CAHSEE PREP
An LBG PowerPoint
To Pass You Need
66%
Out of every three questions you
only need to get two right
Tactics
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Each multiple choice question has 4
choices.
Eliminate 2 = a 50% chance of getting it
right
[1 out of 3 right] + [ a 50/50 guess at the
other 2] = [ 2 out of 3] = PASS
Remember
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Take your TIME… Ask for Extra Time!
Stay Calm … Stay Focused!
Answer Every Question
Eliminate at least 2 Wrong Answers
Go with Your Gut (Read them out loud)
Then …
Stay Calm, Stay Focused … Take Your
Time … Take Extra Time!
You WILL pass! 
STRATEGY TO PASS:
Eliminate the Wrong Answers &
Make an Educated Guess!
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Answer EVERY Question
Eliminate wrong answers - You do not lose
points for guessing
TRUST YOUR EARS! If it doesn’t sound
right – it probably isn’t! Eliminate it!
Breakdown
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45 points = Reading passage questions
15 points = Writing Conventions
12 points = Writing Strategies
18 points = Writing a short essay
The Facts
TOTAL POINTS:
 CAHSEE ENGLISH TEST
Entire section = 90 points
 NUMBER NEEDED:
to PASS = 59 points
66% Correct and “You have done it!”
FORMAT
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SENTENCE QUESTIONS
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ESSAY REVISIONS
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Grammar - Multiple Choice
Sentence Structure – Fill in the Blank or Choose
the Best Version for the underlined part of the
sentence
Rough Drafts – Sentence revision or reading
comprehension
ESSAY – WRITING TASK
Rule #1: If it sounds wrong, it probably is wrong.
Rule #2: Identify the Concept being tested…
or WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS IT?
Focus on the Answer Choices
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Sentence Questions #1: Fill in the Blank
Pronouns, Adjectives, Contractions, Diction
Sentence Questions #2:
Underlined/Replace? Verbs, Punctuation,
Quotations, Parallelism, Modifiers
Writing Conventions
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1.2Understand sentence construction (e.g., parallel
structure, subordination, proper placement of
modifiers) and proper English usage (e.g.,
consistency of verb tenses).
1.1Identify and correctly use clauses (e.g., main and
subordinate), phrases (e.g., gerund, infinitive, and
participial), and mechanics of punctuation (e.g.,
semicolons, colons, ellipses, hyphens).
1.3Demonstrate an understanding of proper English
usage and control of grammar, paragraph and
sentence structure, diction, and syntax.
PUNCTUATION
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Punctuation questions involve answer choices using different kinds of punctuation marks.
COMMAS - - >
,
Commas indicate short pauses between separate parts of a sentence.
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PERIODS - - >
.
Periods indicate the ends of complete sentences.
SEMICOLONS - - > ;
Semicolons separate two complete sentences, just like periods.
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COLONS - - > :
Colons introduce lists of things.
COMMAS =
,
Commas = indicates short pauses between
separate parts of a sentence.
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Questions that involve ONLY COMMAS and
where they belong  place each of the
answer choices into the sentence.
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READ EACH SENTENCE WITH A PAUSE in
place of the comma.
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ASK YOURSELF: Which answer sounds
wrong?
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Eliminate the answers that sound wrong.
,
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Commas … indicate pauses
Commas
WRONG WAY:
*Juan liked Jessica, he loved flaming hot Cheetos.
*Juan, liked Jessica, and he loved flaming hot
Cheetos.
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RIGHT WAY:
*Juan liked Jessica, and he loved flaming hot
Cheetos.
*Juan, the flaming hot Cheetos -lover, liked Jessica.
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Remember…
Semi-Colons… marry two complete
sentences
1.
2.
Semi-colon =
separates two
complete
independent
CLAUSES.
If both clauses can
be separate
sentences with
PERIODS, you can
use a semi-colon.
So marry them…
WRONG WAY:
*Juan and Jessica; they got
married.
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RIGHT WAY:
*Juan loved Jessica; they ate
flaming hot cheetos at
their wedding.
Juan loved Jessica. They
ate flaming hot cheetos at
their wedding.
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ElimiDate
1.
2.
3.
TIP: When you see a
question about a
semicolon, change the
semicolon to a PERIOD
and CAPITALIZE the word
that comes after it.
ASK YOURSELF: Are
both parts of the answer
choice COMPLETE
SENTENCES?
If not, eliminate that choice
– it’s wrong.
Colons say…
“Hey! There’s
a list….”
Ask yourself  Is there a list? Where
does it begin?
Wrong Way:
*Juan liked music: video games, the Dodgers, and
flaming hot cheetos
*Juan liked music and video games: the Dodgers
and flaming hot cheetos
 Right Way:
*Juan was passionate about four things: music,
video games, Dodgers and flaming hot cheetos
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Periods
.
Periods =
signals the end
of a sentence.
Periods prevent run-on sentences!
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Wrong Way:
* Juan liked Jessica he loved
flaming hot cheetos he loved life
he thought it would be lovely if he
and Jessica could have a life.
Periods make a sentence perfect
Right Way:
*Juan liked Jessica. He loved flaming hot
cheetos.
*Juan liked Jessica, and he loved flaming hot
cheetos.
*Juan liked Jessica; he loved flaming hot
cheetos.
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Ellipsis = . . .
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Shows one or more words have been
eliminated from a quotation
Shows a pause
Shows if a omission occurs at the end of an
sentence
Only 3 dots …
Right Way
“Ernest Hemingway was fond of flaming hot
Cheetos … he demonstrated this by
including them in many of his writings.”
Quotations Hug  “”
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Rule #1: Punctuation marks at the end of a
sentence go inside the quotation marks. (The
Quotes HUG)
Quotation Marks show that someone has spoken.
Rule #2: The comma before the quote always
goes before the quotation mark.
Example:
Joe said, “My way is the best way.”
Quotation Marks  Outside Huggers
Use 1 ‘ quote’ or 2 “quotes”
Rule #3: Single Quotation marks are only
used for quotations inside another
quotation.
 ‘quote’ = a quote within a quote.
Example:
Jessie said, “Eating flaming hot Cheetos
while taking the CAHSEE, is ‘a big mistake’
and I listened to him!”
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Parallelism matches words up
Parallelism
Rule #1: Words in a sentence that have
the same function must be in the same
form.
 Tip: Lists of VERBS in DIFFERENT
FORMS (Tenses) which means that they
should have the same endings.
In other words, pick the matching ending
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Are they a match??
Step 1: Check the question, look at the
answers.
*What is underlined?
*Are they asking about commas?
*Are they asking about parallelism?
Step 2: Eliminate answer choices that have
verbs with different endings.
Tips
1.) Skim the question and look for the words AND or
OR… check on each side of those words to see
whether the items that are matching are identical
triplets.
2.) If they are not look for the answer that makes
them identical.
3.) If there are several items in a list put them in a
column and see if they are alike or parallel
4.) Read it to yourself are there words that make the
same sound? i.e. Racing, skiing, boating, cooking
Let’s Try It!
A.
B.
C.
D.
greeting a customer, escort them to a
table and offer a beverage
to greet customers, escorting them to
tables and offering them a beverage.
to greet customers, escorting them to a
table, and to offer a beverage.
greeting customers, escorting them to a
table and offering beverages.
And the correct answer is…
D
greeting customers, escorting them to a table
and offering beverages to them.
So now you can say…
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Work on practice
problems