Which word should replace the underlined word? “Each of the students in the robotics club [have] a job during the competition.”
Use Standard Grammar, Usage, and Spelling to Edit · TELPAS Grades 8–9 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
Read the sentence. Then choose the best answer.
Read the sentence. The underlined word has an error. Each of the students in the robotics club [have] a job during the competition. Which word should replace the underlined word?
- having
- hasCorrect answer
- are
- were
Why “has” is correct
This tests subject-verb agreement. The subject is "each," which is singular, so the verb must be "has." The plural words "students" and "club" sit between the subject and the verb, which tricks many writers into using "have."
Why the other answers are wrong
- having — "Having" cannot be the main verb of a sentence by itself.
- are — "Are" is plural and does not make sense with "a job" here.
- were — "Were" is plural, and the subject "each" is singular.
Practice more of this
More writing practice for Grades 8–9, or see the TELPAS practice test for 8th and 9th 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.