Grammar
This punctuation is used to separate elements within a sentence, improve clarity, and create pauses.
Comma
Which sentence is the weakest thesis statement?
A. The author develops the theme of courage through Marcus’s actions and thoughts.
B. The story shows how Marcus changes from fearful to confident.
C. This story is interesting and fun to read.
C. This story is interesting and fun to read.
What will you be asked to write on the PSSA?
TDA
Name a monster from Summer of the Mariposa
A. La Puiga
B. El Chipo
C. Andrew Brennan
D. El Nagual
D. El Nagual
Because the roads were icy, school was canceled for the day.
What text structure is used?
B. Cause and effect
Which sentence maintains consistent verb tense?
A. She walks to school and talked to her friends.
B. She walked to school and talks to her friends.
C. She walks to school and talks to her friends.
D. She walking to school and talked to her friends.
C. She walks to school and talks to her friends.
What is the best strategy for writing the introduction of a TDA essay?
A. Start with your opinion about the story
B. Summarize the entire passage in detail
C. Introduce the topic and present a clear thesis
D. List all the evidence you will use
C. Introduce the topic and present a clear thesis
What was the father's (And main character) of Maus? This is the person telling his survival story.
Vladek
Read the sentence.
If I didn’t remind my brother that his library books are due, he __________________ to put them in his backpack every time.
Which words best complete the sentence?
A. will forget
B. would forget
C. could have forgotten
D. might have forgotten
B. would forget
Many students struggle with time management. They can create schedules and set priorities to help them stay on task. As a result, those students often complete their work more efficiently.
What is the primary text structure?
Problem and solution
Which sentence uses parallel structure correctly?
A. She likes swimming, to run, and biking.
B. She likes swimming, running, and to bike.
C. She likes swimming, running, and biking.
D. She likes to swim, running, and biking.
C. She likes swimming, running, and biking.
What are the three things that NEED to be included in a body paragraph?
Topic Sentence, Evidence, Analysis
BOSTON CELTICS
Read the sentence from the passage. “She found Tomer monitoring the crane-crafter’s progress, watching status readouts as the huge print head shuttled back and forth over the building site, extruding a steady flow of thick gray paste to build up the structure layer by layer.”
Based on the sentence, what does the word extruding mean?
A. displaying
B. passing
C. squeezing out
D. rolling over
C. squeezing out
What is the author’s purpose in this sentence?
Water boils at 100°C under normal conditions. It is really hot.
To inform
Choose the best revision:
The test was difficult. Many students passed it.
A. The test was difficult, many students passed it.
B. The test was difficult; many students passed it.
C. The test was difficult many students passed it.
D. The test was difficult however many students passed it.
B. The test was difficult; many students passed it.
What is this?
The passage “Cool Roofs” supports Jenkins’s ideas because it includes plans and ideas for eco-friendly roofs, statistics and data about these plans, and the benefits they have on the environment.
A thesis/focus statement
red, orange, yellow, green, blue, _____, violet.
Fill in blank
Indigo
Read the sentence . Once the microscopes and slides had been placed on the tables, the students could continue the experiment .
Choose the correct way to rewrite the sentence using only active voice .
A . Once the microscopes and slides had been placed on the tables, the experiment could be continued .
B . The students continued the experiment once they had placed the microscopes and slides on the tables .
C . The students could continue the experiment once the microscopes and slides had been placed on the tables .
D . Once the microscopes and slides had been placed on the tables by the students, they could continue the experiment
B . The students continued the experiment once they had placed the microscopes and slides on the tables .
Chanel said Brennan was the coolest. She thinks he is the best, even though she is sometimes mean to him. I agree with Chanel, Brennan is the best because he is frickin cool as heck.
What is the author's purpose?
Persuade
How many revisions are needed in the following paragraph?
Which state was home to the first organized game of baseball, the first drive-in movie theater and the first saltwater taffy! New Jersey claim all of those titles and more New Jerseys first inhabitants was Delaware Indians. In about 1524, Giovanni de Verrazano claimed the area for the Dutch. Today, New Jersey has more then 8 million residents and it have two international airports.
Which state was home to the first organized game of baseball, the first drive-in movie theater and the first saltwater taffy? (1) New Jersey claims (2) all of those titles and more. (3) New Jersey' (4) s first inhabitants were (5) Delaware Indians. In about 1524, Giovanni de Verrazano claimed the area for the Dutch. Today, New Jersey has more than (6) 8 million residents and it has (7) two international airports.
7
In the passage, Daedalus warns Icarus not to fly too high because the suns heat will melt the wax holding the fathers together . Icarus disregarded the warning, and what happened was exactly as Daedalus predicted . Icarus flew too high in his search for freedom, and his beacon of hope turned into his downfall.
What TWO things are missing from this TDA paragraph?
Topic sentence and evidence
Name the 5 Garza sisters
Odilia, Velia, Delia, Juanita, Pita
Read the quote from George Washington Carver. “From a child, I had an inordinate desire for knowledge and especially music, painting, flowers, and the sciences, algebra being one of my favorite studies.”
A student wants to use part of the quote in a report. Which sentence correctly punctuates the partial quote?
A. “From a child, I had an inordinate desire for knowledge . . . algebra being one of my favorite studies.”
B. “From a child, I had an inordinate desire for knowledge—algebra being one of my favorite studies.”
C. “From a child, I had an inordinate desire for knowledge, algebra being one of my favorite studies.”
D. “From a child, I had an inordinate desire for knowledge; algebra being one of my favorite studies.”
A. “From a child, I had an inordinate desire for knowledge . . . algebra being one of my favorite studies.”
Brennan found a mysterious gold coin buried in the sand while digging at the beach. Next, he noticed a small, locked box hidden under a nearby rock. Then, with shaking hands, he used the key to open the box and unlocked unlimited aura. Finally, he went to school to share his Aura with his students.
What is the author's purpose AND text structure here?
Chronological, and entertaining.