HSPT Language: 60 questions in 25 minutes
Language is the fifth and last HSPT section: 60 questions in 25 minutes, about 25 seconds each. On STS's sample form, 20 questions are composition, 18 usage, 10 punctuation, 10 spelling and 2 capitalization.
Updated October 23, 2026 · by AdmitTest
STS lists the Language skills as punctuation, capitalization, spelling, grammar, usage and composition (HSPT manual; 25 minutes per diocese pages). Counts are from the manual's one sample form. Every sample below is a practice question written by us.
| Kind of question | On the sample form |
|---|---|
| Composition | 20 |
| Usage (incorrect 15, correct 3) | 18 |
| Punctuation | 10 |
| Spelling | 10 |
| Capitalization | 2 |
Punctuation
The rules that come up most: commas between items in a series and after an introductory phrase; a comma before "and", "but" or "so" joining two complete sentences; apostrophes for possession (the dog's bowl, the dogs' bowls) and never for a plain plural; quotation marks around the exact words spoken.
Sample · Punctuation · written by AdmitTest
Look for errors in punctuation. Choose the sentence with an error. If you find no error, choose No mistakes.
- The new library will open to the public next spring.
- My grandfather grew up on a small farm in Iowa.
- Our town was founded on June 4 1852, by a group of farmers.
- No mistakes
Answer: C. A comma goes between the day and the year in a date: "June 4 1852" should be "June 4, 1852."
Capitalization
Capitals for proper nouns (names of people, places, days, months, holidays, languages), the first word of a sentence and of a quotation, and titles before a name ("Doctor Lee", but "the doctor"). Seasons and school subjects other than languages take no capital.
Sample · Capitalization · written by AdmitTest
Look for errors in capitalization. Choose the sentence with an error. If you find no error, choose No mistakes.
- Grandma and I baked bread every Sunday in the winter.
- Ms. Rivera said, "Open your books to page forty."
- The parade on the fourth of July passed right by our house.
- No mistakes
Answer: C. The name of a holiday is capitalized: "the fourth of July" should be "the Fourth of July."
Usage
Read each sentence in full, out loud in your head. The usual errors: a verb that does not agree with its subject ("The list of names are"), the wrong pronoun ("between you and I"), a tense that changes for no reason, an adjective used where an adverb belongs ("runs quick"), and comparisons ("more better").
Sample · Usage · written by AdmitTest
Look for errors in usage. Choose the sentence with an error. If you find no error, choose No mistakes.
- The bakery on Elm Street sells fresh bread every morning.
- Our teacher gave Maria and I extra time to finish the science project.
- Grandpa told us a story about his first job at a farm.
- No mistakes
Answer: B. The error is "gave Maria and I." It should be "gave Maria and me." A pronoun that receives the action must be in the object form; drop "Maria and" and "gave I" sounds wrong.
Spelling
Look at each word on its own, slowly: mistakes hide in words that look almost right. Common traps are double letters (necessary, occasion), -ible and -able, ie and ei, and homophones (their, there, they're).
Sample · Spelling · written by AdmitTest
Look for errors in spelling. Choose the sentence with a misspelled word. If you find no error, choose No mistakes.
- The principal announced that school would close early.
- Her strong principles guided every choice she made.
- We practiced the speech until it sounded perfect.
- No mistakes
Answer: D. All three are correct. "Principal" is the head of a school, and "principles" are beliefs or rules.
Composition
The biggest block. Choose the clearest, shortest version that keeps the meaning; the connecting word that matches the logic ("however" for a contrast, "therefore" for a result); the sentence that keeps a paragraph on its topic.
Sample · Composition · written by AdmitTest
Choose the word or words that best join the thoughts together. ______ the bus was late, Ms. Ortiz still started class on time.
- Because
- Unless
- Since
- Although
Answer: D. The word "still" signals a surprise: class started on time even with a late bus, so "Although" fits. "Because" and "Since" would make the late bus the reason class started on time.
Pacing: about 25 seconds a question
Language comes last, after more than two hours of testing, so tiredness costs points here. Read every word of each choice before deciding, keep a steady pace, and answer everything: there is no penalty for a wrong answer.
Free full-length HSPT practice test. 298 questions in five timed sections, no sign-up. Your child's score by section and by skill when it ends.
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What is on the HSPT Language section?
Punctuation, capitalization, spelling, grammar and usage, and composition (how sentences and paragraphs are best put together), in STS's description. On the sample form in STS's manual: composition 20, usage 18, punctuation 10, spelling 10, capitalization 2.
How can my child improve on HSPT Language quickly?
This section rewards rules that can be learned in days: commas in a series and after introductory words, apostrophes for possession, capitals for proper nouns, subject-verb agreement, pronoun case and verb tense. Practice finding the mistake in short sentences, and read each sentence in full before deciding.
What is composition on the HSPT?
Questions about writing as a whole: choosing the clearest way to express an idea, the best word to connect two sentences, the sentence that fits a paragraph or does not belong in it, and the best topic sentence. STS lists composition with the other language skills.