The Kitchen Sink
Read the sentence. Earthworms in a person’s garden are helpful for the soil and plants. Which revision of the sentence provides the most specific information?
A. Earthworms can benefit the soil in people’s gardens in many ways.
B. People often find earthworms when they begin to dig into damp, rich soil.
C. Earthworms dig burrows into the soil, which helps to allow air and water to enter.
D. There are hidden earthworms burrowing through the soil of many people’s gardens.
C. Earthworms dig burrows into the soil, which helps to allow air and water to enter.
Which sentence needs an additional comma?
A. Please check to see that the newspaper has the correct month, the correct day, and the correct year.
B. My friends and I talked about what we would write about for our project, what resources we would use, and where we would find the information.
C. Do you plan to read a book, watch a play at the community center, or walk to the park?
D. Are you planning to walk, ride your bicycle take the bus, or get a ride to the library?
D. Are you planning to walk, ride your bicycle take the bus, or get a ride to the library?
Read the paragraph. (1) Some members of the Philadelphia Orchestra visited our school last week and spoke to us about music. (2) They explained what it was like for them to play in Carnegie Hall. (3) The musicians said that we could try out their instruments. (4) The students in my class who play violin—Juan, Margo, and me—were excited to meet the violinists!
Which sentence contains a pronoun error?
A. sentence 1
B. sentence 2
C. sentence 3
D. sentence 4
D. sentence 4
“ ‘This means that humor can distract you from thinking about a painful procedure but also has the potential to make it seem less painful,’ says Dr . Margaret Stuber, the main researcher for the study .” What does the word potential mean?
A . detailed process
B . possible ability
C . practiced skill
D . unfavorable quality
B . possible ability
“Coast redwoods have an advantage over many trees in that they are bathed in fog on summer mornings.” What does the figurative language in the sentence suggest?
A. The fog cleans the redwood trees.
B. The fog makes it cooler for researchers to climb the redwood trees.
C. The fog makes it difficult to clearly see the redwood trees.
D. The fog spreads over the redwood trees.
D. The fog spreads over the redwood trees.
Read the paragraph . (1) Monarch butterflies, like many other animals, migrate south for the winter . (2) Butterfly lovers flocks to Michoacán, Mexico, every year to see the millions of monarchs that spend the winter there . (3) These monarchs hatched somewhere in the north the previous spring, and because monarchs have a short lifespan, no single monarch lives long enough to make the return trip . (4) That task is left to their offspring, who somehow find their way north .
Which change should be made to the paragraph to correct the error in agreement?
A . Change migrate to migrates in sentence 1 .
B . Change flocks to flock in sentence 2 .
C . Change lives to live in sentence 3 .
D . Change find to finds in sentence 4
B . Change flocks to flock in sentence 2
Read the paragraph . (1) Some people think bananas, which are available at many grocery stores, make good desserts . (2) They are healthier than many other sweet foods . (3) Many people believe, that sugary desserts should be avoided . (4) Eating fruits like bananas may be a great way to enjoy a healthy dessert .
Which revision should be made to the paragraph?
A . Remove the comma after stores in sentence 1 .
B . Add a comma after healthier in sentence 2 .
C . Remove the comma after believe in sentence 3 .
D . Add a comma after fruits in sentence 4
C . Remove the comma after believe in sentence 3
In the sentence below, what is the subject pronoun?
Please give the notebook to Patricia.
Implied you
Read the sentences from the passage. “ ‘The past is the past. Mama’s legacy is tarnished enough. I don’t want you making it worse.’ ” Based on the passage, what does the word tarnished reveal about Candice’s grandmother?
A. She became unpopular.
B. She lost the respect of others.
C. She failed to achieve her goals.
D. She embarrassed her daughter.
B. She lost the respect of others.
Read the sentences from the passage. “ ‘Your grandma was the first woman, and the first African American, to serve as city manager for Lambert. This was supposed to be a stepping-stone to other things.’ ” What does the use of “stepping-stone” suggest about Candice’s grandmother’s job?
A. She had the most authority in the city of Lambert.
B. She worked to make Lambert a thriving community.
C. Her job could have developed into a successful career.
D. Her job served to inspire women to become city managers.
C. Her job could have developed into a successful career
Read the paragraph. (1) Skunk cabbage is one of the first wildflowers to bloom in Pennsylvania in the springtime. (2) Because of its name, people may avoid it. (3) The flower is actually quite beautiful, with green outer leaves, red inner leaves, and a small bud that produces delicate yellow flowers. (4) It is only when the plant is stepped on or crushed that the plant produced the unpleasant smell that gives it its name.
Which sentence contains an inappropriate shift in verb tense?
A. sentence 1
B. sentence 2
C. sentence 3
D. sentence 4
D. sentence 4
12 . Read the paragraph . (1) Nick, Jasmyn, Dale, and the younger cousins, gathered along the sidewalk in front of the apartment . (2) Near the sidewalk sat a bucket of light blue, pink, green, and yellow chalk . (3) Nick and Jasmyn felt that they were getting too old for “Chalk Walk Saturdays,” but they still enjoyed the yearly tradition . (4) Besides, helping the eager and energetic younger cousins with their drawings was great fun . (5) Watching as they made important decisions about chalk colors, looked for inspiration about what to draw, and wrinkled their brows in concentration brought delight to the older cousins . Which revision corrects the punctuation error in the paragraph?
A . Remove the comma after cousins in sentence 1 .
B . Add a comma after yellow in sentence 2 .
C . Add a comma after eager in sentence 4 .
D . Remove the comma after colors in sentence 5
A . Remove the comma after cousins in sentence 1
Which word is a reflexive pronoun?
a. whom
b. themself
c. themselves
d. theirselves
C. themselves
Read the sentence from the passage. “Getting the right amount of exercise can rev up your energy levels and even help improve your mood.”
What does the phrase “rev up” mean in the sentence?
A. protect
B. accept
C. increase
D. reverse
C. increase
Read the sentence from the passage. “ ‘I can already see the gears turning in your head,’ her mother said.” What does the phrase “gears turning in your head” suggest in the sentence?
A. Candice’s mother notices Candice is deep in thought.
B. Candice’s mother thinks Candice is becoming sad.
C. Candice’s mother remembers Candice as a child.
D. Candice’s mother imagines Candice is a machine.
A. Candice’s mother notices Candice is deep in thought.
Read the paragraph. (1) Big Ben is one of the most famous clock towers in the world, and it is also one of the largest. (2) In fact, it is the third largest clock tower in the world. (3) The name “Big Ben” refers to the bell, which was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who ordered it. (4) As for the bell itself, it weighs an astonishing thirteen tons.
Which sentence should end with an exclamation point to most effectively show excitement?
A. sentence 1
B. sentence 2
C. sentence 3
D. sentence 4
D. sentence 4
Read the paragraph. (1) Our class was planning a bake sale to raise money for our trip. (2) They decided that we should do it on Thursday after school. (3) Many of us volunteered to bring cakes, cookies, and bread. (4) We raised more than enough money; our sale was a huge success!
Which sentence contains an inappropriate shift in pronoun person?
A. sentence 1
B. sentence 2
C. sentence 3
D. sentence 4
B. sentence 2
Read the paragraph. (1) Students at Creekview Middle School must have one year of a foreign language class before they go on to attend high school. (2) Many students take more than one year of foreign language because you enjoy the experience of learning a different language. (3) A student last year said that her favorite part of being in a foreign language class was the end-of-year field trip to the annual Festival of Languages. (4) All students agreed that their trip to the festival was a memorable event.
Which change should be made to the paragraph to correct the inappropriate shift in pronoun person?
A. Change they to you in sentence 1.
B. Change you to they in sentence 2.
C. Change her to your in sentence 3.
D. Change their to our in sentence 4.
B. Change you to they in sentence 2.
“When you give your heart this kind of workout regularly, it will get stronger and more efficient in delivering oxygen (in the form of oxygen-carrying blood cells) to all parts of your body.”
What does the word efficient mean as it is used in the sentence?
A. capable
B. obvious
C. necessary
D. original
A. capable
“This may not seem important now, but your body will thank you later.” What does the figurative language in the sentence suggest?
A. Exercise has long-term effects on the body.
B. Exercise requirements change as the body ages.
C. Exercise should be pain free for the body from the beginning.
D. Exercise methods should be chosen carefully to protect the body.
A. Exercise has long-term effects on the body
Read the paragraph. (1) The kiwi is a flightless bird that lives in the grasslands of New Zealand. (2) This interesting bird has an excellent sense of smell. (3) Which it uses to find bugs and seeds on the ground. (4) The kiwi is the only bird that has nostrils at the tip of its beak.
Which sentence should be revised to correct the inappropriate sentence fragment?
A. sentence 1
B. sentence 2
C. sentence 3
D. sentence 4
C. sentence 3
We finally remembered that it was_____ who had donated the colorful abstract painting.
She- remember your verbs of being
Based on the prefix “im-,” what does “impartial” mean?
A. not taking sides
B. taking opposite sides
C. taking sides again
D. the act of taking sides
A. not taking sides
“Warm fog that was like balm upon his frozen skin, but of a warmth that was impossible within a few miles of the frozen pole.”
What does the simile “warm fog that was like balm upon his frozen skin” suggest?
A. The fog gave Tommy a reason to feel afraid of the future.
B. The fog felt very cold to Tommy.
C. The fog felt very comforting to Tommy.
D. The fog hinted to Tommy that he was going to crash the plane
C. The fog felt very comforting to Tommy.