GED Language Arts,Writing Practice Questions

N
ow it’s time to put all that you have learned into practice. In the following section, you will find
six passages and 60 multiple-choice questions like those you will see on Part I of the Language Arts,
Writing Test. You will also find five writing prompts like those you will see on Part II.
Follow the directions in each section carefully as you do these practice exercises. Then check your answers care-
fully against those offered on page 107.
CHAPTER
GED Language
Arts, Writing
Practice
Questions
ARE YOU ready for the GED? The practice questions in this chap-
ter will show you how much you know and what you might still need
to study. And because the questions are just like those on the GED,
this practice chapter will show you exactly what you can expect on the
exam.
12
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LEARNINGEXPRESS ANSWER SHEET
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
Answer Sheet

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Part I: Directions
In each passage below, the paragraphs are lettered and
the sentences are numbered. Read each passage carefully
and then answer the questions that follow. Be sure to

answer every question; you will not be penalized for
incorrect answers. Do not spend too much time on any
one question so you can be sure to complete all the ques-
tions in the allotted time.
Record your answers on the answer sheet provided.
Make sure you mark the answer in the circle that corre-
sponds to the question.
Note: On the GED, you are not permitted to write in
the test booklet. Make any notes on a separate piece of
paper.
Questions 1–10 refer to the following meeting minutes.
Employee Advocate Committee
Minutes of Meeting Held:
July 21, 2005
In Attendance:
Dakota Mills, Vice President
Rebecca Styles, Committee Chairperson
Oliver Perez, Committee Secretary
Brenda Oslowski
Michael Wen
Jamal Roberts
Absent:
Anthony Wilkins
A
1. Employee Lounge. (1)Brenda reported an
increase in complaints about the employee
lounge. (2)The complaints included:
■
insufficient locker space
■

insufficient and uncomfortable seating
■
a refrigerator that is dirty
■
malfunctioning microwave
B
(3)Jamal suggested creating a survey to deter-
mine how to best redesign the lounge.
(4)Rebecca suggested putting a suggestion box
in the lounge. (5)The committee agreed that a
survey would be more systematic and getting
more input from employees. (6)Michael volun-
teered to create the survey that he will bring a
draft of to the next meeting. (7)Oliver volun-
teers to research the cost of a new microwave
and refrigerator. (8)The need for more tele-
phones was another complaint about the lounge
that was discussed.
C
2. Employee Appreciation Day. (9)Rebecca
reminded the committee that it was time to plan
the annual Employee Appreciation Day, we
brainstormed several ideas for Appreciation Day
activities, including:
■
buffet lunch
■
employee appreciation awards, such as
“most reliable” or “most enthusiastic”
■

raffle with prizes such as gift certificates for
dinner
D
(10)Brenda noted that the company could best
show its appreciation by moving quickly
improving the lounge. (11)The committee have
agreed that the survey should be completed
before Employee Appreciation Day.
E
(13)The committee will reconvene next Thurs-
day July 28 at 10
A
.
M
.
1. Sentence 2: The complaints include:
■
insufficient locker space
■
insufficient and uncomfortable seating
■
a refrigerator that is dirty
■
malfunctioning microwave
Which revision should be made to this
sentence?
a. change the bulleted list to regular text
b. replace malfunc
tioning with malfunction
c. put the bulleted list items in alphabetical

order
d. change a r
efrigerator that is dirty to a dirty
refrigerator
e. replace ins
ufficient locker space with not hav-
ing enough locker space
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GED LANGUAGE ARTS, WRITING PRACTICE QUESTIONS
–
95
2. Sentence 5: The committee agreed that a survey
would be more systematic and getting more
input from employees.
Which correction should be made to this
sentence?
a. Change ag
reed to agreeing.
b. Insert a comma after s
urvey.
c. Replace g
ett
ing with get.
d. Delete and
.
e. No correction is necessary.
3. Sentence 6: Michael volunteered to create the
survey that he w
ill b
ring a draft of to the next

meeting.
Which is the best way to write the underlined
portion of this sentence? If the original is the
best way, choose option a.
a. that he will bring a draft of
b. and will bring a draft
c. bringing a draft of it
d. therefore, he will bring a draft of it
e. that he is going to bring a draft of
4. Sentence 7: Oliver volunteers to research the cost
of a new microwave and refrigerator.
Which correction should be made to
sentence 7?
a. Change v
olunteers to volunteered.
b. Replace c
ost of with costing.
c. Change ne
w to knew.
d. Insert a hyphen between ne
w and microwave.
e. No correction is necessary.
5. Sentence 8: The need for more telephones was
another complaint about the lounge that was
discussed.
The most effective revision of sentence 8
would involve
a. moving sentence 8 to follow sentence 4.
b. revising for parallel structure.
c. deleting the sentence from the memo.

d. turning sentence 8 into a bullet point for sen-
tence 2.
e. starting a new paragraph with sentence 8.
6. Sentence 9: Rebecca reminded the committee
that it was time to plan the annual Employee
Appreciation Da
y, we brainstormed several ideas
for Appreciation Day activities, including:
Which is the best way to write the underlined
portion of sentence 9?
a. Day, for we
b. Day, therefore we
c. Day. We
d. Day; and we
e. Day we
7. Sentence 9: Rebecca reminded the committee
that it was time to plan the annual Employee
Appreciation Day, we brainstormed several ideas
for Appreciation Day activities, including:
Which correction should be made to
sentence 9?
a. Insert commas after c
ommittee and time.
b. Change the colon after inc
luding to a
semicolon.
c. Replace that
with which.
d. Change w
e to the committee.

e. No correction is necessary.
8. Sentence 10: Brenda noted that the company
could best show its appreciation by moving
quickly improving the lounge.
Which correction should be made to
sentence 10?
a. Change not
ed to had noted.
b. Replace imp
roving with to improve.
c. Change the c
ompany to The Company.
d. Move q
uickly to follow by.
e. No correction is necessary.
9. Sentence 11: The committee have agreed that the
survey should be completed before Employee
Appreciation Day.
Which correction should be made to
sentence 11?
a. Change ag
reed to agrees.
b. Replace b
efore with preceding.
c. Put should
in parentheses.
d. Delete ha
ve.
e. No correction is necessary.
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GED LANGUAGE ARTS, WRITING PRACTICE QUESTIONS
–
96
10. Sentence 12: The committee will reconvene next
Thursday July 28 at 10
A
.
M
.
Which correction should be made to
sentence 12?
a. Change w
ill reconvene to is reconvening.
b. Replace w
ill with we’ll.
c. Insert commas after T
hursday and 28.
d. Place J
ul
y 28 in parentheses.
e. No correction is necessary.
Questions 11–20 refer to the following passage.
Yoga
A
(1) One of today’s hottest fads is also one of the
world’s oldest practices the ancient art of yoga.
(2) Yoga is different from other fitness activities
because it is not only physical. (3) In the correct
form, yoga is a practice of unification: an emo-
tional, spiritual, and physical exercise.

B
(4) A simple sitting pose such as staff pose,for
example, requiring that you to tighten and
lengthen stomach, back, and arm muscles as you
stretch your legs out in front of you and place
your hands by your side. (5) More difficult
poses, such as brave warrior, require you to bal-
ance on one leg and hold a pose that strengthens
leg, back, and stomach muscles. (6) Though
they may seem easy to those who have never
practiced, yoga poses require great concentra-
tion, and they are surprisingly effective in
stretching and strengthening muscles.
C
(7) While yoga tones and strengthens the body,
it also tones and strengthens the mind. (8) Many
poses can be only held if you are completely
focused on the task, and full benefit of the poses
are coming only through proper breathing.
(9) Concentrated, deep breathing during yoga
helps you extend more fully into the poses.
(10) Thereby gaining greater benefit from the
stretch. (11) And the steady circulation of
breath through you’re body both calms and
energizes.
D
(12) I am still relatively new to the practice of
yoga. (13) I have been practicing yoga for only
one year. (14) I am addicted to yoga unlike any
other physical activity because it is also a spiri-

tual practice. (15) Through yoga, I am able to
release tensions that lodge in various parts of
my body: the tight shoulders, the cramped legs,
the belly that is in knots. (16) The physical
release is also a spiritual release. (17) I feel calm
after doing yoga, reconnected to my body, and
reconnected to my inner self.
11. Sentence 1: One of today’s hottest fads is also one
of the world’s oldest practices the ancient art of
yoga.
Which correction should be made to
sentence 1?
a. Delete the apostrophe in t
oday’s.
b. Change old
est to most old.
c. Insert a comma after fa
ds.
d. Insert a colon after practices.
e. No correction is necessary.
12. Sentence 3: I
n the correct form, yoga is a practice
of unification: an emotional, spiritual, and physi-
cal exercise.
Which is the best way to write the underlined
portion of the sentence? If the original is the best
way, choose option a.
a. In the correct form
b. Formed in the correct manner
c. Done correctly

d. Being done correctly
e. Doing it in the correct way
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GED LANGUAGE ARTS, WRITING PRACTICE QUESTIONS
–
97
13. Sentence 4: A simple sitting pose such as staff
pose, for example, r
equiring that you tighten and
lengthen stomach, back, and arm muscles as you
stretch your legs out in front of you and place
your hands by your side.
Which is the best way to write the underlined
portion of sentence 4? If the original is the best
way, choose option a.
a. requiring that you tighten
b. requires you to tighten
c. it requires you to tighten
d. requires tightening
e. in which you are required to tighten
14. Sentence 6: Though they may seem easy to those
who have never practiced, yoga poses require
great concentration, and they are surprisingly
effective in stretching and strengthening muscles.
Which revision should be made to the place-
ment of sentence 6?
a. Remove sentence 6.
b. Move sentence 6 to follow sentence 3.
c. Move sentence 6 to begin paragraph B.
d. Move sentence 6 to follow sentence 4.

e. Move sentence 6 to follow sentence 7.
15. Sentence 8: Many poses can only be held if you
are completely focused on the task, and full ben-
efit of the poses are coming only through proper
breathing.
Which correction should be made to
sentence 8?
a. Change b
reathing to breath.
b. Remove the comma after task
.
c. Replace ful
l benefit with benefiting fully.
d. Change ar
e coming to comes.
e. No correction is necessary.
16. Sentences 9 and 10: Concentrated, deep breath-
ing during yoga helps you extend more fully into
the p
oses. Thereby gaining greater benefit from
the stretch.
Which correction should be made to the
underlined portion of sentences 9 and 10?
a. Change the period to a comma.
b. Change the period to a semicolon.
c. Change the period to a comma and add so
.
d. Delete the period.
e. No correction is necessary
17. Sentence 11: The steady circulation of breath

through you’re body both calms and energizes.
Which correction should be made to
sentence 11?
a. Delete b
oth.
b. Change y
ou’re to your.
c. Insert a comma after b
reath and body.
d. Move o
f b
reath to follow body.
e. No correction is necessary.
18. Sentences 12 and 13: I am still relatively new to
the practice of yoga. I have been practicing yoga
for only one year.
Which is the most effective combination of
sentences 12 and 13?
a. I am still relatively new to yoga, the practice of
which I have been doing for only one year.
b. I am still relatively new to the practice of yoga,
of which I have only been practicing for one
year.
c. I am still relatively new to yoga, which I have
been practicing for only one year.
d. I have only been practicing yoga for one year,
which means I am still relatively new to the
practice.
e. Because I am still relatively new to yoga, I have
only been practicing for one year.

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–
98
19. Sentence 14: I am addicted to yoga unlike any
other physical activity because it is also a spiri-
tual practice.
The most effective revision of sentence 14
would begin with which word or phrase?
a. Since
b. Surprisingly,
c. In the end,
d. Similarly,
e. However,
20. Sentence 15: Through yoga, I am able to release
tensions that lodge in various parts of my body:
the tight shoulders, the cramped legs, the b
elly
that is in knots.
Which is the best way to write the underlined
portion of sentence 15? If the original is the best
way, chose option a.
a. the belly that is in knots
b. the belly with knots
c. the knots in the belly
d. the knotted belly
e. the belly having knots
Questions 21–30 refer to the following passage.
How to Be an Active Listener
A

(1)Effective face to face communication
depends upon the ability to listen well. (2)Many
of us hear what others say without really listen-
ing to the message they are sending. (3)We must
listen actively to correctly understand what is
being said.
B
(4)The first step to active listening is to pay
attention. (5)Don’t fidget, doodle, or look off at
something else. (6)Daydreaming is something
that you shouldn’t do, or look at your watch, or
worry about what you’re going to make for
dinner.
C
(7)You should actively respond to what you
hear. (8)Use nonverbal responses, nod or shake
your head, laugh or smile, and make other
appropriate gestures. (9)Lean forward and look
the speaker in the eye to be shown that you are
paying attention.
D
(10)As you listen, respond verbally as well.
(11)Offer affirmations such as “yes”“uh-huh”
and “I understand.” (12)Ask questions to get
details or examples or to clarify matters.
(13)Paraphrasing what you hear to be sure you
are understanding things correctly.
E
(14)The third step is that distractions should be
avoided. (15)If you are going to listen to some-

one; turn off the television or radio. (16)Don’t
look at your computer screen or pick up the
phone. (17)Close the door if possible to avoid
interruptions or outside distractions, and you
will be a more effective listener.
21. Sentence 1: Effective face to face communication
depends upon the ability to listen well.
Which correction should be made to
sentence 1?
a. Insert a comma after d
epends.
b. Change fa
ce to fac
e to fa
ce-to-face.
c. Replace w
ell with good.
d. Change t
o listen to of listening.
e. No correction is necessary.
22. Sentence 6: Da
ydreaming is something that you
shouldn’t do, or look at your watch, or worry
about what you’re going to make for dinner.
Which is the most effective revision to the
underlined portion of sentence 6?
a. Don’t daydream,
b. Daydreaming should be avoided, and you
should not
c. Never daydream while you

d. If you want to daydream, don’t, and don’t
e. One thing not to do is daydream, or
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GED LANGUAGE ARTS, WRITING PRACTICE QUESTIONS
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99
23. Sentence 7: You should actively respond to what
you hear.
The most effective revision to sentence 7
would involve
a. moving sentence 7 to the end of paragraph C.
b. changing Y
ou should to The second step is to.
c. inserting the number 2
at the beginning of the
paragraph.
d. changing the y
ou’s in the sentence to w
e.
e. deleting sentence 7
24. Sentence 8: Use nonverbal r
espo
nses, nod or
shake your head, laugh or smile, and make other
appropriate gestures.
Which is the best way to write the underlined
portion of sentence 8? If the original is the best
way, choose option a.
a. responses, nod or shake
b. responses, including nodding or shaking

c. responses. To nod or shake
d. responses; for example, nod or shake
e. responses that include the nodding or shaking
25. Sentence 9: Lean forward and look the speaker
in the eye to be shown that you are paying
attention.
Which correction should be made to
sentence 9?
a. Change b
e shown to show.
b. Replace pa
ying with pay.
c. Change in the e
ye to in-the-eye.
d. Start a new sentence after e
ye.
e. No correction is necessary.
26. Sentence 11: Offer affirmations such as “yes”
“uh-huh” and “I understand.”
Which correction should be made to
sentence 11?
a. Delete the quotation marks around y
es.
b. Start a new sentence after affi
rmations.
c. Insert commas after y
es and uh-huh.
d. Delete uh-h
uh.
e. No correction is necessary.

27. Sentence 13: Paraphrasing what you hear to be
sure you are understanding things correctly.
Which correction should be made to
sentence 13?
a. Change t
o be sure to being sure that.
b. Move c
orrectly to follow paraphrasing.
c. Replace ar
e with do
.
d. Change par
aphrasing to parap
hrase.
e. No correction is necessary.
28. Sentence 14: The third step is that distractions
should be avoided.
Which is the most effective way to write sen-
tence 14? If the original is the most effective,
choose option a.
a. The third step is that distractions should be
avoided.
b. The third step being to avoid distractions.
c. Distractions should be avoided as the third
step.
d. Avoid distractions.
e. The third step is to avoid distractions.
29. Sentence 15: If you are going to listen to some-
one; turn off the television or radio.
Which correction should be made to

sentence 15?
a. Change the semicolon to a period.
b. Delete if
.
c. Replace the semicolon with a comma.
d. Move the semicolon to after g
oing.
e. No correction is necessary.
30. Sentence 17: Close the door if possible to avoid
interruptions or outside distractions, and you
will be a more effective listener.
The most effective revision to sentence 17
would include
a. moving sentence 17 to the beginning of para-
graph E.
b. deleting and y
ou will be a more effective
listener.
c. inserting F
ollow these steps after distractions.
d. inserting T
o avoid distractions at the begin-
ning of the sentence.
e. changing ou
tside distractions to distractions
that are coming from outside.
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GED LANGUAGE ARTS, WRITING PRACTICE QUESTIONS
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100

Questions 31–40 refer to the following passage.
The Gateway Arch
A
(1)The skyline of St. Louis, Missouri, is fairly
unremarkable, with one huge exception: the
Gateway Arch that stands on the banks of the
Mississippi. (2)Part of the Jefferson National
Expansion Memorial, the Arch is a remarkable
monument builded to honor St. Louis’s role as
the gateway to the West.
B
(3)Construction on the 630-foot-high structure
began in 1961. (4)The construction was com-
pleted four years later in 1965. (5)The monu-
ment includes an underground visitor center
that explores westward expansion threw gal-
leries and a theater. (6)Two passenger trams take
visitors to the Observation Room and the
Museum of Westward Expansion at the top.
C
(7)In 1947, a group of interested citizens held a
nationwide competition to select a design for a
new monument that will celebrate the growth of
the United States. (8)Other U.S. monuments are
spires, statues, or imposing buildings. (9)The
winner of this contest was a plan for a com-
pletely unique structure. (10)The man who sub-
mitted the winning design Eero Saarinen later
became a famous architect. (11)In designing the
Arch, Saarinen wanted to “create a monument

which would have lasting significance and
would be a landmark of our time.”
D
(12)The Gateway Arch is a masterpiece of engi-
neering. (13)A monument even taller than the
Great Pyramid in Egypt, and in it’s own way, at
least as majestic. (14)The Gateway is an inverted
catenary curve, the same shape that a heavy
chain will form if suspended between two
points. (15)Covered with a sleek skin of stainless
steel, dazzling bursts of sunlight are often
reflected by the Arch. (16)In a beautiful display
of symmetry, the height of the arch is the same
as the distance between the legs at ground level.
31. Sentence 2: Part of the Jefferson National Expan-
sion Memorial, the Arch is a remarkable monu-
ment builded to honor St. Louis’s role as the
gateway to the West.
Which correction should be made to
sentence 2?
a. Change r
ole
to r
oll.
b. Replace b
uilde
d with built.
c. Delete the comma after M
emorial.
d. Change mo

n
ument to M
onument.
e. No correction is necessary.
32. Sentences 3 and 4: Construction on the 630-
foot-high structure began in 1961. The construc-
tion was completed four years later in 1965.
Which is the most effective combination of
sentences 3 and 4?
a. Construction on the 630-foot-high structure
began in 1961, following four years later with
the completion of the construction.
b. The construction on the 630-foot-high struc-
ture was completed four years later in 1965,
after construction began in 1961.
c. Construction on the 630-foot-high structure
began in 1961 and was completed four years
later in 1965.
d. Construction on the 630-foot-high structure,
which began in 1961, was completed in 1965,
being four years later.
e. Construction on the 630-foot-high structure
began in 1961, therefore, it was completed
four years later in 1965.
33. Sentence 5: The monument includes an under-
ground visitor center that explores westward
expansion threw galleries and a theater.
Which correction should be made to
sentence 5?
a. Change inc

ludes to including.
b. Replace e
xplores with explored.
c. Change w
estward to Westward.
d. Replace thr
ew with through.
e. No correction is necessary.
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GED LANGUAGE ARTS, WRITING PRACTICE QUESTIONS
–
101
34. Sentence 7: In 1947, a group of interested citi-
zens held a nationwide competition to select a
design for a new monument that will celebrate
the growth of the United States.
Which correction should be made to
sentence 7?
a. Change w
ill to would
.
b. Replace he
ld with did hold
.
c. Insert a comma after mo
n
ument.
d. Move in 1947
to the end of the sentence.
e. No correction is necessary.

35. Sentence 9: The winner of this contest was a plan
for a completely unique structure.
The most effective revision to this sentence
would begin with which of the following?
a. Similarly,
b. However,
c. Later,
d. In conclusion,
e. Therefore,
36. Sentence 10: The man who submitted the win-
ning design Eero Saarinen later became a famous
architect.
Which correction should be made to
sentence 10?
a. Change w
ho to that.
b. Insert a comma after lat
er.
c. Replace b
ecame with would have become.
d. Insert a comma after d
esign and Saarinen.
e. No correction is necessary.
37. Paragraph C, sentences 7 through 11: In 1947, a
group of interested citizens ...would be a land-
mark of our time.”
Which revision should be made to the place-
ment of this paragraph?
a. Move paragraph C to the first sentence of the
passage.

b. Move paragraph C to follow paragraph A.
c. Move paragraph C to the last paragraph in the
essay.
d. Delete paragraph C.
e. No revision to placement is necessary.
38. Sentences 12 and 13: The Gateway Arch is a mas-
terpiece of e
ngineering. A monument even taller
than the Great Pyramid in Egypt, and in it’s own
way, at least as majestic.
Which is the best way to write the underlined
portion of these sentences? If the original is the
best way, choose option a.
a. engineering. A monument even taller
b. engineering. A monument that was even taller
c. engineering, a monument even taller
d. engineering; a monument more tall
e. engineering, being a monument even as tall
39. Sentence 13: A monument even taller than the
Great Pyramid in Egypt, and in it’s own way, at
least as majestic.
Which correction should be made to
sentence 13?
a. Change it
’s to its.
b. Delete the comma after wa
y.
c. Replace at least as
with j
ust as much as.

d. Change taller to more tall.
e. No correction is necessary.
40. Sentence 15: Covered with a sleek skin of stain-
less steel, dazzling b
ursts of sunlight are often
r
efle
cte
d by the Ar
ch.
Which is the best way to write the underlined
portion of sentence 15? If the original is the best
way, choose option a.
a. dazzling bursts of sunlight are often reflected
by the Arch.
b. bursts of sunlight that dazzle are often
reflected by the Arch.
c. dazzling, bursting sunlight, reflected by the
Arch, is often seen.
d. often reflected by the Arch are dazzling bursts
of sunlight.
e. the Arch often reflects dazzling bursts of
sunlight.
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