CAHSEE PREP

An LBG PowerPoint

To Pass You Need 66%

Out of every three questions you only need to get two right

Tactics Each multiple choice question has 4

choices. Eliminate 2 = a 50% chance of getting it

right [1 out of 3 right] + [ a 50/50 guess at the

other 2] = [ 2 out of 3] = PASS

Remember Take your TIME… Ask for Extra Time! Stay Calm … Stay Focused! Answer Every Question Eliminate at least 2 Wrong Answers Go with Your Gut (Read them out loud) Then …

Stay Calm, Stay Focused … Take Your Time … Take Extra Time!

You WILL pass!

STRATEGY TO PASS: Eliminate the Wrong Answers & Make an Educated Guess!

Answer EVERY Question Eliminate wrong answers - You do not lose

points for guessing TRUST YOUR EARS! If it doesn’t sound

right – it probably isn’t! Eliminate it!

Breakdown 45 points = Reading passage questions 15 points = Writing Conventions 12 points = Writing Strategies 18 points = Writing a short essay

The FactsTOTAL POINTS: CAHSEE ENGLISH TEST Entire section = 90 points NUMBER NEEDED: to PASS = 59 points

66% Correct and “You have done it!”

FORMAT

SENTENCE QUESTIONS Grammar - Multiple Choice Sentence Structure – Fill in the Blank or Choose

the Best Version for the underlined part of the sentence

ESSAY REVISIONS Rough Drafts – Sentence revision or reading

comprehension

ESSAY – WRITING TASK

Rule #1: If it sounds wrong, it probably is wrong.

Rule #2: Identify the Concept being tested… or WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS IT?

Focus on the Answer Choices Sentence Questions #1: Fill in the Blank

Pronouns, Adjectives, Contractions, Diction Sentence Questions #2:

Underlined/Replace? Verbs, Punctuation, Quotations, Parallelism, Modifiers

Writing Conventions

1.2Understand sentence construction (e.g., parallel structure, subordination, proper placement of modifiers) and proper English usage (e.g., consistency of verb tenses).

1.1Identify and correctly use clauses (e.g., main and subordinate), phrases (e.g., gerund, infinitive, and participial), and mechanics of punctuation (e.g., semicolons, colons, ellipses, hyphens).

1.3Demonstrate an understanding of proper English usage and control of grammar, paragraph and sentence structure, diction, and syntax.

PUNCTUATION Punctuation questions involve answer choices using different kinds of punctuation

marks.

COMMAS - - > ,Commas indicate short pauses between separate parts of a sentence.

PERIODS - - > .Periods indicate the ends of complete sentences.

SEMICOLONS - - > ;

Semicolons separate two complete sentences, just like periods.

COLONS - - > :

Colons introduce lists of things.

COMMAS = ,Commas = indicates short pauses between

separate parts of a sentence. Questions that involve ONLY COMMAS and

where they belong place each of the answer choices into the sentence.

READ EACH SENTENCE WITH A PAUSE in place of the comma.

ASK YOURSELF: Which answer sounds wrong?

Eliminate the answers that sound wrong.

,

Commas … indicate pauses

Commas WRONG WAY: *Juan liked Jessica, he loved flaming hot Cheetos.*Juan, liked Jessica, and he loved flaming hot

Cheetos.

RIGHT WAY: *Juan liked Jessica, and he loved flaming hot

Cheetos.*Juan, the flaming hot Cheetos -lover, liked Jessica.

Remember…

Semi-Colons… marry two complete sentences 1. Semi-colon =

separates two complete independent CLAUSES.

2. If both clauses can be separate sentences with PERIODS, you can use a semi-colon.

So marry them… WRONG WAY: *Juan and Jessica; they got

married.

RIGHT WAY: *Juan loved Jessica; they ate

flaming hot cheetos at their wedding.

Juan loved Jessica. They ate flaming hot cheetos at their wedding.

ElimiDate1. TIP: When you see a

question about a semicolon, change the semicolon to a PERIOD and CAPITALIZE the word that comes after it.

2. ASK YOURSELF: Are both parts of the answer choice COMPLETE SENTENCES?

3. If not, eliminate that choice – it’s wrong.

Colons say…

“Hey! There’s a list….”

Ask yourself Is there a list? Where does it begin? Wrong Way:

*Juan liked music: video games, the Dodgers, and flaming hot cheetos

*Juan liked music and video games: the Dodgers and flaming hot cheetos

Right Way:

*Juan was passionate about four things: music, video games, Dodgers and flaming hot cheetos

Periods .Periods =

signals the end of a sentence.

Periods prevent run-on sentences! Wrong Way:

* Juan liked Jessica he loved flaming hot cheetos he loved life he thought it would be lovely if he and Jessica could have a life.

Periods make a sentence perfect Right Way:

*Juan liked Jessica. He loved flaming hot cheetos.

*Juan liked Jessica, and he loved flaming hot cheetos.

*Juan liked Jessica; he loved flaming hot cheetos.

Ellipsis = . . . Shows one or more words have been

eliminated from a quotation Shows a pause Shows if a omission occurs at the end of an

sentence

Only 3 dots …

Right Way

“Ernest Hemingway was fond of flaming hot Cheetos … he demonstrated this by including them in many of his writings.”

Quotations Hug “”

Rule #1: Punctuation marks at the end of a sentence go inside the quotation marks. (The Quotes HUG)

Quotation Marks show that someone has spoken. Rule #2: The comma before the quote always

goes before the quotation mark.

Example:Joe said, “My way is the best way.”

Quotation Marks Outside Huggers

Use 1 ‘ quote’ or 2 “quotes” Rule #3: Single Quotation marks are only

used for quotations inside another quotation.

‘quote’ = a quote within a quote.

Example:

Jessie said, “Eating flaming hot Cheetos while taking the CAHSEE, is ‘a big mistake’ and I listened to him!”

Parallelism matches words up

Parallelism Rule #1: Words in a sentence that have

the same function must be in the same form.

Tip: Lists of VERBS in DIFFERENT FORMS (Tenses) which means that they should have the same endings.

In other words, pick the matching ending

Are they a match??

Step 1: Check the question, look at the answers.

*What is underlined?

*Are they asking about commas?

*Are they asking about parallelism?

Step 2: Eliminate answer choices that have verbs with different endings.

Tips1.) Skim the question and look for the words AND or

OR… check on each side of those words to see whether the items that are matching are identical triplets.

2.) If they are not look for the answer that makes them identical.

3.) If there are several items in a list put them in a column and see if they are alike or parallel

4.) Read it to yourself are there words that make the same sound? i.e. Racing, skiing, boating, cooking

Let’s Try It!

A. greeting a customer, escort them to a table and offer a beverage

B. to greet customers, escorting them to tables and offering them a beverage.

C. to greet customers, escorting them to a table, and to offer a beverage.

D. greeting customers, escorting them to a table and offering beverages.

And the correct answer is…

Dgreeting customers, escorting them to a table

and offering beverages to them.

So now you can say… Work on practice

problems