Which word should replace the underlined word? “Of all the kids in my class, Leo is the [taller].”
Use Standard Grammar, Usage, and Spelling to Edit · TELPAS Grade 3 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. The underlined word has an error. Of all the kids in my class, Leo is the [taller]. Which word should replace the underlined word?
- tall
- more tall
- most tallest
- tallestCorrect answer
Why “tallest” is correct
This tests choosing between comparing words. Taller compares two people, but “Of all the kids in my class” compares Leo with many people, so the sentence needs tallest. The words of all are the signal to use -est.
Why the other answers are wrong
- tall — Tall does not compare; the sentence compares Leo with the whole class.
- more tall — Short words like tall take an ending, not more.
- most tallest — Most and -est together double the comparison.
Practice more of this
More writing practice for Grade 3, or see the TELPAS practice test for 3rd 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.