Section I: Eight Sentence Errors
On this part of the LPI, examinees are asked to identify some common errors involving sentence structure. They do not have to identify them by name, but are asked to recognize where in the sentence an error has been made. The sentence errors tested are selected from the following:
An incomplete sentence
A run-on sentence (sometimes called a comma fault)
A misplaced modifier
A dangling modifier
Faulty reference of a pronoun
Faulty subject-verb agreement
Faulty parallel structure
Redundant subordination/coordination
Section II: Nine Usage Errors
On this part of the examination, examinees are required to identify various common errors in English usage. The majority of the errors tested are of the type often made by people for whom English is a second language. They do not have to identify the errors by name. The usage errors to be tested are from the following categories:
Incorrect use of "a" or "the"
Incorrect plural of a noun
Incorrect form of a noun or incorrect use of a noun
Wrong case of a pronoun
Confusion between an adverb and an adjective
Incorrect form of a verb
Incorrect tense of a verb
Incorrect preposition
A non-standard English expression or idiom
Section III: Reading Comprehension
This part of the LPI has two types of questions, both measuring and graded upon reading comprehension.
In Section A, examinees are asked to read two prose passages (each of about 300 words), and then answer four multiple-choice questions that accompany each passage.
In Section B, examinees are given three prose passages to read (each of about 200 words), and asked to summarize the passage’s main idea or ideas in no more than three sentences.
Section IV: Essay Writing
In this section examinees are required to write a 300 to 400-word argumentative essay on one of 3 topics given in the test.. The writer will be expected to state a point of view and...