What is Language & conventions on the English Language Arts Regents?

Language & conventions is a Writing & Conventions topic on the English Language Arts Regents. RegentsLab has 37 practice questions on it, each with a full worked solution.

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Language & conventions: English Language Arts Regents Practice

Practice Language & conventions for the English Language Arts Regents with real-style questions and full worked solutions. Miss one? Read the solution — the exam reuses the same ideas every year.

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Question 73 · 2 pts

"The old rope bridge had grown precarious over the decades. Each spring flood loosened another plank, and the villagers crossed it only when they had no other choice." As used in the passage, the word "precarious" most nearly means

(A) heavily crowded
(B) beautifully crafted
(C) dangerously unstable ✓
(D) extremely ancient

The loosened planks and the villagers crossing only when forced show the bridge was unsafe and unstable, which is what 'precarious' means.

Question 74 · 2 pts

"Plant the seeds before the first frost. Water them each morning, and shield the tender sprouts from the harsh afternoon sun. Do not despair if the growth seems slow at first." Which technique does the author primarily use to engage the reader?

(A) Directly instructing the reader with commands in the imperative mood ✓
(B) Recounting a personal memory in the past tense
(C) Posing a series of rhetorical questions
(D) Contrasting two opposing points of view

Verbs like 'Plant,' 'Water,' and 'shield' are direct commands addressed to the reader, the defining feature of the imperative mood.

Question 81 · 2 pts

Read the excerpt, then answer the question. "The old footbridge had grown decrepit over the decades. Its rusted beams sagged, and loose planks rattled underfoot. Inspectors finally closed it, warning that one more harsh winter could bring it down." As used in the passage, the word "decrepit" most nearly means

(A) worn out and weakened by age ✓
(B) dangerously overcrowded
(C) freshly built and sturdy
(D) brightly decorated

The surrounding details of rusted beams, sagging, and rattling planks show that 'decrepit' describes something deteriorated by long use and age.

Question 84 · 2 pts

Read the excerpt, then answer the question. "Bees do far more than make honey. As they move from blossom to blossom, they carry pollen that lets plants produce fruit and seeds. Without this quiet labor, many of the crops we rely on would fail." What is the central idea of the passage?

(A) Bees travel long distances in search of blossoms
(B) Crops would grow better without insects
(C) Honey is the most valuable product that bees create
(D) Bees are essential because their pollination sustains many food crops ✓

The passage stresses that bees carry pollen that lets plants produce fruit and seeds, and that without this labor many crops would fail.

Question 90 · 2 pts

Read the excerpt, then answer the question. "Congratulations on your promotion. I'm sure the extra hours, the endless emails, and the joy of managing people who ignore you will be everything you dreamed. Do send a postcard from the office; I hear you'll be living there now." Which word best describes the tone of the excerpt?

(A) Neutral
(B) Anxious
(C) Sarcastic ✓
(D) Sincerely admiring

The speaker praises 'joy' in being ignored and jokes about living at the office, using irony to mean the opposite of the congratulations offered.

Question 94 · 2 pts

Read the excerpt, then answer the question. "We build with words. We wound with words. We heal, we hide, and we hope with words." Which technique does the writer use most prominently in the excerpt?

(A) Rhetorical questioning
(B) Flashback narration
(C) Onomatopoeia
(D) Repetition of a parallel sentence structure ✓

Each clause opens with 'We ... with words,' repeating the same grammatical pattern to build rhythm and emphasis.

Question 10 · 2 pts

Read the sentence below, then answer the question. 'Each of the students have completed their assignment early this week.' Which correction fixes the subject-verb agreement error in the sentence?

(A) Change 'their' to 'his'
(B) Change 'have' to 'has' ✓
(C) Change 'completed' to 'completing'
(D) Change 'students' to 'student'

Worked solution

$The subject of the sentence is 'Each,' which is singular even though it is followed by a prepositional phrase ('of the students').$

$A singular subject requires a singular verb, so 'have' must become 'has' to agree with 'Each.'$

Answer: Change 'have' to 'has'

Indefinite pronouns like 'each' are singular, so the verb must be singular ('has'), regardless of the plural noun in the prepositional phrase that follows.

Question 21 · 2 pts

Which sentence demonstrates correct pronoun-antecedent agreement?

(A) Neither of the coaches had brought whistles, and it was misplaced.
(B) Neither of the coaches had brought their whistle to practice.
(C) Neither of the coaches had brought his or her whistle to practice. ✓
(D) Neither of the coaches have brought their whistle to practice.

Worked solution

$Identify the antecedent: 'neither' is a singular indefinite pronoun.$

$A singular antecedent requires a singular pronoun, 'his or her,' not the plural 'their.'$

$Eliminate the option with the plural verb 'have,' which does not agree with the singular subject 'neither.'$

$Eliminate the option with unclear pronoun reference ('it').$

$The correct sentence pairs the singular subject with the singular verb 'had' and singular pronoun 'his or her.'$

Answer: Neither of the coaches had brought his or her whistle to practice.

Because 'neither' is grammatically singular, it requires the singular verb 'had' and the singular pronoun phrase 'his or her' to agree correctly.

Question 11 · 2 pts

Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

(A) After the meeting ended the committee members filed out of the room, quietly.
(B) After the meeting ended, the committee members filed out of the room quietly. ✓
(C) After the meeting ended, the committee members, filed out of the room quietly.
(D) After, the meeting ended the committee members filed out of the room quietly.

Worked solution

$An introductory dependent clause ('After the meeting ended') should be followed by a comma.$ Rule

$No comma should separate the subject ('committee members') from its verb ('filed').$ Rule

$Only the second option places the comma after the introductory clause and nowhere else.$ Check options

Answer: After the meeting ended, the committee members filed out of the room quietly.

A comma correctly follows the introductory dependent clause, and no comma should interrupt the subject and verb or appear before the closing adverb.

Question 23 · 2 pts

Which sentence demonstrates correct use of a semicolon?

(A) The debate team practiced for weeks; wanting to win the regional tournament.
(B) The debate team practiced for weeks; they wanted to win the regional tournament. ✓
(C) The debate team practiced for weeks, they wanted to win the regional tournament.
(D) The debate team practiced for weeks; because they wanted to win the regional tournament.

Worked solution

$A semicolon must join two independent clauses, each able to stand alone as a complete sentence.$

$"The debate team practiced for weeks" and "they wanted to win the regional tournament" are both independent clauses, so the semicolon is correctly used.$

$The second choice follows the semicolon with a fragment, the third choice uses only a comma (a comma splice), and the fourth choice follows the semicolon with a dependent clause, all of which are incorrect uses.$

Answer: The debate team practiced for weeks; they wanted to win the regional tournament.

A semicolon correctly joins two complete, independent clauses; only the first option pairs two full independent clauses, while the others incorrectly attach a fragment, use a comma splice, or attach a dependent clause after the semicolon.

Question 4 · 2 pts

Read the sentence from a passage below, then answer the question. "Ships rarely needed her light anymore, since satellites and radar had made the old beacon almost ceremonial." As used in this sentence, the word "ceremonial" most nearly means

(A) unusually bright and powerful
(B) required by international maritime law
(C) dangerous for approaching sailors
(D) serving a symbolic or traditional purpose rather than a practical one ✓

Worked solution

$Look at context clues: 'Ships rarely needed her light anymore' shows the beacon lacks a practical function.$

$The phrase 'satellites and radar had made' explains why the beacon is now mostly symbolic.$

$Match this context to the choice describing a symbolic, traditional role rather than legal, brightness, or danger.$

Answer: serving a symbolic or traditional purpose rather than a practical one

Context clues about satellites replacing the beacon's function show that 'ceremonial' here means the light now serves a symbolic, traditional role rather than a practical one.

Question 13 · 2 pts

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

(A) The committee reviewed three proposals however, only one met the budget requirements.
(B) The committee reviewed three proposals: however only one met the budget requirements.
(C) The committee reviewed three proposals; however, only one met the budget requirements. ✓
(D) The committee reviewed three proposals, however only one met the budget requirements.

Worked solution

$Identify that two independent clauses are being joined: 'The committee reviewed three proposals' and 'only one met the budget requirements.'$

$Recall the rule: when a conjunctive adverb like 'however' joins two independent clauses, use a semicolon before it and a comma after it.$

$Apply the rule to confirm the correct punctuation is a semicolon before 'however' and a comma after it.$

Answer: The committee reviewed three proposals; however, only one met the budget requirements.

A conjunctive adverb such as 'however' joining two independent clauses requires a semicolon before it and a comma after it, which only the first choice provides correctly.

Question 23 · 2 pts

Read the sentence below, then answer the question. "The committee's decision to approve the budget was met with unanimous acclaim from the staff, who had lobbied for the funding for months." As used in the sentence, what does the word "acclaim" most nearly mean?

(A) Confusion and uncertainty.
(B) Complete indifference.
(C) Strong criticism and objection.
(D) Enthusiastic approval or praise. ✓

Worked solution

$The staff had 'lobbied for the funding for months,' indicating they wanted the decision to pass.$

$A decision they wanted, met with a positive reaction described as 'unanimous,' points to approval, not criticism or indifference.$

$'Acclaim' in standard usage means praise or enthusiastic approval, consistent with the context clues.$

Answer: Enthusiastic approval or praise.

Context clues, the staff's months of lobbying and the word 'unanimous,' show that "acclaim" refers to widespread enthusiastic approval, not criticism or indifference.

Question 11 · 2 pts

Which sentence is grammatically correct and uses standard English conventions?

(A) Neither the coach nor the players is aware of the schedule change.
(B) Neither the coach or the players were aware of the schedule change.
(C) Neither the coach nor the players was aware of the schedule change.
(D) Neither the coach nor the players were aware of the schedule change. ✓

Worked solution

$With correlative conjunctions 'neither...nor,' the verb must agree with the subject closest to it, which here is 'players.'$

$'Players' is plural, so the correct verb form is 'were,' not 'was' or 'is.'$

$The pairing must be 'neither...nor,' not 'neither...or,' so the option using 'or' is also incorrect.$

Answer: Neither the coach nor the players were aware of the schedule change.

In sentences using 'neither...nor,' subject-verb agreement is determined by the noun nearest the verb; since 'players' is plural, the correct verb is 'were,' making 'Neither the coach nor the players were aware of the schedule change' the only fully correct sentence.

Question 21 · 2 pts

Choose the sentence that is punctuated correctly.

(A) After the rain stopped, the students went back outside to finish recess. ✓
(B) After the rain stopped; the students went back outside to finish recess.
(C) After the rain stopped the students, went back outside to finish recess.
(D) After the rain stopped the students went back, outside to finish recess.

Worked solution

$An introductory dependent clause ('After the rain stopped') should be followed by a comma before the main clause.$

$Placing the comma after 'students' or before 'outside' incorrectly splits the subject from its verb or the verb from its object.$

$A semicolon is used to join two independent clauses, but 'After the rain stopped' is a dependent clause, so a semicolon is incorrect there.$

$Only the first choice places the comma correctly after the introductory clause.$

Answer: After the rain stopped, the students went back outside to finish recess.

A comma belongs after an introductory dependent clause and before the independent clause that follows, which is exactly where it appears in the correct choice; the other options misplace punctuation within the main clause itself.

Question 24 · 1 pt

Which sentence is written in standard, grammatically correct English?

(A) Each of the students have finished the assignment.
(B) Each of the students has finished the assignment. ✓
(C) Each of the students having finished the assignment.
(D) The students has finished the assignment.

Worked solution

$\text{Each} \Rightarrow \text{singular verb}$ Subject–verb agreement.

Answer: \text{"Each ... has finished."}

'Each' is a singular indefinite pronoun and takes a singular verb ('has'), regardless of the plural noun in the prepositional phrase.

Question 75 · 2 pts

"'Congratulations on your promotion,' Marcus said, drawing out the word until it sagged. 'A grander title, a nicer desk, and, of course, the very same paycheck you had last year.'" What is the tone of Marcus's remark?

(A) Sincere and admiring
(B) Sorrowful and regretful
(C) Sarcastic ✓
(D) Furious and threatening

Drawing the word 'promotion' out until it 'sagged' and stressing the unchanged paycheck signal mockery rather than genuine congratulation.

Question 76 · 2 pts

"She fought for the workers when they were ignored, spoke for the tenants when they were silenced, and stood for the children when they were forgotten. No cause was ever too small for her voice." Which technique does the first sentence rely on for its emphasis?

(A) A rhetorical question
(B) An extended metaphor
(C) Onomatopoeia
(D) Parallel structure, in which clauses repeat the same grammatical pattern ✓

The three clauses share the identical 'verb + for the ___ when they were ___' pattern, and that repeated grammatical structure creates the emphasis.

Question 77 · 2 pts

"The committee's report was maddeningly equivocal. For every firm recommendation, it offered a hedge; for every clear 'yes,' a quiet 'but perhaps not.'" As used in the passage, "equivocal" most nearly means

(A) forceful and decisive
(B) lengthy and detailed
(C) dishonest and deceptive
(D) ambiguous and noncommittal ✓

The report answered every firm recommendation with a hedge and softened every 'yes' to 'but perhaps not,' showing it avoided any clear commitment.

Question 82 · 2 pts

Read the excerpt, then answer the question. "Congratulations. After three years of promises, the company has finally repaired the elevator, just in time for the building to be demolished next month. We are, of course, deeply grateful for such impeccable timing." Which word best describes the tone of the passage?

(A) Sorrowful
(B) Sarcastic ✓
(C) Sincere
(D) Anxious

The writer praises 'impeccable timing' for a repair made useless by a coming demolition, using irony to mock rather than genuinely thank.

Question 83 · 2 pts

Read the excerpt, then answer the question. "We will not be silenced by threats. We will not be divided by rumors. We will not be defeated by fear. Our voices, joined together, only grow louder." The repeated structure "We will not be..." primarily serves to

(A) list the speaker's personal accomplishments
(B) build emphasis and a sense of unified determination ✓
(C) signal confusion about the group's goals
(D) provide step-by-step instructions

The parallel repetition of 'We will not be...' accumulates force and stresses the group's shared resolve, reinforced by 'joined together, only grow louder.'

Question 88 · 2 pts

Read the excerpt, then answer the question. "Think about the last time you truly disconnected. No buzzing phone. No blinking screen. Just you and the world in front of you. When was the last time that happened?" The author's use of the closing question, "When was the last time that happened?", is primarily meant to

(A) prompt readers to reflect on their own experience ✓
(B) express doubt about whether phones exist
(C) request specific factual data from readers
(D) change the subject to a new topic

The rhetorical question invites readers to consider their own habits rather than seeking an answer, reinforcing the passage's point about disconnecting.

Question 89 · 2 pts

Read the excerpt, then answer the question. "The old bridge had grown temperamental with age. On humid mornings its joints would swell and groan, and the caretaker learned to cross it only when the wood felt agreeable beneath his boots." As used in the excerpt, the word "temperamental" most nearly means

(A) cold and damp to the touch
(B) furious and prone to violence
(C) unpredictable and easily changed in behavior ✓
(D) artistic and highly creative

The bridge swells, groans, and feels 'agreeable' only sometimes, so the caretaker cannot predict it, matching the sense of moody, changeable behavior rather than literal anger.

Question 91 · 2 pts

Read the excerpt, then answer the question. "Language rules are not carved in stone; they shift as speakers do. The 'errors' that horrify one generation often become the polished usage of the next. What we call correct is simply the habit that has won for now." Which statement best expresses the central idea of the excerpt?

(A) Each new generation speaks its language worse than the last.
(B) Standards of correct usage change over time. ✓
(C) Language rules must never be broken.
(D) Grammar is too difficult for most people to learn.

The passage says rules 'shift,' yesterday's 'errors' become tomorrow's polished usage, and 'correct' is only the habit that has 'won for now,' all pointing to changing standards.

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