Accuplacer - Sentence Structure

7/29/2019 Accuplacer - Sentence Structure

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AccuplacerPresented by Fox Tech EnglishDepartment


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Purpose: To Measure Your Abilities

The Accuplacer provides useful information aboutyour academic skills in math, English, and reading.

The information is used by academic advisors andcounselors to determine your course selection.Bascially, where to place you in college.

You can not "pass" or "fail" the placement tests, butit is very important that you do your very best onthese tests so that you will have an accurate measureof your academic skills.


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English: Three Sections

Reading Comprehension (78)

Sentence Structure (80)

Writing (6 out of 8)

* Note: If you fail the Sentence Structure or the

Writing, you will have to take both sectionsagain. Your best bet is to take the Writing andpass it before you take Sentence Structure.


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Reading Comprehension (78) 20 questions; two types

The first type consists of a reading passage followed by a question

based on the text. Both short and long passages are provided. Thereading passages can also be classified according to the kind ofinformation processing required including explicitstatements related to the main idea, explicit statementsrelated to a secondary idea, application, and inference.

The second type of question, sentence relationships, presentstwo sentences followed by a question about the relationship betweenthese two sentences. The question may ask, for example, if thestatement in the second sentence supports that in the first, if itcontradicts it, or if it repeats the same information.


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Sentence Structure (80) 20 Sentence Skills, two types of questions

Sentence Correction: These questions ask you to choose the most

appropriate word or phrase to substitute for the underlined portionof the sentence.

Construction Shift: These questions ask that a sentence berewritten according to the criteria shown while maintainingessentially the same meaning as the original sentence.

Within these two categories, the questions are also classifiedaccording to the skills being tested. Some questions deal with thelogic of the sentence, others with whether or not theanswer is a complete sentence, and still others with therelationship between coordination and subordination.


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Writing This test measures your ability to write effectively, which is critical to

academic success. Your writing sample will be scored on the basis of howeffectively it communicates a whole message to the readers for the statedpurpose. Your score will based on your ability to express, organize, andsupport your opinions and ideas, not the position you take on the essaytopic. The following five characteristics of writing will be considered:

FocusClarity with which you maintain your main idea or point of view

OrganizationClarity with which you structure your response andpresent a logical sequence of ideas

Development and Support

Extent to which you elaborate on yourideas and the extent to which you present supporting details

Sentence StructureEffectiveness of your sentence structure

Mechanical ConventionsExtent to which your writing is free of errorsin usage and mechanics


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English Course Placements based onAccuplacer Writing Scores Essay Sentence Skills UTSA Placement

0-2 N/A ENGL 03093-4 N/A ENGL 0311

5 20-120 ENGL 03116 N/A ENGL 1311 and

ENGL 01117-8 N/A ENGL 1311

Essay Sentence Skills ACCD Placement0-4 N/A ENGL 03095 20-79 ENGL 03095 80-120 ENGL 03106-8 N/A ENGL 1301


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Sentence Structure Sample 1Select the best version of the underlined part of the sentence. The first choice

is the same as the original sentence. If you think the original sentence isbest, choose the first answer.

Stamp collecting being a hobby that is sometimesused in the schools to teach economics and socialstudies.

A. being a hobby that isB. is a hobby because it isC. which is a hobbyD. is a hobby


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Sentence Structure Sample 2Rewrite the sentence in your head following the directions given below.Keep in mind that your new sentence should be well written and shouldhave essentially the same meaning as the original sentence.

It is easy to carry solid objects without spilling them, but the same cannotbe said of liquids.

Rewrite, beginning with

Unlike liquids,

The next words will be

A. it is easy to

B. we can easily

C. solid objects can easily be

D. solid objects are easy to be


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Sentence Skills Tips

Look at each answer choice separately

Read the sentences aloud.

Look for word cues within each sentenceand answer.

In most cases, shorter is better!

Make educated guesses. Stay on track


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Sentence Skills Tips

Consider each sentence you are asked to look at.

What are the possible problems?

Be sure to look for common errors like:

1. sentence fragments

2. comma splices

3. agreement of different parts of the sentence 4.verb form

5. logic of sentence ideas

6. smoothness of expression
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_frag.htmlhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_sentpr.htmlhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_parallel.htmlhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/eslsubverb.htmlhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_clause.htmlhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_sentclar.htmlhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_sentclar.htmlhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_clause.htmlhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/eslsubverb.htmlhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_parallel.htmlhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_sentpr.htmlhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_frag.html


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Sentence Fragments

Fragments are incomplete sentences. Usually,fragments are pieces of the sentences that havebecome disconnected from the main clause.

Fragments are frequently a dependent clause or

a long phrase that follows the main clause.


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Fragment Examples Purdue offers many majors in engineering.Such as

electrical, chemical, and industrial engineering.

Coach Dietz exemplified this behavior by walking off thefield in the middle of a game. Leaving her team at a timewhen we needed her.

Ineed to find a new roommate. Because the one I have

now isn't working out too well.

The current city policy on housing is incomplete as itstands.Which is why we believe the proposedamendments should be passed.


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Comma Splices

A comma splice occurs when a comma is used tojoin (splice) two independent clauses, where the

clauses are not joined by a conjunction

It is nearly half past five, we cannot reach thetown before dark.


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Correcting Comma Splices Change the comma to another punctuation

mark:

It is nearly half-past five; we cannot reach townbefore dark.

It is nearly half-past fivewe cannot reach townbefore dark

Write as two separate sentences: It is nearly half-past five. We cannot reach town

before dark.


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Correcting Comma Splices cont.

Insert a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS):

It is nearly half-past five, and we cannot reach

town before dark.

It is nearly half-past five, so we cannot reach townbefore dark.

Make one clause dependent on the other:

As it is nearly half-past five, we cannot reach townbefore dark.

Because it is nearly half-past five, we cannot reach

town before dark.


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Correcting Commas Splices cont.

Use a semicolon or a dash and a conjunctiveadverb:

It is nearly half-past five; therefore, we cannotreach town before dark.

It is nearly half-past fivetherefore, we cannotreach town before dark.


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Agreement of different parts of thesentence Parallel structure (i.e. using the same pattern of

words to show that two or more ideas have the

same level of importance) Mary likes hiking, biking and swimming.

Mary likes to hike, to bike and to swim

Dont mix forms!

Mary likes hiking, biking and to swim.


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Parrallel structure continuedMake parallel:

The production manager was asked to write his reportquickly, accurately and in a detailed manner.

The teacher said that he was a poor student because hewaited until the last minute to study for the exam,completed his lab problems in a careless manner, and his

motivation was low.

The salesman expected that he would present his product atthe meeting, that there would be time for him to show hisslide presentation, and that questions would be asked byprospective buyers.


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Verb Form

Always make sure your nouns and verbs agree!!!

When the subject of a sentence is composed of two

or more nouns and is connected by and, use aplural verb:

Erika and Eliza play softball.

When two or more singular nouns or pronouns areconnected by or or nor use a singular verb

Erika or Eliza is ready to pitch.


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Verbs cont.. Remember that the verb agrees with the subject and not

anything else that comes between the subject and theverb: The team captain, as well as all of her teammates, is

nervous.

The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone,everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody,

someone, and no one are singular and require a singularverb. Each of the players knows how to catch. Anyone is able to do that.


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Logic of Sentence Ideas Independent verses dependent clauses

Angela studied for the exam at the library. When Angela studied for the exam at the library

Dependent clause marker words: after, although, as, as if, because, before, even if, even though, if, in order to,since, though, unless, until, whatever, when, whenever, whether, and while

When Angela studied for the exam at the library, it was noisy. Independent clause marker words:

also, consequently, furthermore, however, moreover, nevertheless, andtherefore.

Can connect independent and dependent by using coordinatingconjunctions (FANBOYS) or independent clause marker words: Angela studied for the exam at the library, but it was very noisy. Angela studied for the exam at the library; however, it was very noisy.


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Practice SentencesWriting a best seller had earned the author a sum

of money and had freed him from the necessity of

selling his pen for the political purposes of others.

Rewrite, beginning with

The author was not obliged . . .

The new sentence will includeA) consequently he earned

B) because he had earned

C) by earning

D) as a means of earning


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A. The author was not obliged to sell his pen for the political purposes of others[consequently he earned] a sum of money by writing a best seller.

Note that this sentence makes little sense because his earning the money is not a consequence of hislack of obligation but rather the cause of it. Besides, the structure creates a run-on sentence, whichis grammatically incorrect.

B. The author was not obliged to sell his pen for the political purposes of others[because he had earned] a sum of money by writing a best seller.

This version makes more sense because earning the money is in fact the cause of his not needing tosell his pen, and the sentence is grammatically correct.

C. The author was not obliged to sell his pen for the political purposes of others [byearning] a sum of money by writing a best seller.At first glance, this sentence may seem to make sense, but was not obliged...by earning makeslittle sense and only clumsily conveys the idea.

D. The author was not obliged to sell his pen for the political purposes of others [as ameans of earning] a sum of money by writing a best seller.This sentence also makes no sense because not selling his pen is not a means of earning money butrather aresult of such earning.

Therefore, of the four choices, B is clearly the best.


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https://qmark.fvtc.edu/q4/session.dll?call=survey.pip&SESSION=0829152571031547

http://ux.brookdalecc.edu/fac/writing/095/practice/SentCorQ.html
https://qmark.fvtc.edu/q4/session.dll?call=survey.pip&SESSION=0829152571031547https://qmark.fvtc.edu/q4/session.dll?call=survey.pip&SESSION=0829152571031547https://qmark.fvtc.edu/q4/session.dll?call=survey.pip&SESSION=0829152571031547https://qmark.fvtc.edu/q4/session.dll?call=survey.pip&SESSION=0829152571031547

Accuplacer - Sentence Structure

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