THE ENGLISH EXAM IS IN TWO PARTS: WRITING AND READING.

WRITING

The writing assessment largely focuses on editing skills. Much of the assessment involves choosing the most correct version of a given sentence or passage.

BRUSH UP ON YOUR WEAKEST EDITING SKILLS

Before you take the exam, review the writing errors you make most frequently, so you will know how to recognize and fix them.

• Sentence fragments
  • Example: Which resulted in a dent to my right front fender.
  • Repaired: I had a minor accident, which resulted in a dent to my right front fender.
• Run-on (fused) sentences
  • Example: The computer is brand new the printer however is two years old.
  • Repaired: The computer is brand new; the printer, however, is two years old.
• Comma splices
  • Example: I’ve played that song a dozen times this weekend, my sister hates it.
  • Repaired: I’ve played that song a dozen times this weekend, and my sister hates it.
  • For help with this error: IUP’s Writing Center
• Subject/verb agreement errors
  • Example: He go to work every morning before nine.
  • Repaired: He goes to work every morning before nine.
  • For help for this error see George Mason University’s Writing Center
• Verb tense errors
  • Example: We stopped at the convenience store for a minute. He starts laughing.
  • Repaired:  We stopped at the convenience store for a minute. He started laughing.
  • For help with this error: Hamilton College’s Writing Center

TRY TO HEAR THE SENTENCES IN YOUR HEAD

Sometimes, listening to how a sentence sounds will help you decide whether the sentence is correct or incorrect.

MORE RESOURCES FROM THE SUCCESS CENTER

Visit the Success Center study resources page

READING

The reading portion of the exam presents passages of text followed by a series of questions to test your understanding of the text.

You cannot go back to a passage once all questions for that passage have been answered. The following strategies can help.

SPOT READING

Scan the passage. Look at the sub-headings to see what the sub-topics are. If there are no sub-headings, you can look at the introduction to get a sense of the author’s purpose. You can also check the conclusion which may be a summary of main ideas. In a passage of several paragraphs, you can look at the opening sentences of each paragraph. Ultimately, you will need to read the entire passage with care.

SIGNAL WORDS/PHRASES

Transitions-whether they are words, phrases or sentences-at the beginning and end of each paragraph can be telling. So can words within the paragraph such as however or on the other hand, which show a contrast or switch in direction. The words therefore, so, or consequently show results or relationships; the words likewise and also show additional support for a point.

BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE

Pause to think about what you already may know about this topic. If you know something about the topic, you may read with greater purpose.

READ QUESTIONS FIRST

Sometimes it’s helpful to read the questions first, then the passage, so you know what to look for as you read.

VISUAL CUES

Use visual elements to plan and predict. For example, bold-faced words and bulleted lists can help you determine the most important elements of the text. The author wanted to emphasize or highlight those ideas, so they must be important.

REREADING

Read the passage two or three times. Good readers return to challenging passages to squeeze out more meaning each time.

CONTEXT CLUES

Rereading the passage may allow you to figure out the approximate meaning of words that are unfamiliar. Sometimes a word’s meaning becomes clearer when you consider the ideas being discussed and the supporting examples or details found in the sentence or nearby sentences.