Key Takeaways
- Read the entire sentence or passage before selecting an answer—context matters.
- Look for common error patterns: subject-verb agreement, pronoun issues, parallelism, wordiness.
- Revision-in-context questions test your ability to improve clarity, coherence, and organization.
- Prefer active voice over passive voice for clarity and directness.
- Choose the most concise option that doesn't change the intended meaning.
Sentence Correction and Revision
Quick Answer: Sentence correction questions ask you to identify errors or select the best revision. Always read the entire sentence first, check for common error patterns (agreement, pronouns, parallelism, wordiness), and choose the clearest, most concise answer.
Types of Sentence Questions
The Praxis Core Writing test includes several types of sentence-level questions:
| Question Type | What It Tests | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Error identification | Find the underlined error | Check each underlined portion against grammar rules |
| Sentence correction | Choose the best revision | Compare options for grammar, clarity, and concision |
| Revision in context | Improve a sentence within a passage | Consider how the sentence fits the overall passage |
Error Identification Strategy
Step-by-Step Approach
- Read the entire sentence for overall meaning
- Check each underlined portion systematically
- Apply grammar rules to each underlined section
- If no error is found, choose "No error"
Common Error Categories to Check
| Category | What to Look For |
|---|---|
| Agreement | Subject-verb, pronoun-antecedent |
| Pronoun errors | Case, unclear reference |
| Verb errors | Tense, form, mood |
| Parallelism | Matching structures in lists/comparisons |
| Modifiers | Misplaced, dangling, squinting |
| Idioms | Correct preposition usage |
| Wordiness | Redundancy, unnecessary words |
| Diction | Wrong word choice |
Parallelism
Parallel structure requires that similar elements in a sentence use the same grammatical form.
Parallelism in Lists
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| She enjoys reading, to write, and cooking. | She enjoys reading, writing, and cooking. |
| The goals are to increase sales, reducing costs, and the improvement of quality. | The goals are to increase sales, to reduce costs, and to improve quality. |
Parallelism in Comparisons
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| She prefers teaching to administrative work. | She prefers teaching to doing administrative work. |
| His presentation was more interesting than the other speaker. | His presentation was more interesting than the other speaker's. |
Parallelism with Correlative Conjunctions
These pairs require parallel structure: both...and, either...or, neither...nor, not only...but also
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| She not only sings but also she dances. | She not only sings but also dances. |
| Either you study hard or failing the exam is likely. | Either you study hard or you will fail the exam. |
Wordiness and Redundancy
Concise writing eliminates unnecessary words without losing meaning.
Common Wordy Phrases
| Wordy | Concise |
|---|---|
| at this point in time | now |
| due to the fact that | because |
| in order to | to |
| in the event that | if |
| for the purpose of | to, for |
| in spite of the fact that | although |
| the reason is because | because |
| in close proximity to | near |
| each and every | each / every |
| basic fundamentals | fundamentals |
Redundancy Examples
| Redundant | Concise |
|---|---|
| completely unanimous | unanimous |
| past history | history |
| advance planning | planning |
| true facts | facts |
| free gift | gift |
| repeat again | repeat |
Active vs. Passive Voice
| Voice | Example | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Active | The teacher graded the exams. | Most situations—clearer and more direct |
| Passive | The exams were graded by the teacher. | When the actor is unknown or unimportant |
Converting Passive to Active
| Passive | Active |
|---|---|
| The report was written by the committee. | The committee wrote the report. |
| Mistakes were made. | The team made mistakes. |
Revision-in-Context Questions
These questions ask you to improve a sentence based on how it functions within a passage.
Consider These Factors
| Factor | Questions to Ask |
|---|---|
| Coherence | Does the sentence connect logically to surrounding sentences? |
| Transitions | Are transition words used appropriately? |
| Tone | Does the sentence match the tone of the passage? |
| Purpose | Does the revision fulfill the purpose stated in the question? |
| Clarity | Is the meaning clear and unambiguous? |
Transition Words by Function
| Function | Examples |
|---|---|
| Addition | also, furthermore, moreover, in addition |
| Contrast | however, although, nevertheless, on the other hand |
| Cause/Effect | therefore, consequently, as a result, thus |
| Example | for example, for instance, specifically, namely |
| Sequence | first, next, then, finally, subsequently |
| Conclusion | in conclusion, in summary, ultimately, overall |
Sentence Combining
Some questions ask you to combine sentences effectively.
Combining Strategies
| Strategy | Example |
|---|---|
| Subordination | Because she studied hard, she passed. |
| Coordination | She studied hard, and she passed. |
| Participial phrases | Having studied hard, she passed. |
| Appositives | Dr. Smith, my professor, gave the lecture. |
| Relative clauses | The student who studied hard passed. |
Avoid Over-Combining
Not every sentence should be combined. Short sentences can provide emphasis and variety. Judge based on clarity and flow.
Which revision best corrects the parallelism error? "The teacher asked students to read the chapter, writing a summary, and that they should prepare questions."
Which sentence is most concise without changing the meaning? "Due to the fact that the weather conditions were unfavorable, the school made the decision to postpone the event until a later date."
In the following passage, which sentence would best follow Sentence 2 to improve coherence? "(1) Many educators believe technology enhances learning. (2) Students can access information instantly and collaborate with peers worldwide. (3) _______________"