Which underlined word or phrase has the error? “[Because] the library [closes] early on Fridays, my friends and I usually [studies] at the coffee shop [instead].”
Use Standard Grammar, Usage, and Spelling to Edit · TELPAS Grades 10–12 writing. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
Reporting category 2: find and fix an error in a short text. On the real test some of these are typed answers or sentence rewrites. Here they are multiple choice so they can be checked.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Read the sentence. One of the underlined words or phrases has an error. [Because] the library [closes] early on Fridays, my friends and I usually [studies] at the coffee shop [instead]. Which underlined word or phrase has the error?
- Because
- closes
- studiesCorrect answer
- instead
Why “studies” is correct
This tests subject-verb agreement with a compound subject. "My friends and I" is plural, so the verb should be "study," not "studies." The singular verb "closes" earlier in the sentence is correct, which can make students doubt the right one.
Why the other answers are wrong
- Because — "Because" correctly introduces the reason.
- closes — "Closes" agrees with the singular subject "the library" and describes something that happens every Friday.
- instead — "Instead" correctly shows that the coffee shop takes the place of the library.
Practice more of this
More writing practice for Grades 10–12, or see the TELPAS practice test for 10th–12th grade.
This is an independent study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Texas Education Agency or the official TELPAS program. All questions here are original practice material written to match the published test design.