Common Test Questions & Vocab
What should you do if you are not sure what answer choice is the correct one? a) Don't bubble in any answer and leave it blank b) Spend 15 minutes trying to decide on an answer c) Eliminate the obvious wrong answer choices and then make an educated guess
C
How can you get full credit (2 out of 2) on your short answer questions? In other words, what should you do when you are answering the short answer questions?
1. Restate the question & answer it (making an inference). 2. Provide 2 pieces of evidence (quotes!). 3. Explain your evidence.
True or False: you shouldn't chunk the passages as you read because it is distracting and wastes time.
FALSE! You SHOULD annotate or stop and think about the text because it helps you better understand what you are reading and will help you answer the questions. Also, the test is not timed, so you can take as long as you need to!
Why should you underline or circle key words in the questions?
To help you understand EXACTLY what each question is asking you and help you know what to focus on when you read the passage. The questions are often tricky and if you don't read them carefully and focus on the key words you might make a careless mistake when answering the question!
True or False: You should always reread what you wrote before moving on to the next question. Why or why not?
TRUE! You should always reread what you wrote as your answer to make sure that... 1. You didn't make any careless mistakes in spelling, punctuation or grammar that would make it difficult for someone to understand. 2. You made an inference in your answer and provided TWO pieces of evidence. 3. You actually answered the EXACT question you are being asked to answer
What are at least 3 things you can do to annotate/note take the passages you are reading?
1. Underline or highlight important words and sentences. 2. Note words you don't know and use context clues to try to figure out what the words mean. 3. Write questions and notes on notepad.
True or False: You should read all the answer choices, even if the first or second answer sounds correct to you.
TRUE! Almost every question will have 2 answer choices that are somewhat easy to eliminate and then 1 answer choice that is there to trick you! So you should read and reread each answer choice carefully and check back to the text to make sure you are choosing the correct answer and not the trick answer!
What are some ways you can use your planning page before starting to write your essay?
(1) Set up your note taking page (2) Identify how many body paragraphs are needed (3) Write out complete restate/answer statement. (4) 3 bullets for each body paragraph (5) Note take evidence and quotes (6) Come up with a question or hook for your introduction (7) Have a conclusion
Authors use foreshadowing in their writing. What does this mean?
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story.
What is another way of saying 'central idea' of a paragraph?
The main idea
Your teachers always tell you to "go back and check your work" when you are done. How should you "check your work" on the state test?
Reread each question carefully and the answer you chose, and check the text again to make sure you still think that is the right answer. Also, make sure you have answered in ALL the questions
How many paragraphs should your essay have?
The number of paragraphs will vary depending on the question; however, you should have an introduction, at least 1 body paragraph (using TREEE!!!), and a conclusion. If the essay question asks you to compare and contrast two texts, then you should have 2 body paragraphs. If the essay question asks you to state an author's argument, and then evaluate whether the author provided sufficient evidence, then you should also have 2 body paragraphs (the first paragraph to talk about the author's argument, and the second paragraph to discuss whether the author provides sufficient evidence).
What is personification?
A type of figurative language when the author gives an object a human like characteristic.
What do illustrate, reveal, indicate, and covey all really mean?
Show or describe
What is the structure of a fiction story?
The plot line- rising action, characters, setting, conflict, climax, resolution
True or False- You can submit your test as soon as you are finished.
FALSE! You must go back and check your answers, then use the review button to make sure they are completed. You may submit only after the proctor tells you do so after the hour is up.
How many quotes should you include in the essay?
2-3 quotes with an explanation of how it proves the claim.