Which word should replace the underlined word? “The heavy rain had a big [affect] on the soccer schedule.”
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. The heavy rain had a big [affect] on the soccer schedule. Which word should replace the underlined word?
- affected
- effects
- effectCorrect answer
- affection
Why “effect” is correct
This tests a pair of commonly confused words. "Affect" is usually a verb (the rain affected the schedule), and "effect" is usually a noun (the rain had an effect). After "a big," the sentence needs a singular noun, so "effect" is correct.
Why the other answers are wrong
- affected — "Affected" is a verb, and the sentence needs a noun after "a big."
- effects — "Effects" is plural, but "a big" needs one thing.
- affection — "Affection" means a feeling of love or liking.
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.