ELPAC Practice

Which sentence uses an adjective where an adverb is needed?

Read a Student Essay · ELPAC Grades 9–10 reading. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.

An essay written as if by a classmate, with numbered sentences. The student finds the sentence containing the error.

Read the essay. Then answer the questions.

Learning to Fix Bikes

  1. When I was in ninth grade, my uncle gave me an old ten-speed bike that had been sitting in his garage for years.
  2. The tires were flat, the chain was rusted, and the brakes barely worked.
  3. I wanted to take it to a repair shop, but the estimate was more than the bike was worth.
  4. Instead, I started watching repair videos and borrowing tools from a neighbor who used to race.
  5. Replacing the chain took me an entire weekend, because I kept threading it around the wrong gear.
  6. The brakes were harder, and I had to adjust the cables three times before they stopped the wheel.
  7. Last spring, after the bike was finally working, I ride it to school every day for a month.
  8. Other students started asking me to look at their bikes, so I set up a table outside the cafeteria at lunch.
  9. Most of the problems turned out to be simple, like a loose seat or a chain that needed oil.
  10. I learned to explain each repair careful, so that the owner could do it alone the next time.
  11. This year the student council gave our repair table a small budget for parts.
  12. I still ride my uncle's old bike, and I am the one my friends call when their brakes squeak.

The question

Choose the best answer.

Which sentence uses an adjective where an adverb is needed?

  • Sentence 2: “The tires were flat, the chain was rusted, and the brakes barely worked.”
  • Sentence 6: “The brakes were harder, and I had to adjust the cables three times before they stopped the wheel.”
  • Sentence 10: “I learned to explain each repair careful, so that the owner could do it alone the next time.”Correct answer
  • Sentence 11: “This year the student council gave our repair table a small budget for parts.”

Why “Sentence 10: “I learned to explain each repair careful, so that the owner could do it alone the next time.”” is correct

This tests word form: an adverb is needed to describe how an action is done. 'Careful' describes how the writer explained, so it must be 'carefully'. Sentence 6 is the trap: 'harder' looks like it might need to be an adverb, but it follows the linking verb 'were' and describes the brakes, so an adjective is correct.

Why the other answers are wrong

  • Sentence 2: “The tires were flat, the chain was rusted, and the brakes barely worked.” — 'Barely' is already an adverb describing how the brakes worked, and 'flat' and 'rusted' follow linking verbs.
  • Sentence 6: “The brakes were harder, and I had to adjust the cables three times before they stopped the wheel.” — 'Harder' follows the linking verb 'were' and describes the noun 'brakes', so the adjective is correct.
  • Sentence 11: “This year the student council gave our repair table a small budget for parts.” — 'Small' describes the noun 'budget', which is exactly what an adjective is for.

Practice more of this

More reading practice for Grades 9–10, or see the ELPAC practice test for grades 9–10. For other grades, see free ELPAC practice tests by grade.

This is an independent study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the California Department of Education or the official ELPAC program. All questions here are original practice material written to match the published task formats.