STAAR Editing: Capitalization, Spelling, Verb Tense

STAAR Editing: Capitalization, Spelling, Verb Tense

​Today we will examine common errors in the reading and writing portion of the TELPAS exam that we will take THIS MONTH

1. Describe a photo: Use adjectives to write detailed sentences.

2. Complete a sentence with the correct word:

   The man _______ a book.

3. Correct the error in a sentence.

4. Identifying the significance of a word: During our trip we wanted to explore, so we meandered around the village.

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Common Question Types on TELPAS

Multiple Choice

What is happening in the picture?

• The turkey is on the table

• The woman is cooking food.

• The children are hungry

• The family is eating dinner.

Multiple Choice

The frog _________ over the rock.

• flowers

• sings

• jumps

• grass

Capitalization

What are the rules?

Capitalize the first word of a sentence.

• Hi, how are you?

• I am well, how are you?

• My name is Ms. Savoy and I'm an English teacher.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is correctly written?

• Love is a battlefield.

• hard times on the inside.

• there's no way the world will define.

• we are young, heartache to heartache we stand.

Capitalize Names and Proper Nouns

Walt Disney created the multi-billion dollar empire known as Disney, which now has movies on Disney+; make sure you catch Wandavision.

Multiple Select

Select all the proper nouns.

• teacher

• Ms. De La Torre

• school

• Del Valle High School

Multiple Select

Select all the proper nouns.

• Mexico City

• hand sanitizer

• Crayola Marker

• store

Multiple Choice

Which words should be capitalized in this sentence?

wherever you go, richard, I will be right here waiting for you at mcdonalds.

• wherever, go, richard, at

• wherever, richard, mcdonalds

• wherever, richard, you

• wherever, will be, waiting

Capitalize the first word in a quote/quotation

He said, "I've been on my own for long enough."

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is written correctly?

• He said, "i can't sleep until I feel your touch."

• She said, "i'm running out of time."

• They said, "This city is cold and empty."

• I said, "i'm drowning in the light."

 Capitalize Days, Months, and Holidays, But Not Seasons

When is spring in El Paso? Usually for one month: April. We get Easter and Good Friday during this time.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is written correctly?

• Please turn in your work by thursday, april 22nd.

• Next Summer will be shorter when school ends and begins.

• School begins August 2nd for students.

• School ends june 15th, hope you make plans for Summer.

Capitalize Most Words in Titles

Yesterday, I spent like 45 minutes on TikTok, 1 hour on Facebook; all while watching Encanto on Disney+.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is written correctly?

• Avengers endgame was the best marvel movie ever made.

• Ironman was the first of all the Marvel Universe movies; so it is the greatest.

• Those hulk and thor movies were awful though.

• Thor ragnarok was very good compared to Thor: the Dark world.

Capitalize Cities, Countries, Nationalities, and Languages

My dad was born in Santa Cruz de Rosales, Delicias, Chihuahua, Mexico.

I had to learn Chinese, Spanish, and English while growing up, because my mom is Chinese and my dad is Mexican.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is written correctly?

• I don't know the difference between south Korea and north Korea.

• I wonder if the korean culture is closer to chinese or japanese cultures.

• My grandmother says Korean culture is closer to her Chinese culture.

• in many asian cultures like japanese or korean, people eat rice with every meal.

TELPAS Vocabulary

Use the context of the sentence to understand the meaning of a word

Multiple Choice

While planning the party, Susan was prudent with the guest list, acting with great caution and care not to invite anyone who she wouldn't want to attend.

• Ignoring friends

• Exaggerating skill

• being very careful

• exaggeration

Multiple Choice

Demarcus procrastinated to avoid his homework all day, watching TV, playing video games, and even baking cookies.

• To finish work early

• To delay completing work

• To do chores.

• acomoddation

Verb Tenses

Past, Present, Future and Irregular Verbs

Irregular Verbs- Base verb changes

• GO-PRESENT That girl is going far in life.

• GO- PAST That girl went far in life.

• GO- FUTURE That girl will go far in life.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is correctly written?

• Yesterday, we swim the whole day.

• Yesterday, we swam the whole day.

• Yesterday, we swum the whole day.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is correctly written?

• He says, "It runs in the family!"

• He says, "It run in the family!"

• He says, "It running in the family!"

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is correctly written?

• Let's go bought some new shoes!

• Let's go buying some new shoes!

• Let's go buy some new shoes!

Another common question is to correct the errors in a sentence.

This question type occurs in both TELPAS and STAAR.

Multiple Choice

What change should be made in sentence 3?

(3) Leaves brush against your windows and the chirps of birds echo through your room.

• Change Leaves to Leafes

• Change brush to brushes

• Insert a comma after windows

• Change through to threw

Multiple Choice

What change, if any, needs to be made in sentence 5?

(5) Some people like them so much that we created tree house hotels for guests.

• Change like to likes

• Change we to they

• Change created to creating

• No change needs to be made.

Multiple Choice

What change should be made in sentence 13?

(13) For example, a person in a rain forest will likely need to walks up wobbly narrow bridges and use ropes for support.

• Change need to needs

• Change walks to walk

• Change use to using

• No change is needed.

Multiple Choice

What change should be made to sentence 18?

(18) In Sweden their is a tree house hotel that is shaped like a bird’s nest.

• Change their to there

• Insert a comma after hotel

• Change shaped to shape

• Change bird’s to birds

Multiple Choice

How should sentence 11 be changed?

(11) Many Scientists have filmed and photographed dolphins playing with bubble rings.

• Change Scientists to scientists

• Insert a comma after filmed

• Change playing to play

• Change rings to ring

Multiple Choice

What change, if any, should be made in sentence 6?

(6) Unlike fish, dolphins are mammals, that breathe air.

• Change are to were

• Delete the comma after mammals

• Change that to they

• No change should be made in sentence 6.

Multiple Choice

What change should be made in sentence 22?

(22) The bubbles causes the fish to move toward the surface of the water and scatter.

• Change causes to cause

• Change surface to surfase

• Insert a comma after water

• Change scatter to scater