MTEL Communication and Literacy Skills Flashcards

A student writes: 'The data shows that student achievement are improving.' Which grammatical error is present?

Answer: Subject-verb agreement error

The collective noun 'data' (used as singular here) requires 'is' rather than 'are', making this a subject-verb agreement error.

Which type of context clue is used in this sentence: 'The pedagogue, or teacher, explained the lesson clearly'?

Answer: Definition clue

The phrase 'or teacher' immediately provides a direct definition of 'pedagogue,' making this a definition context clue.

A reader encounters an unfamiliar word and uses the root 'aud-' to infer its meaning. Which strategy is being applied?

Answer: Morphological analysis

Morphological analysis involves breaking a word into meaningful parts such as roots, prefixes, and suffixes to determine meaning.

In a persuasive essay, which organizational pattern best supports an argument that addresses and refutes opposing viewpoints?

Answer: Counterargument-rebuttal structure

A counterargument-rebuttal structure deliberately presents opposing views and then disproves them, strengthening the writer's own position.

Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier?

Answer: Running quickly, the finish line was crossed.

In 'Running quickly, the finish line was crossed,' the modifier 'Running quickly' illogically modifies 'finish line' rather than a person.

A test-taker reads a passage and must identify the author's implicit assumption. Which reading strategy is most appropriate?

Answer: Making inferences from textual evidence

Implicit assumptions are not directly stated, so the reader must infer them by analyzing textual evidence and reasoning.

Which sentence correctly uses a semicolon?

Answer: She studied hard; she passed the exam.

A semicolon correctly joins two independent clauses ('She studied hard' and 'she passed the exam') without a coordinating conjunction.