Which word has the error?

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. One word in the sentence has an error. My sister is three years older then me. Which word has the error?

• Asister
• Byears
• Colder
• DthenCorrect answer

Why “then” is correct

This is like the first part of a two-part item on the real test: find the error. "Than" is used to compare (older than, taller than). "Then" means next or at that time (first we ate, then we played). The two words sound almost the same, so the mistake is common even for native speakers.

Why the other answers are wrong

• sister — "Sister" is spelled and used correctly.
• years — "Years" is the correct plural after "three."
• older — "Older" is the correct way to compare two people's ages.

Practice more of this

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