CPT and FCELPT Sample Sentence Skills Questions

Two kinds of questions are given in the sentence skills assessment. Sentence correction questions ask you to choose a word or phrase to substitute for an underlined portion of a sentence. Construction shift questions ask that a sentence be rewritten in a specific way without changing the meaning. A broad variety of topics is included here.

Select the best version of the underlined part of the sentence. The first choice is the same as the original sentence. If you think the original sentence is best, choose the first answer.

1. The baby was obviously getting too hot, then Sam did what he could to cool her.

1. hot, then Sam did
2. hot, Sam did
3. hot; Sam, therefore, did
4. hot; Sam, trying to do

2. She hoped to find a new job. One that would let her earn money during the school year.

1. job. One that
2. job. The kind that
3. job, one that
4. job, so that it

3. Knocked sideways, the statue looked as if it would fall.

1. Knocked sideways, the statue looked
2. The statue was knocked sideways, looked
3. The statue looked knocked sideways
4. The statue, looking knocked sideways,

4. When you cross the street in the middle of the block, this is an example of jaywalking.

1. When you cross the street in the middle of the block, this
2. You cross the street in the middle of the block, this
3. Crossing the street in the middle of the block
4. The fact that you cross the street in the middle of the block

5. To walk, biking, and driving are Pat’s favorite ways of getting around.

1. To walk, biking, and driving
2. Walking, biking, and driving
3. To walk, biking, and to drive
4. To walk, to bike, and also driving

6. Walking by the corner the other day, a child, I noticed, was watching for the light to change.

1. a child, I noticed, was watching
2. I noticed a child watching
3. a child was watching, I noticed
4. there was, I noticed, a child watching

Rewrite the sentence in your head, following the directions given below. Keep in mind that your new sentence should be well written and should have essentially the same meaning as the sentence given you.

7. In his songs, Gordon Lightfoot makes melody and lyrics intricately intertwine.

Rewrite, beginning with

Melody and lyrics…

Your new sentence will include

1. Gordon Lightfoot has
2. make Gordon Lightfoot’s
3. in Gordon Lightfoot’s
4. does Gordon Lightfoot

8. It is easy to carry solid objects without spilling them, but the same cannot be said of liquids.

Rewrite, beginning with

Unlike liquids, …

The next words will be

1. it is easy to
2. we can easily
3. solid objects can easily be
4. solid objects are easy to be

9. Excited children ran toward the loud music, and they told others about the ice cream truck outside.

Rewrite, beginning with

Excited children, who had run toward the loud…

The next words will be

1. music, they told
2. music, told
3. music, telling
4. music and had told

10. If he had enough strength, Todd would move the boulder.

Rewrite, beginning with

Todd cannot move the boulder…

The next words will be

1. when lacking
2. because he
3. although there
4. without enough

11. The band began to play, and then the real party started.

Rewrite, beginning with

The real party started…

The next words will be

1. after the band began
2. and the band began
3. although the band began
4. the band beginning

12. Chris heard no unusual noises when he listened in the park.

Rewrite, beginning with

Listening in the park,…

The next words will be

1. no unusual noises could be heard
2. then Chris heard no unusual noises
3. and hearing no unusual noises
4. Chris heard no unusual noises