TSI English Practice Test
TSIA2 ELAR Preparation
Revising & Editing Practice Test
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Date:
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Score: / 12
Directions: Read each draft passage carefully. Questions 1–5 focus on revising to enhance organization, clarity, and rhetorical flow. Questions 6–12 focus on editing to correct errors in sentence structure, conventions, and grammar. Select the best answer for each question.
Passage 1: The Architecture of Sound Draft Excerpt
[1] When audiences step into a premier concert hall, they admire the sweeping balconies and crystal chandeliers, but the most sophisticated element is completely invisible. [2] Acoustical engineering, the science of controlling how sound waves travel through an enclosed space, determines whether a symphonic performance sounds crystalline or chaotic. [3] Hard, reflective surfaces such as polished stone and plaster bounce acoustic waves directly back to listeners, creating reverberation that enriches orchestral warmth. [4] Excessive reverberation causes complex musical notes to blur together into an unintelligible muddy roar. [5] Designers install specialized sound-absorbing baffles and diffusing panels to strike an optimal acoustic equilibrium. [6] Curved timber panels scatter sonic reflections evenly across the hall so that patrons in the balcony hear the violin as distinctly as listeners in the orchestra stalls. [7] Custom timber panels can be expensive to fabricate and maintain over decades of seasonal temperature shifts. [8] By meticulously shaping every curve and contour, acoustic architects turn an ordinary auditorium into a majestic musical instrument.
- Which transitional word or phrase should be added to the beginning of sentence 4 to clarify the logical relationship with sentence 3?
A. Consequently,
B. However,
C. Furthermore,
D. In other words,
- Sentence 4 currently reads: "Excessive reverberation causes complex musical notes to blur together into an unintelligible muddy roar." Which revision eliminates wordiness and redundancy while preserving the author's meaning?
A. Excessive reverberation that is too intense blurs notes into an unintelligible, muddy roar of sound.
B. Excessive reverberation causes complex musical notes to blur into an unintelligible roar.
C. Blurring notes together excessively, reverberation creates a muddy roar that cannot be understood or heard cleanly.
D. Too much excess reverberation causes notes to blur, making a loud roar that lacks clarity.
TSIA2 Diagnostic Series: Section 1 Page 1 of 4 Turn to next page →
TSIA2 ELAR Revising & Editing Practice Passage 1: Revision (Questions 3–5)
Refer to Passage 1: "The Architecture of Sound" on Page 1 to answer Questions 3–5. Text Revision
- The writer is considering deleting sentence 7: "Custom timber panels can be expensive to fabricate and maintain over decades of seasonal temperature shifts." Should sentence 7 be kept or deleted?
A. Kept, because it provides necessary financial context explaining why few concert halls use timber panels.
B. Kept, because it smoothly transitions into the engineering challenges summarized in sentence 8.
C. Deleted, because it introduces an irrelevant budgetary detail that disrupts the paragraph's focus on acoustic physics.
D. Deleted, because it directly contradicts the claim regarding balanced reflections made in sentence 6.
- Which choice most effectively combines sentences 1 and 2 (reprinted below) to emphasize the contrast between outward visual appearance and acoustical function?
"[1] When audiences step into a premier concert hall, they admire the sweeping balconies and crystal chandeliers, but the most sophisticated element is completely invisible. [2] Acoustical engineering, the science of controlling how sound waves travel through an enclosed space, determines whether a symphonic performance sounds crystalline or chaotic."
A. While patrons admire sweeping balconies and chandeliers, the hall's true marvel is invisible acoustical engineering, which governs whether music sounds crystalline or chaotic.
B. Audiences admire sweeping balconies and chandeliers, but acoustical engineering also determines how sound waves travel to make music crystalline or chaotic.
C. Patrons step into concert halls to admire chandeliers and balconies; therefore, invisible acoustical engineering controls how sound waves travel through enclosed spaces.
D. Acoustical engineering determines whether music sounds crystalline, although audiences admire visible balconies and chandeliers when entering.
- The author wants to add a concluding sentence after sentence 8 to underscore the broader cultural significance of acoustic design. Which sentence best achieves this purpose?
A. Many older cathedrals throughout Europe also exhibit noticeable reverberation times exceeding three seconds.
B. Without this hidden craftsmanship, even the world's most virtuoso performers could never fully share their art.
C. Consequently, ticket prices in acoustically renovated venues have climbed steadily over recent seasons.
D. Architects typically consult digital simulations before ordering concrete and acoustic timber panels.
TSIA2 Diagnostic Series: Section 1 Page 2 of 4 Turn to next page →
TSIA2 ELAR Revising & Editing Practice Passage 2: Editing & Conventions (Questions 6–8)
Passage 2: Rescuing the Night Sky Draft Excerpt
[1] For millennia, the star-filled night sky served as humanity's shared navigational compass, calendar, and primary source of myth. [2] In recent decades, however, artificial light at night (ALAN) has severed that ancient relationship for billions of citizens worldwide. [3] Misdirected glare not only washes out celestial bodies, it also disrupts the biological rhythms of wildlife. [4] Nighttime pollinators, such as moths and beetles, are drawn fatally toward commercial floodlights, this fatal attraction prevents them from fertilizing native nocturnal blooms. [5] Neither human neurobiology nor fragile wilderness ecosystems has evolved to withstand perpetual brightness. [6] Fortunately, practical solutions to curb light pollution is remarkably accessible and cost-effective. [7] Shielding outdoor fixtures, installing motion triggers, and dimming nonessential facades enables communities to restore darkness rapidly. [8] Towns implementing these responsible guidelines conserve municipal budgets while reopening humanity's ancient window into the cosmos.
- Which edit corrects the comma splice in sentence 4 (reprinted below)?
"Nighttime pollinators, such as moths and beetles, are drawn fatally toward commercial floodlights, this fatal attraction prevents them from fertilizing native nocturnal blooms."
A. floodlights, which prevents them
B. floodlights; this
C. floodlights this attraction
D. floodlights, and it preventing
- What is the correct way to write the underlined portion of sentence 6?
"Fortunately, practical solutions to curb light pollution is remarkably accessible and cost-effective."
A. NO CHANGE
B. are
C. being
D. was
- In sentence 5, how should the underlined verb phrase be corrected to ensure proper subject-verb agreement with correlative subjects?
"Neither human neurobiology nor fragile wilderness ecosystems has evolved to withstand perpetual brightness."
A. NO CHANGE
B. have evolved
C. has been evolving
D. is evolved
TSIA2 Diagnostic Series: Section 1 Page 3 of 4 Turn to next page →
TSIA2 ELAR Revising & Editing Practice Editing & Conventions (Questions 9–12)
- In sentence 7, the writer wants to maintain parallel structure across the list of actions. Which choice best accomplishes this?
"Shielding outdoor fixtures, installing motion triggers, and dimming nonessential facades enables communities to restore darkness rapidly."
A. NO CHANGE
B. To shield outdoor fixtures, installing motion triggers, and if they dim nonessential facades
C. Shielding outdoor fixtures, motion triggers are installed, and dimming nonessential facades
D. By shielding outdoor fixtures, installing motion triggers, and to dim nonessential facades
- A student wrote the following draft follow-up sentence: "Its clear that every municipal council must examine it's lighting codes." Which choice correctly uses apostrophes for the contraction and possessive pronoun?
A. It's clear ... its lighting codes
B. Its clear ... its' lighting codes
C. It's clear ... it's lighting codes
D. Its' clear ... its lighting codes
- Which revision corrects the misplaced modifier in the sentence below?
"Walking down Main Street at midnight, the dazzling glare of neon signs overwhelmed the astronomers."
A. Walking down Main Street at midnight, astronomers were overwhelmed by the dazzling glare of neon signs.
B. The dazzling glare of neon signs overwhelmed the astronomers walking down Main Street at midnight who observed.
C. Walking down Main Street at midnight, neon signs' dazzling glare overwhelmed the astronomers.
D. Dazzling glare from neon signs, walking down Main Street at midnight, overwhelmed the astronomers.
- Sentence 3 currently reads: "Misdirected glare not only washes out celestial bodies, it also disrupts the biological rhythms of wildlife." Which punctuation change corrects the run-on sentence while preserving coordinate structure?
A. celestial bodies; but it also
B. celestial bodies, but it also
C. celestial bodies: but also
D. celestial bodies it also
TSIA2 ELAR Diagnostic Tracking Chart College Readiness Benchmark: 10 / 12 Correct
Text Revision Subscore ____ / 5
- • Q1: Transitions & Logical Progression
- • Q2: Concision & Wordiness
- • Q3: Relevance & Deletion of Information
- • Q4: Synthesizing & Combining Sentences
- • Q5: Concluding Sentences & Purpose
Editing & Conventions Subscore ____ / 7
- • Q6: Comma Splices & Semicolons
- • Q7: Subject-Verb Agreement (Prepositional Phrases)
- • Q8: Correlative Subjects (Neither...Nor)
- • Q9: Parallel Structure in Series
- • Q10: Apostrophes (Possessive vs. Contraction)
- • Q11: Misplaced & Dangling Modifiers
- • Q12: Correlative Clause Punctuation
TSIA2 Diagnostic Series: Section 1 Page 4 of 4 • End of Test Score and review with Answer Key
TSI English Answer Key
Teacher & Student Solutions
TSIA2 ELAR Answer Key & Rationales
Diagnostic Resource
Standardized College Readiness
Quick-Reference Answer Matrix
1B
2B
3C
4A
5B
6B
7B
8B
9A
10A
11A
12B
Passage 1 Detailed Rationales (Text Revision) • Questions 1–5
1. Correct Answer: B (However,) Transitions & Logic
Why B is correct: Sentence 3 describes the beneficial effect of reflective surfaces creating warmth, whereas sentence 4 introduces the counteracting negative hazard of excessive reverberation causing notes to blur. A contrastive transition like However is required.
Distractor Analysis: A indicates causation where none exists; C is additive rather than contrasting; D signals a paraphrase rather than a counter-point.
2. Correct Answer: B (Excessive reverberation causes complex musical notes to blur into an unintelligible roar.) Concision & Economy
Why B is correct: Choice B removes the redundant pairing of "muddy" alongside "unintelligible roar" and simplifies "blur together" to "blur," expressing the complete thought concisely without losing precision.
Distractor Analysis: A repeats "excessive" with "too intense"; C is wordy and repeats "unintelligible" with "cannot be understood"; D repeats "excess" with "too much."
3. Correct Answer: C (Deleted, because it introduces an irrelevant budgetary detail...) Paragraph Unity & Focus
Why C is correct: The paragraph focuses specifically on how architectural materials manipulate sound waves to achieve acoustic balance. Sentence 7 abruptly shifts focus to financial upkeep, which undermines the paragraph's unity and logical flow.
Distractor Analysis: A & B incorrectly advocate keeping an off-topic sentence; D mischaracterizes the relationship (sentence 7 does not contradict sentence 6).
4. Correct Answer: A (While patrons admire sweeping balconies and chandeliers, the hall's true marvel is...) Sentence Synthesis
Why A is correct: Subordinating the visual observation with the dependent clause ("While patrons admire...") places the main rhetorical emphasis on the invisible acoustical engineering, creating an elegant contrast in a single unified sentence.
Distractor Analysis: B uses a weak compound coordinating structure; C misuses "therefore" to imply a false causal relationship; subordinates the wrong clause, demoting the primary focus.
