such as contrast where the idea continues.
  • Changes the meaning: A revision is correct English but no longer says what the writer meant.
  • Wordy, vague or informal: A revision is grammatical but wordy, imprecise or too casual for the passage.

The wrong answers, classified

How the questions are analyzed, and the research behind it

Working it out, step by step

  1. Figure out what the question asks

    A transition is a word or phrase that shows how two ideas connect. You need one to start sentence 11. It must show how sentence 11 follows from sentence 10. It must also make sense in its own words.

  2. Read sentences 10 and 11

    Sentence 10 says bricks were a cheap way for builders “to quickly throw together a lot of structures.” That ends a paragraph about New York City’s huge demand for brick. Sentence 11 starts a new paragraph: “The brickmaking industry in the Hudson Valley skyrocketed.” Skyrocketed means it grew very fast.

  3. Name the link between them

    Why did the brick industry grow so fast? Because New York City was building so much with brick. So sentence 10 is the cause, and sentence 11 is the effect. Here is a made-up example: It rained all week. As a result, the river rose. You need a phrase that shows cause and effect, in accurate words.

  4. Check each phrase

    • A is wrong. The passage never mentions “new uses for brick.” Builders used more brick, not new kinds. “While” also hides the cause.
    • B is wrong. It shows cause and effect, but a building boom can’t “prefer” anything. Only people can. And sentence 10 says brick was cheap, not that builders liked it best.
    • C is right. “As a result of” shows cause and effect. A building boom, a time of very fast building, matches sentences 7–10.
    • D is wrong. “Although” signals a contrast, a turn against the idea before. There is no contrast here.

    Watch out: B gets the link right. Its words are what make it wrong.

  5. Choose the answer

    With the phrase in place, sentence 11 reads: As a result of New York City’s building boom, the brickmaking industry in the Hudson Valley skyrocketed. So the answer is C, “As a result of New York City’s building boom,”

Why this answer and not the closest wrong one

B is the closest wrong answer. Like C, it shows that the Valley’s growth was caused by the building boom. But it says the boom “preferred” brick, as if a boom could have opinions. Sentence 10 also never says brick was preferred. C names the cause in clear, accurate words.

More questions like this

The original DOE question
Question 46 as shown on the DOE’s digital test, page 67 of its printable version.
As printed in the DOE’s printable version of 2026 Practice Test C English, page 67, question 46.

Question 5 of 14

2026 Practice Test D English, question 37
Passage Martial Arts for the Mind and Body

Martial Arts for the Mind and Body

(1) The martial arts blend a series of physical movements with strategic mental discipline so that practitioners can defend themselves, physically defeat an opponent, or both. (2) Historians are unsure of exactly when and where martial arts were first used. (3) Martial arts have been practiced by several different societies for many centuries. (4) Martial arts such as karate, kung fu, tae kwon do, and judo are still taught and practiced as methods of self-defense, but they offer students more than that. (5) The study of martial arts can provide students with a way to enhance their mental discipline as well as their physical fitness.

(6) Discipline, focus, and respect are important qualities for everyone to have. (7) However, for most people these qualities are not innate; they must be learned and practiced. (8) The study of martial arts can provide an opportunity to develop these skills. (9) Students are rewarded for their dedication by passing tests and advancing to higher ranks or levels. (10) For example, in a typical tae kwon do class, students learn discipline by diligently practicing moves, improve focus by listening carefully, and demonstrate respect by bowing to the instructor and following directions.

(11) For teenagers, martial arts classes provide a safe and structured environment for gaining physical skills, building confidence, and enjoying a sense of community. (12) A lot of teens go through hard situations as they try to do well in school and in life. (13) A martial arts class can provide teens with a physical outlet for stress while also challenging them mentally. (14) Participating in a martial arts program also helps children and teens focus on self-improvement rather than on competition. (15) Progressing through levels of achievement involves mastering more physically demanding techniques. (16) It requires students to take responsibility and be accountable for achieving set goals. (17) Students gain confidence and experience companionship with other students who are progressing through the ranks.

(18) Adults who practice martial arts can experience many of the same benefits that younger people do, but perhaps the greatest of these is health and fitness. (19) Adult martial arts students often see changes in their body within weeks of beginning a program.

(20) For people interested in studying a martial art, there are many ways to learn and practice. (21) In addition to private studios, community recreation centers often offer low-cost or free martial arts classes. (22) There are even online videos that introduce students to the basic concepts. (23) People should study martial arts.

Question

Which revision of sentence 12 best maintains the formal style established in the passage?

  • AA lot of teens have to put up with difficult things while trying to do well in school and in life.
  • BMany teenagers deal with tough situations as they try to stay on top of their studies and do well in life.
  • CMany teenagers encounter challenges as they work to succeed both academically and personally.
  • DA lot of teens face problems as they work to keep up with their schoolwork and find personal success.
Show the answer

Correct answer: C

The question asks for the revision of sentence 12 that best maintains the formal style established in the passage.

A. Incorrect. The phrases “A lot,” “put up with,” “difficult things,” and “do well in school” are worded informally; therefore, this sentence does not consistently maintain the formal style established in the passage.

B. Incorrect. The phrases “deal with,” “tough situations,” “stay on top of,” and “do well in life” are worded informally; therefore, this sentence does not consistently maintain the formal style established in the passage.

C. CORRECT. This option is correct because it uses clear and scholarly wording throughout the whole sentence. The phrases “many teenagers,” “encounter challenges,” and “succeed both academically and personally” make the sentence’s style more consistently formal than the other options.

D. Incorrect. The phrases “A lot,” “face problems,” and “keep up with” are worded informally; therefore, this sentence does not consistently maintain the formal style established in the passage.

Question analysis

This style question asks which revision of sentence 12, “A lot of teens go through hard situations as they try to do well in school and in life,” best keeps the formal style of the martial arts passage. Students compare four rewrites phrase by phrase, listening for casual expressions in each one.

NYS standards
  • 7W2f informative writing style
  • 7L3a precise and concise language
Grade level
Grade 6 reading and task
Compared with grade 7
Below grade 7 Keeping a formal style is practiced from grade 6, and here it is tested in one sentence with familiar casual phrases. Typical grade 7 style work asks for subtler choices of precise, content-specific words across a passage.
Estimated difficulty
Routine: one familiar step, little to misread.
Evidence
Answered from one sentence or line
Reading level
Passage: about grade 11, 402 words; question and choices: about grade 8, 87 words.
Students, last 30 days
Not enough answers yet to show (it takes 10).
Why it is hard, traps and wrong answers (shows the answer)

Why it is hard

Most students hear the casual phrases at once, and only one version avoids all of them, so this is one of the easier revising questions. The risk is stopping at a formal start: one version opens with “Many teenagers” and then slides into “tough situations,” and another sounds serious with “face problems” but begins with “A lot of teens.” Checking every phrase, not the first few words, is all the question asks.

  1. Every choice must be checked minor Choosing the answer

    Each rewrite mixes formal and casual wording, “Many teenagers” beside “deal with” and “stay on top of,” so every phrase of every version has to be checked, not just the opening words. (Embretson & Wetzel, 1987)

  2. Something you must already know minor Working it out

    Students must recognize idioms such as “put up with” and “keep up with” as spoken English, a sense of register that the question expects them to bring. (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001)

Strategy: Underline every casual phrase in each rewrite, such as everyday idioms or vague words, and keep only the version with none; one formal phrase is not enough.

Traps

The wrong answers, classified

How the questions are analyzed, and the research behind it

Working it out, step by step

  1. Figure out what the question asks

    This asks which rewrite of sentence 12 matches the passage’s formal style. Formal style is the careful, serious way of writing you use in a school report. It skips the casual words you might use with friends.

  2. Spot the casual words

    Sentence 12 says, “A lot of teens go through hard situations as they try to do well in school and in life.” “A lot of,” “teens” and “go through” sound like talking with a friend. Compare sentence 11, which speaks of “a safe and structured environment.” The rest of the passage uses careful words like those.

  3. Name the rule

    Formal writing uses exact, serious words and skips everyday sayings. For example, Kids have a ton of homework is casual. Students have a large amount of homework is formal. Check every phrase in each choice, not just the first few words.

  4. Check each choice

    • A is wrong. “A lot of teens,” “put up with” and “difficult things” are casual.
    • B is wrong. It starts well with “Many teenagers.” But “deal with,” “tough situations” and “stay on top of” are casual.
    • C is right. Every phrase is formal. To encounter challenges is to meet hard problems. Academically means in school. Personally means in your own life.
    • D is wrong. “Face problems” sounds serious. But “A lot of teens” and “keep up with” are casual.

    Watch out: B and D each have a formal phrase or two. One formal phrase is not enough.

  5. Choose the answer

    Only C is formal from start to finish. So the answer is C, “Many teenagers encounter challenges as they work to succeed both academically and personally.”

Why this answer and not the closest wrong one

B is the closest wrong answer, because it opens with the formal “Many teenagers.” But it then slides into everyday phrases like “deal with” and “stay on top of.” C keeps the same meaning and stays formal from start to end. Words like “encounter challenges” and “academically” match the careful style of the passage.

More questions like this

The original DOE question
Question 37 as shown on the DOE’s digital test, page 55 of its printable version.
As printed in the DOE’s printable version of 2026 Practice Test D English, page 55, question 37.
The passage “Martial Arts for the Mind and Body” as printed (page 52)The passage “Martial Arts for the Mind and Body” as printed on page 52 of the DOE handbook.

Question 6 of 14

2026 Practice Test D English, question 48

Question

Read this sentence.

In the Whispering Gallery of Grand Central Terminal, people whispering a message in one corner can be clearly heard in the opposite corner, regardless of surrounding noise, because the tiled archways send the sound through the environment.

Which revision to the words send the sound through the environment uses the most precise language?

Drag the correct phrase into the box.

In the Whispering Gallery of Grand Central Terminal, people whispering a message in one corner can be clearly heard in the opposite corner, regardless of surrounding noise, because the tiled archways ____.

On the test you drag one of the tiles into the box; here, choose it.

  • Aguide the sound waves in a specific direction
  • Bfocus the sound waves to travel through the space
  • Cdirect the sound waves to move along the curves of the arches
  • Dtransfer the sound waves to a variety of different locations
Show the answer

Correct answer: C

The question asks for the revision to the words send the sound through the environment that uses the most precise language.

Incorrect. The phrase “guide the sound waves in a specific direction” is not the most precise revision. “A specific direction” does not explain precisely where the sound waves travel.

Incorrect. The phrase “focus the sound waves to travel through the space” is not the most precise revision, because it does not precisely describe where the waves move. The phrase “through the space” does not provide the reader with more specific information as to where in the space the sound waves travel.

CORRECT. The phrase “direct the sound waves to move along the curves of the arches” uses precise language to explain how the waves travel. The wording “direct the sound waves” is more specific than “send the sound” as in the original sentence, and the action “move along the curves” conveys more detail than the phrase “through the environment.”

Incorrect. The phrase “transfer the sound waves to a variety of different locations” is not the most precise revision, because it does not precisely convey where the waves move to. The phrase “variety of different locations” is vague and does not add clarity.

Question analysis

This precise-language question gives a sentence about the Whispering Gallery in Grand Central Terminal, where a whisper in one corner is heard in the opposite corner, and asks which revision of “send the sound through the environment” is most precise. On the test students drag one of four phrase tiles into the box, and every tile sounds more technical than the original.

NYS standards
  • 7L3a precise and concise language
Grade level
Grade 6 reading and task
Compared with grade 7
Below grade 7 Replacing vague wording with exact wording is taught by grade 6. Here it is one sentence about a familiar place and four phrase tiles, a single judgment, which is lighter than typical grade 7 revision of a whole paragraph.
Estimated difficulty
Straightforward: two steps or one careful reading.
Evidence
Answered from one sentence or line
Reading level
Question and choices: about grade 8, 133 words.
Corrected from the DOE handbook
  • A misquotation of the sentence in the explanation was corrected.
Students, last 30 days
Not enough answers yet to show (it takes 10).
Why it is hard, traps and wrong answers (shows the answer)

Why it is hard

All four tiles upgrade “send the sound” to “the sound waves” with a sharper verb, so the original’s vagueness survives only in the endings. The tile that promises “a specific direction” sounds precise because of that word, yet it never names the direction; the key is the only tile that says where the sound travels. Dragging a tile into the box adds nothing to the task beyond picking one choice.

  1. A very close wrong answer moderate Choosing the answer

    The “specific direction” tile is built like the key, a precise verb and “the sound waves”; the two differ only in the ending, a direction never named versus “along the curves of the arches.” (Embretson & Wetzel, 1987; Gorin & Embretson, 2006; Ascalon et al., 2007)

  2. Every choice must be checked minor Choosing the answer

    Every tile sounds more exact than the original, so students must ask of each one whether a reader could tell how the sound gets from one corner to the opposite one. (Embretson & Wetzel, 1987)

Strategy: Reread the whole sentence, then ask of each tile whether a reader could picture exactly how the sound gets from one corner of the gallery to the other.

Traps

The wrong answers, classified

What was corrected from the DOE handbook, and why

  • Explanation: The DOE’s explanation of the correct phrase says that “move along the curves” conveys more detail than “the phrase ‘moving through the environment.’” The sentence in the question says the archways “send the sound through the environment”; the word “moving” is not in it. The site now quotes the sentence’s own words: “the phrase ‘through the environment.’”

How the questions are analyzed, and the research behind it

Working it out, step by step

  1. Figure out what the question asks

    This asks which phrase is most precise. Precise language is exact. It tells the reader just what happens, so they can picture it. The phrase you pick replaces the underlined words.

  2. See what the sentence needs

    The sentence says a whisper in one corner “can be clearly heard in the opposite corner.” Why? “because the tiled archways send the sound through the environment.” That ending is vague, or unclear. “Through the environment” could mean anywhere. A better phrase would say how the sound gets from one corner to the other.

  3. Name the rule

    Precise writing swaps general words for exact ones. For example, The dog went over there is vague. The dog ran under the porch is precise. Now you know just where the dog went.

  4. Check each choice

    • A is wrong. “A specific direction” sounds exact. But it never says which direction.
    • B is wrong. “Through the space” is just another way to say “through the environment.”
    • C is right. “Along the curves of the arches” tells exactly where the sound travels. It follows the curved arches to the far corner.
    • D is wrong. “A variety of different locations” is vague. It also clashes with a whisper heard in one corner. And “variety” and “different” say the same thing twice.

    Watch out: The word “specific” makes A sound precise. Ask whether you can picture the path. With A, you can’t.

  5. Choose the answer

    With the tile in place, the sentence ends because the tiled archways direct the sound waves to move along the curves of the arches. So the answer is C. On the test, you drag the tile “direct the sound waves to move along the curves of the arches” into the box.

Why this answer and not the closest wrong one

A is the closest wrong answer. It has a strong verb, “guide,” and the word “specific.” But it never names the direction, so the reader still can’t picture the path. C says exactly where the sound goes: along the curves of the arches. That explains how a whisper reaches the opposite corner.

More questions like this

The original DOE question
Question 48 as shown on the DOE’s digital test, page 70 of its printable version.
As printed in the DOE’s printable version of 2026 Practice Test D English, page 70, question 48. This is the DOE’s version, before the corrections listed in the analysis.

Question 7 of 14

2024 Test A English, question 1

Question

Read this sentence.

The engineers tried some other things in the hope of finding a more effective insulation for the compartment.

What is the most precise revision for the words The engineers tried some other things?

  • AThe engineers did experiments with several new materials
  • BThe engineers tested foam and fiberglass
  • CThe engineers examined two new materials
  • DThe engineers worked with foam and fiberglass
Show the answer

Correct answer: B

The question asks for the most precise revision for the words “The engineers tried some other things.”

A. Incorrect. This revision uses the word “materials” rather than precisely identifying what the engineers used.

B. CORRECT. This option revises the words to be more precise by using the specific words “tested” for the verb and “foam and fiberglass” for the materials.

C. Incorrect. This revision uses the word “examined” rather than a word indicating a process of experimental trial and error. The sentence also uses the word “materials” rather than precisely identifying what the engineers used.

D. Incorrect. This revision identifies the materials, but the imprecise verb “worked with” does not specify what the engineers were doing.

Question analysis

This revising question gives one sentence about engineers looking for better insulation for a compartment and asks which rewrite of its vague opening words is the most precise. The tricky part is that some choices sharpen one half of the phrase while leaving the other half as loose as the original.

NYS standards
  • 7L3a precise and concise language
Grade level
Grade 7 reading and task
Compared with grade 7
Below grade 7 Choosing precise wording is a grade 7 language standard, but this item is a single sentence about an engineering test with everyday words. Typical grade 7 revision asks for the same judgment across a paragraph or a full draft.
Estimated difficulty
Straightforward: two steps or one careful reading.
Evidence
Answered from one sentence or line
Reading level
Question and choices: about grade 7, 63 words.
Students, last 30 days
Not enough answers yet to show (it takes 10).
Why it is hard, traps and wrong answers (shows the answer)

Why it is hard

Precision here has two halves: a verb that names the actual activity and an object that names the actual materials. Most students who miss it stop at the first concrete detail they see, the named materials or the count of two, and never test the verb. Only one rewrite names both an exact action and the exact materials; each of the others leaves one half, or both, nearly as loose as the original.

  1. A very close wrong answer moderate Choosing the answer

    The rewrite with “worked with foam and fiberglass” matches the right one word for word except the verb, so only asking whether “worked with” says what the engineers did separates them. (Embretson & Wetzel, 1987; Gorin & Embretson, 2006; Ascalon et al., 2007)

  2. Every choice must be checked minor Choosing the answer

    The vague words have two parts, the action “tried” and the object “some other things,” and each rewrite sharpens a different part, so every one must be tested for both. (Embretson & Wetzel, 1987)

Strategy: Split the underlined words into the action and the things acted on, then ask of each revision whether a reader would know exactly what the engineers did and with what.

Traps

  • Half right: One half of a two-part choice is right and the other is not.
  • Wordy, vague or informal: A revision is grammatical but wordy, imprecise or too casual for the passage.

The wrong answers, classified

How the questions are analyzed, and the research behind it

Working it out, step by step

  1. Figure out what the question asks

    This question is about precise language. Precise means exact and clear. The words “The engineers tried some other things” are vague. You can’t tell what the engineers did. You also can’t tell what they used. You need the rewrite that tells both.

  2. Learn what makes words precise

    Precise writing names the exact action and the exact thing. Vague: She did stuff with food. Precise: She baked bread.

    The underlined words have two vague parts. The verb (the action word) is “tried.” The things are “some other things.” A good rewrite must fix both parts.

  3. Think about what the sentence needs

    The engineers want “a more effective insulation.” Insulation is material that keeps heat or cold from getting through. To find the best one, they would try out real materials and see how well each works. So the best verb says they tested. The best object names the materials.

  4. Check each choice

    • A is wrong. “Did experiments with” is wordy, and “several new materials” still doesn’t say which ones.
    • B is right. “Tested” names the exact action. “Foam and fiberglass” names the exact materials.
    • C is wrong. “Two new materials” gives a number but no names. “Examined” means looked over, not tried out.
    • D is wrong. It names foam and fiberglass. But “worked with” is as vague as “tried.”

    Watch out: D is tempting because it names the materials. Always check the verb too.

  5. Choose the answer

    Only B fixes both vague parts. The reader learns what the engineers did and what they used. So the answer is B: The engineers tested foam and fiberglass.

Why this answer and not the closest wrong one

D is the closest wrong answer. It matches B word for word except for the verb. “Worked with” could mean cut, built or studied. “Tested” tells you the engineers tried each material to see how well it insulates. That is what the sentence is about, so B is more precise.

More questions like this

The original DOE question
Question 1 as printed on page 36 of the DOE handbook.
As printed in the DOE’s NYC Guide to the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) for 2025 Admissions, page 36, question 1. Open page 36 of the handbook (PDF)

Question 8 of 14

2024 Test B English, question 1

Question

What is the best way to combine these sentences to clarify the relationship between ideas?

(1) The International Space Station has been inhabited by crew members since 2000.

(2) Tourists will soon be allowed to pay for visits to the space station.

(3) Because the cost is $52–$58 million round trip, few people will be able to take advantage of the opportunity to have a vacation in outer space.

  • AThe International Space Station has been inhabited by crew members since 2000, but tourists will soon be allowed to pay for visits to the space station, which cost $52–$58 million round trip, so few people will be able to take advantage of the opportunity to have a vacation in outer space.
  • BThe International Space Station has been inhabited by crew members since 2000 and will soon allow tourists to pay for visits, but because the cost is $52–$58 million round trip, few people will be able to take advantage of the opportunity to have a vacation in outer space.
  • CThe International Space Station has been inhabited by crew members since 2000, but tourists will soon be allowed to pay for visits to the space station, though the cost is $52–$58 million round trip, so few people will be able to take advantage of the opportunity to have a vacation in outer space.
  • DThe International Space Station has been inhabited by crew members since 2000, and tourists will soon be allowed to pay for visits to the space station because the cost is $52–$58 million round trip, therefore few people will be able to take advantage of the opportunity to have a vacation in outer space.
Show the answer

Correct answer: B

The question asks for the best way to combine the sentences.

A. Incorrect. Although the option combines the sentences in a way that accurately reflects the meaning of each individual sentence, the combined sentence is a string of clauses that do not effectively cohere. Because it is poorly structured, the combined sentence does not clarify the relationship of ideas as effectively as the correct response does. The sentence incorrectly uses “but tourists,” and “which cost” modifies “the space station” but does not modify the trip. Compared with the correct response, the combined sentence in this option is also imprecise and unnecessarily wordy.

B. CORRECT. The option uses a complex sentence to present ideas clearly and precisely, and it shows the relationship between the ideas in the original sentences. In the first part of the sentence, the conjunction “and” correctly joins the first and second sentences by indicating a relationship, rather than a contrast, between the two. In the second part of the sentence, the conjunction “but” adds additional emphasis to the fact that while tourists will be allowed to visit the space station, the cost of the trip will likely prohibit most people from visiting.

C. Incorrect. Although the option combines the sentences in a way that accurately reflects the meaning of each individual sentence, the combined sentence is a string of clauses that do not effectively cohere. Because it is so poorly structured, the combined sentence does not clarify the relationship of ideas as effectively as the correct response does. Compared with the correct response, the combined sentence in this option is also imprecise and unnecessarily wordy.

D. Incorrect. The combination of the sentences contains an illogical relationship between ideas with the statement that tourists will be allowed to pay for visits to the space station because the cost is $52–$58 million round trip. The connection between the idea that “tourists will soon be allowed to pay for visits” and the subsequent “therefore few people will be able to take advantage of the opportunity” is also illogical.

Question analysis

This sentence-combining question gives three sentences about the International Space Station, its crew and the high price of a tourist trip, and asks for the best way to join them into one. Every version keeps the same facts, so students must judge which connecting words show how the ideas relate while the sentences stay long and nearly identical.

NYS standards
  • 7L1 grammar and usage conventions
  • 7L3a precise and concise language
Grade level
Grade 8 reading and task
Compared with grade 7
Above grade 7 Grade 7 students practice joining two short sentences with a fitting conjunction. Here three sentences become one long sentence in four nearly identical versions, so students must weigh every connecting word and clause rather than spot one error.
Estimated difficulty
Hard: combines ideas, needs a plan, and has more than one tempting wrong answer.
Evidence
Answered from one sentence or line
Reading level
Question and choices: about grade 15, 261 words.
Students, last 30 days
Not enough answers yet to show (it takes 10).
Why it is hard, traps and wrong answers (shows the answer)

Why it is hard

None of the wrong versions drops a fact, and two of them are loose rather than plainly ungrammatical, so the ear is little help. Students lose the point by accepting the smoothest chain of clauses without asking what each connector claims: whether the crew and the tourists really contrast, what the price belongs to, and what the price explains. The question rewards deciding the three links before reading the versions, then checking them one connector at a time.

  1. How sentences fit together major Working it out

    Sentence 2 simply adds to sentence 1, while sentence 3’s price works against the tourist plan and explains why few will go, so every “but,” “though,” “because” or “so” in a version must fit one of those links. (Halliday & Hasan, 1976)

  2. Complex sentences moderate Understanding the question

    Each version is one sentence of 48 to 53 words with four clauses, and at that length a “which cost” hanging on the wrong noun or a comma before “therefore” is easy to read past. (Abedi & Lord, 2001; Freedle & Kostin, 1993; Messick, 1989)

  3. Every choice must be checked moderate Choosing the answer

    All four versions keep the same facts in the same order and share most of their words, so none can be ruled out by content; each connecting word has to be tested in turn. (Embretson & Wetzel, 1987)

Strategy: Before reading the choices, decide how each sentence relates to the next: added fact, contrast, or cause and result. Then check every connecting word in each version against those links.

Traps

  • Misplaced modifier: A describing word or phrase that attaches to the wrong word, or to nothing in the sentence.
  • Wordy, vague or informal: A revision is grammatical but wordy, imprecise or too casual for the passage.
  • Wrong transition: A connecting word or phrase that signals the wrong relationship, such as contrast where the idea continues.

The wrong answers, classified

How the questions are analyzed, and the research behind it

Working it out, step by step

  1. Figure out what the question asks

    You need to join three sentences into one. The best version shows clearly how the ideas connect. Joining words do that job. A conjunction is a joining word, like and, but, so or because. Each one tells the reader something. And adds a fact. But shows a contrast (two ideas that pull against each other). Because and so show a cause and its result.

  2. Decide how the three sentences connect

    Sentence 1 says crews have lived on the station since 2000. Sentence 2 adds a new fact: tourists will soon be able to visit. That is not a contrast, so it needs and. Sentence 3 works against sentence 2. The trip costs “$52–$58 million round trip.” That price is also the reason few people will go. So you need a contrast and a reason. Example: The pool is open to all, but because it costs $90, few kids swim there.

  3. Test each choice

    • B uses “and will soon allow tourists” to add the new fact. Then “but because the cost is” shows the contrast and the reason. Every link is right.
    • A joins sentence 2 with “but tourists,” as if crews and tourists were opposites. Also, “which cost” comes right after “the space station.” So it sounds like the station costs that much, not the trip.
    • C stacks “but,” “though” and “so” in one long chain. The price turns into a side note instead of the clear reason.
    • D says tourists may visit “because the cost is” so high. That makes no sense. And “therefore” after a comma joins two sentences the wrong way.

  4. Pick the answer

    Watch out: A is the most tempting. It keeps the price as the reason, with “so.” But its “but” and its “which” send the reader the wrong way. Only one choice links every idea correctly. So the answer is B.

Why this answer and not the closest wrong one

A is the closest wrong answer. Like B, it says the price keeps most people away. But A sets crews against tourists with “but tourists.” Its “which cost” also seems to give the price of the station. B uses and for the added fact and but because for the price, so each link is clear.

More questions like this

The original DOE question
Question 1 as printed on page 159 of the DOE handbook.
As printed in the DOE’s NYC Guide to the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) for 2025 Admissions, page 159, question 1. Open page 159 of the handbook (PDF)

Question 9 of 14

2024 Test B English, question 3

Question

Read this sentence.

The Appalachian Trail is a really long trail that a lot of people do each year.

Which revision of the sentence uses the most precise language?

  • AThe Appalachian Trail is an extremely long trail that millions of people do each year.
  • BThe Appalachian Trail is a 2,200-mile trail that more than a million people hike each year.
  • CThe Appalachian Trail is a 2,200-mile trail that two million people hike each year.
  • DThe Appalachian Trail is a lengthy trail that a couple million people do each year.
Show the answer

Correct answer: C

The question asks for the revision of the sentence that uses the most precise language.

A. Incorrect. The word “extremely” does not specify the precise length of the trail (2,200 miles); “millions” is less precise than the specific number of people who hike the trail each year (two million); and the verb “do” imprecisely describes the purpose of visiting the trail (hiking).

B. Incorrect. While the revision specifies the precise length of the trail and the verb “hike” precisely describes the purpose of visiting the trail, “more than a million” is less precise than the specific number of people who hike the trail each year (two million).

C. CORRECT. The length of the trail (2,200 miles), the specific number of people who hike the trail each year (two million), and the action of the visitors (hiking) are clear and precise in this revision of the sentence.

D. Incorrect. The word “lengthy” is less precise than specifying the actual length of the trail (2,200 miles); “a couple million” is less precise than the specific number of people who hike the trail each year (two million); and the verb “do” imprecisely describes the purpose of visiting the trail (hiking).

Question analysis

This precise-language question gives a casual sentence saying the Appalachian Trail is “a really long trail that a lot of people do each year” and asks which revision is most precise. Several revisions swap in more specific words or numbers, so students must check every part of each sentence, not just the first improvement they notice.

NYS standards
  • 7L3a precise and concise language
Grade level
Grade 6 reading and task
Compared with grade 7
Below grade 7 Choosing precise wording is grade 7 language work, but this item is one short sentence in everyday words. Typical grade 7 revision sets the same choice inside a paragraph, with more wording to weigh.
Estimated difficulty
Straightforward: two steps or one careful reading.
Evidence
Answered from one sentence or line
Reading level
Question and choices: about grade 6, 89 words.
Students, last 30 days
Not enough answers yet to show (it takes 10).
Why it is hard, traps and wrong answers (shows the answer)

Why it is hard

The question is quick once each revision is tested on three points: how long the trail is, how many people hike it, and what they do there. The near miss catches students who stop checking once they see the mileage and the verb “hike,” though its count of hikers is still a range. Words such as “extremely” and “lengthy” are the other snare, since they sound sharper without saying any more.

  1. A very close wrong answer moderate Choosing the answer

    The right revision and the one with “more than a million” share the 2,200-mile length and the verb “hike,” and differ only in the hiker count: an exact two million or an open-ended floor. (Embretson & Wetzel, 1987; Gorin & Embretson, 2006; Ascalon et al., 2007)

  2. Every choice must be checked minor Choosing the answer

    Each revision repairs a different part of “a really long trail that a lot of people do,” so all four have to be checked for the length, the count and the verb. (Embretson & Wetzel, 1987)

Strategy: Check each revision on three points: how long the trail is, how many people visit, and what they do there. Keep only a version that is exact on all three.

Traps

The wrong answers, classified

How the questions are analyzed, and the research behind it

Working it out, step by step

  1. Figure out what the question asks

    You need the revision with the most precise language. Precise means exact. A precise word tells the reader exactly what or how much. For example, a lot of homework is vague, but three pages of math homework is precise. The sentence has three vague parts: “a really long trail,” “a lot of people,” and the verb “do.”

  2. Make a three-part test

    The most precise revision must fix all three parts.

    • How long is the trail? Look for an exact length.
    • How many people go? Look for an exact number.
    • What do they do there? Do is vague. People hike a trail.

    A choice that fixes only one or two parts is not the most precise.

  3. Check each choice

    • C gives “a 2,200-mile trail,” “two million people,” and “hike.” It passes all three tests.
    • B gives the length and “hike.” But “more than a million” is not exact. It could mean 1.1 million or 5 million.
    • A says “extremely long” and “millions.” Neither is exact, and it keeps “do.”
    • D says “lengthy” and “a couple million.” These sound fancier but say no more. It also keeps “do.”

  4. Pick the answer

    Watch out: B is very close. It has the length and the right verb, so many students stop there. But its count of people is still loose. Only C is exact on all three parts. So the answer is C.

Why this answer and not the closest wrong one

B is the closest wrong answer. It matches C on the length, 2,200 miles, and on the verb “hike.” The only difference is the number of hikers. “More than a million” sets a low limit but gives no exact count. “Two million” tells the reader exactly how many, so C is more precise.

More questions like this

The original DOE question
Question 3 as printed on page 160 of the DOE handbook.
As printed in the DOE’s NYC Guide to the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) for 2025 Admissions, page 160, question 3. Open page 160 of the handbook (PDF)

Question 10 of 14

2024 Test B English, question 5
Passage Find Time to Volunteer

Find Time to Volunteer

(1) Many people believe that they gain a greater sense of purpose by giving their time to serve others. (2) These are the people who spend their free time volunteering at various places within the community. (3) Those who are served benefit from the work of these volunteers. (4) However, research shows that those who volunteer also receive benefits.

(5) For many students, this proposition may sound impossible. (6) Schoolwork can require hours of study each week. (7) Volunteering at a retirement center or homeless shelter requires both time and energy. (8) Extracurricular activities fill up after-school time. (9) Family obligations and part-time jobs often have to be worked into the schedule, too. (10) However, if students can find time to volunteer, even for a few hours a month, they may find that the benefits outweigh the scheduling difficulties.

(11) To begin with, students who engage in volunteer activities acquire valuable skills and experience, which can help them focus on potential fields of study and career options. (12) Furthermore, when students list volunteer work on college applications, admissions counselors see applicants who care about making their community and college campus a better place.

(13) Volunteerism benefits more than students applying to college. (14) This type of experience is equally important for students moving directly into the workforce after high school. (15) Volunteering demonstrates initiative, dedication, and a strong work ethic, qualities that companies value in a potential employee. (16) In a CareerBuilder study, 60 percent of managers regarded volunteerism as a significant asset when considering applicants.

(17) Students who volunteer undoubtedly make a positive investment in their future, but they also affect their present quality of life. (18) Studies have shown that volunteering is good for both the mind and the body. (19) Volunteering can boost mood levels and reduce anxiety. (20) According to the Mayo Clinic,1 the feeling of doing something meaningful and the appreciation received from that action can reduce stress.

(21) Even the busiest of students can find a way to donate some time to a worthy cause. (22) Though managing different commitments may seem overwhelming at times, students are sure to feel a sense of fulfillment in volunteerism.

1Mayo Clinic: a nonprofit medical organization dedicated to treatment and research

Question

Which revision of sentence 2 uses the most precise language?

  • AThese are the people who spend their free time volunteering at animal shelters, helping with activities in community centers, or cleaning up parks.
  • BThese are the people who spend their free time helping others in numerous ways at a variety of places, events, or organizations that need support.
  • CThese are the people who spend their free time working at local establishments that help people, animals, or other groups in need of assistance.
  • DThese are the people who spend a lot of time volunteering at places where they can help people in many ways.
Show the answer

Correct answer: A

The question asks which revision of sentence 2 uses the most precise language.

A. CORRECT. In sentence 2, the author states that people who volunteer in their free time do so “at various places.” The revision to sentence 2 provides the most precise language because it references three specific places (animal shelters, community centers, and parks) where people often volunteer.

B. Incorrect. Although this sentence mentions “a variety of places, events, or organizations” at which people volunteer, the revision does not use the most precise language, because it does not list specific places, events, or organizations.

C. Incorrect. Although this sentence mentions “local establishments that help people, animals, or other groups,” the revision does not use the most precise language, because it does not name the specific types of establishments at which people can volunteer.

D. Incorrect. Although this sentence mentions “places where [volunteers] can help people in many ways,” the revision does not use the most precise language, because it does not provide specific examples of where people can volunteer.

Question analysis

This revising question uses a persuasive essay urging high school students to find time to volunteer. It asks which rewrite of the second sentence, about the people who spend free time volunteering at various places, uses the most precise language. The trap is that longer, list-like wording can look more specific than it really is.

NYS standards
  • 7W1c precise language for arguments
  • 7L3a precise and concise language
Grade level
Grade 6 reading and task
Compared with grade 7
Below grade 7 Grade 7 writers learn to replace vague wording with precise language. Here that skill is applied to one sentence of a plain persuasive essay, with no grammar to fix, which makes it lighter than typical grade 7 revision work.
Estimated difficulty
Routine: one familiar step, little to misread.
What makes it hard
Evidence
Answered from one sentence or line
Reading level
Passage: about grade 11, 354 words; question and choices: about grade 10, 102 words.
Students, last 30 days
Not enough answers yet to show (it takes 10).
Why it is hard, traps and wrong answers (shows the answer)

Why it is hard

Sentence 2’s vague phrase is “various places,” and only one revision replaces it with places a reader can picture: animal shelters, community centers and parks. The wrong revisions grow longer or list the kinds of people helped, which can pass for precision on a quick read. Asking whether a revision names a real place settles it.

  1. Every choice must be checked minor Choosing the answer

    Every revision is longer than sentence 2 and sounds more detailed, so each has to be checked for whether it names actual places or only adds general words such as “organizations” and “establishments.” (Embretson & Wetzel, 1987)

Strategy: Find the vague phrase in sentence 2, then ask of each revision whether it tells the reader something more definite or simply uses more words to say the same thing.

Traps

The wrong answers, classified

How the questions are analyzed, and the research behind it

Working it out, step by step

  1. Figure out what the question asks

    You need to rewrite sentence 2 with more precise language. Precise means exact. Precise words help the reader picture something real. Sentence 2 says: “These are the people who spend their free time volunteering at various places within the community.” Look for the part that is vague.

  2. Find the vague phrase

    The vague phrase is “at various places.” Various means different kinds. But the sentence never says which places. You can’t picture them. A better sentence would name real places. Example: I help out at different spots is vague. I help out at the library and the food bank is precise.

  3. Check each choice

    • A names three real places: “animal shelters,” “community centers,” and “parks.” You can picture each one.
    • B says “a variety of places, events, or organizations.” That is a longer list of general words. It still names nothing real.
    • C says “local establishments.” An establishment is a business or group. It still doesn’t say which ones.
    • D says “a lot of time” and “many ways.” Those words are vague too. D even drops the idea of free time.

  4. Pick the answer

    Watch out: C has a list, “people, animals, or other groups,” so it looks detailed. But that list tells who gets help, not where volunteers go. Only one choice names the places. So the answer is A.

Why this answer and not the closest wrong one

C is the closest wrong answer. Its list of people, animals and other groups sounds specific. But “local establishments” could be any place at all. A replaces “various places” with three places a reader can picture: animal shelters, community centers and parks. That makes A the most precise.

More questions like this

The original DOE question
Question 5 as printed on page 164 of the DOE handbook.
As printed in the DOE’s NYC Guide to the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) for 2025 Admissions, page 164, question 5. Open page 164 of the handbook (PDF)
The passage “Find Time to Volunteer” as printed (page 163)The passage “Find Time to Volunteer” as printed on page 163 of the DOE handbook.

Question 11 of 14

2022 Test A English, question 6
Passage Cracking the Code

Cracking the Code

(1) Computer code is part of every electronic interaction, from video games to home thermostats to vehicle GPS systems. (2) Code is a language that computers can interpret, and programmers use it to instruct computers to perform different tasks, such as finding, sorting, or calculating data. (3) People who code have to learn this language. (4) They can construct programs that will perform detailed tasks. (5) The programs can also perform complex tasks.

(6) A coding language uses letters, numbers, and symbols that are arranged in a way that makes sense to a computer. (7) The code that makes up a program tells a computer how to process information. (8) Studying a coding language involves learning the rules for combining phrases and instructions so that they are recognizable to the computer. (9) Once a person understands coding rules, the possibilities for applying them are infinite.

(10) Coding skills are becoming important in many occupational fields. (11) For example, code can be used to create programs to track, analyze, and predict changes in the stock market. (12) Code can also be designed to help doctors track and monitor a patient’s health. (13) Jobs that require coding skills are typically higher paying, offering salaries that are up to as much as $22,000 a year more than jobs that do not require coding knowledge.

(14) People have a variety of opportunities to learn how to code. (15) In some schools, young people can study computer science and coding just as they study foreign languages. (16) Computer science teachers can use websites and apps that employ games designed to help everyone understand how code works. (17) Even high school students who do not take computer science can learn coding by attending coding workshops and online classes or by watching tutorials online. (18) After studying the basics of coding, some students may become interested in learning how to create programs, such as games and apps.

(19) The late Steve Jobs, a pioneer in computer technology, once said, “Everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer . . . because it teaches you how to think.” (20) Learning to code can seem challenging, but one does not need to become an expert programmer to reap the benefits of understanding this language.

Question

What is the best way to combine sentences 3 through 5 to clarify the relationship between ideas?

  • APeople who code have to learn this language because they can construct programs that will perform detailed and complex tasks.
  • BPeople who code have to learn this language so they can construct programs that will perform detailed or complex tasks.
  • CWhen people who code have to learn this language, it is so they can construct programs that will perform detailed and complex tasks.
  • DIf people who code have to learn this language, then they can construct programs that will perform detailed as well as complex tasks.
Show the answer

Correct answer: B

The question asks for the best way to combine sentences 3 through 5 to clarify the relationship between ideas.

A. Incorrect. While this sentence shows a relationship between the ideas, it does not clarify the relationship accurately. Learning the language of code does not depend on people’s previous ability to construct programs that will perform detailed and complex tasks. The word “because” incorrectly indicates that people can already construct complex programs prior to learning the coding language that would allow them to do so.

B. CORRECT. This sentence accurately shows the relationship between the ideas of the sentences. Before people can construct programs that will perform detailed and complex tasks, they have to learn a coding language. Knowing that language will, in turn, allow them to build programs that can perform detailed and complex tasks.

C. Incorrect. This sentence does not accurately express the relationship between ideas because the sentence implies that some people who code do not have to learn the language to perform their job functions. The passage clearly states that “computer code is part of every electronic interaction” (sentence 1) and that “programmers use it to instruct computers to perform different tasks” (sentence 2).

D. Incorrect. The conditional (If . . . then) construction of the sentence in Option D does not convey the intended relationship of the ideas in the sentences. The “then” statement (“they can construct programs that will perform detailed as well as complex tasks”) does not follow the condition of the “if” statement (“people who code have to learn this language”).

Question analysis

This sentence-combining question uses the first paragraph of “Cracking the Code,” a passage about computer coding, and asks for the best way to join sentences 3 through 5: coders must learn the language, they can build programs for detailed tasks, and those programs can also handle complex ones. Each version links the ideas with a different word, so students must judge which states the relationship accurately.

NYS standards
  • 7W1d transitions in arguments
  • 7L3 knowledge of language
Grade level
Grade 7 reading and task
Compared with grade 7
At grade 7 Joining short sentences with a word that shows how their ideas relate is typical grade 7 work. Here three sentences become one and every version is grammatical, so the choice rests on whether the joining words state the logic accurately.
Estimated difficulty
Moderate: several steps, or a close reading with one strong distractor.
Evidence
Answered from one paragraph or stanza
Reading level
Passage: about grade 10, 357 words; question and choices: about grade 9, 101 words.
Students, last 30 days
Not enough answers yet to show (it takes 10).
Why it is hard, traps and wrong answers (shows the answer)

Why it is hard

Every version is a correct sentence carrying the same facts, so the question tests logic rather than grammar: what does learning the language make possible? The look-alike joined by “because” is the main danger, since it seems to give a reason for learning. Careful readers may also pause over the key’s “detailed or complex tasks,” looser than sentence 5’s “also,” but the joining word, not that slip, is what separates the best sentence from the rest.

  1. A very close wrong answer moderate Choosing the answer

    The version joined by “because” matches the key word for word except for its linking word and “and” in place of “or,” so the decision rests on which way the link between learning and building runs. (Embretson & Wetzel, 1987; Gorin & Embretson, 2006; Ascalon et al., 2007)

  2. How sentences fit together moderate Working it out

    Sentence 3 states a requirement and sentences 4 and 5 state what meeting it allows, so the combined sentence must present learning the language as the means and building programs as the purpose. (Halliday & Hasan, 1976)

  3. Every choice must be checked minor Choosing the answer

    All four versions are grammatical and keep the same facts; only the opening or joining words change, “because,” “so,” “When … it is so” and “If … then,” and each must be weighed. (Embretson & Wetzel, 1987)

Strategy: Before reading the choices, decide in your own words how sentence 3 relates to sentences 4 and 5, then check whether each version’s opening or joining word signals that same relationship.

Traps

  • Wrong transition: A connecting word or phrase that signals the wrong relationship, such as contrast where the idea continues.
  • Wordy, vague or informal: A revision is grammatical but wordy, imprecise or too casual for the passage.

The wrong answers, classified

How the questions are analyzed, and the research behind it

Working it out, step by step

  1. Figure out what the question asks

    This asks you to join three short sentences into one. The new sentence must show how the ideas connect. All four choices are correct sentences with the same facts. What changes is the joining word. So first decide how the ideas connect. Then find the joining word that says so.

  2. Read sentences 3 through 5

    Sentence 3 says “People who code have to learn this language.” Sentence 4 says “They can construct programs that will perform detailed tasks.” Sentence 5 adds “The programs can also perform complex tasks.” To construct is to build. Detailed tasks have many small parts. Complex tasks are complicated and hard to do.

  3. Name the link between the ideas

    Why do coders have to learn the language? So that they can build programs. Learning comes first. Building programs is the goal it makes possible. A word that shows a goal, or purpose, is “so” (short for “so that”). Example: I practice piano so I can play in the concert. The practice comes first, and the concert is the goal.

  4. Check each choice

    • A does not fit. “Because” gives a reason that is already true. It says coders learn the language because they can already build programs. That gets the order backward.
    • B fits. “So” shows that building programs is the goal of learning the language. It says “detailed or complex tasks” where sentence 5 means both, a small slip. But its joining word is right.
    • C does not fit. “When” suggests coders only sometimes have to learn the language. And “it is so” is wordy.
    • D does not fit. “If” makes learning sound like a maybe. The passage says coders “have to learn” it. That is a must.

  5. Choose the answer

    Watch out: A is the most tempting. It matches B almost word for word, and “because” sounds like a reason to learn. But it points the wrong way. B shows that learning leads to building. So the answer is B.

Why this answer and not the closest wrong one

A is the closest wrong answer. It uses the same words as B except for the joining word. “Because” makes building programs the reason coders learn the language, as if they could already do it. “So” makes building programs the goal that learning leads to. Learning comes first, so B shows the link correctly.

More questions like this

The original DOE question
Question 6 as printed on page 41 of the DOE handbook.
As printed in the DOE’s NYC Guide to the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) for 2023 Admissions, page 41, question 6. Open page 41 of the handbook (PDF) The handbook letters this question’s choices E–H; here they are A–D (E = A, F = B, G = C, H = D).
The passage “Cracking the Code” as printed (page 40)The passage “Cracking the Code” as printed on page 40 of the DOE handbook.

Question 12 of 14

2018 Test A English, question 1

Question

Read this sentence.

During a nightly news segment about a cooking contest, a reporter talked to some people who did the best in the contest.

Which revision uses the most precise language for the words talked to some people who did the best in the contest?

  • Aconversed with some of the people who won the contest
  • Bspoke to the three contestants who did well
  • Cdiscussed the contest with some of the winners
  • Dinterviewed the top three contestants
Show the answer

Correct answer: D

This is the answer.(D)

The question asks for the most precise revision for the words “talked to some people who did the best in the contest.”

Option D is the correct response because the revision precisely states both the reporter’s action (“interviewed”) and whom the reporter interviewed (“the top three contestants”).

Option A is an incorrect response because the revision does not provide precise information about the number of people interviewed.

Option B is an incorrect response because the revision uses the imprecise phrase “who did well.”

Option C is an incorrect response because the revision does not provide precise information about the number of people interviewed.

Question analysis

This revising question gives one sentence about a news report on a cooking contest and asks which rewrite of a vague phrase uses the most precise language. The tricky part is that several choices sound more formal or add one specific detail while staying vague about something else.

NYS standards
  • 7L3a precise and concise language
Grade level
Grade 7 reading and task
Compared with grade 7
Below grade 7 Choosing precise wording is a grade 7 language skill, but this item is one short sentence with everyday words and a single comparison to make. Typical grade 7 revision work asks for the same judgment inside a longer paragraph.
Estimated difficulty
Routine: one familiar step, little to misread.
What makes it hard
Evidence
Answered from one sentence or line
Reading level
Question and choices: about grade 5, 77 words.
Students, last 30 days
Not enough answers yet to show (it takes 10).
Why it is hard, traps and wrong answers (shows the answer)

Why it is hard

This is a quick item once a student tests two things in every rewrite: what the reporter did and exactly who was involved. Points are lost by stopping at the first concrete detail, such as the number three, or by mistaking a formal verb like “conversed” for a precise one. It rewards checking each rewrite all the way through.

  1. Every choice must be checked minor Choosing the answer

    Each rewrite repairs a different piece of “talked to some people who did the best”, so all four have to be checked for both the action and the people. (Embretson & Wetzel, 1987)

Strategy: Ask two things of each revision: does it say exactly what the reporter did, and exactly whom the reporter spoke with? Keep a revision only if it is specific on both counts.

Traps

  • Wordy, vague or informal: A revision is grammatical but wordy, imprecise or too casual for the passage.
  • Half right: One half of a two-part choice is right and the other is not.

The wrong answers, classified

How the questions are analyzed, and the research behind it

Working it out, step by step

  1. Figure out what the question asks

    This question asks you to make a phrase more precise. Precise language is exact. It tells the reader exactly what happened and exactly who was there. For example, a big dog is vague, but a 90-pound sheepdog is precise. You need to fix the words “talked to some people who did the best in the contest.”

  2. Find what is vague now

    The words are vague in two ways. First, “talked to” is a plain verb. On the news, a reporter who asks people questions is doing an interview. Second, “some people who did the best” does not say who or how many. So a good fix must sharpen both parts: the action and the people.

  3. Test each choice on both parts

    • A uses “conversed with,” which is just a fancy word for “talked.” And “some of the people” is still vague.
    • B gives a number, “the three contestants.” But “spoke to” and “who did well” are still loose.
    • C says “some of the winners,” which still gives no number. “Discussed the contest with” is wordier, not clearer.
    • D says “interviewed,” the exact action. “The top three contestants” says exactly who.

    Watch out: Choice B is tempting because it has a number. Many students stop there. But it fixes only one part.

  4. Pick the answer

    Only one choice is exact about both the action and the people. The new sentence reads: During a nightly news segment about a cooking contest, a reporter interviewed the top three contestants. So the answer is D, “interviewed the top three contestants.”

Why this answer and not the closest wrong one

Choice B is the closest wrong answer. Like D, it names three contestants. But “spoke to” is as plain as “talked to,” and “who did well” is vaguer than “top.” D is exact about what the reporter did and about whom, so it is the most precise.

More questions like this

The original DOE question
Question 1 as printed on page 46 of the DOE handbook.
As printed in the DOE’s Specialized High Schools Student Handbook 2018–2019, page 46, question 1. Open page 46 of the handbook (PDF)

Question 13 of 14

2018 Test A English, question 5
Passage Moving through Mountains

Moving through Mountains

(1) An age-old proverb says that necessity is the mother of invention. (2) Centuries of human ingenuity in the face of obstacles prove this to be true. (3) For many years the Swiss Alps, a mountain range spanning southern Switzerland and northern Italy, were such an obstacle. (4) Roads and railways had to navigate around the mountains or through winding tunnels inside the mountains, making the transportation of people and goods difficult and time consuming. (5) In 2016 these burdens were eased with the completion of the Gotthard Base Tunnel.

(6) Construction of the high-speed railway tunnel began in 1996. (7) The tunnel was created through the use of tunnel-boring machines, which are giant drills with a flat rotating head called a cutter head. (8) Each of the tunnel-boring machines used during the construction of the tunnel was about the length of four football fields arranged end-to-end. (9) During the seventeen-year construction period, 28 million tons of rock were removed, enough to rebuild the Great Pyramid of Giza five times. (10) This massive construction project is reported to have cost $12 billion. (11) After that, 4 million cubic meters of concrete, or enough concrete to build eighty-four Empire State Buildings, were used to construct and support the tunnel.

(12) By 2020 the high-speed railway will carry more than 250 freight trains and 55 passenger trains a day, with most traveling at speeds of around 100 to 125 miles per hour. (13) It will be faster for people to travel between northern and southern Europe. (14) The travel time between the European cities of Zurich, Switzerland, and Milan, Italy, will be reduced by an hour. (15) Many European leaders compare the Gotthard Base Tunnel to the Channel Tunnel, a 33-mile underwater tunnel that connects the United Kingdom and France. (16) While there is no roadway in the Channel Tunnel, people can drive their cars onto special trains that will carry vehicles through to the other side.

(17) Just as traffic congestion in major cities led to the construction of underground local transportation, natural formations, such as mountain ranges, have also sent people underground for faster, easier, and cheaper methods of transportation across larger areas. (18) There is renewed interest in constructing innovative methods of transportation that will help eliminate problems associated with traveling to and from certain areas.

Question

Which sentence should be added to follow and support sentence 7?

  • AThe tunnel-boring machine is helpful to tunnel builders in the modern era and has been an improvement over dynamite.
  • BThese enormous tunnel-boring machines function somewhat like a cheese grater, with the cutter head grinding slowly through rock and stone.
  • CEngineers had considered making a tunnel under the mountains for many years, but it was impossible to do without modern tunnel-boring machines.
  • DDifferent types of cutter heads are used with tunnel-boring machines depending on the geology of the area where the tunnel is being created.
Show the answer

Correct answer: B

This is the answer (B)

The question asks for a sentence that provides additional details about the tunnel-boring machines used to build the Gotthard Base Tunnel in order to support the description of the machines in sentence 7.

Option B is correct because it offers specific details about how tunnel-boring machines, such as the ones used to create the Gotthard Base Tunnel, drill through rock.

Option A is incorrect because it offers information about how tunnel-boring machines were an improvement over previous methods but does not include information about how the machines work.

Option C is incorrect because it presents the idea that the tunnel could not be built until advances were made in tunnel-boring machine technology and does not describe how the machines function.

Option D is incorrect because, though it explains that there are different types of cutter heads used for different geologies, the geology of the tunnel area is not discussed in sentence 7, nor in the rest of the paragraph.

Question analysis

This revising question asks which new sentence should follow and support a description of the tunnel-boring machines used to dig the Gotthard Base Tunnel. Every choice is about the machines, so students must decide which one actually develops the sentence before it rather than drifting to a related topic.

NYS standards
  • 7W2b developing a topic
Grade level
Grade 7 reading and task
Compared with grade 7
At grade 7 Adding a detail that supports a given sentence is a regular grade 7 writing task. The demand is typical: a short paragraph, plain vocabulary, and wrong choices that stay on the subject of the machines but serve other purposes.
Estimated difficulty
Moderate: several steps, or a close reading with one strong distractor.
What makes it hard
Evidence
Answered from one paragraph or stanza
Reading level
Passage: about grade 11, 362 words; question and choices: about grade 11, 94 words.
Students, last 30 days
Not enough answers yet to show (it takes 10).
Why it is hard, traps and wrong answers (shows the answer)

Why it is hard

All four choices are about tunnel-boring machines, so topic alone settles nothing. The right sentence shows how the machines work and leads into their size in sentence 8, while the strongest wrong one wanders into geology. Some students also distrust the cheese-grater comparison as too casual, though a vivid analogy is exactly the kind of support a definition needs.

  1. How sentences fit together moderate Working it out

    The new sentence sits between sentence 7, which defines the machines, and sentence 8, which gives their size, so it has to keep describing the machines that dug this tunnel. (Halliday & Hasan, 1976)

Strategy: Reread sentence 7 and note exactly what it describes, then test each choice by asking whether it tells the reader more about that same thing or starts a new point.

Traps

  • Off the point: Adds or keeps something that does not support the paragraph's or the passage's focus, or an introduction or conclusion that misses the main point.
  • Wordy, vague or informal: A revision is grammatical but wordy, imprecise or too casual for the passage.

The wrong answers, classified

How the questions are analyzed, and the research behind it

Working it out, step by step

  1. Figure out what the question asks

    You need a sentence to go right after sentence 7. It must support sentence 7. That means it should tell more about the same thing sentence 7 is about.

  2. Read sentence 7 closely

    Sentence 7 says: “The tunnel was created through the use of tunnel-boring machines, which are giant drills with a flat rotating head called a cutter head.” So sentence 7 is about the machines and how they dig. Now look ahead. Sentence 8 tells how long each machine was. So the new sentence sits between two sentences about the machines.

  3. Make sense of the key words

    To bore means to drill a hole. A tunnel-boring machine is a huge drill that digs a tunnel. The cutter head is the spinning front part that cuts the rock. A good supporting sentence will help you picture how this machine works.

  4. Check each choice

    • B compares the machine to a cheese grater, “with the cutter head grinding slowly through rock and stone.” It shows how the machine works.
    • A says the machine is “helpful to tunnel builders in the modern era.” That is praise, with no detail about how it works.
    • C is about why the tunnel could not be built earlier. That is a new topic.
    • D is about different cutter heads for different kinds of rock. The paragraph never talks about kinds of rock.

    Watch out: D repeats the words “cutter heads,” so it seems connected. But it starts a subject the paragraph never comes back to.

  5. Pick the answer

    Choice B keeps describing the machines from sentence 7 and leads well into sentence 8. So the answer is B.

Why this answer and not the closest wrong one

D is the closest wrong answer, because it uses the term “cutter heads” from sentence 7. But it is about choosing heads for different rock, which the paragraph drops at once. B explains how the cutter head of these machines works, and that is exactly what sentence 7 set up.

More questions like this

The original DOE question
Question 5 as printed on page 49 of the DOE handbook.
As printed in the DOE’s Specialized High Schools Student Handbook 2018–2019, page 49, question 5. Open page 49 of the handbook (PDF)
The passage “Moving through Mountains” as printed (page 48)The passage “Moving through Mountains” as printed on page 48 of the DOE handbook.

Question 14 of 14

2018 Test B English, question 7
Passage The Local Library

The Local Library

(1) According to a 2015 survey, more than two-thirds of Americans own a smartphone, which means that obtaining information or communicating with people is easier than ever before. (2) With the swipe of a finger, the tap of an icon, or a verbal command, people have instant access to articles, blogs, news, and social networking websites. (3) Even with all these immediately available sources of information, one of the best resources for many members of the community also happens to be one of the oldest. (4) The public library is a great place for people to get information.

(5) The public library serves a truly critical role in promoting community. (6) With the explosion of digital media in recent years, people in different locations can now communicate almost instantaneously. (7) And yet many people complain of feeling more isolated and alone than ever before. (8) The library stands in a rare position to help community members meet this universal need for human connection and companionship.

(9) Furthermore, libraries provide certain amenities, such as access to the Internet, for free to all people. (10) A student who does not have a computer at home can research and type a paper for school. (11) Similarly, an unemployed adult without access to the Internet can make use of library resources to find job opportunities. (12) The free items that are found at the library can help people get a lot done.

(13) Public libraries also offer a variety of resources to community members. (14) One important resource is the local librarian, who does far more than check out books and collect fines. (15) Other library resources include free or low-cost tutoring and training programs. (16) Additionally, lectures, book groups, and town meetings promote critical thinking and community engagement. (17) A typical librarian holds a master’s degree and can help library patrons navigate through the flood of information available in print and on the Internet.

(18) The hallmark of a public library is that its materials and services are accessible to all. (19) The library connects people to a network of information and resources and is an important part of a community.

Question

Which revision of sentence 12 best maintains the formal style established in the passage?

  • AThe free resources available at the library can help people accomplish many tasks.
  • BAll the free materials you can get at the library can help you do many different tasks.
  • CEverything that is free at the library can help people work on a lot of different things.
  • DThe free resources you can find at the library can help you do whatever you need to do.
Show the answer

Correct answer: A

The question asks for the revision of sentence 12 that best maintains the formal style established in the passage.

Option A correctly maintains the formal style by using “people” instead of “you” and the more formal language “resources available” and “accomplish many tasks.”

Option B is incorrect because it uses second person, directly addressing the reader, which is informal.

Option C is incorrect because, even though it does not use second person, it uses informal language like “work on” and “things.”

Option D is incorrect because it uses the informal phrase “whatever you need to do” in addition to informally addressing the reader through the use of second person.

Question analysis

This style question asks students to revise a casual sentence about the free items at a public library so it fits the essay’s formal tone. Students compare four rewrites for word choice and for the way each one speaks to the reader. It tests whether students can hear the difference between conversational and academic writing.

NYS standards
  • 7W1f argument style and tone
  • 7L3a precise and concise language
Grade level
Grade 6 reading and task
Compared with grade 7
Below grade 7 Keeping a formal style is introduced in grade 6 writing, and this item tests it in one sentence with clear signals of casual language. Typical grade 7 style work asks for subtler choices of precise, content-specific words.
Estimated difficulty
Routine: one familiar step, little to misread.
Evidence
Answered from one sentence or line
Reading level
Passage: about grade 11, 341 words; question and choices: about grade 8, 78 words.
Students, last 30 days
Not enough answers yet to show (it takes 10).
Why it is hard, traps and wrong answers (shows the answer)

Why it is hard

Sentence 12, with “free items” and “get a lot done,” sounds casual next to the essay’s survey figures and phrases like “certain amenities,” and two of the rewrites slip into addressing the reader as “you.” Most students hear that at once. The one rewrite that avoids “you” but stays vague is where careful readers can still be caught, since they stop checking once the pronoun test is passed.

  1. A very close wrong answer minor Choosing the answer

    The rewrite saying free things “can help people work on a lot of different things” matches the right one’s “can help people accomplish many tasks” in structure and pronoun; only the casual wording separates them. (Embretson & Wetzel, 1987; Gorin & Embretson, 2006; Ascalon et al., 2007)

  2. Something you must already know minor Working it out

    Students must already know the conventions of formal writing: no second-person “you,” and precise wording such as “accomplish many tasks” instead of “get a lot done.” (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001)

Strategy: Reread a sentence or two around sentence 12 to hear the essay’s voice, then check each rewrite for whom it addresses and for casual or vague wording.

Traps

The wrong answers, classified

How the questions are analyzed, and the research behind it

Working it out, step by step

  1. Figure out what the question asks

    You need to rewrite sentence 12 so it sounds formal, like the rest of the essay. Formal style is the careful way you would write a school report.

  2. Learn the signs of formal style

    Formal writing follows two simple rules.

    • It does not talk to the reader as “you.” Talking to “you” is called second person.
    • It uses exact words, not casual ones like a lot, stuff or things.

    Casual: You can get tons of stuff there.
    Formal: Visitors can find many useful materials there.

  3. Find the problem in sentence 12

    Sentence 12 says: “The free items that are found at the library can help people get a lot done.” The phrase “get a lot done” is casual. The rest of the essay uses careful words like “amenities” and “resources.” It never says “you.”

  4. Check each choice

    • A is right. It uses “people,” not “you.” It uses exact words: “resources available” and “accomplish many tasks.”
    • B is wrong. It says “you can get” and “help you.” That talks to the reader.
    • C is wrong. It uses “people,” but it keeps casual words: “everything” and “a lot of different things.”
    • D is wrong. It uses “you” and the chatty “whatever you need to do.”

    Watch out: C passes the “you” test, so it looks safe. But its words are still casual.

  5. Choose the answer

    To accomplish a task means to get it done. A says the same thing as sentence 12, but in formal words. So the answer is A.

Why this answer and not the closest wrong one

C is the closest wrong answer. Like A, it uses “people” and says the free things “can help.” The difference is the last few words. “Work on a lot of different things” is vague and casual. “Accomplish many tasks” is exact and formal, so A matches the essay’s style.

More questions like this

The original DOE question
Question 7 as printed on page 121 of the DOE handbook.
As printed in the DOE’s Specialized High Schools Student Handbook 2018–2019, page 121, question 7. Open page 121 of the handbook (PDF)
The passage “The Local Library” as printed (page 120)The passage “The Local Library” as printed on page 120 of the DOE handbook.