The library was more quieter than our apartment, so my sister and I studied there. Which word is used incorrectly?
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. One word in the sentence is used incorrectly.
The library was more quieter than our apartment, so my sister and I studied there. Which word is used incorrectly?
- quieter
- moreCorrect answer
- than
- studied
Why “more” is correct
This tests comparative adjectives. A short adjective like quiet takes -er (quieter) or "more," never both, so "more quieter" is a double comparative. Removing "more" fixes the sentence. On the real test, this kind of item can be a two-part question that first asks which word is wrong.
Why the other answers are wrong
- quieter — "Quieter" is the correct comparative form of quiet.
- than — "Than" is the correct word for comparing two things.
- studied — "Studied" is the correct past tense and spelling.
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.