What the Study Companion names
Parts of speech on the ParaPro writing section are the six labels in the ETS Study Companion: nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions. The official study plan repeats that same list. About two-thirds of each third tests the skill. About one-third asks you to help a student draft, revise, or edit. Drill the labels on the writing practice test.
| Label | Job in the sentence |
|---|---|
| Noun | Names a person, place, thing, or idea |
| Verb | Shows the action or the state |
| Pronoun | Stands in for a noun |
| Adjective | Modifies a noun |
| Adverb | Modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb |
| Preposition | Sits in front of a noun or pronoun |
What part of speech is for
In “a pencil for the student,” for sits in front of the noun student. Illinois Wesleyan lists for among common single-word prepositions. UC Irvine lists for the same way and says a preposition is followed by a noun or pronoun. On this test, that label is a preposition. The companion’s six names do not include conjunctions. When for joins two full clauses, as in “I waited, for the bus was late,” you are looking at a clause joiner, not the preposition pattern. Return to the study-guide hub for the other writing leaves.
Fragments, splices, and the real subject
Application items ask you to edit for sentence integrity: run-ons and sentence fragments. A fragment has no complete subject and verb: “Because the rain started.” Attach it to a full clause. A comma splice joins two full clauses with only a comma: “The bell rang, the students stood.” Add a period, a semicolon, or a joining word such as and. Subject-verb agreement ignores the phrase in the middle: “The stack of essays is ready.” The subject is stack, not essays. Sit those items on the 90-question practice test.
- Find the verb.
- Cross out any phrase that starts with of, in, or for.
- Match the verb to the noun that is left.
One companion sample
The companion’s sample asks how nonperishable is used in “the food … had to be in a nonperishable form.” The choices are noun, verb, adjective, and adverb. Nonperishable modifies the noun form, so the label is adjective. Word-use items are a separate line on the same list: their, they’re, and there, or then and than. Open the second writing set after you can name the six labels without a chart.
Frequently asked questions
Does the writing section include an essay?
No. The Study Companion lists selected-response items only. Writing application items ask you to help a student plan, draft, revise, or edit. They do not ask you to submit an essay.
Which six labels does the companion name?
Nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions. The companion does not add conjunctions or interjections to that list.
What part of speech is the word for?
In a pencil for the student, for is a preposition. It sits in front of the noun student. Illinois Wesleyan and UC Irvine both list for among common prepositions.
Which word agrees with the verb in “the stack of essays is ready”?
The subject is stack. The phrase of essays is a prepositional phrase. Match is to stack, not to essays.
Related reading
Writing practice test
30 items. No essay.
Study-guide hub
Reading, math, and writing leaves.
More writing explainers appear when you search “ParaEducator Practice Test writing labels” on Google.