Free Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) 4th Grade Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which expression is equivalent to 7 3/4 in terms of value?
- 21× 1/28
- 21× 1/4 (Correct answer)
- 21× 3/28
- 21× 3/4
Correct answer: 21× 1/4
The mixed number 7 3/4 is typically understood as 7 + 3/4, which equals 31/4. However, if the expression '7 3/4' is interpreted as 7 multiplied by the fraction 3/4, then 7 × (3/4) equals 21/4. The correct option, 21 × 1/4, also simplifies to 21/4, making it equivalent under this specific interpretation.
Question 2: 47,000 is a number that has been rounded to the nearest thousand; may this be the amount that was rounded by the war?
- 47,520
- 47,924
- 46,295
- 46,504 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 46,504
When rounding to the nearest thousand, numbers from 46,500 up to 47,499 will round to 47,000. Among the given options, 46,504 falls within this range. The digit in the hundreds place (5) indicates that the number should be rounded up to the next thousand, which is 47,000.
Question 3: Which method is applicable to the equation 11 + 13?
- Multiply 11 × 10 and 11 × 3, then add the two products. (Correct answer)
- Multiply 11 × 10 and 10 × 3, then add the two products.
- Multiply 11 × 100 and 11 × 3, then add the two products.
- Multiply 11 × 100 and 10 × 3, then add the two products.
Correct answer: Multiply 11 × 10 and 11 × 3, then add the two products.
The question likely contains a typo and intended to ask for a method to calculate 11 × 13, not 11 + 13. Option A correctly demonstrates the distributive property for multiplication: 11 × 13 can be broken down as 11 × (10 + 3), which equals (11 × 10) + (11 × 3). This method accurately calculates the product of 11 and 13.
Question 4: A certain city has 836,527 residents. How many people, rounded to the nearest ten thousand, live in this city?
- 840,000 (Correct answer)
- 836,000
- 830,000
- 800,000
Correct answer: 840,000
To round 836,527 to the nearest ten thousand, identify the ten thousands digit, which is 3. Then, look at the digit immediately to its right, the thousands digit, which is 6. Since 6 is 5 or greater, you round up the ten thousands digit. Rounding 3 up makes it 4, resulting in 840,000.
Question 5: senator Anderson was driving a car in the parade when we arrived in the city. What word underlined here needs to be capitalized?
- city
- parade
- we
- senator (Correct answer)
Correct answer: senator
The word 'senator' should be capitalized because it is used as a title directly preceding a proper noun ('Anderson'). When a title is used as part of a person's specific name, it functions as a proper noun and requires capitalization. For example, 'Senator Anderson' is correct, whereas 'the senator' would not be capitalized.
Question 6: Which is properly capitalized?
- Many American soldiers received the Medal of honor during World War II.
- The American revolution was fought against the British.
- American Soldiers had to hike many miles during the war.
- During World War I, Americans fought against German soldier. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: During World War I, Americans fought against German soldier.
Proper capitalization requires specific names of wars (World War I) and nationalities (Americans, German) to be capitalized. In option D, 'World War I' and 'Americans' are correctly capitalized, and 'German' is capitalized as a nationality. The other options contain capitalization errors, such as 'Medal of honor' (should be 'Medal of Honor') or 'American revolution' (should be 'American Revolution').
Question 7: Which of the following statements is true?
- When did you read that book? (Correct answer)
- what time is dinner?
- where did you go?
- who wants a rootbeer float?
Correct answer: When did you read that book?
The correct answer, 'When did you read that book?', is a complete interrogative sentence that correctly uses a capital letter at the beginning and a question mark at the end. The other options are missing proper capitalization at the beginning of the sentence, which is a fundamental rule of English grammar.
Question 8: He ______ to the principal's office numerous times prior to this incident. Pick the right verb form.
- will have been
- have been
- had been (Correct answer)
- has been
Correct answer: had been
The phrase 'prior to this incident' indicates an action completed before another past event. The past perfect tense, 'had been,' is correctly used here to describe an action that occurred and was completed at some point before a specific time in the past ('this incident'). This tense establishes the sequence of past events.
Question 9: They ______ it will be easy to run the half marathon. Select the appropriate verb.
- think (Correct answer)
- has thought
- thinks
- will thinks
Correct answer: think
The subject 'They' is a plural pronoun, which requires a plural verb form in the present tense. 'Think' is the correct plural present tense verb that agrees with the plural subject 'They.' Options like 'thinks' are for singular subjects, and 'has thought' is present perfect, while 'will thinks' is grammatically incorrect.
Question 10: Scientists made the discovery of a novel species of monkey in the Brazilian Amazon forest in 1996. It is the sixth brand-new marmoset species to be found in South America. Fortunately, a lot of people are doing a lot of effort to conserve these animals. The monkey with orange hair is comparable in size to a squirrel. Fruit and insects are eaten by marmosets. When sap pours out of tiny holes it chews in tree trunks, it slurps it up. Which of the following sentences doesn't belong in the passage?
- Luckily, many people are working hard to help save these animals. (Correct answer)
- In 1996 scientists in the Amazon forest of Brazil discovered a new kind of monkey.
- The orange-haired primate is about the size of a squirrel.
- It is the sixth new species of marmoset to be discovered.
Correct answer: Luckily, many people are working hard to help save these animals.
The passage primarily focuses on the discovery, characteristics, and diet of the new monkey species. The sentence 'Luckily, many people are working hard to help save these animals' introduces a topic of conservation efforts, which, while related to animals, shifts the focus away from the descriptive information about the marmoset itself. It disrupts the flow of information about the species' discovery and attributes.
Question 11: In order to help her grandmother, Susan was raking the leaves. After gathering all the leaves into one big pile, she put the rake back in the garage. She saw that it was growing dark when she glanced up at the sky. She made the decision that it was time to leave for home. Raindrops spilled on top of her head as a gust of wind suddenly struck her face. What evidence alerts you that Susan will soon be trapped in a storm?
- She had finished raking leaves.
- The sky was dark.
- The wind began to gust.
- The sky was dark, the wind began to gust, and raindrops splattered her head. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The sky was dark, the wind began to gust, and raindrops splattered her head.
The passage provides multiple pieces of evidence that collectively indicate an impending storm. The darkening sky, the sudden gust of wind, and the splattering raindrops are all distinct signs that the weather is turning severe. The correct answer combines all these specific details from the text, offering the most comprehensive and accurate evidence.
Question 12: Which set of words contains every fruit example?
- raspberries, pears, apples, cherries (Correct answer)
- raspberries, pears, corn, ice cream
- raspberries, pears, apples, green beans
- raspberries, pears, apples, ice cream
Correct answer: raspberries, pears, apples, cherries
Fruits are the mature ovaries of flowering plants, typically containing seeds. Raspberries, pears, apples, and cherries all fit this botanical definition and are commonly recognized as fruits. The other options include vegetables (corn, green beans) or dairy products (ice cream), which are not fruits.
Question 13: My mother instructed my sister and I to go to the supermarket and purchase some milk bread and cheese. How should this phrase be written?
- buy some bread, cheese and milk. (Correct answer)
- buy some bread. Cheese and milk.
- buy some bread cheese, and milk
- buy some bread, cheese, milk.
Correct answer: buy some bread, cheese and milk.
When listing three or more items, commas are used to separate each item in the list. The phrase 'bread, cheese and milk' correctly uses a comma after 'bread' to separate it from 'cheese' and 'milk', making the list clear and grammatically correct. This is the standard punctuation for a series of items.
Question 14: Which alphabetic group only consists of vowels?
- a,o,n,d
- i,s,y,u
- e,a,i,u (Correct answer)
- u,a,i,g
Correct answer: e,a,i,u
Vowels are the letters A, E, I, O, U. The group 'e,a,i,u' contains only these letters, making it the correct choice as it exclusively consists of vowels. The other options include consonants (n, d, s, y, g), which are not vowels.
Question 15: Patricia attended the Halloween party dressed in a vibrant costume. What word best describes colorful?
- gloomy
- bright (Correct answer)
- dress
- dull
Correct answer: bright
The word 'vibrant' means full of energy and life, often implying bright and rich colors. Among the given options, 'bright' is the best synonym for 'vibrant' when describing something colorful, as it directly relates to the intensity and vividness of colors. 'Gloomy' and 'dull' are antonyms, and 'dress' is unrelated.
Question 16: Pick the appropriate contraction for the terms that are emphasized. Putting your shoes on before your socks "does not" make sense.
- isn’t
- don’t
- doesn’t (Correct answer)
- wasn’t
Correct answer: doesn’t
The emphasized words are 'does not.' The correct contraction for 'does not' is 'doesn't.' This contraction combines the two words into a single, shorter form while retaining their meaning, and it is grammatically appropriate for the sentence.
Which expression is equivalent to 7 3/4 in terms of value?