Try our free TSI Writing practice test. This is a fully interactive practice exam that includes detailed explanations for each answer. The TSI Writing test has four content areas: Essay Revision, Grammar, Sentence Structure, and Sentence Logic. This content is tested with three different types of questions, which adds to the challenge. Take our TSI Writing practice test to ensure that you are fully prepared.
Directions for questions 1–7: A portion of each sentence is underlined. Select the best version of the sentence. Answer (A) is always the same as the original sentence.
Directions for questions 8–13: Figure out the best way to rewrite each sentence. The new sentence must be written correctly and keep the meaning of the original sentence.
Directions for questions 14–20: An early draft of an essay is presented. Read the essay and then choose the best answer to each of the questions.
Question 1 |
To swim, to jog, and spinning are my aunt’s favorite ways of maintaining her health.
To swim, to jog, and spinning | |
To swim, to jog, and spin | |
Swimming, jogging, and to spin | |
Swimming, jogging, and spinning |
Question 2 |
Returning to his old job, everything there looked the same as John remembered.
Returning to his old job, | |
As he was returning to his old job, | |
When he returned to his old job, | |
To have returned to his old job, |
Question 3 |
Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano in Tanzania, being the highest mountain in Africa.
being the highest | |
and is the highest | |
higher than any | |
the most high |
Question 4 |
I was alarmed by the noise looking through the window to see who was outside.
I was alarmed by the noise looking | |
The noise alarmed me, looking | |
I was alarmed by the noise, looked | |
Alarmed by the noise, I looked |
Question 5 |
Scientists have found evidence that acid rain was a major cause of the largest extinction on Earth 250 million years ago.
Scientists have found evidence that acid rain was a major cause of the largest extinction | |
The largest extinction, caused by acid rain, was found by scientists to have happened | |
Scientists have been finding evidence that acid rain is being a major cause of the largest extinction | |
The largest extinction, which was found by scientists happening, could have been a major cause |
Question 6 |
Rushing to the scene, the frightened cat was stuck high in the tree and had to be pulled down by the firemen.
the frightened cat was stuck high in the tree and had to be pulled down by the firemen. | |
the cat that was frightened and stuck high in the tree was pulled down by the firemen. | |
the firemen had to pull down the frightened cat that was stuck high in the tree. | |
the firemen pulled down the frightened cat and were stuck high in the tree. |
Question 7 |
For a lizard, losing their tail in an accident is not detrimental to their health since they can grow back.
their tail in an accident is not detrimental to their health since they | |
its tail in an accident is not detrimental to its health since it | |
their tails in an accident is not detrimental to their healths since they | |
its tails in an accident is not detrimental to its health since they |
Question 8 |
Although the horse is easily startled by sudden noises, it can be trained to ignore distractions and remain calm even in parades.
Rewrite, beginning with
The horse is easily startled by sudden noises,...
The next words will be
but it can be trained | |
and it will be trained | |
even if it were trained | |
nevertheless being trained |
Question 9 |
It began to snow, and all the children ran outside to build a snowman.
Rewrite, beginning with
All the children ran outside to build a snowman...
The next words will be
it began to snow | |
since it did snow | |
because it had begun to snow | |
as snowing had begun |
Question 10 |
After a five mile hike, the couple felt in need of a break.
Rewrite, beginning with
The couple felt in need of a break...
The next words will be
and they hiked for five miles | |
despite having hiked for five miles | |
hiking for five miles | |
after hiking for five miles |
Question 11 |
Mary didn’t notice much bass guitar in the rock song when she heard the band’s encore.
Rewrite, beginning with
Hearing the band’s encore,...
The next words will be
there wasn’t much bass guitar noticed by Mary in the rock song | |
the rock song Mary heard didn’t have much bass guitar | |
bass guitar wasn’t noticed in the rock song by Mary | |
Mary didn’t notice much bass guitar in the rock song |
Question 12 |
The interior design motif of shabby chic has popularized the look of French country cottage chic: rose-themed patterns, crystal lighting fixtures, and distressed antiques.
Rewrite, beginning with
Popularizing the look of French country cottage chic,...
The next words will be
rose-themed patterns | |
crystal lighting fixtures | |
distressed antiques | |
the interior design motif |
Question 13 |
If our community gathered together and agreed to curb our water usage, then we would not suffer so much from the effects of the drought.
Rewrite, beginning with
By curbing our water usage,...
The next words will be
then we | |
our community | |
the effects | |
the drought |
Question 14 |
(4) Following the U.S. entrance into World War II in 1941, the U.S. government commissioned the Hughes Aircraft Company to build a large flying boat capable of carrying men and materials over long distances. (5) Because of wartime restrictions on steel, Hughes decided to build his aircraft out of wood laminated with plastic and covered with fabric, and they had a wingspan of 320 feet and was powered by eight giant propeller engines.
(6) Development of the Spruce Goose cost a phenomenal $23 million and took so long that the war had ended by the time of its completion in 1946. (7) The aircraft had many detractors, and Congress demanded that Hughes prove the plane airworthy. (8) On November 2, 1947, Hughes obliged, taking the prototype out into Long Beach Harbor, CA for an unannounced flight test. (9) Thousands of onlookers had come to watch the aircraft taxi on the water and were surprised when Hughes lifted his wooden behemoth 70 feet above the water and flew for a mile before landing.
(10) The Spruce Goose never went into production, primarily because critics alleged that its wooden framework was insufficient to support its weight during long flights. (11) Nevertheless, Howard Hughes, who became increasingly eccentric and withdrawn after 1950, refused to neglect what he saw as his greatest achievement in the aviation field. (12) From 1947 until his death in 1976, he kept the Spruce Goose prototype ready for flight in an enormous, climate-controlled hangar at a cost of $1 million per year. (13) Today, the Spruce Goose is housed at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
In context, which of the following sentences would best be inserted after sentence 3?
The Hughes XF-11, a prototype military reconnaissance aircraft was designed by him for the USAF. | |
He directed the 1943 Western film, The Outlaw, which starred Jane Russell. | |
The concept for what would become the “Spruce Goose” was originally conceived by the industrialist Henry Kaiser, but Kaiser dropped out of the project early. | |
In 1939, he quietly purchased a majority share of TWA stock for nearly US$7 million and took control of the airline. |
Question 15 |
(4) Following the U.S. entrance into World War II in 1941, the U.S. government commissioned the Hughes Aircraft Company to build a large flying boat capable of carrying men and materials over long distances. (5) Because of wartime restrictions on steel, Hughes decided to build his aircraft out of wood laminated with plastic and covered with fabric, and they had a wingspan of 320 feet and was powered by eight giant propeller engines.
(6) Development of the Spruce Goose cost a phenomenal $23 million and took so long that the war had ended by the time of its completion in 1946. (7) The aircraft had many detractors, and Congress demanded that Hughes prove the plane airworthy. (8) On November 2, 1947, Hughes obliged, taking the prototype out into Long Beach Harbor, CA for an unannounced flight test. (9) Thousands of onlookers had come to watch the aircraft taxi on the water and were surprised when Hughes lifted his wooden behemoth 70 feet above the water and flew for a mile before landing.
(10) The Spruce Goose never went into production, primarily because critics alleged that its wooden framework was insufficient to support its weight during long flights. (11) Nevertheless, Howard Hughes, who became increasingly eccentric and withdrawn after 1950, refused to neglect what he saw as his greatest achievement in the aviation field. (12) From 1947 until his death in 1976, he kept the Spruce Goose prototype ready for flight in an enormous, climate-controlled hangar at a cost of $1 million per year. (13) Today, the Spruce Goose is housed at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
In context, which of the following is the best way to revise and combine sentences 2 and 3 (reproduced below)?
He personally tested cutting-edge aircraft of his own design and in 1937 broke the transcontinental flight-time record. In 1938, he flew around the world in a record three days, 19 hours, and 14 minutes.He personally tested cutting-edge aircraft of his own design and in 1937, he broke the transcontinental flight-time record, and then he flew around the world in a record three days, 19 hours, and 14 minutes in 1938. | |
Howard Hughes personally tested cutting-edge aircraft of his own design and broke the transcontinental flight-time record in 1937, and in 1938, he flew around the world in a record three days, 19 hours, and 14 minutes. | |
He personally tested cutting-edge aircraft of his own design and in 1937 broke the transcontinental flight-time record, and in 1938 he flew around the world in a record three days, 19 hours, and 14 minutes. | |
Howard Hughes personally tested cutting-edge aircraft of his own design and in 1937 broke the transcontinental flight-time record; and in 1938, flew around the world in a record three days, 19 hours, and 14 minutes. |
Question 16 |
(4) Following the U.S. entrance into World War II in 1941, the U.S. government commissioned the Hughes Aircraft Company to build a large flying boat capable of carrying men and materials over long distances. (5) Because of wartime restrictions on steel, Hughes decided to build his aircraft out of wood laminated with plastic and covered with fabric, and they had a wingspan of 320 feet and was powered by eight giant propeller engines.
(6) Development of the Spruce Goose cost a phenomenal $23 million and took so long that the war had ended by the time of its completion in 1946. (7) The aircraft had many detractors, and Congress demanded that Hughes prove the plane airworthy. (8) On November 2, 1947, Hughes obliged, taking the prototype out into Long Beach Harbor, CA for an unannounced flight test. (9) Thousands of onlookers had come to watch the aircraft taxi on the water and were surprised when Hughes lifted his wooden behemoth 70 feet above the water and flew for a mile before landing.
(10) The Spruce Goose never went into production, primarily because critics alleged that its wooden framework was insufficient to support its weight during long flights. (11) Nevertheless, Howard Hughes, who became increasingly eccentric and withdrawn after 1950, refused to neglect what he saw as his greatest achievement in the aviation field. (12) From 1947 until his death in 1976, he kept the Spruce Goose prototype ready for flight in an enormous, climate-controlled hangar at a cost of $1 million per year. (13) Today, the Spruce Goose is housed at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
In context, which is the best revision to sentence 5 (reproduced below)?
Because of wartime restrictions on steel, Hughes decided to build his aircraft out of wood laminated with plastic and covered with fabric, and they had a wingspan of 320 feet and was powered by eight giant propeller engines.Hughes decided to build his aircraft out of wood, since there were wartime restrictions on steel, laminating the wood with plastic and covering it with fabric; it had a wingspan of 320 feet and was powered by eight giant propeller engines. | |
Because of wartime restrictions on steel, Hughes did decide to build his aircraft out of wood laminated with plastic and did cover it with fabric, and it had a wingspan of 320 feet and was powered by eight giant propeller engines. | |
Powered by eight giant propeller engines and with a wingspan of 320 feet, Hughes decided to build his aircraft out of wood laminated with plastic and covered it with fabric, all because of wartime restrictions on steel. | |
Powered by eight giant propeller engines and with a wingspan of 320 feet, his aircraft was built out of wood laminated with plastic and covered it with fabric, and not steel, because of wartime restrictions on them. |
The verb tenses in answer (B) are awkward, and answer (C) creates a modification error since “Hughes” is not logically “powered by eight giant propeller engines.” Answer (D) also includes an incorrect plural pronoun, “them.”
Question 17 |
(4) Following the U.S. entrance into World War II in 1941, the U.S. government commissioned the Hughes Aircraft Company to build a large flying boat capable of carrying men and materials over long distances. (5) Because of wartime restrictions on steel, Hughes decided to build his aircraft out of wood laminated with plastic and covered with fabric, and they had a wingspan of 320 feet and was powered by eight giant propeller engines.
(6) Development of the Spruce Goose cost a phenomenal $23 million and took so long that the war had ended by the time of its completion in 1946. (7) The aircraft had many detractors, and Congress demanded that Hughes prove the plane airworthy. (8) On November 2, 1947, Hughes obliged, taking the prototype out into Long Beach Harbor, CA for an unannounced flight test. (9) Thousands of onlookers had come to watch the aircraft taxi on the water and were surprised when Hughes lifted his wooden behemoth 70 feet above the water and flew for a mile before landing.
(10) The Spruce Goose never went into production, primarily because critics alleged that its wooden framework was insufficient to support its weight during long flights. (11) Nevertheless, Howard Hughes, who became increasingly eccentric and withdrawn after 1950, refused to neglect what he saw as his greatest achievement in the aviation field. (12) From 1947 until his death in 1976, he kept the Spruce Goose prototype ready for flight in an enormous, climate-controlled hangar at a cost of $1 million per year. (13) Today, the Spruce Goose is housed at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
In context, where would the following sentence best be placed?
This project came to be known as the “Spruce Goose.”After sentence 2 | |
After sentence 5 | |
After sentence 6 | |
After sentence 8 |
Question 18 |
(4) Following the U.S. entrance into World War II in 1941, the U.S. government commissioned the Hughes Aircraft Company to build a large flying boat capable of carrying men and materials over long distances. (5) Because of wartime restrictions on steel, Hughes decided to build his aircraft out of wood laminated with plastic and covered with fabric, and they had a wingspan of 320 feet and was powered by eight giant propeller engines.
(6) Development of the Spruce Goose cost a phenomenal $23 million and took so long that the war had ended by the time of its completion in 1946. (7) The aircraft had many detractors, and Congress demanded that Hughes prove the plane airworthy. (8) On November 2, 1947, Hughes obliged, taking the prototype out into Long Beach Harbor, CA for an unannounced flight test. (9) Thousands of onlookers had come to watch the aircraft taxi on the water and were surprised when Hughes lifted his wooden behemoth 70 feet above the water and flew for a mile before landing.
(10) The Spruce Goose never went into production, primarily because critics alleged that its wooden framework was insufficient to support its weight during long flights. (11) Nevertheless, Howard Hughes, who became increasingly eccentric and withdrawn after 1950, refused to neglect what he saw as his greatest achievement in the aviation field. (12) From 1947 until his death in 1976, he kept the Spruce Goose prototype ready for flight in an enormous, climate-controlled hangar at a cost of $1 million per year. (13) Today, the Spruce Goose is housed at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
What phrase should be added to the beginning of sentence 10 in order to create the best transition?
Thus, Hughes and his team continued to work harder than ever, and | |
Nonetheless the public had a profoundly negative impact on the project, since | |
Although Howard Hughes was primarily a film producer, | |
Despite its successful maiden flight, |
Answer (B) places undue blame for the project’s failure on the public, but that is not supported anywhere else in the passage. Answer (C) contains irrelevant information, and answer (A) does not provide an appropriate contrasting transition phrase.
Question 19 |
(4) Following the U.S. entrance into World War II in 1941, the U.S. government commissioned the Hughes Aircraft Company to build a large flying boat capable of carrying men and materials over long distances. (5) Because of wartime restrictions on steel, Hughes decided to build his aircraft out of wood laminated with plastic and covered with fabric, and they had a wingspan of 320 feet and was powered by eight giant propeller engines.
(6) Development of the Spruce Goose cost a phenomenal $23 million and took so long that the war had ended by the time of its completion in 1946. (7) The aircraft had many detractors, and Congress demanded that Hughes prove the plane airworthy. (8) On November 2, 1947, Hughes obliged, taking the prototype out into Long Beach Harbor, CA for an unannounced flight test. (9) Thousands of onlookers had come to watch the aircraft taxi on the water and were surprised when Hughes lifted his wooden behemoth 70 feet above the water and flew for a mile before landing.
(10) The Spruce Goose never went into production, primarily because critics alleged that its wooden framework was insufficient to support its weight during long flights. (11) Nevertheless, Howard Hughes, who became increasingly eccentric and withdrawn after 1950, refused to neglect what he saw as his greatest achievement in the aviation field. (12) From 1947 until his death in 1976, he kept the Spruce Goose prototype ready for flight in an enormous, climate-controlled hangar at a cost of $1 million per year. (13) Today, the Spruce Goose is housed at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
In context, where would the following sentence best be placed?
The concept for what would become the “Spruce Goose” was originally conceived by the industrialist Henry Kaiser, but Kaiser dropped out of the project early, leaving Hughes and his small team to make the H-4 a reality.Paragraph 1 | |
Paragraph 2 | |
Paragraph 3 | |
Paragraph 4 |
Question 20 |
(4) Following the U.S. entrance into World War II in 1941, the U.S. government commissioned the Hughes Aircraft Company to build a large flying boat capable of carrying men and materials over long distances. (5) Because of wartime restrictions on steel, Hughes decided to build his aircraft out of wood laminated with plastic and covered with fabric, and they had a wingspan of 320 feet and was powered by eight giant propeller engines.
(6) Development of the Spruce Goose cost a phenomenal $23 million and took so long that the war had ended by the time of its completion in 1946. (7) The aircraft had many detractors, and Congress demanded that Hughes prove the plane airworthy. (8) On November 2, 1947, Hughes obliged, taking the prototype out into Long Beach Harbor, CA for an unannounced flight test. (9) Thousands of onlookers had come to watch the aircraft taxi on the water and were surprised when Hughes lifted his wooden behemoth 70 feet above the water and flew for a mile before landing.
(10) The Spruce Goose never went into production, primarily because critics alleged that its wooden framework was insufficient to support its weight during long flights. (11) Nevertheless, Howard Hughes, who became increasingly eccentric and withdrawn after 1950, refused to neglect what he saw as his greatest achievement in the aviation field. (12) From 1947 until his death in 1976, he kept the Spruce Goose prototype ready for flight in an enormous, climate-controlled hangar at a cost of $1 million per year. (13) Today, the Spruce Goose is housed at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
Which of the following sentences from the passage could best be deleted without losing too much essential information?
Sentence 3 | |
Sentence 7 | |
Sentence 10 | |
Sentence 12 |
List |