PERT Writing Practice Test

Select the best word for the blank in the following sentence.

She was _______ exhausted than her sister after they ran the marathon.

Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?

Which of the following correctly completes the sentence?

The mountaineering group _______ looking forward to climbing K2 next year.

Which of the following sentences uses apostrophes correctly?

Which of the following correctly completes the sentence?

Next year, I _____________.

Read this passage about Thomas Paine and answer the questions that follow.

(1) Despite his tremendous influence on the history of the United States, nobody knows who this person Thomas Paine actually was. (2) Paine was born on February 9 1737, in the town of Thetford England. (3) As a young man, Paine worked as a tailor, sailor, and minister, but he found his true calling when he moved to the British colonies in America.

(4) Paine first gained notoriety as the editor of Pennsylvania Magazine, and became much more prominent as political turmoil engulfed the colonies. (5) Pennsylvania later became the second state to ratify the Constitution, after Delaware. (6) In 1776, Paine anonymously published the book Common Sense, in which he made a persuasive and impassioned case for American independence from Britain. (7) The book’s popularity spread like wildfire; soon there were 200,000 copies in circulation. (8) Once the American Revolution began, Paine published a series of pamphlets called The Crisis. (9) Paine’s work became a source of morale for troops engaged in the bloody war.

(10) Many of Thomas Paine’s visionary ideas were far-reaching in their scope. (11) American Founding Fathers Thomas Jefferson and John Adams drew heavily on his work, when drafting the Declaration of Independence. (12) In an essay called Agrarian Justice, Paine envisioned a system of social insurance for both the young and the elderly. (13) His innovative idea would pave the way for what would become modern-day Social Security. (14) Paine is also credited with conceiving the name “The United States of America.”

Which version of sentence (1) is the best?

(1) Despite his tremendous influence on the history of the United States, nobody knows who this person Thomas Paine actually was. (2) Paine was born on February 9 1737, in the town of Thetford England. (3) As a young man, Paine worked as a tailor, sailor, and minister, but he found his true calling when he moved to the British colonies in America.

(4) Paine first gained notoriety as the editor of Pennsylvania Magazine, and became much more prominent as political turmoil engulfed the colonies. (5) Pennsylvania later became the second state to ratify the Constitution, after Delaware. (6) In 1776, Paine anonymously published the book Common Sense, in which he made a persuasive and impassioned case for American independence from Britain. (7) The book’s popularity spread like wildfire; soon there were 200,000 copies in circulation. (8) Once the American Revolution began, Paine published a series of pamphlets called The Crisis. (9) Paine’s work became a source of morale for troops engaged in the bloody war.

(10) Many of Thomas Paine’s visionary ideas were far-reaching in their scope. (11) American Founding Fathers Thomas Jefferson and John Adams drew heavily on his work, when drafting the Declaration of Independence. (12) In an essay called Agrarian Justice, Paine envisioned a system of social insurance for both the young and the elderly. (13) His innovative idea would pave the way for what would become modern-day Social Security. (14) Paine is also credited with conceiving the name “The United States of America.”

Which version of sentence (2) demonstrates correct punctuation?

(1) Despite his tremendous influence on the history of the United States, nobody knows who this person Thomas Paine actually was. (2) Paine was born on February 9 1737, in the town of Thetford England. (3) As a young man, Paine worked as a tailor, sailor, and minister, but he found his true calling when he moved to the British colonies in America.

(4) Paine first gained notoriety as the editor of Pennsylvania Magazine, and became much more prominent as political turmoil engulfed the colonies. (5) Pennsylvania later became the second state to ratify the Constitution, after Delaware. (6) In 1776, Paine anonymously published the book Common Sense, in which he made a persuasive and impassioned case for American independence from Britain. (7) The book’s popularity spread like wildfire; soon there were 200,000 copies in circulation. (8) Once the American Revolution began, Paine published a series of pamphlets called The Crisis. (9) Paine’s work became a source of morale for troops engaged in the bloody war.

(10) Many of Thomas Paine’s visionary ideas were far-reaching in their scope. (11) American Founding Fathers Thomas Jefferson and John Adams drew heavily on his work, when drafting the Declaration of Independence. (12) In an essay called Agrarian Justice, Paine envisioned a system of social insurance for both the young and the elderly. (13) His innovative idea would pave the way for what would become modern-day Social Security. (14) Paine is also credited with conceiving the name “The United States of America.”

Which version of sentence (7) demonstrates correct punctuation?

(1) Despite his tremendous influence on the history of the United States, nobody knows who this person Thomas Paine actually was. (2) Paine was born on February 9 1737, in the town of Thetford England. (3) As a young man, Paine worked as a tailor, sailor, and minister, but he found his true calling when he moved to the British colonies in America.

(4) Paine first gained notoriety as the editor of Pennsylvania Magazine, and became much more prominent as political turmoil engulfed the colonies. (5) Pennsylvania later became the second state to ratify the Constitution, after Delaware. (6) In 1776, Paine anonymously published the book Common Sense, in which he made a persuasive and impassioned case for American independence from Britain. (7) The book’s popularity spread like wildfire; soon there were 200,000 copies in circulation. (8) Once the American Revolution began, Paine published a series of pamphlets called The Crisis. (9) Paine’s work became a source of morale for troops engaged in the bloody war.

(10) Many of Thomas Paine’s visionary ideas were far-reaching in their scope. (11) American Founding Fathers Thomas Jefferson and John Adams drew heavily on his work, when drafting the Declaration of Independence. (12) In an essay called Agrarian Justice, Paine envisioned a system of social insurance for both the young and the elderly. (13) His innovative idea would pave the way for what would become modern-day Social Security. (14) Paine is also credited with conceiving the name “The United States of America.”

Which of the following would be the best way to combine sentences (12) and (13)?

(1) Despite his tremendous influence on the history of the United States, nobody knows who this person Thomas Paine actually was. (2) Paine was born on February 9 1737, in the town of Thetford England. (3) As a young man, Paine worked as a tailor, sailor, and minister, but he found his true calling when he moved to the British colonies in America.

(4) Paine first gained notoriety as the editor of Pennsylvania Magazine, and became much more prominent as political turmoil engulfed the colonies. (5) Pennsylvania later became the second state to ratify the Constitution, after Delaware. (6) In 1776, Paine anonymously published the book Common Sense, in which he made a persuasive and impassioned case for American independence from Britain. (7) The book’s popularity spread like wildfire; soon there were 200,000 copies in circulation. (8) Once the American Revolution began, Paine published a series of pamphlets called The Crisis. (9) Paine’s work became a source of morale for troops engaged in the bloody war.

(10) Many of Thomas Paine’s visionary ideas were far-reaching in their scope. (11) American Founding Fathers Thomas Jefferson and John Adams drew heavily on his work, when drafting the Declaration of Independence. (12) In an essay called Agrarian Justice, Paine envisioned a system of social insurance for both the young and the elderly. (13) His innovative idea would pave the way for what would become modern-day Social Security. (14) Paine is also credited with conceiving the name “The United States of America.”

Which sentence should be deleted from the passage?

Which of the following sets of words should be used to fill in the blanks in the sentence?

It’s important ____ research your essay topic thoroughly so you do not include ____ much irrelevant information.

Which sentence is written correctly?

Rebecca is raising money for her trip to Houston to help with hurricane relief. Choose the sentence that is the best way to end this fundraising letter.

Dear Aunt Caroline,

As you know, last month Hurricane Harvey caused a lot of damage in the southern United States, particularly in Houston, Texas. I am raising money to take a service trip with my school to help in the recovery efforts. The money will be used to cover the cost of travel, food, and lodging, as well as to purchase the supplies we will take to the people in Houston.

My fundraising goal is $400. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Your niece,

Rebecca

Which of the following transition words should be used to fill in the blank?

Abstract Expressionism is not a single style and isn’t even consistently abstract. __________, it is an intensely personal way of painting, often on a very large scale, that is more concerned with exposing the act of creative invention than in following traditions of representation.

Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?

Select the sentences which best support the following topic sentence:

It is possible for people with a peanut allergy to build up an immunity to small amounts of peanut.

Select the best order for the sentences in this paragraph:

A student is researching pointe shoes and locates a magazine article that includes the following information:

Pointe shoes allow ballerinas to stand up on the top of their toes. Pointe shoes are handmade by master craftsmen around the world. A craftsman layers cardboard or paper around a mold using glue, then covers the shoe with satin.

Because of the labor-intensive process required to make pointe shoes, they typically cost $80 per pair. The shoe is quite similar to papier-mâché, so the sweat of a dancer’s feet causes the material to break down. Typically shoes need to be replaced every 8–12 hours of wear.

Which of the following notes should the student take to reference the materials that are used in making pointe shoes?

Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?

Which of these sentences contains an error (or errors) in capitalization?

Read this complaint letter and answer the questions that follow.

Dear Mr. Nielsen:

(1) Me and my wife have been customers of the Swirl Corporation for the past 30 years. (2) We have purchased various household appliances such as dishwashers, ovens, washers, and dryers from the local Swirl outlet store since moving here in the early nineties. (3) We recently purchased a Swirl Eco Energy Star refrigerator from your store to replace our old non-Energy Star refrigerator. (4) The new refrigerator worked well for two months before the top freezer stopped cooling completely. (5) Are energy bills also seem too have increased by about $25 per month since we bought this new Energy Star model.

(6) Upon researching the problem, I found that there have been recalls of several products with 20 serial numbers comparable to us. (7) I spoke to your salesman, Lucas Garcia, at the outlet store, but all he did was tell me to call your toll free number. (8) I called the toll free number and returning the refrigerator was something I was advised to do to your outlet store in order for it to be forwarded on to your distribution facility.

(9) It has been over three weeks since we returned the refrigerator to your  store, but, we still hadn’t received a status update. (10) Our energy bills have dropped back to their original level since we switched back to our old refrigerator. (11) Our goal was to reduce our energy bill, so we are still dissatisfied. (12) If you would like to retain us as customers, then please address these issues immediately.

Sincerely,

Horace Whittaker III

Which version of Sentence (1) uses the correct pronouns?

Dear Mr. Nielsen:

(1) Me and my wife have been customers of the Swirl Corporation for the past 30 years. (2) We have purchased various household appliances such as dishwashers, ovens, washers, and dryers from the local Swirl outlet store since moving here in the early nineties. (3) We recently purchased a Swirl Eco Energy Star refrigerator from your store to replace our old non-Energy Star refrigerator. (4) The new refrigerator worked well for two months before the top freezer stopped cooling completely. (5) Are energy bills also seem too have increased by about $25 per month since we bought this new Energy Star model.

(6) Upon researching the problem, I found that there have been recalls of several products with 20 serial numbers comparable to us. (7) I spoke to your salesman, Lucas Garcia, at the outlet store, but all he did was tell me to call your toll free number. (8) I called the toll free number and returning the refrigerator was something I was advised to do to your outlet store in order for it to be forwarded on to your distribution facility.

(9) It has been over three weeks since we returned the refrigerator to your  store, but, we still hadn’t received a status update. (10) Our energy bills have dropped back to their original level since we switched back to our old refrigerator. (11) Our goal was to reduce our energy bill, so we are still dissatisfied. (12) If you would like to retain us as customers, then please address these issues immediately.

Sincerely,

Horace Whittaker III

Which version of Sentence (5) is grammatically correct?

Dear Mr. Nielsen:

(1) Me and my wife have been customers of the Swirl Corporation for the past 30 years. (2) We have purchased various household appliances such as dishwashers, ovens, washers, and dryers from the local Swirl outlet store since moving here in the early nineties. (3) We recently purchased a Swirl Eco Energy Star refrigerator from your store to replace our old non-Energy Star refrigerator. (4) The new refrigerator worked well for two months before the top freezer stopped cooling completely. (5) Are energy bills also seem too have increased by about $25 per month since we bought this new Energy Star model.

(6) Upon researching the problem, I found that there have been recalls of several products with 20 serial numbers comparable to us. (7) I spoke to your salesman, Lucas Garcia, at the outlet store, but all he did was tell me to call your toll free number. (8) I called the toll free number and returning the refrigerator was something I was advised to do to your outlet store in order for it to be forwarded on to your distribution facility.

(9) It has been over three weeks since we returned the refrigerator to your  store, but, we still hadn’t received a status update. (10) Our energy bills have dropped back to their original level since we switched back to our old refrigerator. (11) Our goal was to reduce our energy bill, so we are still dissatisfied. (12) If you would like to retain us as customers, then please address these issues immediately.

Sincerely,

Horace Whittaker III

Which version of Sentence (7) uses commas correctly?

Dear Mr. Nielsen:

(1) Me and my wife have been customers of the Swirl Corporation for the past 30 years. (2) We have purchased various household appliances such as dishwashers, ovens, washers, and dryers from the local Swirl outlet store since moving here in the early nineties. (3) We recently purchased a Swirl Eco Energy Star refrigerator from your store to replace our old non-Energy Star refrigerator. (4) The new refrigerator worked well for two months before the top freezer stopped cooling completely. (5) Are energy bills also seem too have increased by about $25 per month since we bought this new Energy Star model.

(6) Upon researching the problem, I found that there have been recalls of several products with 20 serial numbers comparable to us. (7) I spoke to your salesman, Lucas Garcia, at the outlet store, but all he did was tell me to call your toll free number. (8) I called the toll free number and returning the refrigerator was something I was advised to do to your outlet store in order for it to be forwarded on to your distribution facility.

(9) It has been over three weeks since we returned the refrigerator to your  store, but, we still hadn’t received a status update. (10) Our energy bills have dropped back to their original level since we switched back to our old refrigerator. (11) Our goal was to reduce our energy bill, so we are still dissatisfied. (12) If you would like to retain us as customers, then please address these issues immediately.

Sincerely,

Horace Whittaker III

Which improvement of Sentence (8) is most effective?

Dear Mr. Nielsen:

(1) Me and my wife have been customers of the Swirl Corporation for the past 30 years. (2) We have purchased various household appliances such as dishwashers, ovens, washers, and dryers from the local Swirl outlet store since moving here in the early nineties. (3) We recently purchased a Swirl Eco Energy Star refrigerator from your store to replace our old non-Energy Star refrigerator. (4) The new refrigerator worked well for two months before the top freezer stopped cooling completely. (5) Are energy bills also seem too have increased by about $25 per month since we bought this new Energy Star model.

(6) Upon researching the problem, I found that there have been recalls of several products with 20 serial numbers comparable to us. (7) I spoke to your salesman, Lucas Garcia, at the outlet store, but all he did was tell me to call your toll free number. (8) I called the toll free number and returning the refrigerator was something I was advised to do to your outlet store in order for it to be forwarded on to your distribution facility.

(9) It has been over three weeks since we returned the refrigerator to your  store, but, we still hadn’t received a status update. (10) Our energy bills have dropped back to their original level since we switched back to our old refrigerator. (11) Our goal was to reduce our energy bill, so we are still dissatisfied. (12) If you would like to retain us as customers, then please address these issues immediately.

Sincerely,

Horace Whittaker III

Which version of Sentence (9) is grammatically correct?

Which of the following provides the clearest, most concise version of the sentence?

Read the paragraph.

In 1898, Marie and Pierre Curie discovered the existence of radium and polonium while researching a radioactive mineral known as pitchblende. On April 20, 1902, the Curies successfully isolated radioactive radium salts in their laboratory in Paris.

Which sentence best concludes this paragraph?

Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?

A student is working on a term paper about sloths for her science class, and takes some notes as she does her research. Which sentence from her notes contains facts that would be the most important to include in her paper?

Which of the following sentences uses commas correctly?