Which word should replace the underlined word? “I don't have [no] homework tonight.”
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. I don't have [no] homework tonight. Which word should replace the underlined word?
- some
- none
- anyCorrect answer
- not
Why “any” is correct
This tests double negatives. In English, one negative word is enough: "don't" already makes the sentence negative, so "no" changes to "any." Another correct way is "I have no homework tonight." Spanish and many other languages use two negatives together, so this is a very common error for English learners.
Why the other answers are wrong
- some — "Some" is used in positive sentences, such as "I have some homework."
- none — "Don't have none" is still two negatives.
- not — "Don't have not" is still two negatives and is not correct English.
Practice more of this
More writing practice for Grades 4–5, or see the TELPAS practice test for 4th and 5th 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.