Which sentence is written correctly? “Last summer, my cousin and I [swimmed] in the lake every [days].”

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 sentence has more than one error. Last summer, my cousin and I [swimmed] in the lake every [days]. Which sentence is written correctly?

• ALast summer, my cousin and I swimmed in the lake every day.
• BLast summer, my cousin and I swam in the lake every days.
• CLast summer, my cousin and I swim in the lake every days.
• DLast summer, my cousin and I swam in the lake every day.Correct answer

Why “Last summer, my cousin and I swam in the lake every day.” is correct

This works like the sentence-rewrite items on the real test, where every error must be fixed. There are two: "swim" is irregular, so its past tense is "swam," and "every" is always followed by a singular noun (every day, every student). A choice that fixes only one error is still wrong.

Why the other answers are wrong

• Last summer, my cousin and I swimmed in the lake every day. — This fixes "every day" but keeps the incorrect past tense "swimmed."
• Last summer, my cousin and I swam in the lake every days. — This fixes the verb but keeps "every days." After "every," the noun is singular.
• Last summer, my cousin and I swim in the lake every days. — "Swim" is present tense, and "every days" is still wrong.

Practice more of this

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