SQUADS
CPW
“9th Grade English”
Learning Intentions - Today, I am going to address these College
Readiness Standards in English:
1. Conventions of Punctuation 24-27
2. Conventions of Usage 20-23
3. Organization, Unity, and Coherence 24-27
4. Topic Development in Terms of Purpose and Focus 24-27
5. Word Choice in Terms of Style, Tone, Clarity, and Economy 24-27
6. Sentence Structure and Formation 16-19, 24-27
Success Criteria – I will know I am successful if I can identify the correct
use of punctuation, usage, and word choice, as well as select the most
appropriate addition to a sentence in terms of its purpose and focus.
1. Answer: D
• 1. In the 1920s, Mexican artist Diego Rivera (1886-1957) practiced the
art of painting frescoes, large murals done on fresh plaster.
• The writer wants to suggest that the art of the fresco had been in
decline previous to Rivera. Which choice best accomplishes that goal?
• A. NO CHANGE
• B. engaged in
• C. influenced
• D. revived
• Rationale: Use the word most appropriate for the content
of the sentence. Since the content focuses on bringing the
art of the fresco back to life, revived is the most
appropriate. Practiced, engaged in, and influenced are all
words that do not show a difference prior to Rivera.
• Word Choice in Terms of Style, Tone, Clarity, and Economy
24-27
2. Answer B
• 2. The central panel on the north wall shows the manufacture of
a 1932 Ford V-8 engine, and the central panel on the south wall
shows the production of this same car’s exterior. Smaller panels
depicting workers in a variety of other Detroit industries.
• A. NO CHANGE
• B. depict
• C. depicting some
• D. had depicted
• Rationale: The previous sentence uses the present
tense “shows” and so to maintain consistent verb
tense, we can eliminate “had depicted” and
“depicting.”
• Sentence Structure and Formation 24-27
3. Answer: A
•
The writer is thinking of adding the following phrase to the end of the sentence
above (changing the period after industries to a comma):
such as medicine, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals.
Should the writer make this addition there?
A.
Yes, because it offers relevant examples that help to specify a broad term.
B.
Yes, because it helps explain how the panels were physically constructed.
C.
No, because it provides a sampling of industries rather than a full listing.
D.
No, because it digresses from the main point of the sentence.
•
Rationale: Add a sentence to accomplish a fairly straightforward
•
purpose such as illustrating a given statement. The type of
industries is suggesting a few examples (the purpose is not to have
a full listing) so letter C can be eliminated. The examples of
industries do not digress from the sentence, so letter D can be
eliminated as well. The examples have nothing to do with physical
construction, but they do provide relevant examples to clarify a
broad term.
Topic Development in Terms of Purpose and Focus 24-27
4. Answer: D
• 4. The fresco is a dynamic work because it captures the energy, humanity, and
collective achievement of the Detroit workers. However, Rivera considered it the
greatest achievement of his career.
• A. NO CHANGE
• B. Despite this,
• C. Regardless,
• D. DELETE the underlined portion.
• Rationale: Determine the need for conjunctive adverbs or
phrases to create subtle logical connections between
sentences (therefore, however, in addition). Using
“however” is not logical because the relationship between
the ideas is not one of restricting or counterbalancing. The
other two options also suggest that the relationship is one
that ignores the previous statement, whereas the
relationship is demonstrating a strong connection between
the two.
• Organization, Unity, and Coherence 24-27
5. Answer: C
• 5. Many thousands of years ago, people around the world began
attaching different stories to the stars in the night sky. The sun sets
gradually the images of a winged horse, a drinking gourd, a heartbroken
hero appear in lights overheard.
• A. NO CHANGE
• B. sets, gradually,
• C. sets, and gradually
• D. setting gradually
• Rationale: Determine the need for punctuation and
conjunctions to avoid awkward-sounding fused sentences.
There needs to be some punctuation to connect the two
complete thoughts about the sun setting and the images
gradually appearing. Letter B is a comma splice that doesn’t
connect the two thoughts . Letter D doesn’t make sense. Letter
C connects the two ideas using a comma and a conjunction.
• Sentence Structure and Formation 16-19
6. Answer: D
• 6. The scorpion that, according to myth, killed Orion inhabits the
sky as well, but at such a distance because it can never sting the
hunter again.
• A. NO CHANGE
• B. so when
• C. this means
• D. that
• Rationale: Use words or phrases to express
straightforward logical relationships. Letter B doesn’t
make sense. Letter C interrupts the sentence and is
unnecessary. The other option, “that”, is the most
coherent.
• Organization, Unity, and Coherence: 20-23
7. Answer: A
• 7. I visit his grave at least once a week – not during the day, but at
night.
• A. NO CHANGE
• B. week; not during the day
• C. week not during the day
• D. week, not during the day;
• Rationale: Recognize inappropriate uses of commas and
semicolons. Semicolons are used to connect two closely
related clauses. Letter B is incorrect because the part after
the semicolon, “not during the day, but at night” is an
incomplete sentence. Letter D is also incorrect because the
semicolon after “day” would also make for an incomplete
sentence. Letter C is incorrect because having no
punctuation creates confusion.
• Conventions of Punctuation 24-27
CPW 9th Grade English
• Exchange your answer sheet with that of
another squad…
• Launch the PDF.