Which word should replace the underlined word? “My grandmother [make] tamales every December.”

Use Standard Grammar, Usage, and Spelling to Edit · TELPAS Grades 4–5 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. My grandmother [make] tamales every December. Which word should replace the underlined word?

• Amaking
• Bmaked
• Care make
• DmakesCorrect answer

Why “makes” is correct

This tests subject–verb agreement in the present tense. When the subject is one person (my grandmother, she), the verb adds -s: she makes. "Every December" tells us it is something that happens again and again, so the simple present is correct. A quick check is to replace the subject with "she."

Why the other answers are wrong

• making — "Making" needs a helping verb such as "is making."
• maked — "Make" is irregular; its past tense is "made," and the sentence is in the present anyway.
• are make — "Are" does not go with "grandmother," and "are make" is not a correct verb form.

Practice more of this

More writing practice for Grades 4–5, or see the TELPAS practice test for 4th and 5th grade.